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Miniatures of Legolas and an orc of Isengard, manufactured by Mithril Miniatures A miniature figure—also known as a miniature or just a mini—is a small figurine commonly used in role playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons. Though RPGs can be played without them, miniatures can help visualize where characters are during combat, such as which way each character is facing, who's fighting who, line of sight, etc. They are also used in tabletop wargames such as Heroclix, Mage Knight, and Warhammer. Some minis are superbly sculpted and are collectible in their own right. Photo taken by Scott Moore in May 2002. ...
Photo taken by Scott Moore in May 2002. ...
Legolas is a major character in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth novel The Lord of the Rings. ...
Orcs in Moria, from the 1978 animated film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. ...
Location of Isengard in Middle-earth marked in red In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard, a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. ...
A rare Dresden porcelain figurine Figurine is a diminutive form of the word figure, and generally refers to a small, human-made object that represents some sort of being. ...
This article is about traditional role-playing games. ...
For other uses, see Dungeons & Dragons (disambiguation). ...
Meaning In Real-Time Strategy (RTS) computer games, Line of Sight is the area that you can observe, and therefore interact with, at any given time. ...
Three Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures. ...
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game produced by WizKids, Inc. ...
Mage Knight is a miniatures wargame using collectible figures, created by WizKids, Inc. ...
Warhammer or Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting created by Games Workshop, in which many games of that company are set, the best known ones being the Warhammer Fantasy Battles wargame, and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay role-playing game. ...
The hobby of painting, collecting, and gaming with miniatures is descended from the toy soldier hobby. Traditionally, "toy soldiers" are sold pre-painted, and miniatures are sold "bare" and require painting. This distinction is blurring with the recent introduction of pre-painted plastic figures, such as those used in Clix games. A toy soldier may be any of various metal, wooden or primarily plastic figurine toys manufactured to commemorate soldiers who served in any war from the beginning of time to the most recent wars. ...
A brand of pre-painted miniatures game by WizKids featuring rotating statistics dials in the base of the figures. ...
Materials These minis were most commonly cast in white metal (an alloy of lead and tin, with a small amount of antimony, which improves the alloy's ability to take fine detail). Because of the high lead content, minis were sometimes called lead figures. Unpainted minis were and continue to be called "dead leads."[citation needed] This article is about metals and alloys. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number tin, Sn, 50 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous gray Atomic mass 118. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number antimony, Sb, 51 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 15, 5, p Appearance silvery lustrous grey Atomic mass 121. ...
In 1993, the New York legislature nearly passed a bill outlawing lead in miniatures, citing public health concerns. Many miniatures manufacturers, anticipating that other states would follow with more bans, immediately began making miniatures with lead-free alloys, which often resulted in price increases (Bigalow 1993). Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area Ranked 27th - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²) - Width 285 miles (455 km) - Length 330 miles (530 km) - % water 13. ...
After nearly a year of debate (including protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts), Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law (N.Y. P.B.H. Law § 1376-a). Still, most American manufacturers continued to use non-lead alloys (Bigalow 1994). Mario Matthew Cuomo (born June 15, 1932) is an American lawyer and New York State Democratic Party politician. ...
Some manufacturers offer plastic (polyethylene or hard polystyrene) minis; others offer resin (mostly polyurethane) minis. Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ...
Polyethylene or polyethene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (over 60M tons are produced worldwide every year). ...
For other uses, see Polystyrene (disambiguation). ...
Insect trapped in resin. ...
A polyurethane is any polymer consisting of a chain of organic units joined by urethane links. ...
Scales Before one major market for such miniatures, Great Britain, transferred to the metric system, sizes were given in fractions of inches. Although the United States is still not forced to use the metric system in as many commercial areas, and there is still the desire to use model military vehicles of the same scale as figures so as to avoid needless mismatch, in the field of table-top wargaming the metric size terminology has become prevalent. The International System of Units (symbol: SI) (for the French phrase Syst me International dUnit s) is the most widely used system of units. ...
Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ...
Mini scales are commonly expressed as the height of a six-foot (183 cm) figure. So 28 mm minis of human men are around 28 mm high. Women, children, dwarves, hobbits, etc. will be typically shorter than this; ogres, trolls, etc. taller.
