CARS, SCALES AND WARGAMES

I have been asked many times about the cars I use when I play Fear of the Dark or Frontline Heroes (ww2 or modern). The brands of the cars, scales and so on, so I have decided to make a post to answer a few questions.

This post was initially in the Fear of the Dark blog, but now I´m putting together everything in a single blog.

I´ll start saying that I use 1/43 diecast models, although sometimes they are labeled 1/64 or 1/50, I´ll explain the differences later in this same post.

Diecast cars are cheap, a huge range of models is available, they are tough and don´t break easily and they are already painted... what else?

But let me explain why I use diecast models instead of the usual models available from different wargaming companies.

Without any kind of doubt, vehicles used as scenery make an amazing game table in WWII, pulp, modern, zombies... A table with a modern or 1920s setting should have a minimal selection of different vehicles to decorate. If you go for a walk what you will see in every street is a lot of cars, no matter the city in the world you are.

Now let´s face the main problems that we as wargamers usually have when dealing with vehicles in our games.

The companies that make miniatures usually use the 1/56 scale for vehicles, although they are obviously small next to the miniatures of standing people.

Why is this scale used then? It is merely for possibilities of use on a game table, if we use a tank in the appropriate scale it would have a considerable size, and we could hardly use more vehicles (armored or not), but think about it... a tank is f*****g huge in real life.

Let's see an example with some 1/56 scale vehicles, an allied jeep and a German kubelwagen from the Second World War from Warlord for the Bolt Action game together with miniatures of soldiers from the same brand.

For those who do not get the point, this is a jeep in real life (1:1 scale)...

Now go back to see the pictures of the miniatures... It sounds like a joke to put those standing soldiers beside those tiny cars.

I know that the standing minis havent real proportions... huge hands, really big head... This is called "Heroic proportions", and we see that the scale of those minis is usually called 28mm heroic. But, if the minis are bigger than a proper scaled human, why are the vehicles smaller than a proper scaled vehicle?

In fact, the miniatures that go with the vehicle are quite smaller than the miniatures standing besides. But as we have said, the use of 1/56 scale vehicles has been standardized for wargames despite the fact that their size does not correspond entirely, since they bet on playability.

For 28mm miniatures, the perfect scale of the vehicles should be 1/48, and for 32mm miniatures the perfect scale would be 1/43, but we ran into serious problems in this field.

Model kits made in 1/48 scale that are sold to be built and painted are really nice and the size fits 28mm miniatures but these kind of sets are quite pricey and fragile, apart from the limited availability of models (the ranges in this kind of model kits are quite small, except for ww2 where you may find almost anything).

As an example I´m going to show the three scales we are talking about with the same model, a ww2 US jeep: a 1/56 scale model besides 1/48 and 1/43, to see the size difference, and you will agree that 1/48 fits better our existing 28mm miniatures .

1:56  -  1:48  -  1:43

Let´s see them one by one with a miniature besides, to see which one looks better:

I don´t use model kits as they are quite expensive and quite limited in terms of availability, and the models sold by wargaming compañies are too small for me (and they are not cheap either), so I decided to use diecast models.

Diecast cars usually have a bigger size as their size usually ranges from 1/50 to 1/43, but a huge range of models is availñable and you may find almost every possible model, not only modern but ww2 or pulp. Apart from that diecast vehicles are quite cheap compared to model kits or wargame vehicles, and they are not only cheap but they are already painted and are tough as a brick.

Everything is lovely about diecast cars, isn´t it?

Well... not everything...

Diecast cars scales have an inconsistent scale, which is the polite way of saying that each manufacturer does what it wan... Uh... that each manufacturer has its own criteria.

Each manufacturer has its own consideration about the size that a vehicle should have when scaling it, and even within vehicles of the same manufacturer we can have the same problem.

So we get to see a mini Cooper the same size as an off-road range rover, both being stated as being in the same scale...

(The truck and the car below were marked as 1/43 ... Obviously the truck is not at 1/43)

In fact, there are manufacturers that directly set the scale as "fit in the box", which is basically that those models are sold in a cardboard box and the vehicles (regardless of the model) are sized to fit in the box ( it does not matter if it is a hummer or a mini ... The box is the same and the vehicles MUST be the size of the box).

Therefore, I personally advise buying diecast vehicles online as long as we can have the measurements and check their size. If we do not have the measurements, never trust if it is stated to be "1/50 scale" since what that manufacturer understands by 1/50 can be anything.

If it is in a physical store and we may have the vehicle in our hand, it is easy to check that the size fits our requirements, and we also help local businesses. In fact, many people, when they go to shops to look for possible vehicles, take a miniature to check the size (this is the best tip I may offer to you).

But as this is a blog that bases its spirit on low cost, I will tell you that the best place to find vehicles is ebay or pages / applications for the sale of second-hand items.

On eBay or on these pages you will find lots at very cheap prices, and although the vehicles are used or worn out it does not affect our purposes because we can always repaint them or use them as scenery.

Once I bought a lot of 1/43 modern cars for 5€ that were sold as "used toy cars", the seller told me that her son wasn´t playing anymore with them. Now they fit my modern setting games.

20s / WW2

For 1920s / ww2 vehicles I found a lot of vehicles on eBay that were cheap and fit in size, and shortly after I bought a few more in a store that, although slightly smaller, seemed like a good investment for its low price.

