Miniature And Fantasy

Miniature and fantasy gaming did not exist when I was a boy. Girls had their doll houses, and we boys had little western stlye forts for playing with miniature cowboys, soldiers, and indians. But that was the extent of the miniature models available to us. In 1964 the world of toys changed forever. The Hasbro toy company brought out the first 12" GI Joe. Suddenly........boys were playing with dolls! Of course this was a fighting action figure. However, what ever you choose to call it,...it was a dressup doll figure. In 1982 The 'action figure' GI Joe was created in a 3 3/4" size. This development was possibly the greatest change in toy history as it allowed the figure to be incorporated into various settings.

Another major change in play had taken place in the early 70s. The great popularity of the Ring Trilogy books by Tolkein had created a following among college age students for adventure style gaming. Originally this was developed as the D&D paper and pencil game. A person...the dungeonmaster, would draw out a dungeon on graph paper and welcome players who would take on the role of various adventurer characters. These characters would then 'journey' into the dungeon to slay monsters and gather treasure under the guidance of the DM. Soon people of all ages were participating in these games.

Then something else happened. Miniature and fantasy figures began to be produced in the likeness of the types of players and creatures found in the dungeons. Shortly after this many DMs started building styrofoam replicas of their dungeons and painting them with gray paint. They would then allow the player to place his miniature figure in the dungeon and move it about as he went about the process of conquering the dungeon. Once again production sprang up of manufactured pieces for the dungeon. There were doors that actually worked, devices and traps and styrofoam pieces ready to place for any dungeon configuration. Other companies started to manufacture pieces made of polyresin.

The field has broadened to include war gaming with armies representing the Northern and Southern armies of the american Civil War. Many players used the 25mm character size for their playing ease and enjoyment. As it stands now there is a proliferation of web companies that furnish various supplies in several different scales of miniature and fantasy pieces for the gaming hobbyist.

Turn your miniature and fantasy experience into a diorama. You could make your very castle or dungeon and include scale items that fit your choice of gaming and building. Visit these pages for more information on creating diorama models.
Diorama Models
Layout Model Railroad

Dwarven Forge is one of the most innovative companies involved in the miniature and fantasy gaming scene. They were among the first to create dungeon components that could be assembled in almost any configuration. They build their sets and pieces of poly-resin and they come hand painted for the convenience of the DM. With these pieces you can create a dungeon of almost any configuration. There are ruins,corridors,els,four way crossings, and numerous other pieces. You can even create a castle for miniature and fantasy gaming using these pieces. They also have the dungeon characters available in many different roles. The company guarantees your satisfaction. To see these wonderful creations please visit Dwarven Forge

Strange Cargo Games is a miniature and fantasy gaming site that features 10mm pieces and has all kinds of military representations. They have model soldiers and army pieces from the Roman period, the American Civil War, WW2,Franco-Priussian, and others. There is a complete selection of boats from galleys on up through the modern era of naval combat vessels. They stock painting accessories too. All in all this is a fine site for those who are interested in miniature war gaming. Please visit Strange Cargo games

Tin Scale: Playing with a particular scale is the rule in miniature and fantasy role playing games. The popular sizes such as 10mm,15mm,and 25mm are seldom mixed together in the same game. It is pretty much the same in the model railroad. hobby. If your son has an HO model railroad, all the buildings,scenery and people will fit the scale of the train.

However, there is something else available. In some model rail systems there is a subtle blend of differing scales mixed artfully together. This is called tin scale. The word tin comes from the old toy electric trains that were made for play and not for realism....though, there are some who claim its origin lies in the use of toy soldiers from the 1930's...'tin soldiers'. It can be quite forceful in the right setting. the latest use of tin scale has little to do with war games, or the model train hobby (though as we shall see a railroad could blend in with this new idea).

The diorama has been used in the model railroad hobby for some time. They were set up as dedicated scenes with a particular theme. Most of these dioramas were meant to be viewed from eye level. They were connected to larger hobby rail layouts that existed on raised platforms. Most of these dioramas were constructed to the scale of the layout. In some of the larger layouts a diorama on the far side would be a larger scale to bring it forward in the eye of the viewer. When this was accomplished it became tin scale.

Outdoor displays have been around in one form or another since the early days of the 20th century. We are all familiar with lawn ornaments and the rock garden. In recent years a new trend has developed in outdoor display. We have begun to see miniature and fantasy settings appearing in the backyards of advocates of this type of diorama. Please visit Diorama Models.

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