Heroic v. True
Alright I’m short on material this week so this will be a quick one since it’s a question I get asked fairly often: do you prefer Heroic or True scaled models.
I think first off I should address the differences for anyone who isn’t familiar with the terminology. Heroic Scale refers to models with exaggerated proportions; usually the head, hands and feet tend to be bigger. This is both a stylistic thing and a simplicity thing since it’s easier to paint bigger things(generally speaking). Here’s a picture of a model from Privateer Press’s Iron Kingdoms RPG range for example.
As you can see her head is rather large looking compared to her torso. This is common in Heroic Scale stuff.
Now True Scale refers to things being more correctly proportioned, so no giant heads and hands. Historical game companies tend to do all their models in True Scale because it’s more realistic, and smaller companies also tend to do True Scale because it allows them to stand out a little bit more. Here’s an example from Infinity.
As you can see everything is much more proportioned and doesn’t look quite as off.
And just for fun here’s what happens when you combine the two(this particular abomination was made from a Perry Brothers model for the body and legs with some GW bits slapped on).
That horror should give you an idea of just how vastly different the two scales tend to be.
As for my opinion; I tend to not be that picky, but I do find myself leaning more towards True Scale lately. Heroic Scale works for a cartoony sort of comic-book feel, but it just doesn’t always do it for me. My Warmachine stuff is all Heroic Scale, and let I find it lacking when placed next to my Infinity stuff. it’s a strange, and someone moronic, situation where I like the look of True Scale stuff more because it doesn’t look so bloody goofy, but I dread painting True Scale stuff because everything is so tiny. Really Warmachine is designed to have a cartoony visual appeal to it so I’m not too harsh on it, but I find myself liking more and more realistically proportioned models.
As I said earlier I find more of the small companies doing True Scale stuff, and i9t’s a curiosity of mine as to why. I assume it’s for immediate visual recognition from the Heroic Scale to rules the market in Warhammer and Warmachine, but I could be wrong. Perhaps Heroic Scale is easier to produce? I have no idea, but I do know that the smaller companies seem to be leaning away from Heroic Scale. Some of them have a sort of hybrid going on where some things are slightly exaggerated, but nothing ever approaching what GW or Privateer Press are known for.
In the end, though, it’s a matter of preference. I like the look of True Scale, but the ease of painting(no matter how bad my painting may be) of Heroic Scale. Maybe playing games from both perspectives has allowed me to not really worry to much about it.
