Diskwars is a collectible fantasy tabletop miniature wargame designed primarily by Tom Jolly and Christian T. Petersen and first published in 1999 by Fantasy Flight Games .
51-434: The game takes its name from its atypical use of cardboard disks to represent military units, commanders, monsters, and battlefield terrain features. Tabletop wargames more commonly use miniatures and scale models for these purposes. The relatively low cost of cardboard play pieces compared to metal or plastic figures was one of the game's two major marketing points. The other was its deliberately collectible nature, inspired by
102-467: A computer numerical control machine that cuts the steel mould. They can also simply skip moulding steps and directly produce miniatures from 3D models. Originally, Dungeons & Dragons was an evolution of the Chainmail medieval miniatures game, with the distinction that each player controlled a single figure and had a wider variety of actions available. The original D&D boxed set bore
153-580: A base or folded into a triangular tent. Historically the size of miniatures was described in absolute scale in various different systems of measurement, most commonly in metric and English units . A 28mm miniature means that the size of the miniature will be 28mm from the feet of the mini to the chosen reference point. The most common miniatures were the 54 mm European miniatures and the 2 1/4" English models which are commonly considered to be 1:32 scale. Early wargames such as H.G Wells Little Wars used these commonly available miniatures. With metrication in
204-691: A collection of over 6,000 figures; these are on display at the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University Library in Providence. Some of the more noteworthy, annual toy soldier and historical figure shows include the Plastic Warrior Show, which is the oldest established show in the UK. Beginning in 1985 and still being held annually in Richmond, South London. Another well known show
255-459: A pacifist, was the first to publish detailed rules for playing war games with toy soldiers. He suggested that this could provide a cathartic experience, possibly preventing future real wars. Although this was not to be, Little Wars was a predecessor to the modern hobby of miniatures wargaming . According to Wells, the idea of the game developed from a visit by his friend Jerome K. Jerome . After dinner, Jerome began shooting down toy soldiers with
306-500: A particular type of soldier or historical period, though some people enjoy collecting many different kinds of figures. The most popular historical periods for collecting are Napoleonic , Victorian , American Civil War , World War I , and World War II . Many collectors modify and paint plastic figures, and some even cast and paint their own metal figures. Actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr had a collection of 3000 toy soldiers when he sold it in 1977. Fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin has
357-432: A substantial collection of toy knights and castles. The most extensive collection of toy soldiers was probably that of Malcolm Forbes , who began collecting toy soldiers in the late 1960s and amassed a collection of over 90,000 figures by the time of his death in 1990. Anne Seddon Kinsolving Brown of Providence, Rhode Island, US, began collecting miniature toy soldiers on her honeymoon to Europe in 1930, eventually amassing
408-483: A unit is accomplished by flipping it edge-over-edge across the playfield a number of times up to its Movement rating, so a disk's diameter is just as important as this rating in determining how much distance the disk can cover, and is more important when precise positioning is desired. Projectile fire is accomplished by dropping projectile chits from a minimum distance above the playfield; whichever disks they land on are injured, whether friend or foe. In 2000 Diskwars won
459-541: A valid spell from its player's hidden stack of remaining spells, use one of its special abilities, perform a projectile attack, or move. After all disks have been activated and the results resolved, melee combat is performed between overlapping enemy disks, then a new turn begins. Play mechanics conspicuously take the physical form of the game pieces into account. Melee engagements are determined by actual overlap between disks, with larger disks naturally able to engage more, or more disperse, enemies than smaller disks can. Moving
510-437: Is 1/72 or 1 inch equals 6 foot which uses 20 mm, to 25 mm miniatures. It is mostly used for historical gaming in part due to a wide selection of 1/72 scale models. Figures are commonly used with a variety of scales. It is not uncommon for there to be a mismatch between the game scale and miniature size. Chainmail used a scale of 1:360, appropriate to 5 mm miniatures, but was played with 30 mm miniatures, and
561-682: Is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier . The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights , cowboys , American Indians , pirates , samurai , and other subjects that involve combat -related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic and detailed models . The latter are of more recent development and are sometimes called model figures to distinguish them from traditional toy soldiers. Larger scale toys such as dolls and action figures may come in military uniforms, but they are not generally considered toy soldiers. Toy soldiers are made from all types of material, but
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#1732797592839612-491: Is expressed as the soldier's approximate height from head to foot in millimeters. Because many figures do not stand up straight, height is usually an approximation. Standard toy soldier scale, originally adopted by W. Britain , is 54 mm (2.25 inches) or 1:32 scale. Among different manufacturers, standard scale may range from 50 mm or 1:35 scale , to 60 mm or 1:28 scale. For gamers and miniatures enthusiasts, 25 mm and even smaller scales are available. On
