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produced during the 1980s by Citadel Miniatures ]] A miniature figure (also known as a '''miniature''' or just a '''mini''') is a small Figurine commonly used in Miniature Wargames such as '' Heroclix '', '' Mage Knight '', and '' Warhammer ''. Some Role-playing Games can be played with them, as miniatures can help players to visualize factors that affect combat, such as which way each character is facing, who's fighting whom, Line Of Sight issues, and so on. Some miniatures are superbly sculpted and are collectible in their own right. The hobby of painting, collecting, and gaming with miniatures is descended from the Toy Soldier hobby. Traditionally, "toy soldiers" are sold pre-painted, and miniatures are sold "bare" and require painting. This distinction is blurring with the recent introduction of pre-painted plastic figures, such as those used in '' Clix '' games. MATERIALS Miniatures have most commonly been cast in White Metal (an alloy of Lead and Tin , with a small amount of Antimony , which improves the alloy's ability to take fine detail). Because of the high lead content, minis were sometimes called lead figures. In 1993, the New York legislature nearly passed a bill outlawing lead in miniatures, citing public health concerns. Many miniatures manufacturers, anticipating that other states would follow with more bans, immediately began making miniatures with lead-free alloys, which often resulted in price increases.Bigalow, Robert 1993. "Through the Looking Glass", ''Dragon'' 192:112–118 (Apr 1993). After nearly a year of debate (including protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts), Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law. N.Y. P.B.H. Law § 1376-a Still, most American manufacturers continued to use non-lead alloys.Bigalow, Robert 1984. "Through the Looking Glass", ''Dragon'' 205:114–122 (May 1994). Some manufacturers offer Plastic ( Polyethylene or hard Polystyrene ) minis; others offer Resin (mostly Polyurethane ) minis. SCALES Before one major market for such miniatures, Great Britain , transferred to the Metric System , sizes were given in fractions of Inch es. Although the United States still commonly doesn't use the metric system in many commercial areas, there is still the desire to use model military vehicles of the same scale as figures so as to avoid needless mismatch, so the use of metric sizing in the field of table-top wargaming has become prevalent. Miniature figure scales are commonly expressed as the height of a six-foot (183 cm) figure. So 28 mm miniatures of human men are around 28 mm high. Women, children, dwarves, hobbits, etc. will be typically shorter than this; ogres, trolls, etc. taller. Minis are available in various scales. 25 mm, 28 mm, 30 mm, and 35 mm are the most common for RPGs and other popular table-top games. Smaller minis—10 mm, 15 mm, and sometimes 20 mm—are also made for table-top wargaming, rather than RPGs. Mithril Miniatures uses an idiosyncratic 32 mm scale for its main range. And larger minis—54 mm and more—are made specifically for painters and collectors. "25 mm" figures can range up to 33 mm or more (a 33% deviation). When some manufacturers began using a "28 mm" designation, many of their own figures were already well over 30 mm tall. Some manufacturers take the proper measurement of figure height to be to the level of its eyes rather than the top of its head. Using this interpretation, a 6 ft (1.83 m) figure in 28 mm-scale would be 30 mm tall (if the eyes are about half-way up the head, and if the head is about two fifteenths of the height, then the height to the eyes is fourteen fifteenths of the full height). Because of this 15 mm is for instance interpreted as 1:100 by some and 1:120 by others. Another thing to complicate the matter of scales is the issue of Body Proportions , which differ from company to company. If one takes a 30 mm figure from Games Workshop and compare it to the accurate scaled proportions of a real person, one sees that the figure has exaggerated proportions making it look much wider, with bigger features like the head, hands and weapons. Figures from other manufacturers display similar deviations. Some of these began as concessions to the limitations of primitive mould-making, but they have evolved to artistic and stylistic choices over the years. PAINTING See Also: Figure painting (hobby) Many Role-playing Game rs and Wargame rs will paint their miniature figures to be able to differentiate characters or units on a gaming surface (terrain, battle mat, or unadorned table top). Although many gamers are indifferent to the quality of the paint job, for some the skillful painting of minis is a Hobby in itself, on a par with the "more serious" modelling of historical and military Figures . Skillful mini painting is a difficult, exacting, time-consuming process, but the results can be quite amazing. Fantasy , Role-playing , Miniatures and Wargaming conventions will sometimes feature miniature painting competitions, such as Games Workshop's Golden Demon contest, and there are many painting competitions on the internet. Professional painting services exist for hobbyist and corporate customers. MANUFACTURE There are two basic methods to manufacture figures: centrifugal/gravity casting and plastic injection casting. Most metal and resin figures are made through Centrifugal Casting . Larger resin models, like buildings and vehicles, are sometimes gravity cast which is a slower process. For this process a sculptor will deliver a master figure which is then used to create rubber master and production moulds. The production moulds are then used to cast the actual figures you find in the stores. Polyethylene and Polystyrene figures are made through Injection Moulding . A machine heats plastic and injects it under high pressure into a steel mould. This is a very expensive process which is only cost effective when you manufacture very large amounts of figures since the cost per cast is minimal. Many miniatures companies do not do the actual production themselves but leave this to specialised casting companies or miniatures companies that do have a casting facility. Notable miniatures companies include:
SCULPTING Most miniatures are hand sculpted in the same size as the final figure using two component epoxy putties. The components are mixed together to create a sculpting compound which hardens in a period of 1-3 hours. There are many brands of putties and each has its own properties. Some commonly used ones are Polymerics Kneadatite blue\yellow (AKA "green stuff" and "Duro" in Europe), Milliput, A&B and Magic sculp. Polymer clays have been avoided for a long time as they can not withstand the traditional mouldmaking process. Modern techniques using RTV and softer quality rubbers have made it possible to use weaker materials and Polymer Clay masters are more common now. Fimo is the most popular of these clays though only specific colours are used since each has its own properties. Masters for plastic miniatures are often made in a larger scale (often 3 times the required size). The master is measured with a probe linked to a Pantograph which 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 models can be used to create a physical model for mouldmaking using Rapid Prototyping techniques or they can be used directly to drive a CNC machine which cuts the steel mould. Notable sculptors
MINIATURES IN DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Manufacture The original '' Dungeons & Dragons '' role-playing game bore the subtitle, "Rules for Fantastic Miniature Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures." Initially, fantasy wargamers used figures designed for Historical Wargaming , but eventually, new lines of fantasy figures appeared. TSR produced a line of official '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons '' miniatures. Other companies have produced a multitude of figures for '' Dungeons & Dragons '' and other games in various Scale s. Hasbro , in the early states of publishing ''Dungeon & Dragons Third Edition'', produced a new game called '' Chainmail '' based on simplified ''D&D'' rules. That project was abandoned, and the '' Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game '' now serves as the game's official line of miniatures, in addition to being played as a standalone game. Traditionally, figures were made of Lead or Pewter . Many are still made of pewter or other Alloy s, but plastic miniatures have grown in popularity. Both '' Mage Knight '' and the '' Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game '' use prepainted, collectible plastic figures. Gameplay Originally, ''D&D'' was simply a miniatures game, with the distinction that each player controlled a single figure and a wider variety of moves or plays were possible. As the game grew and changed, miniatures remained a way of visually representing tactical situations. ''Dungeons & Dragons'' did not require miniatures, although it suggested ways of using them, and referred interested players to the official line of ''AD&D'' figures. ''AD&D'' did assume the use of miniatures. ''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 made their way into ''Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition''. Although not strictly necessary, the use of miniatures is assumed in the current version of the game, 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 rules to define rules such as reach, threatened areas, and movement rates intended to simulate a particular reality. A side benefit, from the standpoint of Hasbro, is driving miniature sales, which are potentially an Evergreen market compared to the easily saturated market for more books among customers who already own the core rulebooks. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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