Miniature model (gaming)

They are used to augment the visual aspects of a game and track position, facing, and line of sight of characters.

The hobby of painting, collecting, and playing with miniatures originated with toy soldiers, though the latter were generally sold pre-painted.

By the mid 1800s manufactures in several countries were producing 3d miniatures of tin and lead alloys, common called white metal.

In 1993, 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.

[citation needed] Some wargames use "box miniatures", consisting of card stock folded into simple cuboids with representative art printed on the outside.

Historically the size of miniatures was described in absolute scale in various different systems of measurement, most commonly in metric and English units.

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).

In the table below, figure height alone (excluding base thickness) is the feature from which approximate scale is calculated.

Many gaming figures are unrealistically bulky for their height, with oversized feet, heads, hands, wrists, and weapons.

Some of these exaggerations began as concessions to the limitations of primitive mold-making and sculpting techniques, but they have evolved into stylistic conventions.

[13][14] Average human height is heavily dependent on the population measured within a geographical region and historical era.

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).

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.

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.

Masters for plastic miniatures are often made in a larger scale, often three times the required size.

Alternatively, they can be used directly to drive a computer numerical control machine that cuts the steel mould.

[15] Originally, Dungeons & Dragons was an evolution of the Chainmail medieval miniatures game,[16] with the distinction that each player controlled a single figure and had a wider variety of actions available.

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.