In miniature wargaming , players enact simulated battles using scale models called miniature models , which can be anywhere from 2 to 54 mm in height, to represent warriors, vehicles, artillery, buildings, and terrain. These models are colloquially referred to as miniatures or minis .
41-557: Eye Witness is an adventure published by FASA in 1994 for the near-future dystopian fantasy cyberpunk role-playing game Shadowrun . Eye Witness is 72-page softcover book written by Mike Nystul that describes the details of a complete Shadowrun adventure. A young investment broker in Seattle is turned into a goblin by a genetic quirk, and he replaces the human employees of his company with ghouls. Troubleshooters (the players) are sent in to put things back to normal by terminating
82-462: A computer numerical control machine that cuts the steel mould. They can also simply skip moulding steps and directly produce miniatures from 3D models. Originally, Dungeons & Dragons was an evolution of the Chainmail medieval miniatures game, with the distinction that each player controlled a single figure and had a wider variety of actions available. The original D&D boxed set bore
123-580: A base or folded into a triangular tent. Historically the size of miniatures was described in absolute scale in various different systems of measurement, most commonly in metric and English units . A 28mm miniature means that the size of the miniature will be 28mm from the feet of the mini to the chosen reference point. The most common miniatures were the 54 mm European miniatures and the 2 1/4" English models which are commonly considered to be 1:32 scale. Early wargames such as H.G Wells Little Wars used these commonly available miniatures. With metrication in
164-586: A starting capital of $ 350 ($ 1,200 adjusted for inflation). The two were fellow gamers at the United States Merchant Marine Academy . Mort Weisman, Jordan's father, joined the company in 1985 to lead the company's operational management, having sold his book publishing business, Swallow Press . Under the new commercial direction and with Mort's capital injection, the company diversified into books and miniature figures. After consulting their UK distributor, Chart Hobby Distributors, FASA licensed
205-437: Is 1/72 or 1 inch equals 6 foot which uses 20 mm, to 25 mm miniatures. It is mostly used for historical gaming in part due to a wide selection of 1/72 scale models. Figures are commonly used with a variety of scales. It is not uncommon for there to be a mismatch between the game scale and miniature size. Chainmail used a scale of 1:360, appropriate to 5 mm miniatures, but was played with 30 mm miniatures, and
246-435: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . FASA FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games , wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001, after which they closed publishing operations for several years, becoming an IP holding company under the name FASA Inc. In 2012, a wholly owned subsidiary called FASA Games Inc. went into operation, using the name and logo under license from
287-439: Is generally assumed to be the idea of the average height of the human male, within a 6-inch (15 cm) interval between 5.5 and 6 feet (168 and 183 cm), unless otherwise indicated by the designer. Average human height is heavily dependent on the population measured within a geographical region and historical era. The following chart provides a numerical relationship between model scale and multiple figurine scales based on
328-402: Is no equivalent "mm" number for these scales as individual figures would be nearly microscopic and are not used as such in the games. A further complication is differing interpretations of body proportions . Many gaming figures are unrealistically bulky for their height, with oversized feet, heads, hands, wrists, and weapons. Making these parts oversized allows for more details to be present in
369-408: Is therefore dependent on a defined reference height. Thus 15 mm in the context of a dwarven world where the reference humanoid is 60 inches (152 cm) tall, is not equivalent to 15 mm in the context an NBA model where the reference humanoid is 2 meters tall. Both models can be described as 15 mm, but the real world sizes depend on the size of the reference humanoid. In practice, the reference humanoid
410-621: The BattleTech Centers / Virtual World) but also developed desktop computer games. When Microsoft acquired the FASA Interactive subsidiary, Babcock went with that company. After the sale of Virtual World, Jordan turned his attention to the founding of a new games venture called WizKids . FASA unexpectedly ceased active operations on April 30, 2001, but still exists as a corporation holding intellectual property rights, which it licenses to other publishers. Contrary to popular belief,
451-508: The 15 to 20 mm range while taller characters like ogres , trolls and dragons would use 30 mm or larger figures. Manufacturer's use of scale is not uniform and can deviate by as much as 30%. Some manufacturers measure figure height from the feet to the eyes rather than the top of the head; therefore, a figure that is 30mm to the top of its head could be considered to be a 28mm miniature. Figures of 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm, and 35 mm are
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#1733085916016492-440: The 20th century; bigger details come out better, and larger surfaces are easier to paint. When a company sees that people are still buying the larger models, that's an incentive for them to continue making larger ones. This is a relative scale that that compares the size of the model to the size of a real life object. This ratio will show how many times the model is smaller than the original size. The meaning of 15 mm (for example)
533-602: The Keith Brothers. The company went on to establish itself as a major gaming company with the publication of the Star Trek RPG, then several successful original games. Noteworthy lines included BattleTech and Shadowrun . Their Star Trek role-playing supplements and tactical ship game enjoyed popularity outside the wargaming community since, at the time, official descriptions of the Star Trek universe were not common, and
