32mm Heroic Scale Miniatures: Top Picks for Painters
32mm heroic scale miniatures are defined by slightly exaggerated body proportions, including oversized heads, thicker limbs, and bulkier equipment, measured at roughly 32mm from the base to the model’s eye level. This became the de facto shape of modern tabletop wargaming during the mid 2010s, as Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar moved away from the older 28mm look. The result is a miniature that reads clearly at typical tabletop viewing distance, rewards advanced painting techniques, and sits comfortably next to everything else on a modern gaming table.
One thing to get straight up front: no governing body regulates miniature scale. There is no ISO standard, no certification, and no referee. Size varies by 2 to 4mm between manufacturers, and that variance is completely normal.
A note on where we fit. Remerlinds currently makes display scale resin kits, 1/8, 1/10, 1/12 and 75mm, rather than 32mm rank and file wargaming miniatures. We are not going to pretend otherwise. What this guide does is explain the scale properly, and then show you where a display piece genuinely belongs in a wargaming collection.
What makes 32mm heroic scale different from other sizes
The most common point of confusion is heroic scale versus true scale. True scale miniatures aim for realistic human proportions at a given height. Heroic scale deliberately inflates them. Heads are larger, shoulders are wider, and weapons are thicker than anatomy would allow. That proportion inflation is not a flaw. It is a design choice that keeps a model legible from about a metre away, which is where you actually sit.
Measurement method matters. The common convention measures from the base to the model’s eye level rather than the top of the head, because helmets, crests, and dynamic poses can add several millimetres and wreck any comparison. A model measured at 32mm to the eye may stand 35 to 37mm overall with headgear.
Manufacturers do not follow a single standard, so a figure from one studio can look slightly taller or stockier than one from another even when both are labelled 32mm heroic. This is worth knowing before you order from three different sculptors for the same unit.
- Heroic scale: Exaggerated proportions, bulkier silhouette, larger surface areas for painting
- True scale: Realistic proportions, slimmer limbs, harder to paint fine detail
- 28mm: The older look, shorter and slimmer, still common in legacy game systems
- 32mm heroic: The dominant modern look across Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Stargrave, and Five Parsecs from Home
Pro Tip: When buying from multiple manufacturers for the same table, compare eye level measurements rather than box labels. Two models both called “32mm” can look mismatched if one was measured to the eye and the other to the top of the head.
What heroic scale actually buys you
The exaggeration does real work, and it shows up in three places.
Readability. A true scale 28mm figure loses its detail past arm’s length. The hours you spend on a face vanish at table distance. Heroic scale solves that by making the features that carry the silhouette bigger: the head, the shoulders, the weapon.
Paintability. Oversized shoulder pads and gauntlets are flat panels, and flat panels are where edge highlighting, freehand markings, and weathering all live. There is simply more room to work.
Forgiveness. A slightly uneven highlight on a 32mm shoulder pad is invisible at table distance. The same mistake on a true scale 28mm figure looks obvious. That forgiveness is why heroic scale is friendlier to newer painters than its reputation suggests.
The same logic explains why heroic scale creature kits work. A heroic scale dragon looks proportionally correct next to heroic scale soldiers in a way a true scale creature would not. Proportion consistency matters more than height consistency.
Material: resin versus plastic at this scale
Resin captures finer detail than injection moulded plastic and holds sharp edges through priming and painting. Scales, fur, chain links, and rivets all survive better. Plastic wins on resilience and on modularity, since multi-part plastic sprues make kitbashing an army straightforward and cheap.
Resin has a reputation for brittleness that older casting resins earned. Modern miniature resins are a different material. We print in Chitu Conjure Sculpt, which is formulated for high detail miniatures and has real toughness rather than the glassy snap of cheap resin. Thin protrusions still want care during assembly, but the horror stories are largely about a previous generation of material.
The practical split most collectors land on: plastic for the rank and file you build in units of twenty, resin for the pieces you want to spend a weekend on.
Comparing key features to guide your selection
| Feature | 28mm true scale | 32mm heroic scale | Display scale (1/10 and up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical height | ~28mm to eye | ~32mm to eye | 200mm and up overall |
| Proportion style | Realistic | Exaggerated | Sculpt driven, usually realistic |
| Surface area for painting | Limited | Generous | Very generous |
| Detail visibility at a metre | Reduced | Clear | Not the point, it is a shelf piece |
| Base size (typical) | 25mm round | 32mm round | Integrated scenic base |
| Material options | Plastic, metal | Plastic, resin | Resin |
| Best for | Legacy systems | Warhammer 40K, AoS, Stargrave | Display, centrepieces, collecting |
Mixing heroic scale and true scale on the same table creates visual dissonance, and the issue is proportion rather than height. A true scale figure next to a heroic scale figure looks thin and fragile even when the heights are close. Picking a consistent aesthetic produces a more cohesive table than chasing exact millimetres ever will.
Pro Tip: Converting a 28mm digital file to 32mm for printing means scaling to roughly 114.3% on all axes. Whether you need a further shrinkage allowance depends on your resin and your printer’s calibration, so test a single figure before you commit to a unit of twenty.
Choosing the right model for your collection
The right figure depends on three things: your painting skill, your game system, and whether the model is for playing or for looking at.
- Beginners: Single piece or low part count kits with large flat surfaces. Armoured warriors and robed figures give you room to practise base coating and washing without drowning in tiny details.
- Intermediate painters: Multi part kits with layered armour or textured surfaces reward blending and layering, and teach you to plan a paint order.
- Advanced painters: Centrepiece figures with freehand opportunities and complex surface textures, suited to object source lighting and non metallic metal.
