Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

Scale has shifted a bit between metals and plastics of various editions. The current plastics are on average a bit taller and a bit wider in part due to redesigns that make the mech a bit wider.

But on average it's all close enough that it doesn't matter which version you use in classic battletech. Not sure if it matters for alpha strike.

Example this is 3 different editions of the plastic centurion left to right , 90s box set, alpha strike forcepack, clan invasion Kickstarter.

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

The IWM miniatures didn't have a consistent scale for the longest time (the newer sculpts have been for the most part). CGL has been using volumetrics, so a 55-ton Wolverine and Griffin will have more or less the same volume. They're doing the same for Combat Vehicles, but note that a Combat Vehicle is more compact than an a BattleMech and therefore will be smaller as a result.

Today I bought some of the new Warhammer Legions/Epic reboot infantry guys to see how well they would scale with the Elementals.

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

*Technically*..... IWM is *supposed* to be 1/285th which is roughly 6mm and CGL is *supposed* to be 1/265th which is some scale they pulled out of their ass that no one uses for anything else.

TalonZahn wrote:
*Technically*..... IWM is *supposed* to be 1/285th which is roughly 6mm and CGL is *supposed* to be 1/265th which is some scale they pulled out of their ass that no one uses for anything else.

Ghaz wrote:The IWM miniatures didn't have a consistent scale for the longest time (the newer sculpts have been for the most part). CGL has been using volumetrics, so a 55-ton Wolverine and Griffin will have more or less the same volume. They're doing the same for Combat Vehicles, but note that a Combat Vehicle is more compact than an a BattleMech and therefore will be smaller as a result.

Werkrobotwerk wrote:Scale has shifted a bit between metals and plastics of various editions. The current plastics are on average a bit taller and a bit wider in part due to redesigns that make the mech a bit wider.

But on average it's all close enough that it doesn't matter which version you use in classic battletech. Not sure if it matters for alpha strike.

Example this is 3 different editions of the plastic centurion left to right , 90s box set, alpha strike forcepack, clan invasion Kickstarter.

Thanks for the answers and clarifications. It's probably a combination of all of the above giving that impression to me as someone who peripherally follows Battletech. I've never gotten into it but I keep trying once every 6-8 years, lol. I'm due in the next one or two for another demo so I'll probably see them in person then.

 TalonZahn wrote:

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

*Technically*..... IWM is *supposed* to be 1/285th which is roughly 6mm and CGL is *supposed* to be 1/265th which is some scale they pulled out of their ass that no one uses for anything else.

CGL can't go larger as some of the larger 'Mechs are already close to spilling over their bases (and some like the quad Scorpion do spill over by quite a bit). They can't go smaller if they want to produce plastic Battle Armor as it took Liya (the plastics manufacturer) three separate sets of moulds to get Battle Armor that didn't look like plastic blobs.

the plastic mechs are a CONSISTANT scale, IWM's metal ones... aren't

Recognition Guide Vol. 33 has been released. Catalyst needed a few more entries for vol. 2 of the Recognition Guide compilation so we've got this nice little Christmas present consisting of the following units:

* Scorpion
* Partisan
* Hel
* Karnov
* Hunter
* Striker
* Goblin
* SM Tank Destroyer
* Gyrfalcon
* Blood Reaper
* Hatamoto-Chi
* Naga
* Spartan
* Mauler
* Thunder Hawk

Anthony has posted the 3D renders of the Pillager on his Patreon

That reminds me, my Death Commando company is currently recruiting.

Quick pledge manager question, in case anyone has looked recently - are shipping addresses locked yet? Will need to adjust mine before they ship, due to moving house, but I've not looked at the pledge manager recently to see if that section can be updated or not.

I’m sure that there will be a final call when shipping costs get requested. Still a few steps to go

And for those who haven't picked up the RecGuide above (and why haven't you picked it up?):

Yeah the Thunder Hawk in the new Rec Guide is pretty rubbish. I'm warming to the 'Slowki' though.

Oh I dunno, the 3X Arrow loadout isn't necessarily good but it is hilarious. It's very much a heavy backline fire support 'Mech that should just have 'please don't look at me' written across the chest.

