The promise of 28mm

What defines a model or a range of models as being 28mm? Is it best defined as a scale, a size or something else? After a recent internet debate on what constitutes 28mm and what it should be, I thought I would look into 28mm. Of course, this debate could be repeated with any other particular scale we care to choose, as the same challenges exist for other sizes/scales as they do for 28mm.

Regular Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy readers will be familiar with our reviews, in which we measure the 'foot to eye' (not height from the base to eye) and the full height of the miniature. I prefer using 'foot to eye' because a model standing with its legs apart will look shorter than one standing straight upright. Napoleonic standing models are the easiest to measure! We originally did consider including a comment on the bulk of a figure and taking that into account in the review, but that's unnecessary if you have a good picture.

The debate over whether "28mm" refers to a scale or a size has been ongoing for quite some time. Strictly speaking, it is not a scale because it does not represent a ratio. A scale such as 1/56 represents a specific proportion between the real object and its miniature counterpart. In contrast, one 1/56 scale vehicle will match another of its type exactly in proportions, but this is not necessarily true of miniatures labelled as being 28mm.

On the other hand, it cannot accurately be described as a size since most manufacturers measure their figures from foot to eye level rather than at full height. As a result, 28mm miniatures tend to average around 31mm.

So what is 28mm, then? We need some term to describe it, so both scale and size are 'good enough' labels. With neither is wholly accurate, people naturally understand what is meant by them. Some might be more pedantic (as I have been here to a certain extent), but in reality, be it scale or size, you know what is meant. 

To me, 28mm serves as a kind of promise. When someone says they use 28mm miniatures, they are indicating that their models fall within a certain range. 

When someone purchases a set of 28mm miniatures, they expect to receive figures that are roughly the height of their thumbprint. While there may be slight variations in size among different manufacturers, the general consensus is that 28mm miniatures should be compatible with other 28mm miniatures.

I believe players expect to mix and match different brands. Both compatibility and consistency are important. Gamers like variety in their miniatures - they want minis that match what they already have.

There are many reasons why manufacturers aren't all the same size. As noted above, the pose of a miniature will alter its height. It can be down to the particular whims of the sculptor, having different sculptors in a range will result in different sizes. Part of the rescaling process with plastics can end with some ranges being slightly different. I'm sure some manufacturers do aim to make their ranges unique, so they stand out (literally) from the 'opposition'. The 'heroic' trend led by Games Workshop is a good example of this.

Minor differences in height can be sorted by adjusting the basing or by removing or shortening the 'puddle' basing on miniatures. In the picture above, the shorter model has been placed on a slightly larger base to accommodate the millimetre height difference. While the second model is more stocky, they are the same height. Minor differences won't be seen on the tabletop.

What matters to me is how they look on the tabletop, at some three metres away. If you can't tell from that distance, it really won't matter. So, put away your micrometre gauges and use your eyes.