Does anyone here use 6mm buildings for their 10mm games of BKC?
I'm conscious that BKC is a battlion+ level game for the most part and the ground scale makes 10mm buildings cover a huge footprint. I'm thimking 6mm would be closer to the right size, and make a village or a town look a bit more realistic. I think Steve J on here does something similar.
I have - I'm still undecided on whether I prefer it or not, think it depends on how "abstracted" I'm feeling on the day!
I think this is my trouble, Nathan. I just cant rationalise it.
It may come down to economics. I have lots of 6mm buildings. But we are looking at playing some Market Garden themed games at the club in 10mm, and have some gorgeously painted figures but zero scenery.
I've just filled my basket at Timecast and I fiented when I saw the cost ;D
I've fairly recently added quite a lot of 6mm buildings for my WWI and WWII games - I'd rather a village base has a number of buildings on it, than just 1 or 2.
Here is an example
(https://i.imgur.com/dWO71QN.jpg)
Morning Sean
We've used 6mm buildings with our various 10mm games since we started back in 2014. Like Fred I like the more extensive "look" that it gives urban areas and the table is not taken up with massive buildings that dominate the game.
Having said that I am happily using a OG 10mm fort and village for a WW1 Cape Helles game as they did dominate the landings, especially on V Beach.
It's down to a matter of taste/practically/what tabletop "look" you want to achieve I guess.
If your 3-5 men on a base is supposed to represent a platoon - or even a section - having the buildings smaller than reality makes sense to me.
Though I frequently deride the use of buildings a scale down from the figure scale as fighting over "Wendy Houses" :) and despair of those who can plonk half a dozen figures down and see a platoon but who can't plonk a building down and see a hamlet there is no doubt that it reduces both cost and footprint and slightly boosts the appearance of multiple structures.
Whether that is worth the price of having buildings the figures would have to enter on their hands and knees is a personal choice.
Personally, I'd always choose unified figure and building scales, where possible.
Maybe an ideal would be for the height to be correctly scaled, but the width & length reduced, for a smaller footprint? (Real buildings are big). Seems that would be a good compromise for playability reasons?
Here is an example of a WWI game with 6mm buildings, NÉRY, 1 September 1914 https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,12600.msg173678.html#msg173678 (https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,12600.msg173678.html#msg173678)
(http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t197/paulreynolds999/Nery%202015/IMG_8257_zpsvnhvkjc1.jpg)
I prefer several 6mm buildings to a village for the same reason I prefer several 10mm figures on a base, the mass effect
QuoteMaybe an ideal would be for the height to be correctly scaled, but the width & length reduced, for a smaller footprint? (Real buildings are big). Seems that would be a good compromise for playability reasons?
Exactly the option Total Battle Miniatures have taken with their Big Battalions ranges. I have some, beautiful miniatures but not cheap.
It all depends, it seems to me, on the size of your table. I find most '10mm' buildings are on the small side anyway so it has never been an issue for me.
Agonising over this a bit at the moment as I plan terrain for my WW1 games. I'm working on both big battle and skirmish level projects and I think 10mm buildings are fine for skirmish but might be a bit much for big battle. I've only got 2mm buildings which look great for really large abstracted maps but look a bit off alongside 10mm. Think I'll have to get a few 6mm and 10mm buildings and see. Timecast and battlescale seem to be the best options I've seen.
A bit late to this discussion (computer issues).
Terrain is something I've always thought hard about , mostly in relation to looks vs playbility. I do have some serious issues with plonking down a single building and calling it a village. The table starts to look like a village with buildings lanted haphazardly (probably with some scale fences and trees for woods). It gets worse the larger the figure scale (at 28mm I'll be heard muttering "careful, someone could have an eye out").
The most difficult part of all this is buildings that were historicaly important in a historical refight. How do you model Hougoumont or la haye sainte. you can plonk your building down and say "Thats Hougoumont" but the players will look at it and while probably saying nice things will be thinking "no its not".
The compromise I have arrived at is to use buldings from the next scale down (or 1/2 the scale). Historical built up areas still need some cartooning to look right. I've got a couple that i have been working on for a while now which i will photograph and post here to show what I'm talking about (and oddly enough they are the formentioned Waterloo buildings).
In case any newbies don't know them, Leven are my first stop when I'm looking for buildings.
I've used 2mm / 3mm buildings before with 6mm and 10mm figures, for the larger stuff like BBB scenarios, and that works ok.
