Miniature figure

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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.

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.

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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

Due to possible health concerns regarding exposure to lead, including but not limited to lead poisoning, many manufacturers now cast minis exclusively in a more-expensive lead-free pewter (an alloy of tin, copper, and antimony). Some hobbyists dispute there is any danger and continue to use lead figures.

Some manufacturers offer plastic (polyethylene or hard polystyrene) minis; others offer resin (mostly polyurethane) minis.

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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.

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 15mm 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 30mm figure from Games Workshop and compare it to a figure from Thunderbolt mountain you will see that the first has exagerated proportions making it look much wider with bigger features like the head, hands and weapons.

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. 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 3.5mm/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.
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.
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Painting

Image:Legolas Takes Aim at Helm's Deep.jpg Main article: Figure painting (hobby)

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).

Although many gamers are indifferent to the quality of the paint job, for some the skilful 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.

Fantasy, role-playing, miniatures and wargaming conventions will sometimes feature miniature painting competitions. You also find many painting competition on internet.


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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 verhicles, 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.

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.

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.

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Miniatures companies

Miniatures companies with their own Wikipedia entries:

See the external links for other manufacturers and miniatures companies.

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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 blue\yellow (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.

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.

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.

For more information on miniature sculpting you can check the 1listsculpting yahoo group which is specialised in this subject.

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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 (*)
  • Brian Nelson - Games Workshop
  • Mike Owen - Wargames Foundry, Artizan Designs
  • Felix Paniagua - DragonRune Miniatures (founder), Games Workshop, Privateer Press
  • Alan & Michael Perry - Wargames Foundry, Games Workshop, Perry Miniatures (*).
  • Bob Ridolfi - Reaper
  • Chris Tubb - Mithril
  • Kev White - i-Kore, Hasslefree (*)
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See also

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External links

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Manufacturers

See Wikipedia articles on other manufacturers, listed above, for external links to their sites.
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