Wargaming Bits Scale Guide: 32mm, 40mm and 90mm
Almost every bit that doesn't fit was bought at the wrong size class. Not the wrong faction, not the wrong style — the wrong scale. A pauldron sculpted for a 32mm trooper sits on a heavy-armour body like a coin on a shoulder, and no amount of trimming fixes it.
There are three size classes in 32mm heroic wargaming, and this guide tells you how to recognise which one your model belongs to before you order.
The three size classes
32mm — standard infantry
The baseline. A standard armoured trooper, roughly 32 mm from foot to eye level, on a 32 mm round base. This is what most bits are sculpted for, and if you are unsure, this is probably your model.
How to recognise it: the model's head is roughly the width of its shoulder pad. Arms are single-piece with a visible shoulder socket.
40mm — Heavy Guard
The heavy-armour class. Bulkier torso, oversized pauldrons, usually on a 40 mm base. Everything is thicker: a Heavy Guard fist is roughly twice the volume of a standard one.
How to recognise it: the shoulder pads are wider than the model's head, and the legs are splayed rather than stood straight. If your model came on a 40 mm base, it is this class.
The common mistake: putting 32 mm weapons on a Heavy Guard body. The model ends up looking like it is holding a toy. Heavy Guard parts are sculpted at their own scale for exactly this reason.
90mm — heavy walkers
Dreadnought-class walkers. A different order of magnitude: these are vehicles with limbs, not infantry. Weapon arms mount on a socket rather than a shoulder.
How to recognise it: if it has a sarcophagus or cockpit in the torso and stands over 80 mm, it is a walker.
Quick reference
| Class | Base | Typical use | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 mm | 32 mm round | Line infantry, characters, squad leaders | Universal Bitz |
|
40 mm Heavy Guard |
40 mm round | Heavy-armour elites, bodyguards | Heavy Guard Bitz |
|
90 mm Heavy Walker |
Large oval | Walkers, dreadnought-class models | Dreadnought Bitz |
What "true-scale" means, and why it matters
A part sculpted true-scale was modelled at the same proportions as current plastic kits, not rescaled from another size. A rescaled part is geometrically correct but visually wrong: the rivets, panel lines and engraving all shrink or grow with it, so a shrunk 40 mm pauldron has rivets too big for its size and a blown-up 32 mm one has detail that reads as mushy.
Everything we sculpt is true-scale for its class. That is also why we keep separate Heavy Guard ranges instead of telling you to print the 32 mm file at 125 %.
Measuring a model you already own
- Check the base first. It is the fastest tell: 32 mm, 40 mm or large oval.
- Measure foot to eye, not to the crest. Helmet crests and antennae are not part of the scale.
- Compare the head to the shoulder pad. Head narrower than the pad means Heavy Guard.
- When between two classes, size down. A slightly small pauldron reads as a fitted plate; a slightly large one reads as a mistake.
Mixing classes on purpose
Some mixes work. A Heavy Guard weapon on a 32 mm body reads as an oversized relic weapon, which suits a champion. A 32 mm banner on a walker reads as a battle honour. What almost never works is the reverse: undersized armour on an oversized body just looks unfinished.
The rule of thumb: weapons and trophies can go up a class, armour cannot come down one.
Common questions
Is 28 mm the same as 32 mm?
Not quite, but close enough in practice. "28 mm heroic" and "32 mm" describe the same generation of miniatures measured differently — one to the eyes, one to the top of the head. Parts sold at either label generally interchange.
Can I just scale an STL up or down?
You can, and for a plain part it is often fine. For anything with fine detail it is not: rivets, chains and engraving scale with the mesh, so the result looks either coarse or soft. Beyond about ±10 % you are better off with a part sculpted for the target class.
How do I know which class a product is?
Every product title and description names its class — 32 mm, Heavy Guard, or 90 mm Heavy Walker. If a listing does not say, it is 32 mm.
Will a 32 mm head fit a Heavy Guard body?
Usually yes, and it is one of the few cross-class swaps that works — heads vary less between classes than armour does. Check the neck socket diameter before gluing.
Still unsure? Send us a photo of the model and its base at sharkass3d@gmail.com and we will tell you which class it is before you order.