Minis are available in various scales. 25 mm, 28 mm, 30 mm, and 35 mm are the most common for RPGs and other popular table-top games. Smaller minis – 10 mm, 15 mm, and sometimes 20 mm – are also made for table-top wargaming, rather than RPGs. Mithril Miniatures uses an idiosyncratic 32 mm scale for its main range. And larger minis – 54 mm and more – are made specifically for painters and collectors.
‘25 mm’ figures can range up to 33 mm or more (a 33% deviation). When some manufacturers began using a ‘28 mm’ designation, many of their own figures were already well over 30 mm tall.
Some manufacturers take the proper measurement of figure height to be to the level of its eyes rather than the top of its head. Using this interpretation, a 6 ft (1.83 m) figure in 28 mm-scale would be 30 mm tall (if the eyes are about half-way up the head, and if the head is about two fifteenths of the height, then the height to the eyes is fourteen fifteenths of the full height). Because of this 15 mm is for instance interpreted as 1:100 by some and 1:120 by others.
Another thing to complicate the matter of scales is the issue of body proportions. These differ from company to company. If you take a 30 mm figure from Games Workshop and compare it to a figure from Thunderbolt mountain you will see that the first has exaggerated proportions making it look much wider with bigger features like the head, hands and weapons. Vitruvian Man, by Leonardo da Vinci. ...
| Scale | Scale foot | Ratio | Comments | | 2 mm | | | Useful for gaming in tight spaces | | 6 mm | | | Growing in popularity | | 10 mm | 1.667 mm | 1:182.88 | Growing in popularity | | 15 mm | 2.5 mm | 1:121.92 | The most popular scale in use by historical wargamers playing in the Modern Period. Seldom used for RPGs. | | 20 mm | 3.333 mm | 1:91.44 | Highly popular for WWII wargaming, as the figures are of the same scale (more or less) of 1:76 or 1:72 models (actually closer to 1:87 or 3.5 mm/ft which is HO model railroad scale). Seldom used for RPGs. | | 25 mm | 4.167 mm | 1:73.152 | Effectively a match for 1:76 (4 mm scale/OO gauge) and 1:72 models, but there is a wide upwards variation in figure height, even when not described as 'Heroic 25 mm' or 28 mm. This is the most common size, as it is the size that Games Workshop uses. | | 30 mm | 5 mm | 1:60.96 | Common for pre-1970s wargaming figures; modern minis may really be up to 35 mm. (Note: model railroad "S" scale is 1/64 which is close) | | 32 mm | 5.333 mm | 1:57.15 | Idiosyncratic to Mithril: genuine 32 mm | | 35 mm | 5.833 mm | 1:52.251 | Where the manufacturer is being honest about how big its '30 mm' minis really are! | | 54 mm | 9 mm | 1:33.867 | Collectable figures, a good match for 1:35 models, but oversize 54 mm figures would fit better with 1:32 models. | 4 mm scale is the most popular model railway scale used in the United Kingdom. ...
OO gauge model railways are the most popular standard in the United Kingdom, being one of several 4 mm scale standards (4 mm to the foot (305 mm), or 1:76. ...
The style of the Games Workshop logo is copied in the titles of many of their games Games Workshop (GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ...
Painting Main article: Figure painting (hobby) Figure painting is the hobby of painting miniature figures and/or model figures, either in its own right or as an adjunct to role-playing games, wargames, military modeling, etc. ...
 Converted Dark Angel Captain painted by Adam Smith of Pro Painted Miniatures Many role-playing gamers and wargamers will paint their miniature figures to be able to differentiate characters or units on a gaming surface (terrain, battle mat, or unadorned table top). Image File history File links Dark_angel_captain. ...
Image File history File links Dark_angel_captain. ...
A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ...
Wargaming can be one of number of ways of exploring the effects of warfare without actual combat. ...
Although many gamers are indifferent to the quality of the paint job, for some the skillful painting of minis is a hobby in itself, on a par with the "more serious" modelling of historical and military figures. Skillful mini painting is a difficult, exacting, time-consuming process, but the results can be quite amazing. A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ...
A model figure is a scale model that represents a person, either a generic figure of a type (such as World War II Luftwaffe pilot), a historical personage (such as King Henry VIII), or a fictional character (such as Conan). Model figures are sold both as kits for the enthusiast...
