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We all agree the range on a bolter is 24", but how far does 24" inches on the tabletop translate in the real world?

If possible a ratio answer would be preferable eg 1":2m or something like that.

Thanks in advance to all who answer

Some people would argue that the game has a logarithmic scale, since a heavy artillery piece clearly outranges an infantry rifle by an order of magnitude at least.

The game rules don't specify any scales, though, except for one model = one man.

I don't consider the table top scales translate into anything related to the real world. It's pretty clear that the weapon ranges and move distances are all multiples of a basic six-inch unit of measure. It's done to make things work from a game point of view, not to simulate real weapon ranges.

I've never heard it described as "logarithmic" but yes I subscribe to that theory too. The 6 inches gets exponentially bigger the further away from the shooter you go.

I dont think it was designed to have any kind of realistic scaling & I think its futile to try & retroactively make it fit to any scale.

The measurements work for game purposes.

The game isn't designed to scale. Not even remotely. If you absolutely must have a number, then I give you the following.

A Space Marine (randomly selected from my army) measures about an inch and a half tall. Since Space Marines are around 8-10 feet tall, we will assume nine.

So, a half an inch equals three feet. Therefore, twenty-four inches equals one hundred and forty four feet, or about 43.8912 meters.

As I say, there is no scale in 40k. If you used a guardsman as your baseline, then you would have six feet as your baseline, so you'd only have two thirds of the subsequent numbers, meaning twenty-four inches would equate to 29.2608 meters.

Hope that helps.

There are multiple scales used in 40k.

Miniature scale,Vehicle scale and ground scale.

Ground scale is not a straight linear 1"=x metres. If the ground scale was equal to that, then the average tabletop would be a football field. This was the reason for "range bands" in 1st & 2nd eds (short and long range). 0-6" might be in metres, 7"-12" might be double that, etc). At the upper ends, 36" probably equals 800-1000m, with 48" = 1.5 to 3km and so on.

There is no scale, but most people seem to agree that whatever it is, it's not a simple 1:x scale.

I'm a fan of the logarithmic scale...but even then things don't work up perfectly. As someone pointed out, an IG and SM mini are the same height, but a SM is supposed to be 9 feet tall, and the Guardsmen maybe 6 feet. THings get confusing.

If you want weapon ranges, compare to modern day weapons or the fluff.