663-439: Is generally assumed to be the idea of the average height of the human male, within a 6-inch (15 cm) interval between 5.5 and 6 feet (168 and 183 cm), unless otherwise indicated by the designer. Average human height is heavily dependent on the population measured within a geographical region and historical era. The following chart provides a numerical relationship between model scale and multiple figurine scales based on
714-402: Is no equivalent "mm" number for these scales as individual figures would be nearly microscopic and are not used as such in the games. A further complication is differing interpretations of body proportions . Many gaming figures are unrealistically bulky for their height, with oversized feet, heads, hands, wrists, and weapons. Making these parts oversized allows for more details to be present in
765-1151: Is the London Toy Soldier Show held in central London (now owned and operated by the magazine Toy Soldier Collector), the Miniature Figure Collectors of America (MFCA) show in Valley Forge, the Chicago Toy Soldier Show (OTSN) in Illinois, the East Coast Toy Soldier Show in New Jersey, the West Coaster Toy Soldier Show in California, the Sammlerbörse (Collector's Market) in Friedberg, Germany and
816-408: Is therefore dependent on a defined reference height. Thus 15 mm in the context of a dwarven world where the reference humanoid is 60 inches (152 cm) tall, is not equivalent to 15 mm in the context an NBA model where the reference humanoid is 2 meters tall. Both models can be described as 15 mm, but the real world sizes depend on the size of the reference humanoid. In practice, the reference humanoid
867-572: The Origins Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures Rules of 1999 . Miniature figure (gaming) In miniature wargaming , players enact simulated battles using scale models called miniature models , which can be anywhere from 2 to 54 mm in height, to represent warriors, vehicles, artillery, buildings, and terrain. These models are colloquially referred to as miniatures or minis . Miniature models are commonly made of metal, plastic, or paper. They are used to augment
918-508: The 15 to 20 mm range while taller characters like ogres , trolls and dragons would use 30 mm or larger figures. Manufacturer's use of scale is not uniform and can deviate by as much as 30%. Some manufacturers measure figure height from the feet to the eyes rather than the top of the head; therefore, a figure that is 30mm to the top of its head could be considered to be a 28mm miniature. Figures of 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm, and 35 mm are
969-440: The 20th century; bigger details come out better, and larger surfaces are easier to paint. When a company sees that people are still buying the larger models, that's an incentive for them to continue making larger ones. This is a relative scale that that compares the size of the model to the size of a real life object. This ratio will show how many times the model is smaller than the original size. The meaning of 15 mm (for example)
1020-607: The Great . Miniature soldiers were also used in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries by military strategists to plan battle tactics by using the figures to show the locations of real soldiers. In 1893, the British toy company William Britain revolutionized the production of toy soldiers by devising the method of hollow casting , making soldiers that were cheaper and lighter than their German counterparts. In addition to Britains, there have been many other manufacturers of toy soldiers over
1071-473: The New York legislature introduced a bill outlawing lead in miniatures, citing public health concerns. Many miniature manufacturers, anticipating that other states would also impose bans, began making figures with lead-free alloys, often at increased prices. After months of debate and protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts, New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from
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#17327975928391122-527: The United Kingdom , United States manufacturers began to use the metric system to describe miniatures, as opposed to the previously popular customary units , so that their table-top wargaming models would be compatible. Today,the scale of a figure is often described in millimeters, for example one of the most common scales is 28 mm. Manufacturers set up a size of the miniature and try to make every miniature similar size or at least have an average with
1173-528: The biennial Zinnfigurenbörse (Tin Figure Market) in Kulmbach, Germany. In recent years, collectors of vintage toy soldiers made of polythene PE and polypropylene PP thermoplastics as well as PC / ABS plastic blends have reported brittling and disintegration of collectible miniatures or components thereof. Different types and styles of toy soldiers have been produced over the years, depending on
1224-527: The brand names of Herald and Deetail . Also in England, the scale model company, Airfix produced a variety of high quality plastic sets, which were frequently painted by hobbyists. Many Airfix figures were imitated by other companies and reproduced as inexpensive, bagged plastic army men . Timpo Toys, Britains main competitor in terms of sales and quality in the 1960s and 70s developed the 'Over - Moulding' system. Different coloured plastics were injected into
1275-405: The conceit that each figure represented 20 men. In the table below, figure height alone (excluding base thickness) is the feature from which approximate scale is calculated. Scales smaller still are used when the game involves large vehicles (such as starships or battleships). For instance Axis & Allies Naval Miniatures: War at Sea uses 1:1800 scale, and scales down to 1:6000 are seen. There
1326-438: The cost and availability of materials, as well as manufacturing technologies. Here is a list of some of the most commonly collected varieties of toy soldiers. Prominent vintage toy soldier makers include Airfix , Barclay , Britains , Herald, Elastolin , Johillco , Lineol , Marx , Manoil , Reamsa and Timpo . The playing of wargames with toy figures was pioneered by H. G. Wells in his 1913 book, Little Wars . Wells,
