Which scale?

[YorkNecromancer]

Which scale do you prefer? Heroic, or True?

40K is a heroic scale game. This is a specific aesthetic and stylistic choice. It means the bodies, heads, hands, etc... of the models are disproportionate to those in real life. Weapons that should be tiny become massive; soldiers carry guns the size of their torso. The reason for this is to make it clear on the battlefield who is carrying what - it enhances WYSIWYG. Also, it lends models a certain grandeur that true scale lacks.

True scale is when models are scaled properly, as they should look in real-life. Mantic and most non-GW companies tend to use true scale, which is why their parts don't cross over to GWs, and why if you stand one next to the other they look 'wrong', or 'different'.

N.B.:There is a popular conversion to make 'true scale' Marines (i.e.: Marines who are scaled up so their model size actually fits the fluff), but that's not the same thing as this, as a 'true scale' marine would still be essentially heroically scaled.


Heroic scale:

True scale:

Comparison of the two:

[Ben_S]

I voted heroic, because these are gaming pieces, not scale models. That said, I think the binary choice neglects the fact that it's really a matter of degree. I think GW often exaggerates proportions too much. Somewhat over-sized weapons not only look dramatic, but also aid recognition on the table-top. I don't think they need be quite so over-sized though or, in particular, that the models' hands need to be quite so large (even though they may need to be somewhat larger to handle larger weapons).

[Ssyrie]

Heroic is good for large armies, but for RPG's and skirmish games I prefer true scale.

[Andrew Clive Early]

i like heroic scale but not too extreme, i'd like imperial guard to look a bit short/thinner then Space Marines, likewise id like terminators to be a bit bigger. size creep thing that gw does is a massive pain

[Mr Mystery]

Heroic is what I know. I find true scale looks odd.

[ReveredChaplainDrake]

If you're going to employ true line of sight, you had better use true scale. If using abstract line of sight, then go ahead and do whatever you want because it doesn't really matter.

[Strigis]

Heroic only works when you don’t mix armies. The minute you put a catachan next to a space marine you notice just how wrong they are as that Catachan has got guns as large as the marines including the armor. Wherever possible I try to use true scale especially in models that are supposed to be emaciated looking, case and point I used Mantic’s zombies for half of the 80 strong zombie horde in my Nurgle List.

[Path Walker]

Heroic only works when you don’t mix armies. The minute you put a catachan next to a space marine you notice just how wrong they are as that Catachan has got guns as large as the marines including the armor. Wherever possible I try to use true scale especially in models that are supposed to be emaciated looking, case and point I used Mantic’s zombies for half of the 80 strong zombie horde in my Nurgle List.

Catachans are just really buff, but its all glamour, no strength training.

[Faultie]

To me, the most important things isn't even the scale that is chosen (be it true, heroic, or whatever), but that once they choose a scale they keep it internally consistent. I don't like the Imperial Guardsmen are the same size as Space Marines, and when they take their sleeves off, they've got bigger biceps than would even fit in power armor. It's not just GW (early Privateer Press and Wyrd models had this issue, as a side-effect of having multiple out-of-house sculptors), but they're best known for it.

I like Infinity's true-scale. I like WHFB style heroic scale. I like MERCS middle-ground.

[joosterandom]

I think it depends a lot on the context. For games that can get to scales as large as Warhammer and 40k, the readability of the model becomes important, especially in terms of weapons, so heroic is more suitable for that. I also think it applies well for systems that are more tongue-in-cheek, like Warhammer or Warmachine. I'd argue that it lends itself towards conversions better too, because there's less pressure to achieve miniaturised perfection/.

Truescale suits smaller, skirmish-style games better, partly because the individuality of the models makes it easier to keep track of their stuff without needing to visually see it, and partly because they're usually more realistic, so it feels right to have the models reflect that.

My personal preference is heroic, but then again I tend towards games with over-the-top characters and lore anyway. My only real gripe with it is that vehicles tend to look diddly unless you're either fielding something so huge that there's nothing to really compare it to in the first place, like a Baneblade.