574-468: The New York legislature introduced a bill outlawing lead in miniatures, citing public health concerns. Many miniature manufacturers, anticipating that other states would also impose bans, began making figures with lead-free alloys, often at increased prices. After months of debate and protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts, New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from
615-520: The United Kingdom , United States manufacturers began to use the metric system to describe miniatures, as opposed to the previously popular customary units , so that their table-top wargaming models would be compatible. Today,the scale of a figure is often described in millimeters, for example one of the most common scales is 28 mm. Manufacturers set up a size of the miniature and try to make every miniature similar size or at least have an average with
656-423: The company did not go bankrupt. Allegedly, the owners decided to quit while the company was still financially sound in a market they perceived as going downhill. Mort Weisman had been talking of retirement for some years, and his confidence in the future of the paper-based games business was low. He considered the intellectual property of FASA to be of high value, but did not wish to continue working as he had been for
697-405: The conceit that each figure represented 20 men. In the table below, figure height alone (excluding base thickness) is the feature from which approximate scale is calculated. Scales smaller still are used when the game involves large vehicles (such as starships or battleships). For instance Axis & Allies Naval Miniatures: War at Sea uses 1:1800 scale, and scales down to 1:6000 are seen. There
738-599: The designer Mike "Skuzzy" Nielsen, but it has not been republished in any form due partly to legal difficulties. Microsoft officially closed the FASA team in the company's gaming division on September 12, 2007. On December 6, 2007, FASA founder Jordan Weisman announced that his new venture, Smith & Tinker , had licensed the electronic gaming rights to MechWarrior , Shadowrun , and Crimson Skies from Microsoft. On April 28, 2008, Mike "Skuzzy" Nielsen announced plans to create Vor 2.0 . At Gen Con 2012, FASA Games, Inc.
779-414: The final commercial figures. Polyethylene and polystyrene figures are made by injection moulding. A machine heats plastic and injects it under high pressure into a steel mould. This is an expensive process; it is only cost effective when manufacturing large amounts of figures, since the quantity renders the cost per cast minimal. Many miniatures companies do not produce their figures themselves but leave
820-399: The gaming supplements offered details fans craved. The highly successful BattleTech line led to a series of video games , some of the first virtual reality gaming suites, called Virtual World (created by a subdivision of the company known at the time of development as ESP, an acronym for "Extremely Secret Project") and a Saturday-morning animated TV series . Originally, the name FASA
861-536: The ghouls. In the June 1994 edition of Dragon (Issue #206), Rick Swan thought this adventure was far more memorable than many recent Shadowrun publications, "thanks to the satirical subtext added to the usual mix of fantasy and cyberpunk." He concluded with a recommendation, saying, "[Author] Nystul balances the chills with chuckles, and his rollicking plot should leave even in the most jaded Shadowrun -ners gasping for breath." This role-playing game related article
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#1733085916016902-458: The internet. There are two basic methods of manufacturing figures: centrifugal/gravity casting and plastic injection casting . Most metal and resin figures are made through spin casting . Larger resin models, like buildings and vehicles, are sometimes gravity cast, which is a slower process. To gravity cast, a sculptor develops a master figure, which is then used to create rubber master and production moulds. The production moulds are used to cast
943-570: The last decade or more. Unwilling to wrestle with the complexities of dividing up the going concern, the owners issued a press release on January 25, 2001, announcing the immediate closure of the business. The BattleTech and Shadowrun properties were sold to WizKids , who in turn licensed their publication to FanPro LLC and then to Catalyst Game Labs . The Earthdawn license was sold to WizKids , and then back to FASA. Living Room Games published Earthdawn (Second Edition), RedBrick published Earthdawn (Classic and Third Editions), but
984-528: The latter were generally sold pre-painted. Miniature models are derived from toy soldiers which were constructed of a variety of materials, These toy figures came to be mass produced from tin in late 1700s Germany, where they were called Zinnsoldaten (lit. "tin soldiers"). These early figures were flat models commonly called "flats", and became quite common in western Europe. By the mid 1800s manufactures in several countries were producing 3d miniatures of tin and lead alloys, common called white metal . In 1993,
1025-493: The license has now returned to FASA Corporation, and FASA Games, Inc. is the current license holder for new material. Crimson Skies was originally developed by Zipper Interactive under the FASA Interactive brand in late 2000 and used under license by FASA; FASA Interactive had been purchased by Microsoft, so rights to Crimson Skies stayed with Microsoft. Rights to the miniatures game VOR: The Maelstrom reverted to
1066-459: The manufacture of its BattleTech figurines to Miniature Figurines (also known as Minifigs). FASA would later acquire the U.S. figures manufacturer Ral Partha , which was the US manufacturer of Minifigs. While Mort ran the paper and metal based sides of the business, the company's founders focused on the development of computer-based games. They were particularly interested in virtual reality (particularly
1107-617: The manufacturing to specialized casting companies or miniatures companies that have casting facilities. Most miniatures are hand sculpted using two-component epoxy putties in the same size as the final figure. The components of the putty are mixed together to create a sculpting compound that hardens over 48 hours. Some common brands include Polymerics Kneadatite blue\yellow (also known as "green stuff" and "Duro" in Europe), Milliput, A&B, Magic sculpt, and Kraftmark's ProCreate. Until recently, sculptors avoided polymer clays as they cannot withstand
