Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Relative Size of Things

Several times each week on wargaming forums or blogs the question gets asked about the sizing and proportions of various manufacturer's models by those building armies. You see, one of the nice "quirks" of this hobby is that each manufacturer sculpts their figures based on their own idea of what 28mm means and how they can get the human form molded to fit that vision. Really, all 28mm means these days is that the miniature is bigger than the 15mm models.

Since I am using three manufacturers for my Punic War project, I thought I would do a quick comparison that might prove useful to others looking to go down this same road with their own projects. To me, there are four important factors when comparing models:
  • Height: How tall is the figure, especially compared to other figures?
  • Weight: Is the figure chunky, bulky or thin?
  • Proportions: Is the sizing of things like feet, head, arms, and hands well balanced and natural?
  • Detail: Is the figure well detailed not only in equipment but also in the body?
The clickable image below is a photo comparison of Aventine, Gripping Beast and Relic miniatures. I have also charted the four criteria listed above for each manufacturer based on my judgement and experience.


11 comments:

  1. Great review! Thanks for sharing!
    Regards
    derFigurenschieber

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  2. Jonathan, you keep raising the bar. I don't know if I've ever seen a comparison done better! I love your 4 point graphic. I'm sure there is a technical term for it but whatever it's called, it really works.

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    1. Some call it a radar graph; others call it a spider chart.

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    2. Thanks Monty... I;m glad you like it. I enjoy doing things like this.

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    3. This is what I get for being a liberal arts guy. Thanks, Jonathans, for the save. Next week, I'll report back on the difference between the mean and median. ;-)

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  3. Similar problem with 15mm, maybe worse, in that there are equivalent absolute variations that impact to a greater degree at that scale. Another thing to consider is variation within a manufacturer; they're not always consistent.

    FMB

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    1. That is very, very interesting FMB. I don't know anything about 15mm, but I assumed it was less of an issue.

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  4. Great use of data visualization! Those comparisons really are worth a thousand words. I am interested in your "judgment and experience" metrics used to complete the comparison. In each of your four criteria, what are the underlying values?

    From your comparison, it appears clear that Relic would be the "best" choice if you didn't need to mix with other manufacturers.

    Great stuff!
    Jon

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    1. Thanks Jon. Yes, right now I would say of these three that Relic really is the best when it comes to body proportions and detailing. The Aventine are very nice (and I really like them), but they are a bit chunky with some "cartoonish" proportions. They both really leave Gripping Beast wanting.

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  5. Interesting stuff Jonathan. I too am interested in the values you used to build the graphs.

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