Best model scale for Legion miniatures

[davepaulstanley 46]

Anyone have a good idea of what scale models would be compatible with the legion minis?  For example, if I wanted to add a model ship to the battlefield like an x-wing or a-wing model made by Revell or some plastic model kit, what scale should I be looking for?  

[Extropia 1,475]

On my quick research, the 1/53 scale Revell At-At is close to perfect. 28mm is 1/56 roughly, so 1/52 to 1/53 is about right.

Now, the bad news. Good luck finding kits in such an odd scale, except for a couple like that At-At. More common is 1/72 (too small) or 1/48 (too big).

BUT....scale isn't all that reliable with miniatures compared to proper models, because it has stuff like bases, or just inaccurate scaling by manufacturers. So I think we're going to have to eyeball it on a case by case basis.

 

[JohnnyTrash 404]

I just started to get some terrain done while I wait for the core set. 6' x 3' Jedha game mat will probably be finished on Saturday and I just ordered a 1/57(?) scale Revell X-Wing (Revell 06656) from Amazon. Might not be the exact scale but I hope it will work as scenery once I'm finished with it...^^

I'll keep you updated once I get my hands on it.

Edited August 22, 2017 by JohnnyTrash

[Extropia 1,475]

1/57 should look absolutely fine. Maybe a touch small, but I don't imagine it'll be too glaring or anything.

[Manchu 966]

I know Bandai makes 1:48 AT-ST and Snow Speeder. Anyone know of other 1:48 Star Wars models?

[Extropia 1,475]

Fine Molds did some fantastic ones in 1/48, but they are expensive. They are extremely detailed high quality models....way overkill as terrain. Take a look around if interested though!

 

Revell also did some fighters in 1/48 and 1/50, and a 1/72 Falcon.

Edited August 21, 2017 by Extropia

[Manchu 966]

Yeah I was thinking using those kits to make wrecks ... def not wanting to spend more than the Bandai prices (after retailer discounts).

[Extropia 1,475]

Revell is likely the best option, you can often pick those up quite cheaply.

[Forgottenlore 9,838]

1 hour ago, Extropia said:

BUT....scale isn't all that reliable with miniatures compared to proper models,

And this us at least part of the problem. 

When I was a kid the "standard" for gaming miniatures was 25mm. But GW figs were noticeably bigger than that (for some reason) and got called 28mm. Then GW became the dominant miniature wargame company and everyone started shifting to 28mm. But scale creep has been a persistent thing and now everyone seems to think 32mm is some sort of standard. Add in GWs "heroic scale" proportion issues and their clown car vehicles and you end up with an industry "standard" that can vary by more than 15%. Now FFG is producing legions figs, which are bigger than IA figs, which are bigger than WotC SW figs, all of which are/were called 28-32mm scale and so people are now making up a 34mm scale for these based on absolutely no reliable measurements and you know that is going to stick, nevermind we never actually had any official word from FFG what scale the IA figs were supposed to be. And to top it all off you have the old argument about whether mm scale measures to the eyes or the top of the head. 

Tldr, scale in gaming is a mess and you will never get consistency among all the various elements. 

[davepaulstanley 46]

4 hours ago, JohnnyTrash said:

I just started to get some terrain done while I wait for the core set. 6' x 3' Jedha game mat will probably be finished on Saturday and I just ordered a 1/57(?) scale Revell X-Wing (Revell 06656) from Amazon. Might not be the exact scale but I hope it will work as scenery once I'm finnished with it...^^

I'll keep you updated once I get my hands on it.

You gotta upload some pics of what you're building. And I thought I was the only crazy one considering building a table and/or terrain in advance!  :-)

[quantumsheep 62]

6 hours ago, Extropia said:

Revell is likely the best option, you can often pick those up quite cheaply.

I just ordered a 1:52 scale Snowspeeder by Revell - less than £6 from Amazon incl. delivery \o/

 

QS =D

[power500500 220]

Yeah, I hate to buy these kits and purposefully destroy them but my battlefield needs wreckage!

[Bike Stunts 163]

1 minute ago, power500500 said:

Yeah, I hate to buy these kits and purposefully destroy them but my battlefield needs wreckage!

Models are all about crafting something that looks cool, and battle damage is certainly cool

 

[Manchu 966]

Yeah, building a wreck as terrain is actually very satisfying. Great, immersive result - no need to worry about mistakes as this is a wreck after all!

[power500500 220]

Yeah, it hurts when I rip a Sherman up for Bolt Action. An X-wing will be a thousand times worse!

