Rediscovering The Joy Of 15mm!

Greetings!

Well its my day off again and lovely weather to boot! I've mooched around outside and enjoyed soaking up the sunshine but have sought shelter to post some hobby related gubbins!

The purpose of this blog entry is to ponder on my rediscovery of 15mm sci-fi. Many moons ago, when I first really got into blogging, I created The Special Corps, a blog dedicated to the Stainless Steel Rat in 15mm scale.

Back then, there was only about two or three companies who actually produced 15mm scale sci-fi figures so I had to be a bit creative when it came to sourcing figures, combining classic old sculpts from Laserburn and newer stuff from various historical ranges.

I must admit that the whole process of collecting and painting small forces for a couple of quid was really satisfying and in more recent years I extended my collecting into sculpting fantasy stuff as well but for many reasons, interest in the whole project waned due to assorted shiny syndrome issues and the little chaps have been languishing in a box pretty much ever since.

Skoot forward to now and I find myself being drawn back to the idea of being able to throw together a decent sized skirmish force, scenery and gaming surface for virtually nothing and thinking nothing of playing out a couple of entertaining rpg lite type skirmish scenarios over the course of an hour or so.

What I am also finding is that there are now literally dozens of manufacturers out there producing all manner of great sci fi stuff that could make for great additions to my collection. Its also a plus that I can create a 2x3 foot board that is perfect for small skirmishes, buildings and all manner of different environments for my tiny figures to fight over without having to break the bank while keeping it all stored in a relatively small space!

Now I have been rambling on about collecting some of the classier 28mm stuff and think I may well still do this as I enjoy painting stuff with a bit more in the way of detail than can be found on most 15mm scale figures but I am not sure I will ever find the time or space to game with them. Recent experience of spending ages making one or two pieces of scenery that I don't really have space for has taught me that I could be onto a bit of a winner trying something smaller.

Of equal importance is the fact that I can easily paint about a  half dozen 15mm scale figures to a great standard in the same amount of time it takes me to paint a single 28mm one! This will allow me to keep a rapid turnaround of small skirmish type warbands with one or two vehicles or mechs to accompany them and even create variations on the same force by painting two identical units but with different camo, uniforms and so on to represent a single force operating in different environments.

Finally, I do think that I have the opportunity to create some really amazing looking scenery and backdrops for my 15mm scale forces to fight over rather than the more usual flat board with one or two small trees on it!

With the intention of actually practicing what I preach, I have even been sat rummaging through my 15mm lead pile and have sorted out a small warband and converted them extensively to give each that extra bit of character that I felt they needed. I still have a few more finishing touches to do on them before moving onto the painting stage but hope to have one or two updates done within the week and who knows, it may even be possible for me to challenge myself to create, convert and paint a warband a week going forward if things go according to plan!

All the best!