So I found a selection of vehicles that I now put together with 28mm minis from copplestone and warlord so you can see the size.

Here are a few of the Lledo brand, supposedly 1/64 scale, although they are quite large for that scale.

These ones below are from the British brand Corgi. The scale is usually quite inconsistent, so it is better to know their size in centimeters.

These are from Matchbox, in its "models of yesteryear" range, and they fit the 28mm miniatures range.

These are from the Spanish brand Guisval on a 1/64 scale, although they are a bit small, they  look quite good for the quality and degree of detail.

These ones below are 1/43 scale vehicles from a collection of WWII military vehicles from the Atlas company published in France and a collection published in Spain, being heavy vehicles, although they are a bit large, it goes unnoticed too much once on the game table. They are easily found on eBay and similar applications.

For more pics of ww2 vehicles check the too much terrain blog, you'll find It really interesting and with a huge collection of pictures.

MODERN VEHICLES

Here we have the same problem as with the previous ones, only that of modern vehicles we have an impressive variety of makes, models... and scales...

I would recommend that you go directly to the 1/43 scale, of which there is a real immensity of possibilities (and cheaper than any option), and as there is also variation in size within that scale, I would look for vehicles that were smaller than 1/43 even if they were marked as that scale.

In this type of modern vehicles, you can find lots on ebay and online, and if you decide to buy them in stores, you will find them even at gas stations, having ALL the models you can imagine.

Sais that, I would strongly advise that if you want to make a modern project, you use 32mm miniatures, as they fit pèrfect with 1:43 vehicles, as 28mm look a bit small besides.

Here you see a few photos with minis of Black Scorpion, copplestone, the walking dead and Gripping Beast, all are 32mm (Black Scorpion and The Walking Dead).

Ok, 1:43 cars are nice beside 32mm miniatures, but what happens with trucks, do they look the same? aren´t they too big? mmm, trucks are really huge indeed...

Well, let´s have a look:

For more comparison pics of modern vehicles, check this post in the too much terrain blog: CLICK HERE

MOTORCYCLES

So far we have seen cars, trucks, armored cars ... But let's talk at least slightly about motorcycles for modern, futuristic or post-apoc scenery and terrain.

The best option is matchbox hot wheels motorcycles, which although it says they are at 1/64 scale, we find the same "fit in the box" policy, and since the boxes are made for 1/64 cars, The motorcycles, when resized to fill the box, are at a scale close to 1/48.

Let's see an example with a 1/64 scale BMW gs1200 (1/64... yes... of course... why not?) From matchbox together with 28mm and 32mm minis (from copplestone and the walking dead respectively)

MODIFYNG AND WEATHERING VEHICLES

Most diecast models look brand new, and when used for wargaming, they look TOO new, that,s why we weather them, to give them the look of real cars.

It must be said that vehicles are a perfect base to test painting and weathering techniques, since if we screw it up, the loss wont be regreted given the price of these cars.

Here are some of the weatherings I made to the cars, and I have to admit that they look top on the gaming table. Left is the original car without any weathering and right is after they have been weathered.

And the same happens with modern cars, that need a weathering to have a "real" look:

Diecast cars are cheap, so don´t be afraid of practicing any weathering technique you see, and don´t worry aboiut weathering too much or spoiling a car. We learn through practise...

With the last one I wanted to try a technique to make gun shots in the windscreen, and I have to say that they look quite good.

Sometimes, in the lots of vehicles that we find, some vehicles sre directly discarded, either because of the conditions they are, the model itself, the color...

In fact, when I buy second-hand cars, I usually ask the seller if he has damaged, worn out or vehicles in bad conditions, which he usually would not sell. Since we can use them as scenery, and in many cases they even include them in the lot for free.

Now I will show you how I solved some vehicles that for obvious reasons did not adapt to the game table.

The first was this mini Cooper that did not fit me on a table in a town in the Middle East, so I decided to turn it into a wrecked vehicle that would be perfect as a scenery and as a cover in case of combat.

I removed the wheels and the front glass. I mounted it on four pieces of foam cardboard simulating cement or brick blocks and painted it to make it look like it had suffered a fire ...

And this is the result, which hits the tables in the Middle East (and in Western settings as well), giving the table more detail.

The second example is this Mercedes... The model of the vehicle suited my purposes very well, but it needs a good painting to remove that horrendous orange colour and to be able to use that vehicle on the game table.

So once we remove the stickers we give it a good thick layer of white, we paint some details and we give it a "bit" of rust.

And so it is perfect for a Middle Eastern table.

Another case was this Shelby Gt500, the problem was that it was from a promotion that was worth 2 euros, so I bought two of them, and of course, two cars like this the same did not fit my requirements.

So I decided to give one of them a radical change and turn it into a post apocalyptic vehicle to the purest essence of Mad Max. Matte black, some remnants of other cars and spare parts, mud and shots on the glass... and this was the result:

Well, this is it, we are done with this topic, and as a summary, I´ll say the the rule would be tha 28mm fit 1:48 scale, and 32mm fit 1:43 scale... But (there is always a but) the right scale is what looks good besides your miniatures. Your game, your rules. 

I hope this post helps you and clarifies any doubts when selecting vehicles for your games.

Anyway, below you have the comments section in case you have any questions, any correction or whatever you want.