 TalonZahn wrote:

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

*Technically*..... IWM is *supposed* to be 1/285th which is roughly 6mm and CGL is *supposed* to be 1/265th which is some scale they pulled out of their ass that no one uses for anything else.

Well 1:265 is close to gw's titans in adeptus titanicus. 1:269.

The difference between 1:285 and 1:265 is that 1:285 is "6mm" (actually 5.7mm) measured to top of head. 1:265 was done to make it proper 6mm to eye level which has become the convention and standard for the industry.

 Prometheum5 wrote:
Oh I dunno, the 3X Arrow loadout isn't necessarily good but it is hilarious. It's very much a heavy backline fire support 'Mech that should just have 'please don't look at me' written across the chest.

They're not Arrows. It's 3 Thunderbolt 20s. It's... just weird.

chaos0xomega wrote:
The difference between 1:285 and 1:265 is that 1:285 is "6mm" (actually 5.7mm) measured to top of head. 1:265 was done to make it proper 6mm to eye level which has become the convention and standard for the industry.

1/285 is actually 6.2mm and anything measured "to the eye level" doesn't make it proper scale, it makes it proper to how GW measures scales.

Which of course all these scales far pre-date GW or their "to the eye" change of how measuring is done for gaming.

Scales were in place and agreed upon until GW had some issue on how to measure things; idiocy, to make it theirs, to force everyone else's hand in gaming, etc.

No, 1:285 is 5.7mm. Its a defined US Army standard.

chaos0xomega wrote:
No, 1:285 is 5.7mm. Its a defined US Army standard.

Then you better go back to your Wiki article and edit one or the other of them. Since one says 5.7mm and the other says 6.2mm

Of course, the average height of a male human has also increased since the 60's which is another problem in the article.

Which brings us back around to it's closer to 6mm than 5.7mm and since CGL uses 1/265th it's even closer to the 6.2mm.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Prometheum5 wrote:
Oh I dunno, the 3X Arrow loadout isn't necessarily good but it is hilarious. It's very much a heavy backline fire support 'Mech that should just have 'please don't look at me' written across the chest.

They're not Arrows. It's 3 Thunderbolt 20s. It's... just weird.

Oh right, I always forget Thunderbolts are a thing. Much dumber than what I was mis-remembering.

chaos0xomega wrote:
No, 1:285 is 5.7mm. Its a defined US Army standard.

That means baseline human is 1.6m tall.

No 1:285 translates to 1mm = 1ft, thus 5.7mm tall humans = 5.7ft tall humans, which is 5'8" or 1.73m

Original marines all women, confirmed

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Yeah the Thunder Hawk in the new Rec Guide is pretty rubbish. I'm warming to the 'Slowki' though.

The ATM slowki is pretty absurd. That's a terrifying number of missiles. The T looks rock solid... but it's very odd that they have so many ammo bins in the arms.

And the new Gyrfalcon art is gorgeous! I hope we get it in plastic soon.

 warboss wrote:
Silly noob question but... are those plastic mechs bigger in scale than previous metals? Has there been a general scale shift with their newer line of plastic boxed kits? Or are they just higher tonnage mechs and therefore in universe bigger?

No, they're definitely a somewhat larger scale. I have an old metal Timber Wolf along with a Catalyst one. The new one can comfortably look right over the old metal one.

IWM Metals - 1/285th for the most part

CGL Plastics - 1/265th for the most part

Scale has always been all over the place. I have three completely different plastic Mad Cats, and there's no similarities between them other than aesthetics.

I'm just glad that these new plastics are all designed to be within scale to one another.

 Dysartes wrote:
Quick pledge manager question, in case anyone has looked recently - are shipping addresses locked yet?

Ask and ye shall receive:

Latest KS Update wrote:Hey there backers!

With the large amount of address changes coming in, we would just like to announce once more to message us here on Kickstarter if your shipping address will be different in 2024 so we can get that updated for you! To send us a message go to the main page of the project, and click on our name - Catalyst Games. Click “Contact Me” on the pop-up to send us a message!