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So, my playgroup is strongly considering jumping back into 40K (thanks to AdMech, mostly). If they go, I'll dust off my tyranids and leap in, myself, but I'm mostly just going to play around with fluffy armies, and the genestealer cult rumors really have me revving up.

So, while I've found a mix models I like for the baseline rank 'n' file – 'stealers, of course, and a mix of other GW bugs and several not-Imperial Guard offerings from less-expensive companies – I'm still scratching my head over vehicles. (I've never played a mechanized army before, so I'm starting from scratch here.)

So, here goes:
•Will 1/72 look OK next to GW-scale figs? I know it's small, but the chunky, heroic-scale kind of lends itself to oversized humans anyway.
•If not, is there a reasonably costed source for 1/60 scale vehicles? Casual Googling suggests not, and I'm not about to pay 50 USD+ for a GW vehicle.
•I know many die-cast cars are 1:60, but I'm looking for something in plastic if possible; I'm going to be doing some extensive modifications to represent jury-rigged armor, etc. I find plastic's a much easier material to work with than whatever metal goes into that die-cast stuff.
•Casting quality is really low on my list of priorities. Have plasticard, will travel, as it were.

(And, not to derail my own topic, but I haven't played 40k for at least an edition. Is Imperial Guard still the go-to for counts-as genestealer cults? I understand that I can take tyranids as unfriendly "allies"; is that frowned on? I'm not sure there's a situation that doesn't become measurably cooler with the addition of a melee 'fex.)

I think your best bet is to ask for the dimensions of a particular base chassis (there aren't many... rhino, chimera, land raider, taurox, etc.) and then purchase a scale model that is about the same size.

It isn't really helpful to think of it as 1/60 or 1/72, because vehicles are so different in size whereas scale vehicles are not for instance, an Abrams is bigger than a Sherman, but not nearly to the degree of a Chimera to a Baneblade. And you'll have trouble finding a small APC/tank (Rhino chassis) versus a gigantor model (Land Raider chassis).

I generally find that 1/35 looks better with this scale. 1/72 seems way too small.

I believe 28mm is ~1/56 scale, though given the weird proportions of GW models people typically recommend 1/35 to 1/48. It's not hard to look up the dimensions of a real tank and just divide it by 35 or 48 or 56 or 72 and see what it comes to on the table top.

The other thing you have to take in to account is GW vehicles are almost all really weird proportions. They tend to be wide, tall and not very long. Wheeled vehicles tend to have very large wheels for their size. They also have absurdly high calibre guns. Kind of like a chibi tank Most real-world vehicles tend to be longer, not so tall, and the guns are more realistically sized.

1/56 scale is 28mm normal scale.

1/48 is more like 28mm heroic scale (except its not heroic, but when comparing to GW etc).

My suggestion is 1/48 for GW stuff, 1/35 is too big. 1/56 for larger real world vehicles.

Thats my experience anyway.

Wow, thanks for the quick replies, guys!

Guess I'm off to the local hobby store with calculator in hand this weekend, ha ha ha.

So you are making a Geenesteeler Cult?

So that means you are after odd cars? Local enforcer looking gear? Civilians taking up arms?

We may be able to help you find some cool stuff to kick off your project. Im sure if you make a Tyranid Geenestealer list nobody will object provided it looks the part. Sounds fun.

Yeah, a little of all that. I'm kind of going for a '70s / Mad Max / jackbooted thugs mash-up; specifically:

•Run-down muscle cars converted (amateurishly) into combat-ready vehicles; think Dukes of Hazzard if they were survivalists. I'm keeping an eye out for a school bus model as a transport.
•Baseline troops using things any schmo could get from the army surplus store: dusters, gas masks, etc. (Wargames Factory has not-Death Korps of Krieg that I'm eyeing for this.) Big focus on things that can obscure / hide unusual body types. I'm also planning on sprinkling units with the occasional preacher-man – stylized robes, tattoos, maybe some mutations.
•'Stealers, of course; I'm doing a lot of mix-and-match on heads so there's a checkered theme running through the whole army. A smattering of Ymgarl, a few 3rd ed. toxin sacs, a mix of originals and resculpts. I really want the 'stealers to look just as ramshackle as the troops.
•And, like I said before, I'd love to squeeze a melee 'fex or two into the list. I really like the modern 'fex sculpt, and I like the idea of making it a little more 'stealer-y (with the idea that some F4 'stealers are growing out of control into these massive killing machines).

 Swastakowey wrote:
1/56 scale is 28mm normal scale.

1/48 is more like 28mm heroic scale (except its not heroic, but when comparing to GW etc).

My suggestion is 1/48 for GW stuff, 1/35 is too big. 1/56 for larger real world vehicles.

Thats my experience anyway.

^these are the closest to scale. Otherwise the cockpit of whatever vehicle is going to look hilariously small or large. The thing that messes up most stand-ins is that GW vehicles are much more square, with most vehicles close to being as wide as they are long, you'll immediately notice that any real-world to-scale models are going to be more than twice as long as they are wide. So you're going to have a very large angle on side armor and small angles on front/rear armor.

Hmm I was going to suggest War games Factory Zombie Survivors as they look survivory. But since you want to hide features I suggest these:

http://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/Miniatures-of-the-North/Imperial-Borderers/Imperial-Borderer

They are very nice BUT they are true scale so a bit more realistically proportioned. They will make your nids look bigger and badder though!

For vehicles, google "ramshackle Games" and check out their vehicles which seem very wasteland designed. But they arent quite muscle cars. Worth a look?

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=20

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=231

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=276

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=21

http://shop.ramshacklegames.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=29

and more...

Hopefully it helps. But muscle cars with angry nutters on top would look very cool.