Quote from: Nick the Lemming on 28 May 2022, 11:51:40 AMI've used 2mm / 3mm buildings before with 6mm and 10mm figures, for the larger stuff like BBB scenarios, and that works ok.
Mind me asking if you have any recommendations for 2/3mm buildings?
Brigade Models' Small Scale Scenery range is my go to for 2/3mm buildings (https://www.brigademodels.co.uk/SmallScaleScenery/index.html),.
Battlescale have just released some 3mm scale European buildings that look rather good (https://battlescale.com/t/3mm-buildings) and have ACW buildings in the works.
Irregular Miniatures do 2mm scale scenics as well as figures. (https://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/2mmRanges/2mmScenics.htm)
Top stuff, thank you!
Quote from: mrkev on 05 June 2022, 11:03:32 PMMind me asking if you have any recommendations for 2/3mm buildings?
There are two main options, 2mm or 3mm. I went with 3mm for my moderns, and 2mm with my WW2 (just because). The 2mm stuff is by Brigade Models, and they're definitely set up more for WW2 than Modern (though I think they're doing some modern buildings too, and they've got quite a bit of earlier stuff now too): http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/SmallScaleScenery/index.html and you can also get them from Picoarmor.com
The 2mm stuff is definitely smaller scale, but it does work ok I think en masse. You can't, however, mix 2mm and 3mm buildings without them looking weird:
For 3mm buildings, I have quite a few from Simply 6 (now done by Picoarmor.com), and more by Bay Area Yards: http://bayareayards.virtualscratchbuilder.com/ but I think the latter are now out of business, and I don't know if their moulds got bought by anyone.
There's also Gamecraft, who do mdf type buildings at 3mm .http://gcmini.mybigcommerce.com/3mm-city-buildings/
Scale wise, I think they fit with the other 3mms ok, but the style is a bit too different for me I think. On the other side of the table or whatever they'd look ok though.
I don't have anything by these people: http://www.supremelittleness.co.uk/sld-3mm/sld-3mm.htm so I can't comment on them.
Ditto these: http://www.fighting15sshop.co.uk/3mm-middle-eastern-buildings-1023-c.asp
Nor these: http://www.totalbattleminiatures.com/skirmish/3mm/westerneurope.html
There are a couple of shapeways people doing them also, I think, like this guy: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/frenobulax?s=0§ion=1/700+Buildings+(European) but I don't have any of them - way too expensive for me.
Oh, and there's the architectural people too, here they are: http://www.microformmodels.com/
Magister Militum are working on some 3mm stuff too, but doing Roman / Vauban stuff at the moment: http://www.magistermilitum.com/scale/3mm.html#order=name&limit=36&p=1&dir=ASC&cat[]=59613
I'd also recommend looking at the following blogs:
http://tinytanks3mm.blogspot.ca/
https://nanotanks.wordpress.com/
http://verytinywars.blogspot.ca/?wref=bif
I can't recommend Irregular - too much work needed to make them work.
Langton do some buildings as well
I'd forgotten Heroics & Ros (https://www.heroicsandros.co.uk/shop/Terrain-c42970645) who do 3mm harbour stuff, some railway trains and a range of fortifications, all to go with their 1:600 naval stuff.
A good place to go if you want to model off-shore support or landing craft and a source of 1:600 aircraft too.
For me, there's lots of good stuff available in the USA but postage to Europe makes it prohibitive unless you can do a group purchase and the new VAT rules make it a problem too. I imagine the reverse is also true?
QuoteI can't recommend Irregular - too much work needed to make them work.
Irregular's 2mm stuff is cheap and cheerful. If you are on a tight budget they work perfectly well but sculptural masterpieces they are not. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Quote from: Ithoriel on 06 June 2022, 01:49:36 PMIrregular's 2mm stuff is cheap and cheerful. If you are on a tight budget they work perfectly well but sculptural masterpieces they are not. You pays your money and takes your choice.
And I've too often not got what I ordered and paid for.
Irregular's deliveries may not be swift but I've always received my order in a week or three, with all present and correct.
How could I have forgotten Rod Langton's stuff? They do Roman and Napoleonic stuff, that mostly fits alongside the 2mm buildings from Brigade.