[BillCopperman 2]

Anyone have a lead on a good Lambda shuttle kit that I could use in my Legion terrain? I haven't been able to find one that's large enough so far.

[Ghostofman 8,319]

On 8/21/2017 at 6:29 PM, Forgottenlore said:

And this us at least part of the problem. 

When I was a kid the "standard" for gaming miniatures was 25mm. But GW figs were noticeably bigger than that (for some reason) and got called 28mm. Then GW became the dominant miniature wargame company and everyone started shifting to 28mm. But scale creep has been a persistent thing and now everyone seems to think 32mm is some sort of standard. Add in GWs "heroic scale" proportion issues and their clown car vehicles and you end up with an industry "standard" that can vary by more than 15%. Now FFG is producing legions figs, which are bigger than IA figs, which are bigger than WotC SW figs, all of which are/were called 28-32mm scale and so people are now making up a 34mm scale for these based on absolutely no reliable measurements and you know that is going to stick, nevermind we never actually had any official word from FFG what scale the IA figs were supposed to be. And to top it all off you have the old argument about whether mm scale measures to the eyes or the top of the head. 

Tldr, scale in gaming is a mess and you will never get consistency among all the various elements. 

While they are certainly under no obligation to so, were FFG to publish an article on Legion, Scale, and You it would be a nice PR move. Just sort out what the different scales are, what decisions they made on Legions scale and why, and how that relates to building terrain and such.

[KrisWall 966]

The average American male is roughly 5'10" or 177cm.  At 1/48 scale, we could expect the average dude to be 37mm tall.  I believe that the bases are about 3mm tall, so the mini only needs to be 34mm tall.  That actually sounds about right from what I've heard of Legion.  I read somewhere that Legion Luke is 35mm tall.  I'm planning on using 1/48 scale models to represent Legion terrain and buildings and whatnot.  I'd rather the things be a little big than a little small.  1/48 and 1/72 seem to be the common scales in this neighborhood.  1/72 is definitely way too small.

Edited October 27, 2017 by KrisWall

[Raging Celt 223]

On 8/21/2017 at 3:37 PM, Extropia said:

On my quick research, the 1/53 scale Revell At-At is close to perfect. 28mm is 1/56 roughly, so 1/52 to 1/53 is about right.

There is an AT-AT at 1/53 scale? No kidding!

[Forgottenlore 9,838]

11 hours ago, BillCopperman said:

Anyone have a lead on a good Lambda shuttle kit that I could use in my Legion terrain? I haven't been able to find one that's large enough so far.

While I haven’t seen one in years, I would think an old Kenner action figure Lambda would be close enough to use. I know the action figure Falcon was close enough to 32mm figs that I have considered using one of those. 

[BillCopperman 2]

3 hours ago, Forgottenlore said:

While I haven’t seen one in years, I would think an old Kenner action figure Lambda would be close enough to use. I know the action figure Falcon was close enough to 32mm figs that I have considered using one of those. 

Thanks for the tip there! I'll have to keep an eye out for those; looks like they're going for a pretty penny online.

[Forgottenlore 9,838]

Yeah, I checked eBay when you asked, and the like new ones were pretty pricy. 

On the other hand, you’d probably want to do some work on it so it doesn’t look quite so much like a toy, and so you might be able to get away with one of the broken/incomplete ones that are significantly cheaper. Even more so if your looking for a wreck as a terrain piece instead of an intact ship. 

[SFC Snuffy 809]

1/48 is sometimes called "quarter-scale" and happens to correspond to O-scale model trains, like Lionel trains. O-scale buildings for train sets can be a little pricey, but they pack a lot of detail. There are also plans out there on the web for those inclined to scratchbuild. The only issue is that train buildings are scaled down uniformly. If you put a wargaming model next to an O-scale figurine, it will look cartoonish or even monstrous because the proportions are not scaled equally. 

Additionally, bases present an interesting problem for a modeler. If all of your figures have bases, but your vehicles do not, the infantry will look too big because the base adds to their height. Similarly, doors and windows on buildings will appear too small or too short if they are sized to scale.

[Ghostofman 8,319]

54 minutes ago, SFC Snuffy said:

The only issue is that train buildings are scaled down uniformly. If you put a wargaming model next to an O-scale figurine, it will look cartoonish or even monstrous because the proportions are not scaled equally. 

 

Who you calling cartoonish and monsterous heretic!?!?

[SFC Snuffy 809]

"Blessed is the mind too small for doubt!"