Micro Scale Madness!

I've been talking to Darby about this via PM because I know he's done several large scale games using micro scale miniatures, particularly for his Over Green Hell project. So I figured I'd start a post to open the discussion up to the members at large. I've been reading the book Low Level Hell and have Headhunters coming to me as we speak, so I'm really immersed in the helicopter war mindset as of late. Eye candy, like Tom's 1/9th Cavalry post helped fuel things along.

I've always wanted to do a Low Level Hell meets Chopper Command (yes the video game) style game for Vietnam. Doing it in my main scale (28mm) or even in 15mm seems a rather expensive endeavour, not to mention all the space needed to do it justice. Last year I ordered some Pico Armor 3mm helos and I must say, they're pretty damned cool! I didn't think something so tiny could be so detailed. I had originally considered 6mm as GHQ has lots of Nam era options, plus I have some Timecast Vietnam village huts that have been in my gaming boxes for 15+ years, but there's something about 3mm that has an allure. Of course, like anything miniatures related, it's inspiring when it's painted right. Which brings me to my concern..... painting things so tiny at my age doesn't always turn out the way you hoped.

Anyone else done mico scale gaming, or considered it?

Here's a couple of pics from the Pico Armor website showing painted and unpainted versions of their helos:









I love how there's door gunners on something so tiny!

Todd,

I am doing a lot of my gaming these days in 6 mm, even VN stuff but definitely all my moderns, really everything from 1960's VN forward to latest Gulf Wars and Afghanistan. on a 8'x4' you can easily play company(++), Regimental or even "Task Force" sized games with plenty of manoeuvre room. I tossed over 3 mm but in the end went 6 mm for just that bit more detail. I only use 15 mm for company(-) sized games and 28 mm for platoon(-) games, real individual figure skirmish gaming.

Thanks for the input Ken.

TEC wrote: I tossed over 3 mm but in the end went 6 mm for just that bit more detail.

I was in the same boat last year when I'd considered this too. As Darby had said in our conversation, he was surprised at the degree of detail for 3mm. And the fact the Slick had open doors and door gunners, where the 6mm did not. Not a fan of the GHQ Hueys, but the C-in-C Precision ones are much nicer, and always out of stock whenever I tried to order them. C-in-C is now carried by Legions IV Hire.

I've been looking at the 10mm Pendraken stuff for a while. I have some of their fantasy and other ranges. Seems like just the right size for me without losing a lot of detail for larger scale operations.

I've been over to Darby's and we've used his 3mm for playtesting OGH. The vehicles really do look nice. Not so much a fan of the infantry though.

Yeah I agree about the infantry. Looks like   stacked 3mm high. But there's 15mm that looks like that too, so there's that.....

FlyinSquirrel wrote:I've been looking at the 10mm Pendraken stuff for a while. I have some of their fantasy and other ranges. Seems like just the right size for me without losing a lot of detail for larger scale operations.

The Pendraken range is fantastic. Though I think there's a limited selection for helos, and just vehicles in general in this scale. They just released some samurai and ninja that look amazing!

I'm currently deciding whether to do this project using hexes. I grew up on hex based games back in the day, and am still a sucker for a good looking, hex based Battletech tabletop.

Decisions, decisions.

They look great, but nothing says Apocalypse Now like 1/72nd scale Hueys en masse....

This is true. But who has THAT kind of money?!

WOW!! That's a lot of Hueys. I thought I was doing good with 6 slicks and two gunships.

That's not only money, but a lot of effort.

Tom

GarryOwen wrote:That's not only money, but a lot of effort.

Yes, that too.

Years ago I did a HUGE cleanup of projects. As part of that I rationalized scales. I jettisoned everything that was not 6mm or 15mm, with one exception for Lord of the Rings.

Now I do skirmish in 15mm and big battles in 6mm. I love 6mm because with a good table you can get a real feel of sweep and scale that's just not possible otherwise. Even a well done 6x8 can really stand out. Plus 6mm are *super* fast to paint. Even when I put in more effort than I need to (because I enjoy it) they are easily 3 times as fast as 15mm, if not faster.

I did want to make a travel game in a box, and ordered some 2mm Napoleonic armies. But at some point you lose the grandeur of the uniforms. I've seen the 3mm but it doesn't do it for me, so I stick with 6mm. I do have some 3mm planes however (I often use under-scale aircraft both for price, and for enforced perspective).

I agree about infantry so small. Hence why they'll be playing a VERY small part in this project. Pick up and drop off units from Slicks. Most of the focus will be on choppers and vehicles.

I guess this question is for those who game in the tiny scales (3mm/6mm)..... Is there someone doing rotor discs like the ones Hurlbat used to do? Hurlbat is out of business and then passed on the business of disc rotors to Lazerdesigns, who is also now out of business.

The O8 choppers come with rotor stickers, and I'm guessing those are put on homemade rotors made from plastic, but I have no clue what thickness of plastic I'd need to make my own rotor discs.

there are a lot of 6mm gamers do vietnam

Yeah I've seen some really great stuff done in that scale. There was a thread ages ago showcasing someone's riverine project in 6mm over at the GHQ forums.

BravoSix wrote:Yeah I've seen some really great stuff done in that scale. There was a thread ages ago showcasing someone's riverine project in 6mm over at the GHQ forums.

todd its still there afaik ?

BravoSix wrote:Is there someone doing rotor discs like the ones Hurlbat used to do?
I have no clue what thickness of plastic I'd need to make my own rotor discs.

Todd (or anyone),

If you can find out and tell me the thickness of the old Hurlbat disks I may have a lead on someone who may be interested in making them, not me!

I'll ask someone in the know. Maybe over at TMP. Lots of aviation war gamers over there.

The white recesses simulating motion blur are pretty much what I'm after. The black ones provided with the Pico Armor helos aren't very good.

I like them a lot Todd.

Well what do you know? It appears there's an old FOF post about the Hurlbat rotors, posted by our very own Brian W here:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/fieldsoffireonline/hurlbat-1-100-rotors-review-t2011.html

From his review, the discs are 1/2mm thick. Mystery solved.

BravoSix wrote:From his review, the discs are 1/2mm thick.

Todd,

Thanks, the medium use is a hard plastic/perspex ?

Garryowen wrote:WOW!! That's a lot of Hueys. I thought I was doing good with 6 slicks and two gunships.

That's not only money, but a lot of effort.

Tom

Yes, I made the first 3 in the early 1990s and just kept buying kits as I saw them in local shops. Finished them all this year.

BravoSix wrote:The white recesses simulating motion blur are pretty much what I'm after. The black ones provided with the Pico Armor helos aren't very good.

They look good - flimsy rotor blades are the main problem with the 1/72nd scale kits.