- Gamers prioritising compatibility: Match your miniatures to your game system’s base standard. Warhammer 40,000 uses 32mm round bases for most infantry, Age of Sigmar uses ovals for cavalry, and Stargrave and Five Parsecs are relaxed about both.
- Collectors and display painters: Scale cohesion matters far less than sculpt quality. A display scale resin kit does not need to match the height of anything.
The centrepiece argument, and where our kits fit
Here is the honest version of how a Remerlinds kit belongs in a wargaming collection. It is not going in a unit. It is the piece on the shelf above the unit.
More and more painters keep one large display model per army or warband: the character they care about, rendered at a size that lets them actually use every technique they have learned, surrounded by the standard scale pieces they play with. Our 1/10 kits are built for exactly that role. They are large, sharply detailed, and made to be looked at closely.
Three that suit the role well:
- Dark Warlord, Tales of Daelz by NomNom Figures. 1/10 scale, 25.2 cm tall, from €70.99. Deep undercuts, layered armour plating, and a dynamic pose. Generous surfaces make smooth blending and freehand achievable for intermediate painters.
- Dark Lord Diablo by NomNom Figures. 1/10 scale, 29.2 cm tall, from €60.99. Horns, wing structures, and clawed hands with sharp edges that take washes and drybrushing cleanly. A proper centrepiece silhouette.
- Witch King of Angmar by NomNom Figures. 1/10 scale, 22.3 cm tall, from €98.99. Flowing robes and layered plate create large surfaces that are ideal for blending and object source lighting practice.
If your interest is rank and file 32mm instead, that is a different shopping trip, and we would rather point you at it honestly than sell you a 25 cm warlord for a skirmish table. Wargaming scale is a direction we are actively looking at, and this blog is where it will show up first.
Key takeaways
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Scale definition | 32mm heroic measures to eye level and uses exaggerated proportions, not true anatomy. |
| Why it took over | Readability at table distance, more painting surface, and more forgiveness for mistakes. |
| Size variance is normal | Manufacturers vary by 2 to 4mm. No standards body governs miniature scale. |
| Proportion beats height | Mixing true scale and heroic scale looks wrong even when the heights match. |
| Where display kits fit | One large centrepiece per army, not in the unit. Our 1/10 kits are built for that job. |
Why heroic scale keeps winning
I have watched the hobby shift from 28mm to 32mm heroic scale over the past decade, and the reason it stuck is not marketing. It is function. At a typical gaming table a true scale 28mm figure disappears. The details you spent hours painting become invisible past arm’s length. Heroic scale solves that problem by design.
What I find underappreciated is how much heroic scale benefits newer painters. The larger surfaces are forgiving. A slightly uneven highlight on a 32mm shoulder pad is invisible at table distance, while the same mistake on a true scale figure announces itself. That forgiveness keeps people in the hobby longer, and keeping people in the hobby is the whole game.
The shift toward high detail resin also tells you where collector interest is heading. Painters want models that reward effort. A sharp resin cast with deep undercuts and clean edges gives you something to work with. Soft plastic with rounded detail does not. Our D&D miniatures scale guide covers how this scale logic applies across RPG systems too, which is worth a read if you play across multiple game types.
The next shift I expect is the split I described above becoming the default: one centrepiece model per army, built for display, surrounded by standard heroic scale gaming pieces. That is already visible in how people shop, and I do not think it reverses.
— Nyx
Display scale resin kits, made to order in the Netherlands
Remerlinds prints resin figure kits to order in the Netherlands. Nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for you. Your kit is printed when you order it, then washed, cured, checked, and packed by hand.
- Printed at 16K on Uniformation machines in premium Chitu Conjure Sculpt resin
- Supports already removed, washed, cured, and test fitted before it ships
- Every kit checked twice by hand, once by Matthias and once by Nadya, against a parts checklist that goes in the box
- Three finish levels so you choose how much prep is yours: 🥉 Bronze cleaned and cured, 🥈 Silver with support marks sanded and holes filled, 🥇 Gold with gaps filled and primed in your colour
- Packed in recycled bubble wrap and packing paper, no foam, because foam is nearly impossible to reuse
- Shipping across the European Union and to selected international destinations
Browse the full catalogue at Remerlinds.
FAQ
What does 32mm heroic scale mean?
It refers to miniatures measured at roughly 32mm from base to eye level, with deliberately exaggerated proportions: larger heads, wider shoulders, thicker weapons. The exaggeration improves detail visibility and gives painters more surface to work on than a true scale model of similar height.
How is heroic scale different from true scale?
Heroic scale inflates body proportions beyond realistic anatomy. True scale aims for accurate human proportions at a given height. The difference shows up most clearly in limb thickness and head size rather than in overall height.
Does Remerlinds sell 32mm wargaming miniatures?
Not at the moment. Our catalogue is display scale resin: 1/8, 1/10, 1/12 and 75mm kits, plus chibis. They work beautifully as a centrepiece alongside a wargaming collection, but they are not rank and file miniatures and we will not sell them to you as if they were.
Can I mix 28mm and 32mm heroic scale miniatures on the same table?
You can, and the dissonance comes from proportion rather than height alone. A true scale 28mm figure looks thin and fragile next to a heroic scale 32mm model even when the heights are similar. Sticking to one aesthetic gives a more cohesive table than matching millimetres.
What material is best at this scale?
Resin captures finer detail and holds sharper edges than injection moulded plastic, which makes it the preferred material for display painting and centrepiece kits. Plastic is better for building an army of twenty identical troopers. For working with resin, our guide to painting 3D printed resin figures covers priming, painting, and finishing.
Do I need to remove supports or wash the kit?
No. Every Remerlinds kit arrives with supports removed, washed, and fully cured. There is no liquid resin, no IPA bath, and no UV station on your side. How much sanding and filling remains depends on the finish level you pick, and at Gold the answer is none.
