How did you end up with 10mm ?

[Sunray]

The old and bold like me started with Airfix.

Then the white metal made its appearance.

I have to confess I was a two scale man.  1/300 H&R  for a lot of the actions I now game in 10mm, and 15mm for the satisfaction of painting detail.

My first 10mm were in fact 1/200 (Skytrex).  The AFVs and tanks were superb.  The figures were....crap.

I then had a small selection of Wild Geese SCW in 10mm .  Indeed I still have a Republican officer who gets the occasional outing as a small Captain Mannering type  pompous staff officer.   What happened to Wild Geese and their ranges?

And then Pendraken. I was hooked.  Crisp detail, true scale, and small enough to get beyond a skirmish on the tabletop. 

[slugbalancer]

I started in 1/300 and had a few WW2 armies but wanted something different.  I finally settled on colonial Sudan and decided to dare going up a scale, pushing my painting skills.  Pendraken were the obvious & best place to start.  Worked out really well.

[Ithoriel]

Started with Airfix, brief foray into 30mm German "flats", then Minifigs 25mm. Various manufacturers 25mm followed both historical and fantasy. Financial and space pressures forced a move to 15mm, mainly Peter Laing. Then discovered 5mm blocks (Minifigs?), 6mm Ros & Heroics, 1:200 resin tanks and some oddball selling 10mm under the Wild Geese banner - all in a fairly short space of time. 

[Raider4]

When GW released Warmaster.

[Leman]

Had always wanted to do the Franco-Prussian War, but 25mm was out of the question and 15mm was going to be fairly expensive for the number of figures needed. Then H and R brought out their 6mm range, so that's what got me into small scale figures (I still use some of those figures in my BBB games). The next step was one of the boys in my school wargames club told me he was using 10mm WWII figures from a company called Wargames South. He knew that I was using 6mm FPW figures and told me the company did a range of 10mm FPW and would I like to borrow the catalogue (yes, it was that long ago). I started a collection, bulked it out with some Chariot 10mm (lovely sculpts, but ridiculously fragile) and some of the early Pendraken figures (I particularly like the over-burdened French infantryman and the feldmutze wearing Prussians). Then I foolishly went into 15mm after all and sold off or gave some of my 10mm stuff to my brother. Some years later Pendraken brought out their remodelled FPW range and I dove back in, eventually selling off most of my 15mm stuff. This was followed up by an investment in the Pendraken SYW range, the Pacific War, WWI and various ancient and medieval packs.   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

FrancoPrussian battlefields, via unsatisfactory 15mm (never enough figures to look like a unit) and initial forays into 28mm (fantasy skirmishes)

[Westmarcher]

Like Sunray I started with Airfix in my teenage years. Then there was a large gap when I gave my collection to my younger cousin to focus on my studies, a career, get married and earn a living to feed the family and pay the bills. In addition to financial considerations, I recall going to one war-game show and seeing gamers squabble like children - it put me off joining a club. But I still "kept in touch" buying magazines, Rules, board games and going to shows.

Then by chance I met an old wargaming chum from my teenage years. He, too, was strapped for cash so we both went the 1/300 route with Heroics & Ros and Irregular Miniatures collecting Napoleonic and Scottish/English CW armies (plus he had 28mm ancients). A few years gaming followed including running two demos at shows. Then another gap as we went our separate ways and eventually leading to me selling off all of my collection (except the buildings) and me "keeping in touch" once more but this time with the addition of the internet to keep my hopes going that one day I would return!  

Eventually, with the fiscal situation easing, I made the decision to come back into the fold. What era and what scale to choose? Space considerations and lack of painting skill (and cost) eliminated 28mm (another thing I noticed about 28mm was how cramped everything was on a gaming table. Space was so wanting that armies had to be lined up at start at the edge of the table and there appeared to be no room for sweeping flank manoeuvres). I also had this strange notion that I was too old to start a 28mm collection. So, 15mm? 6mm (again)? I wanted a flavour of the mass effect that 6mm gave but as I wanted more detail (and less figures to paint) somehow 15mm seemed the way to go. Having had armies in various eras, I also wanted something different to what I had collected before. Tricornes won the day with SYW being the preferred period.