1377-414: The final commercial figures. Polyethylene and polystyrene figures are made by injection moulding. A machine heats plastic and injects it under high pressure into a steel mould. This is an expensive process; it is only cost effective when manufacturing large amounts of figures, since the quantity renders the cost per cast minimal. Many miniatures companies do not produce their figures themselves but leave
1428-458: The internet. There are two basic methods of manufacturing figures: centrifugal/gravity casting and plastic injection casting . Most metal and resin figures are made through spin casting . Larger resin models, like buildings and vehicles, are sometimes gravity cast, which is a slower process. To gravity cast, a sculptor develops a master figure, which is then used to create rubber master and production moulds. The production moulds are used to cast
1479-454: The larger end of the scale are American dimestore figures , and many of the toy soldiers produced in Germany, which are approximately 75 mm (3 inches) or 1:24 scale . Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal between two pieces of slate. Toy soldiers became widespread during the 18th century, inspired by the military exploits of Frederick
1530-528: The latter were generally sold pre-painted. Miniature models are derived from toy soldiers which were constructed of a variety of materials, These toy figures came to be mass produced from tin in late 1700s Germany, where they were called Zinnsoldaten (lit. "tin soldiers"). These early figures were flat models commonly called "flats", and became quite common in western Europe. By the mid 1800s manufactures in several countries were producing 3d miniatures of tin and lead alloys, common called white metal . In 1993,
1581-621: The manufacturing to specialized casting companies or miniatures companies that have casting facilities. Most miniatures are hand sculpted using two-component epoxy putties in the same size as the final figure. The components of the putty are mixed together to create a sculpting compound that hardens over 48 hours. Some common brands include Polymerics Kneadatite blue\yellow (also known as "green stuff" and "Duro" in Europe), Milliput, A&B, Magic sculpt, and Kraftmark's ProCreate. Until recently, sculptors avoided polymer clays as they cannot withstand
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1632-452: The miniatures. Some of these exaggerations began as concessions to the limitations of primitive mold-making and sculpting techniques, but they have evolved into stylistic conventions. Figurines with these exaggerated features are often referred to as heroic scale . There is a noted tendency in miniature figure manufacture where over time for bigger and bigger figures to be produced. Larger models were easier to produce correctly, especially in
1683-530: The most common mass-produced varieties are metal and plastic . There are many different kinds of toy soldiers, including tin soldiers or flats , hollow-cast metal figures, composition figures, and plastic army men . Metal toy soldiers were traditionally sold in sets; plastic figures were sold in toy shops individually in Britain and Europe and in large boxed sets in the U.S. Modern, collectable figures are often sold individually. Scale for toy soldiers
1734-410: The most common for role-playing and table-top games. Smaller figures of 2 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm are used for mass-combat wargames. Large sizes such as 40 mm and 54 mm were popular with wargamers in the past and are still used by painters and collectors. While the large miniatures have become popular again since the late 20th century, they are not as popular as
1785-456: The mould at various stages, creating a fully coloured figure without the need of paint. During the 1990s, the production of metal toy-grade painted figures and connoisseur-grade painted toy soldiers increased to serve the demands of the collectors' market. The style of many of these figures shifted from the traditional gloss-coat enamel paint to the matte-finished acrylic paint , which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy. The change
1836-464: The number of competing sides, the game's objective (for example, defeat all enemy units, defeat all enemy leaders, or be the first to establish uncontested control of a particular location), and the maximum combined point value of units and spells that each player may field. Play proceeds in turns, during which each player in rotating order activates three of his as-yet-unactivated units (or all of them if he has less than three). An activated unit may cast
1887-442: The platonic idea of the height of a human being (humanoid). Many role-playing gamers and wargamers paint their miniatures to differentiate characters or units on a gaming surface (terrain, battle mat, or unadorned table top). Fantasy, role-playing, miniatures, and wargaming conventions sometimes feature miniature painting competitions, such as Games Workshop's Golden Demon contest . There are also many painting competitions on
1938-410: The required size. The master is measured with a probe linked to a pantograph that reduces the measurements to the correct size and drives the cutter that makes the moulds. A more recent development is the use of digital 3D models made by computer artists. These digital models create a physical model for mould-making using rapid prototyping techniques. Alternatively, they can be used directly to drive
1989-691: The sidelines to represent individual spells which are available for casting by magic-capable units. Even smaller square chits are supplied for performing volleys of projectile fire, recording wounds, and marking which units have moved or acted so far in the current turn. Components are printed on cardboard cards, or flats , and are die-cut for easy separation. One complete set or expansion of Diskwars can contain over 80 different flats. Flats are packaged and sold in small quantities that are partially or totally random. In addition, not all flats are produced in equal quantities, and some disks appear more than once per flat or on more than one flat. Players first agree upon