Fantasy, role-playing, miniatures and wargaming conventions will sometimes feature miniature painting competitions, and there are many painting competitions on the internet. // For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ...
This article is about traditional role-playing games. ...
15mm British Camel Corps and Heliograph Team from Peter Pig A miniature figure -- also known as a miniature or just a mini -- is a small figurine commonly used in role playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons. ...
Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as war games. ...
Painting Services Painting miniatures is an important part of the miniature war gaming hobby. Yet a vast number of hobbyist choose to hire the services of professional miniature painters. This can be for a high quality character miniature to command their army to a completely pre-painted force. Quality levels of professionally painted miniatures vary along with the prices charged.
Manufacture There are two basic methods to manufacture figures: centrifugal/gravity casting and plastic injection casting.
Most metal and resin figures are made through centrifugal casting. Larger resin models, like buildings and vehicles, are sometimes gravity cast which is a slower process. For this process a sculptor will deliver a master figure which is then used to create rubber master and production moulds. The production moulds are then used to cast the actual figures you find in the stores. Centrifugal casting or rotocasting is a casting technique which has application across a wide range of industrial and artistic applications: It is used as a means of casting small, detailed parts or jewelry. ...
Polyethylene and polystyrene figures are made through injection moulding. A machine heats plastic and injects it under high pressure into a steel mould. This is a very expensive process which is only interesting when you manufacture very large amounts of figures since the cost per cast is minimal. Polyethylene or polyethene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (over 60M tons are produced worldwide every year). ...
For other uses, see Polystyrene (disambiguation). ...
Injection molding can be used to make plastic artificial flowers such as these. ...
Many miniatures companies do not do the actual production themselves but leave this to specialised casting companies or miniatures companies that do have a casting facility.
Miniatures companies Miniatures companies with their own Wikipedia entries: See the external links for other manufacturers and miniatures companies. The style of the Games Workshop logo is copied in the titles of many of their games Games Workshop (GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ...
Warhammer or Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting created by Games Workshop, in which many games of that company are set, the best known ones being the Warhammer Fantasy Battles wargame, and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay role-playing game. ...
Cover of the Warhammer 40,000 4th edition rulebook This article is about the tabletop miniature wargame and the fictional universe in which it is set. ...
The term Forge World can relate to one of two concepts related to Games Workshops tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000; one within the games fictional universe, one in the real world. In Warhammer 40,000 A Forge World in the Warhammer 40,000 universe is a collective term...
Privateer Press is a role-playing game and miniature wargame production and publishing studio. ...
Warmachine is a tabletop wargame produced by Privateer Press. ...
Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ...
A beholder from the Deathknell set. ...
Reaper Miniatures is a Denton, Texas manufacturer of pewter figurines in the 28-35 mm scale. ...
Warlord is a term that refers to one who has de facto military control of a subnational area, due to armed forces which are personally obedient to — somewhat circularly — that warlord. ...
Cav is also a genre of parsnip. ...
Schleich Schleich is a German company founded in 1935 by Friedrich Schleich that has specialized in developing, producing, and marketing comic (The Smurfs, Snoopy, The Muppet Show characters, buildings, etc) figurines since the 1960s. ...
The Wargames Foundry is a company which deals in selling Minature Figures. ...
Minis of Legolas and an orc of Isengard, manufactured by Mithril Miniatures A miniature figure—also known as a miniature or just a mini—is a small figurine commonly used in role playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons. ...
Sculpting Most miniatures are handsculpted in the same size as the final figure using two component epoxy putties. The components are mixed together to create a sculpting compound which hardens in a period of 1-3 hours. There are many brands of putties and each has its own properties. Some commonly used ones are Polymerics Kneadatite blueyellow (AKA "green stuff" and "Duro" in Europe), Milliput, A&B and Magic sculp. Polymer clays have been avoided for a long time as they can not withstand the traditional mouldmaking process. Modern techniques using RTV and softer quality rubbers have made it possible to use weaker materials and polymer clay masters are more common now. Fimo is the most popular of these clays though only specific colours are used since each has its own properties. Polymer clay is a type of clay based on the synthetic polymer polyvinyl chloride. ...
Masters for plastic miniatures are often made in a larger scale (like 3 times the required size). The master is measured with a probe linked to a pantograph which reduces the measurements to the correct size and drives the cutter that makes the moulds. This page is about the duplication instrument. ...
