why are 40k models so short

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**redguardsman**

The ideal human is 8 heads high

most humans are 7 to 7 and 1/2 heads high

Why are GW models so disproportionate and short?

**insaniak**

It's a stylistic choice. Most 28mm=ish miniatures have exaggerated proportions, to look more 'heroic'... humans actually sculpted to scale at that size look rather weedy by comparison.

**Hans Chung-Otterson**

The only problem I have is that SM & Guardsmen are the same height, model-wise, where as fiction-wise, SM are much taller. It's kind of disappointing.

**DarknessEternal**

They're heads and hands are larger deliberately.

**Kilkrazy**

If you look at a lot of GW models, they have the width dimensions of 1/35th scale, but their height is only about 1/60th scale.

It is a very GW style, which has got more exagerrated over the decades.

The advantage is that more detail can be packed into a model, because of its greater surface area. It also makes the figures less compatible with other ranges.

**Cottonjaw**

If a guardsman's head was the proper size compared to his height, you would have one hell of a time painting any detail at all into his face without a needle and a magnified vice.

**Cerebrium**

What GW call "heroic scale". Heads, feet and hands are deliberately bigger. It's just a bit of stylization.

**Bramnero**

Everything is out of proportion and you can't really expect GW to fix it. Afterall, how you 10 Space Marines fit in a Rhino? Or how would 10 Fire Dragons fit in a Wave Serpent? And my favourite is trying to imagine 10 Nobz fitting in a Trukk.

**redguardsman**

they can fix it by making the heads, hands, and feet smaller.

the models would look drastically more proportional if they just shrunk some of the features.

Im not a fan of the "heroic" scale. I wouldn't mind spending extra time painting my models if they were scaled correctly.

**ChrisWWII**

If you want properly porportioned models, both the Lord of the Rings range and Forge World make models in a much more accurate scale as compared to GWs style.

To GW, there's nothing to fix. The heroic scale is an artistic choice on their part, and is honestly something I don't mind.

**Dark**

As someone has been told, it's for sculpting issues.

Now, if we use the academical proportions, a human would be 7.5 heads tall, an idealized human would be 8 heads tall and an 'heroic' human would be 9.5 heads tall (taken from "The human body in all it's value" by Andrew Loomis, considered the illustrator's bible to the human anatomy).

That is, for example, an IG soldier's head would be (considering they're 28mm) 3.5mm tall, try and sculp that.

Now, let's say Space Marines, we want them to be heoircal, so let's use 9,5 heads tall, they'll have to be 33.25mm tall.

Another issue is, on the Imperial Side (and CSM) that weapons can be swaped. While in the fluff, for instance, Bolters used by Astartes aren't the same size the ones used by SoB, in the miniature range they're the same items.

**Mr. DK**

The only thing I dislike is the disproportion in their vehicles. 10 marines in a rhino.. really? Make them bigger if your going to charge $35 for a box on wheels.

**ChrisWWII**

Hey it's better than the old Rhinos and Land Raiders..

**Mr. DK**

Thats true.. But also more expensive!

**Mr Nobody**

Forgeworld models tend to have a more realistic scale about them, just look at the DKoK models.

**chromedog**

The bodies ARE the right size.
It's their heads and hands that are too large, making them look like bobbleheads.

Now if they fix the scale issues (keep all SM/CSM the same size, along with eldar, orks and kroot) and make the rest smaller with the same amount of detail.

When I started playing, I was using 25mm human infantry v SM models and the "8' giants" was close enough for me then. As time went on, scale creep made the weedy humans the same size.

**Fafnir**

redguardsman wrote:
Im not a fan of the "heroic" scale. I wouldn't mind spending extra time painting my models if they were scaled correctly.

With a little extra work and a lot of extra money, that's possible.

...tournament players will hate you though.

**lunarman**

Has anyone got any drawings or sketches of what a space marine might actually look like if given correct human proportions?

**Dark**

Once at home I'll sketch a Space Marine and a normal human using the proportions I've described on my post above.

**Leigen_Zero**

Bramnero wrote:And my favourite is trying to imagine 10 Nobz fitting in a Trukk.

2nd edition ork wartrukk rules (ACTUAL rules):
You may transport as many ork boys as you can comfortably fit in the back, if they are falling off, or you are using blu-tak, you are carrying too many.

With the bases, this meant 4 (top & tailed) or two if you didn't like balancing 2 ork boys on their 3-pronged helmets while leaning them against the ork next to them.

**obsidianaura**

Over the 40,000 years of evolution, natural selection favoured those with heroic proportions

**Dark**

Sorry for the quality, it's just a pencil sketch, but this has the proportions I've mentioned.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

**MechaEmperor7000**

The DoW 2 intro movie and in-game models are roughly in proportion, although whether or not to actual SM proportions I dont know.

**Th3ee Legged Dog**

Dark wrote:Sorry for the quality, it's just a pencil sketch, but this has the proportions I've mentioned.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Well done for just a quick sketch.

Although I feel the Marine should still be a head taller still.

**Dark**

Thanks.

Regarding the ammount of heads, that'll meake him too small headed.

For this sketch I used the same head size for both the IG and the Marine, but, imagine that his skull enlargens along with the rest of the body, you'll end with someone taller and bulkier, while still proportional.

**vodo40k**

I have decided to try not to even think about models vs fluff vs rules dilemmas, it is very rare to find any occasion over the GW range where these things match up.

**Kilkrazy**

lunarman wrote:Has anyone got any drawings or sketches of what a space marine might actually look like if given correct human proportions?

They aren't human so it's a moot point.

**SoloFalcon1138**

What does it matter?

**Exopheric**

Among other things, it matters if you like to convert and/or sculpt from scratch.