2040-523: The size they've set up. While a model may be described as 28 mm the actual height of the model may be different. This is because of a number of factors such as manufacturer, model proportion, method of measuring the model, the model's pose, and what sort of man the model is meant to represent. A manufacturer might advertise its figures as 28 mm, but their products may be over 30 mm tall. In 28 mm scale, short characters such as dwarves , hobbits , and goblins might be represented by figures in
2091-420: The smaller sizes. In many games there is a definite scale specified for the square grid that the game is played upon. One of the most common is 1 inch represents 5 feet. This specifies an exact scale of 1:60. That implies that a 28 mm tall figurine represents a 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) person – which is a reasonable number for a modern 50th percentile male (See: Human height ). Another popular scale
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2142-419: The state's public health law. Despite this, most American manufacturers continued to use non-lead alloys. In the 20th century miniatures would also be manufactured from plastic and composite materials. Some wargames use "box miniatures", consisting of card stock folded into simple cuboids with representative art printed on the outside. Other games use 2d cardboard miniatures that are either held in
2193-411: The subtitle, "Rules for Fantastic Miniature Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures". However, Dungeons & Dragons did not require miniatures, referring to them as "only aesthetically pleasing". Advanced Dungeons & Dragons likewise included a relatively short section describing miniature use, in conjunction with the official AD&D miniatures being produced at
2244-644: The success of collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering . The Diskwars line was discontinued but has recently been brought back by Fantasy Flight Games using the Warhammer Fantasy license. Disks representing military units vary between roughly 1.5” and 4” in diameter and are printed on both sides with the units' numeric stats, point cost, racial faction, moral alignment (Good, Neutral, or Evil), and any special abilities. 4” disks are used to demarcate notable terrain features such as woods and fortifications. Smaller, roughly 1” disks are used on
2295-452: The time. As the game developed, miniatures became more of an optional add-on. The AD&D 2nd Edition accessory Player's Option: Combat & Tactics introduced a more elaborate grid-based combat system that emphasized the use of miniatures; a streamlined version of some of these concepts appeared in D&;D 3rd edition. Although not strictly necessary, the 4th edition of the game assumes
2346-418: The traditional mould-making process. Modern techniques using RTV silicone and softer-quality rubbers have made it possible to use weaker materials, so that polymer clay masters have become more common. Fimo clay is popular, though due to the individual properties of certain colours, only a limited selection of colours is used. Masters for plastic miniatures are often made in a larger scale, often three times
2397-546: The use of miniatures, and many game mechanics refer explicitly to the combat grid. In addition to reducing ambiguity about the size and position of characters, this allows the game to specify rules for reach, threatened areas, and movement rates. The 5th edition de-emphasized these mechanics, and returned the use of miniatures to mostly optional. Some games feature miniatures printed on cardboard or cardstock, and some companies have published such miniatures to be used in place of miniature models. Toy soldier A toy soldier
2448-467: The visual aspects of a game and track position, facing, and line of sight of characters. Miniatures are typically painted and can be artfully sculpted, making them collectible in their own right. Pre-painted plastic figures, such as Clix miniatures produced by WizKids and unpainted plastic figures for Warhammer by Games Workshop , have become popular. The hobby of painting, collecting, and playing with miniatures originated with toy soldiers , though
2499-838: The years. For example, John Hill & Company produced hollow cast lead figures in the same style and scale. Companies such as Elastolin and Lineol were well known for their composite figures made of glue and sawdust that included both military and civilian subjects. After 1950, rising production costs and the development of plastic meant that many shop keepers liked the lighter, cheaper, and far less prone to break in transit polythene figure. This led to greater demand for plastic toy soldiers. The first American plastic soldiers were made by Beton as early as 1937. The first plastic toy soldiers produced in Great Britain were made in 1946 by Airfix before they became known for their famous model kits range. One large historical producer in plastic
2550-743: Was Louis Marx and Company , which produced both realistic soldiers of great detail and also historical collections of plastic men and women, including the "Presidents of the United States" collection, "Warriors of the World", "Generals of World War II", "Jesus and the Apostles", and figures from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Marx also produced boxed playsets that featured many famous battles with armies of two sides, character figures, and terrain features. Britains produced plastic figures under
2601-446: Was largely inspired by the introduction of very high quality painted figures from St. Petersburg , Russia. There is a substantial hobby devoted to collecting both old and new toy soldiers, with an abundance of small manufacturers, dealers, and toy soldier shows. There are even specialty magazines devoted to the hobby, such as "Toy Soldier Collector", "Plastic Warrior" and "Toy Soldier and Model Figure". Collectors often specialize in
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