A more recent development is the use of digital 3D models made by computer artists. These models can be used to create a physical model for mouldmaking using rapid prototyping techniques or they can be used directly to drive a CNC machine which cuts the steel mould. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
For more information on miniature sculpting you can check the 1listsculpting yahoo group which is specialised in this subject.
Notable sculptors - Many sculptors, marked (*) below, now have their own "boutique" mini companies.
- Evan Allen - Battlefront
- Anthony Barton - AB Figures
- Nick Bibby - Citadel. Also sculpts ornamental animal figurines and bronzes.
- Mike Broadbent - Eureka Miniatures
- Steve Buddle - Dark Age, Spyglass (*)
- Chaz Elliott - Games Workshop, Reaper, Magnificent Egos and several others
- Mark Copplestone - Wargames Foundry, Copplestone Castings (*)
- John Dennett - Mid period Grenadier sculptor, creature designs for some of the classic sets. Now does larger scale "garage" kits.
- Andy Foster - Heresy (*)
- Sandra Garrity - Reaper, Lance & Laser, Grenadier
- Martin Goddard - Peter Pig
- Jes Goodwin - Citadel (skaven, wood elf "war dancers")
- Julie Guthrie - Reaper, Grenadier
- Werner Klocke - Reaper, Dark Age, Excalibur, Freebooter (*)
- Tom Meier - Ral Partha, Darksword miniatures, Thunderbolt Mountain (*)
- Dennis Mize - Ral Partha, Darksword miniatures
- Ali Morrison - Citadel (samurai)
- Bob Murch - RAFM Call of Cthulhu, Pulp Figures (*)
- Jonathan Myers - Third Kingdom, Whimsical Entertainment
- Brian Nelson - Games Workshop
- Mike Owen - Wargames Foundry, Artizan Designs
- Felix Paniagua - DragonRune Miniatures (founder), Games Workshop, Privateer Press
- Alan and Michael Perry - Wargames Foundry, Games Workshop, Perry Miniatures (*).
- Bob Ridolfi - Reaper
- Chris Tubb - Mithril
- Kev White - i-Kore, Hasslefree (*)
Alan and Michael Perry are Citadel Miniatures designers, and two of the most prolific sculptors for the miniature wargaming hobby. ...
The Wargames Foundry is a company which deals in selling Minature Figures. ...
The style of the Games Workshop logo is copied in the titles of many of their games Games Workshop (GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ...
See also A conversion kit released exclusively with Battle Games in Middle Earth magazine Miniature conversion refers to the practice of altering the appearance of a miniature or model so as to deviate from the standard version purchased in a boxed set. ...
A model figure is a scale model that represents a person, either a generic figure of a type (such as World War II Luftwaffe pilot), a historical personage (such as King Henry VIII), or a fictional character (such as Conan). Model figures are sold both as kits for the enthusiast...
A rare, complete set of Nazi S.A. tin soldiers, from the 1940s. ...
References - Bigalow, Robert 1983. "Through the Looking Glass", Dragon 192:112-118 (Apr 1993)
- Bigalow, Robert 1984. "Through the Looking Glass", Dragon 205:114-122 (May 1994)
- N.Y. P.B.H. Law § 1376-a (http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi)
External links - The Miniatures Page, a source of daily news about the tabletop wargaming hobby. Includes directory of miniatures manufacturers.
- The Stuff of Legends, probably the largest reference for lists and pictures of fantasy and sf miniatures.
- NeoKaw Miniatures, a collection of miniatures resources.
- Miniatures Atlas, a reference of miniatures currently available for sale.
- Tom's Spaceship Miniature/Game List, an attempt to list all games and miniatures used in games with spaceships.
- Frothers-Unite!Fan-site with forum where the latest released miniatures of the world are reviewed.
- CoolMiniOrNot, probably the hugest gallery for painted miniatures on the net.
- Displaced Miniatures, another large site with many galleries, links, and articles.
- ScaleModel.NET International list of scale model related web site, searchable web directory for miniature figures.
- Japanese Creations Mini Mono miniature figurines made of polymer clay.
Ariane 5 lifts off with the Rosetta probe on 2nd of March, 2004. ...
Manufacturers - See Wikipedia articles on other manufacturers, listed above, for external links to their sites.
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