Course if you have a redundant monoploy set you can scratch 2-3 mm buildings.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monopoly-Hotels-Property-Genuine-Official/dp/B09MPQB5CT/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KPYSYZ79GFYR&keywords=monopoly+houses&qid=1654603744&sprefix=monopoly+houses%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-2 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monopoly-Hotels-Property-Genuine-Official/dp/B09MPQB5CT/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KPYSYZ79GFYR&keywords=monopoly+houses&qid=1654603744&sprefix=monopoly+houses%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-2)
Or just buy 'em from Amazon
QuoteOr just buy 'em from Amazon
£8 for 4 hotels & 8 houses?
Quote from: paulr on 14 May 2022, 08:27:35 PMHere is an example of a WWI game with 6mm buildings, NÉRY, 1 September 1914 https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,12600.msg173678.html#msg173678 (https://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,12600.msg173678.html#msg173678)
(http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t197/paulreynolds999/Nery%202015/IMG_8257_zpsvnhvkjc1.jpg)
I prefer several 6mm buildings to a village for the same reason I prefer several 10mm figures on a base, the mass effect
A lovely looking game that :D
I concur, looks superb! Generally new to the 'commander' system but I can very much imagine it working well for WW1, good to see someone's already done it
We use If the Lord Spares Us for WWI ;)
Hi
Free downloadable card 3mm buildings here from the Little Wars TV people:
https://www.6mmacw.com/landmark-building-set.html
https://www.6mmacw.com/icons-building-set.html
They are of course for the ACW but at that scale I suspect that they could easily be disguised for many periods.
Cheers Paul
I like this topic and go back and forth - I like the idea of the smaller building scale for this type of game because we care more about the general space than the specific
My personal preference is to use the next scale down for buildings (and air support, but thats another story entirely).
Here's some pictures of towns we have made out in the Antipodies.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtWxd_wC02-qu39axd73hC_VtTQghsRvCg4fjctU2wP3JOJ4wQ6vJ8XyLYCCc4HSjwjv6DW8WVGDb41aSAzbNBu__CYidcSBTBx363r9WP2XgsLgUhxQBrJh6uCzgRyduYBynhmq8m1DFHXlcotEHZ4VjvMKd_BVRAMgsa8JXtRjiRs0KEO7wOKM7/s1280/P3120035.JPG)
This town secotor was one of 20 odd that I made for our invasion of Crete (http://badlyleadmen.blogspot.com/search/label/WWII%20Spearhead) 20 years ago. Home made masters and molds cast in plaster.
The buildings were then recycled by Paulr for our 200th aniversary refight of Austerlitz.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiv6i75fyblfoqSnzVJrPIrc70WIsVj3v3hW2nMi8qjOCwUcy6xVSjh7Fh7Etr1n6oZM7XgInosk7Kmshgg69n9GqD6ueAtUbDfPuJM4u7bmLuBUYT-xpLbmcG9qDKuRjGsIc0MFaAqt8Fhp40UMuAgcCgfXP513dzsTXBwsa1HqVj10TAP3wlaOM/s4032/IMG_1679.JPG)
I then made another set for our crossing of the Meuse 1940 game. Again home sculpted and cast in plaster.
(And sodding 3 decades old tech...)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwHFKL8NWCDELFBw1jaR4N7-MllfMc5Ma_1bHVKe74es8AuoZzN-ZO0olUgKbBRxGGhZzdO00cPHVc5eD_qMb0htgw-wp2oGmwwJKIGWwUvTbg03SckJ4ov1iNfEn_aq4pZmEHlIdVhoqMK_g5ZcJajTy39CSR0wKtY7EsOQ439EsERHuJTUVIbVa/s4032/IMG_1688.JPG)
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTaRHHIhkPRFuH_EoPjwbGRQWs-OllpjWKd2OCroJFrSO-II-iXksxzR40X-3KznaDIuWmeBDy7k_BXsXhU9t4h7Z7xo2dah4wymJoJaohIjoIcNrH3XvUTwgPS-arpGSiBUbJkxMeOXYRdrJq33d5xYwnAPzSE6POkgb4RenTapeDhE1MdIlBHKa/s4032/IMG_1685.JPG)
Used those BUA's a few times since 2001! ;)
Those are some nice little BUA areas.
All my houses are loose, but I do wonder if they would look better based up like these?
Those built up areas look very familiar ;) ;D
Those are really nice
Quote from: paulr on 01 July 2022, 11:21:00 PMThose built up areas look very familiar ;) ;D
They have served well over the last 20 years
How big are those bases? And what scale buildings?
The bases are 3" (7.62cm) square, the larger base is 6"x4" (15.24x10.16cm)
The buildings are designed by Rhys and the doors are about 4mm tall
We cast them in plaster of Paris decades ago