Miniature Scale Guide: 6mm to 75mm Explained

01 / THE SHORT ANSWER

Miniature scale is a compatibility label before it is a measurement.

A 28mm miniature is usually intended to look appropriate beside other 28mm miniatures. It is not guaranteed to stand exactly 28mm tall. Some companies measure from the soles to the eyes, some to the top of the head, and some use “28mm” for an entire style of model.

Heroic scale complicates the comparison further. A 32mm heroic figure may have an oversized head, hands, weapon, and armor. Scaling a realistically proportioned 28mm figure to 114.3% makes it taller, but does not give it heroic proportions.

Use the advertised scale to narrow the neighborhood. Use an actual measurement to find the address.

02 / REFERENCE CHART

Common miniature scales.

The ratios below are practical approximations. Manufacturers and game systems can depart from them significantly.

LABELROUGH RATIOCOMMON USEWHAT TO KNOW

6mm≈ 1:285Mass battles, armor-heavy gamesTiny figures; silhouette matters more than individual detail.

10–12mm≈ 1:160Mass battles and compact armiesMore readable infantry while keeping a large battlefield.

15mm≈ 1:100Historical armies and mass combatA strong compromise between army scale, detail, and table space.

20mm≈ 1:87–1:72Historical gamingOften overlaps with model railway and plastic kit scales.

25–28mm≈ 1:64–1:56Traditional tabletop gamingThe label may refer to eye height rather than full height.

32mm heroicNot a fixed ratioModern fantasy and sci-fi gamingUsually bulkier heads, hands, weapons, and armor—not merely taller.

35–40mmVariesLarge skirmish miniaturesCommon when a range prioritizes individual character detail.

54mm≈ 1:32Display and traditional toy soldiersLarge enough for advanced painting and sculptural detail.

75mm≈ 1:24Display paintingPrimarily a showcase scale rather than rank-and-file gaming.

03 / MEASUREMENT

Eye level versus full height.

Measure to the eyes

This convention avoids hats, helmets, hair, and other sculpted details that change total height. It is particularly common in traditional and historical wargaming.

Measure to the top

This is intuitive and easy to check in a slicer, but you must choose a figure standing upright without a tall helmet, dramatic pose, or scenic base.

Neither method fixes differences in body proportions. For an army that must look coherent, compare shoulder height, head size, weapon bulk, and base height as well as total height.

04 / STL WORKFLOW

How to resize a miniature correctly.

01
Import a representative model
Use a normal standing figure, not a crouching pose, mounted character, banner bearer, or scenic hero.
02
Separate the base if necessary
A 25mm game base should usually remain 25mm even when the miniature changes scale.
03
Measure the actual file
Record eye height or full height and use the same convention for your reference miniature.
04
Calculate target ÷ source × 100
For a literal 28mm-to-32mm conversion: 32 ÷ 28 × 100 = 114.3%.
05
Lock all three axes
Uniform scaling preserves the sculpt’s proportions. Changing only Z creates a taller, thinner model.
06
Print one test
Put it beside the intended army before filling the build plate.

Calculate a resize percentage ↗

05 / FAILURE PREVENTION

Five expensive assumptions.

Trusting the filename

“28mm” may mean compatibility, eye height, or simply the designer’s product category.

Scaling the base

Integral and separate bases can become incompatible with the game when scaled with the figure.

Ignoring thickness

Scaling down also thins swords, ankles, fingers, and support contact points.

Keeping old supports

Pre-supports change size with the model and may become too weak or unnecessarily heavy.

Printing the army first

A five-gram test model is cheaper than discovering fifty soldiers look wrong together.