15mm Miniatures: Scale, Uses, and How to Choose, Paint, or Commission Them

15mm miniatures are roughly 15mm tall from foot to eye (about 1:100 scale), sitting between 6–10mm micro-scale and 25/28mm skirmish figures. They suit players who want large armies on a small table, historical or fantasy mass battles, and lower painting and shipping costs per figure. Choose 15mm if you value unit size and table space over individual figure detail; choose 25/28mm instead if you paint for display or play skirmish games with a dozen models.

What 15mm actually means

Scale naming in miniatures is loose. "15mm" usually refers to the height of an average human figure to the eyes, but manufacturers vary — some "15mm" ranges are closer to 18mm, and older ranges can be smaller. That matters when you mix brands in one army.

The practical trade-off: a 15mm army lets you field several times the number of figures of a 25/28mm force in the same space and budget, but each figure reads as a unit element rather than an individual character.

Common uses

• Historical mass battle. 15mm is a long-standing standard for Napoleonics, Ancients, ACW, and WWII because you can represent battalions and regiments without a huge table.
• Fantasy and sci-fi armies. Ranges exist for fantasy and for games like Warhammer 40,000-style forces, letting you build large forces cheaply.
• Zinnfiguren and flats. Traditional Zinnfiguren (tin figures) overlap with this scale band; these are often collected and painted for display rather than gaming.
• Basing-heavy systems. Many 15mm rules use multi-figure bases (several figures on one stand), so the base, not the single figure, is the gaming unit.

Choosing 15mm miniatures

Work through these in order:

1. Pick your rules first. The rule set dictates base sizes and how many figures go on a base. Buying figures before checking basing requirements is the most common costly mistake.
2. Check the true scale of the range. Compare a manufacturer's human figure against a known brand. If you plan to mix ranges in one army, buy a small test pack first.
3. Decide material. Metal holds fine detail and is durable; plastic and 3D-printed resin are lighter and often cheaper in bulk. Resin can be brittle and needs careful handling.
4. Match detail to purpose. Gaming-quality paint on 15mm looks fine at arm's length. Museum-standard painting on tiny figures costs more than the visual return for most players.
5. Confirm availability. Some 15mm ranges go out of production. If you need a large matched army, check that the range is currently stocked before committing.

Painting 15mm yourself

Small scale rewards speed and contrast over fine blending.

• Prime in a mid-tone. A grey or colored primer reduces the layers you need.
• Block in base colors, then add one highlight. At 15mm, a single highlight per color reads clearly; multiple layers are usually wasted.
• Use washes for shading. A wash over the whole figure creates depth faster than manual shading.
• Paint in batches. Line up 10–20 figures and apply one color across all of them before moving to the next. This is far faster than finishing one figure at a time.
• Keep faces simple. A skin tone plus a dot of dark for eyes is enough at this scale.
• Base last. Texture the base, paint the rim, and add flock or tufts after the figure is done.

Verify your result by viewing the unit at normal playing distance, not under magnification. If it reads well on the table, it is finished.

Commissioning 15mm painting

Commission services, including operations like Fernando Enterprises in Sri Lanka, paint figures across a wide scale band from 6mm up to 54mm and beyond, offering gaming quality or museum standard. If you commission 15mm work, specify clearly:

• Scale and figure count (e.g., "200 × 15mm Napoleonic infantry").
• Quality level — gaming or museum standard — since this drives cost and time.
• Color scheme and references. Send painted examples or historical plates.
• Basing requirements. State base sizes and whether you want figures based or loose.
• Shipping and return method. Ask how figures should be packed and sent, and confirm the return arrangement before shipping.

A practical workflow: contact the service first, agree scope and quality, then ship figures in padded, compartmented boxes. Photograph your shipment before sending so you have a record of condition.

Common problems and fixes

• Figures don't match across brands. Test a single pack before buying an army; keep one brand per unit where possible.
• Bases don't fit the rules. Re-check base sizes before painting or basing; rebasing painted figures risks damage.
• Painting drags on. Switch to batch painting and limit yourself to base color plus one highlight.
• Commission results differ from expectation. Agree on quality level and send reference images up front; "gaming standard" means different things to different painters.
• Shipping damage. Use rigid boxes with figures individually separated; avoid loose bags for metal figures.

If you are starting out, buy one small 15mm unit, confirm the scale and basing suit your rules, paint or commission that unit, and only then scale up to a full army.