The trouble was I found that I wasn't overly keen on the standard of figure available in that scale for that period.
And then I, too, came across Pendraken. Dave showed me his wares at Claymore. I didn't buy but it did put my decision off to go for 15mm.  Good detail, not too small whilst offering that mass effect I liked with 6mm and easily affordable. My first mail order was soon made, followed by more orders. Dave even accommodated my requests for extra command figures. What great service! And that's how I got into 10mm.  

[Westmarcher]

Then discovered 5mm blocks (Minifigs?) 

Good mention. Forgot all about my short flirtation with 5/6mm blocks. Napoleonic ones were available from some forgotten manufacturer (Eagle Six Miniatures or something like that?) but I abandoned that route when they turned out to be more expensive (and less attractive) than comparably sized units (footprint wise) H&R 1/300 or IR 6mm scale.

[Steve J]

Airfix as a kid, then into 20mm when we played D&D etc. Then a big gap until my 30's when I got back into gaming via Mordheim by GW. This led to me joining a club, with 15mm WWII and 28mm dominating. Nik Harwood nagged me to go 10mm, then saw a fellow club members Pendraken forces and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Nick the Lemming]

I'm a relative latecomer to 10mm; started with arfix as a kid, but only really started wargaming in the mid 80s, my first army was 15mm mostly Minifigs vikings. I think my next was 6mm Ostrogoths, but not sure of the manufacturer. After that, mostly 15mm and 6mm for years until about 6 or 7 years ago when I first bought some 10mm Cracker Line ACW figures, and supplemented them with Pendraken's lovely range. I game these days in 3mm, 6mm, 10mm and 15mm.

[Shedman]

I'd done 15mm for years but when I wanted to do The Hyphenated Wars the look didn't feel right. Pendraken did more or less everything I needed so I was sold

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Waiting for someone to tell the truth, "I was walking down a dark ally on my way to an Evil Empire store, and a casting dwarf leaped out and mugged me for all my lose change!"

[Not Drowning, Waving]

Airfix and a few Hinchcliffe and minifigs as a teenager, could never afford any more. Then a very lengthy gap. Had sons who were into Warhammer, and I ended up doing a lot of painting, and after a while though I should also be painting for myself. Did some Murawski and Perry 28mm, then plastic and German metal 20mm, all Napoleonics.

Then saw Jeff Knudsen's 10mm stuff and thought it was superb, especially his scenery.  Also saw WeeWars' blog which was intoxicating. Felt I just had to try my hand at the same.

So now staring at headlights of 10mm Napoleonics, unaware of the truck about to run me over, but happy!

[Norm]

A mix of Airfix and Featherstone  - Rich people were buying metal 28's and then I walked into a store that had a Napoleonic game with some rather wonderful new fangled 15mm scale (when they really were 15mm). I was very taken, but was also discovering H&R 5mm and the shop had some 10mm tanks that looked really cute / splendid/ detailed / fab etc.

I then spent some time in the wilderness dabbling in a variety of scales, mastering none!

I was increasingly drawn to the small stuff, did a ton of Irregular 6mm and then saw this really young bloke called Dave at a wargame show, on the Pendraken stand, who had been buying up various 10mm ranges and so there was not really a compatability right across all their ranges, but this young wippersnapper showed promise.

I went to Tripples at Sheffield and saw a 6mm western front WWII game on an oddly shaped table and was instantly smitten (I hold this as an example of the importance of a well done demo table at a show, you just never know what buttons it will press). So my world was entrenched in 6mm and I loved the Motte and Bailey that a very young Petter Berry at new company Baccus was showing off.

Anyway, fast forward a few years and my favourite stop off places at a show have become Pendraken for 10mm and Kallistra for 12mm. I can't use the two side by side, but in those periods I collect, both companies do complete self contained ranges .... so hooray!

The main problem that 10mm had was that compared to other scales, terrain was not well represented. In the past 5 years that has significantly changed.

Life may have been so much simpler if Airfix had just done 10mm in first place, imagine, a 10mm Waterloo Farm in 1970 or Sherrif of Nottingham Castle!

