15mm miniature comparisons

[henjed]

Hello, there - I'm looking to game in 15mm (as I already have lots of 10mm, a 6mm project I am working on and some 20mm), North Africa, WW2, skirmish level (probably using either Chain of Command or perhaps No End In Sight).

How do Forged in Battle, Peter Pig and Eureka miniatures compare size-wise - are there significant discrepancies in size across those ranges?  Someone also suggested Battlefront (Flames of War?) miniatures to me buy they always seem to be out-of-stock everywhere.

I'm tossing up between British (obvs), DAK, Bersaglieri, even Folgore (Eureka do great Italian WW2 miniatures - although they are pricier than others).

The Gurkhas fought in Tunisia, I believe - would they have been in desert dress or in their standard gear? (Eureka also do lovely Gurkha miniatures).

Any other manufacturers I am overlooking (Essex?).

Thanking you in advance for any help (even just for reading this!  )

Mike

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Not familire with Forged in Battle or Eureka. Piggy stuf is smallish but paints up well. Their vehicles are simple to assemble. However for vehicles go for PSC or Battlefront. The PSC 25pdr kit is excellent value, whilst the Battlefront boxes (Tobruk and Avanti) are excellent value.

[sultanbev]

The 15mm nightmare is why I junked them for 10mm. There are three sizes -
1) true 15mm (Peter Pig, Eureka)
2) average 15mm (Irregular, older Essex, PSC, original Battlefront)
3) 18mm-obviously-not-15mm-nor-20mm (new Lancashire Games, current BF metals, AB.....)

3) and 1) look silly alongside each other, and none of the three grades are really compatible.

Peter Pig tend to be smaller than all the rest, true 15mm, but are great figures. if they supply all you need, stick with them. I think Eureka are on the smaller side of 15mm too.

Battlefront don't bother with metal figures, they've suffered the usual corporate scale creep, and appear to be 18mm now. Not sure about their plastic figures. They also have the annoying habit of taking things out of production, so if you need more of the same a few years down the line, you can't get them.

Having junked 15mm for 10mm, have lost track of 15mm manufacturers a bit. I think Forged in Battle were fine for infantry, and more middle sized as it were.

An alternative is 3d printed figures, Geek Villian are one I've just come across, although the infantry look a bit stumpy:
https://geekvillain.co.uk/collections/15mm-ww2-models
The parent company 3DBreed have just released Bersagleiri files, am awaiting a reply from geekvillian to see if they can do them in 10mm....

https://www.3dbreed.es/mth-ww2-2021/?yith_wcan=1&product_cat=italian-army-regio-esercito&product-page=2

PSC in hard plastic are a good choice but limited in subject types. Ideal for guns.


For vehicles I highly recommend 3d printed resin, from
Battlefield 3D
https://battlefield3d.com/
&/or
Butler 3D printed models
https://www.butlersprintedmodels.co.uk/
&/or
Gardenshed printing, Paint & Glue, Tank Factory

[henjed]

Thanks, chaps - very useful stuff. Peter Pig suffer from having a website on which their figures look quite unprepossessing, but everyone I have spoken to says they are good quality and -as you remark, Lord Kermit - paint up well.

I was given 14 north African style mdf 15mm buildings and I don't want to look that gift horse in the mouth...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

No problem

[fred.]

For unknown reasons I've got North Africa stuff in 15mm (as well as 10mm and 28mm) and bought just a few years ago

Forged in Battle are great for infantry and support weapons

The PSC kits are awesome - slightly narrow range but start with these for what you can get.

I used Battlefront (FoW) and Peter Pig to fill in gaps.

I did add a fair bit using Zvezda plastic kits - but not sure on their current availability.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Zevda are Russian so not avalible Forbes

[Gwydion]

Still seem to be quite a lot available online - UK suppliers eg Jadlam, at the moment.

[fsn]

Hello, there - I'm looking to game in 15mm

Well there's your mistake right there.

Gurkhas in Tunisia

[sultanbev]

Still seem to be quite a lot available online - UK suppliers eg Jadlam, at the moment.

Anything Zvesda I'd get now whilst they are still around, I doubt new stocks will becoming through.....

[henjed]

Well, 15mm wouldn't have been my first choice: but I *have* found 10mm a bit small for skirmish games (which chap has the carbine?) and those buildings need exploiting.

Thanks for the photo of the Gurkhas: pleasingly Eureka sell them in helmets (as well as with slouch hat). 

[steve_holmes_11]

There's also Skytrex https://skytrex.com/collections/command-decision-15mm-wwii

Now a subsidiary of Warlord Games.
I've no information on their size compatibility.

Another problem with some 15mm suppliers is their insistence on selling large numbers.

Peter Pig, Essex and a few others follow the old standard of 8 foot or 4 mounted per pack.

I'm pretty sure Forged in Battle sell platoon packs, which is lovely if your rules match their idea of a platoon.

The Plastic soldier company sell company sized boxes.
They also sell their vehicles in fours - but look out for occasional singles.

Old glory used to think selling a pack of 50 Bren gunners was good business.
(I guess it's a runner if you're playing a Warhammer 40K variant).

Skytrex used to sell in 50s, but also broke these out into packs of 10.

[henjed]

Yes, I noticed that about Skytrex/Command decision: weird.

The Forged in Battle platoon packs seem pretty accurate to me (for basic platoons, British/8th Amy and DAK)) but the support weapons packs all (I think) contain 4 of whatever - HMGs, mortars - when for what I wan to do I only need 1 or 2 of each.  Still, not to complain.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Havn't seen any mention of QRF. Just changed owner so no feel for service but do lots of rare stuff. Some are excellent, some (mostly modern) not buildable. The infantry on the web site don;t look good but paint up well.