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Tabletop Miniatures Calculator

Turn a real-world height into the size it should be on the table, across 6 mm, 15 mm, 28 mm, 32 mm and every ratio scale in between — plus a base size suggestion. Press Calculate.

Written and reviewed by SM Arijul Islam · Last reviewed 20 October 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error

How miniature scales work

Wargames and roleplaying games describe figure size in millimetres, but that number is not the scale — it is the height of a typical adult human figure standing up straight, usually taken as a 6 ft (1,830 mm) person. Divide 1,830 by the millimetre figure and you have the ratio: 28 mm figures work out at roughly 1:65, and 15 mm figures at roughly 1:122.

Heroic proportions complicate the arithmetic. Most 28 mm humans are half a head too big, with oversized hands and weapons, because the exaggeration is what makes them readable on the table. That is why 28 mm figures are often sold as 1:56 or 1:60 even though a true 6 ft human at 1:56 would be 33 mm tall. The numbers below describe true height; add a little for heroic style.

Common tabletop scales

Miniature scales with their ratio and applications
Figure size	Ratio (6 ft human)	Typical use
6 mm	about 1:305	Massed battles, epic-scale wargames
10 mm	about 1:183	Large historical battles
15 mm	about 1:122	Historical wargames, big armies
20 mm	about 1:91	Traditional historical skirmish
25 mm	about 1:73	Older roleplay and wargame ranges
28 mm	about 1:65	The most common skirmish and roleplay scale
32 mm	about 1:57	Modern skirmish, character-driven games
40 mm	about 1:46	Large characters, monsters, display pieces
54 mm and up	1:32 and larger	Collector figures and dioramas

Base size rule of thumb

Suggested round base diameter by figure size
Figure size	Round base	Notes
6 – 10 mm	20 mm strip or 15 mm round	Figures are usually based in groups
15 mm	20 mm	Skirmish; heroes often on 25 mm
20 mm	25 mm	Single figures
25 mm	25 mm	Slot bases in older ranges
28 mm	25 mm infantry, 32 mm heroes	Cavalry and monsters scale up
32 mm	32 mm infantry, 40 mm leaders	Modern skirmish convention
40 mm	40 mm and above	Monsters and display figures

Worked examples

A 6 ft (183 cm) person at 28 mm scale: 1,830 ÷ 65.3 = 28 mm.
A 12 m dragon at the same scale: 12,000 ÷ 65.3 = 184 mm, an 18 cm model.
A 2 m doorway at 15 mm scale: 2,000 ÷ 122 = 16.4 mm tall.
Scenery built for 28 mm used with 32 mm figures: 28 ÷ 32 = 0.875, so it is 12.5% short — noticeable on doorways and vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

Is 28 mm the same as 1:56?

Not strictly. A true 6 ft figure at 1:56 measures 33 mm, and at 1:65 it measures 28 mm. The 1:56 figure is quoted because heroic figures are proportioned larger than life, not because the scale is different.

How tall is a 32 mm figure in real life?

Using the 6 ft convention, about 1.83 m — the same human being, just modelled larger. Vehicles and terrain from a 32 mm range are about 14% bigger than their 28 mm equivalents.

Can I mix 28 mm and 32 mm terrain?

For rubble and rocks, yes. For anything with a known real size — doors, fences, vehicles, furniture — the mismatch is immediately visible. Scale it up by about 14% or keep the ranges separate.

What about terrain and buildings?

Use the same ratio. A building 8 m tall and 12 m wide at 28 mm scale is 123 mm by 184 mm — big enough that many tables use 1:100 model railway buildings instead, accepting smaller doors.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the millimetre figure as the ratio. 28 mm is roughly 1:65 for a 6 ft figure, not 1:28.
Measuring to the eyes instead of the top of the head when checking whether a figure matches a range.
Ignoring heroic proportions. A "true scale" 28 mm figure looks small next to a heroic one.
Scaling terrain by eye from photos. Work from real dimensions and let the maths handle the rest.