[paulr]

Like most I started with Airfix...

I came across some NZ produced 1/4,800 ships which opened my eyes to smaller scales

I then invested heavily in 6mm Heroics and Ros; Napoleonics, Ancients, WWII

I was looking to do an AWI project 40 years after seeing an AWI demo game, which convinced me that Wargaming was the hobby for me

I wasn't satisfied with the 6mm ranges available and stumbled across the amazing Pendraken AWI range

I've now invested in 10mm; AWI (2 projects), Medieval (non-Pendraken ), WWI, ECW

[d_Guy]

In 2012, after the great thirty year hiatus, I unpacked all my 25/28 ECW (which were last organized to play Forlorn Hope) and reorganized them for Pike & Shotte. By late 2013 it was apparent that my 3' x 5' playspace was not sufficient. I began to cast about and discovered 10mm. I have not looked back.

[Orcs]

Started with Airfix WW2 stuff using some very basic rules when I was about 10.  Then found "Charge! or how to play Wargames". Got my first Wargames board and started to play using many substitutes.  Then got into 1:300 Heroics and Ross  tanks, WW2 and Modern (1980s) Then a friend brought round his 15mm Renaissance by Mikes Models and that started a large collection of Italian wars stuff.

Then I got married and ended up just painting and reading Military modelling.  I then saw a gamer advertising for an opponent a few miles away (must have been about 1990). Went and met him and he was mainly into 20mm WW2 -  We have been friends ever since.  Moving to Herts I started going  to Aylesbury Wargames club, which started all sorts of collections including a big collection of 6mm Irregular DBM armies.  I then got involved with helping out one of the Aylesbury Members with running his stall at shows, He joined forces with Sunjester to become "Behind the Lines" and  this allowed me to feed my addiction.

A change of shifts meant I moved Clubs to Tring. Making my wife an ex-wife and a much more reasonable partner,  an increase in finances,  several friends being available for gaming days during the week meant it has continued to grow. (Mrs Orcs might say expand like a Supa Nova)

[industrialtrousers]

When GW started becoming more about the shareholders than the hobby, destroyed the old world and started making big models that looked like kids toys. I started playing Warmaster because of the scale despite it having had support withdrawn some years before. I thought I could sculpt my own, turned to be true in part.

Another big push was the storage size down. Houses are small in London.

[steve_holmes_11]

Airfix ==> 6mm ==> Eyes started to go ==> 10 and 15mm depending on rules.


* 6mm because i was an early adopter of the mess battle look.
* Eyes are very long sighted, and I don't have a pair of specs that can correct for close work (Maybe should chat with the optician - what say the forum?)
* I still question whether I should have jumped up to a larger scale in anticipation of further optical decline.
* 10 or 15 depending on the rules (generally 15 for the skirmish or small warband, and 10s for the bigger battle).

[mmcv]

I had a brief youthful excursion into painting some GW figures that went no where, then fast forward to this time last year and I got the urge to delve into miniature painting again. Picked up a game of Zombiecide and a Warlord starter set and got to work. I quickly realised that while the big scale is okay for skirmishing, given limits in time, storage and playing space doing anything significant with the big boys was unfeasible. I loved the massed troops look so diving into the smaller scales was an easy sell (and easier on my wallet!) So got some sample packs for 6mm, 10mm and 15mm.

Tackled the 6mm first, Macedonian and Persian infantry, but found them a little frustrating to paint, 15 mm arrived next, a Han Chinese sample pack and I thought I'd found my scale, a joy to paint but still on the smaller size.

Then 10mm came. A pack of English Billmen and Saracen infantry. It was the best bits if what I loved about 6 and 15 and suffice to say many of my (eye watering waste of money) 28s are still languishing on their sprues and my 15 and 6 never went any further than samples, but I now have a large 10mm crusade armies.

Then I came across Pendraken and the great sculpts and friendly community and that just sealed the deal!

I have several projects already planned out for 10mm in the coming year, time and wallet permitting, and though I may stray into other scales again, 10mm feels like home, and there's no place like home!