1148-452: The miniatures. Some of these exaggerations began as concessions to the limitations of primitive mold-making and sculpting techniques, but they have evolved into stylistic conventions. Figurines with these exaggerated features are often referred to as heroic scale . There is a noted tendency in miniature figure manufacture where over time for bigger and bigger figures to be produced. Larger models were easier to produce correctly, especially in
1189-410: The most common for role-playing and table-top games. Smaller figures of 2 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm are used for mass-combat wargames. Large sizes such as 40 mm and 54 mm were popular with wargamers in the past and are still used by painters and collectors. While the large miniatures have become popular again since the late 20th century, they are not as popular as
1230-406: The parent company. FASA Games Inc. works alongside Ral Partha Europe, also a subsidiary of FASA Corporation, to bring out new editions of existing properties such as Earthdawn and Demonworld , and to develop new properties within the FASA cosmology. FASA first appeared as a Traveller licensee, producing supplements for that Game Designers' Workshop role-playing game , especially the work of
1271-442: The platonic idea of the height of a human being (humanoid). Many role-playing gamers and wargamers paint their miniatures to differentiate characters or units on a gaming surface (terrain, battle mat, or unadorned table top). Fantasy, role-playing, miniatures, and wargaming conventions sometimes feature miniature painting competitions, such as Games Workshop's Golden Demon contest . There are also many painting competitions on
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1312-410: The required size. The master is measured with a probe linked to a pantograph that 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 digital models create a physical model for mould-making using rapid prototyping techniques. Alternatively, they can be used directly to drive
1353-523: The size they've set up. While a model may be described as 28 mm the actual height of the model may be different. This is because of a number of factors such as manufacturer, model proportion, method of measuring the model, the model's pose, and what sort of man the model is meant to represent. A manufacturer might advertise its figures as 28 mm, but their products may be over 30 mm tall. In 28 mm scale, short characters such as dwarves , hobbits , and goblins might be represented by figures in
1394-420: The smaller sizes. In many games there is a definite scale specified for the square grid that the game is played upon. One of the most common is 1 inch represents 5 feet. This specifies an exact scale of 1:60. That implies that a 28 mm tall figurine represents a 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) person – which is a reasonable number for a modern 50th percentile male (See: Human height ). Another popular scale
1435-419: The state's public health law. Despite this, most American manufacturers continued to use non-lead alloys. In the 20th century miniatures would also be manufactured from plastic and composite materials. Some wargames use "box miniatures", consisting of card stock folded into simple cuboids with representative art printed on the outside. Other games use 2d cardboard miniatures that are either held in
1476-411: The subtitle, "Rules for Fantastic Miniature Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures". However, Dungeons & Dragons did not require miniatures, referring to them as "only aesthetically pleasing". Advanced Dungeons & Dragons likewise included a relatively short section describing miniature use, in conjunction with the official AD&D miniatures being produced at
1517-448: The time. As the game developed, miniatures became more of an optional add-on. The AD&D 2nd Edition accessory Player's Option: Combat & Tactics introduced a more elaborate grid-based combat system that emphasized the use of miniatures; a streamlined version of some of these concepts appeared in D&;D 3rd edition. Although not strictly necessary, the 4th edition of the game assumes
1558-418: The traditional mould-making process. Modern techniques using RTV silicone and softer-quality rubbers have made it possible to use weaker materials, so that polymer clay masters have become more common. Fimo clay is popular, though due to the individual properties of certain colours, only a limited selection of colours is used. Masters for plastic miniatures are often made in a larger scale, often three times
1599-467: The visual aspects of a game and track position, facing, and line of sight of characters. Miniatures are typically painted and can be artfully sculpted, making them collectible in their own right. Pre-painted plastic figures, such as Clix miniatures produced by WizKids and unpainted plastic figures for Warhammer by Games Workshop , have become popular. The hobby of painting, collecting, and playing with miniatures originated with toy soldiers , though
1640-605: Was an acronym for " Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration", a joking allusion to the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup . This tongue-in-cheek attitude was carried over in humorous self-references in its games. For example, in Shadowrun , a tactical nuclear device was detonated near FASA's offices at 1026 W. Van Buren St in Chicago, Illinois . FASA Corporation was founded by Jordan Weisman and L. Ross Babcock III in 1980 with
1681-600: Was revealed, which includes FASA Corporation co-founder Ross Babcock on the board of directors. While FASA Corporation still owns and manages the FASA IP and brands, FASA Games, Inc would release new games and content. As of 2020, FASA Games has released contents for 2 games; a 4th edition for Earthdawn and the new game 1879 which aims to replace and/or create an alternate future '6th Age' in 'replacement' to Shadowrun. Miniature figure (gaming) Miniature models are commonly made of metal, plastic, or paper. They are used to augment