Scale at LastSword: Clarity, Consistency, and Realism
At LastSword, we work with a 30mm human scale, measured from the bottom of the feet to the eyes of a standing adult human figure. This serves as the reference point for our entire miniature range. However, this doesn’t mean all our figures are the same height—nor should they be. Each race, creature, and character has its own natural proportions, and we respect those to ensure a strong visual consistency across the collection.
Throughout the process, different sculptors, poses, or design variations may cause slight differences, but we always use a human miniature as the reference, which helps maintain overall balance.
Why do we sometimes say our miniatures are 32mm?
The High Kingdom Cavalry: A Unique Case
For a long time, we’ve referred to our miniatures as 32mm, and this is true for our elves, who are naturally taller than humans and therefore reach 32mm to the eyes. As they were the first full range we developed, they helped define LastSword’s early visual standard.
However, as we expanded to include humans and other races, we realized the need for a more accurate and universal reference. That’s why we officially adopted the 30mm human scale as the base measurement for our entire catalog, regardless of the individual height of any given model.
The human cavalry from the High Kingdom range is a singular exception within our catalog. During its development, we made a small mistake when exporting the 3D files: the horses ended up being larger than originally intended. Surprisingly, this size matched well with cavalry from other brands like Games Workshop, which also tends to overscale cavalry compared to their infantry lines.
By the time we realized the issue, we had already sculpted multiple cavalry units and dozens of characters in that format. Fixing it would have broken the internal consistency of the range, so we decided to keep that scale as a deliberate exception.
Since then, we’ve balanced newer models by keeping the larger horses but slightly reducing rider size, ensuring they remain visually compatible with the rest of our miniatures.
Scale and Proportion: More Than Just Height
The “28mm” Label: A Misleading Standard
But height alone isn’t everything. At LastSword, we also take great care with anatomical proportions. In general, we follow a 6-heads-tall canon, meaning the figure’s total height is roughly six times the height of the head. This is a more elegant and stylized proportion than the one used by many classic miniatures, which often rely on 5 or even 4 heads tall.
For comparison, real human proportions range from 7 to 8 heads tall, so our approach strikes a balance: more dynamic, slender miniatures that still remain sturdy and playable.
This proportion is common in modern ranges like Infinity and is gradually being adopted by Games Workshop in their newer lines as well.
In the miniature world, the term “28mm” is widely used—but in practice, it serves as a vague umbrella covering figures from 25mm to over 36mm, sometimes even within the same brand.
Games Workshop is a perfect example: their early human figures were around 25mm, while current models often exceed 32mm—and yet, the “28mm” label remains unchanged.
So when it comes to scale, it’s important to look beyond the label and focus on how miniatures fit together visually within a given collection.
Print Scale – Important to Know
All our miniatures are designed to be printed at their original scale, usually based on the 30mm human reference.
🔧 Can I rescale the files?
Absolutely. You’re free to print the miniatures at any scale you like.
However, we strongly recommend not reducing the scale, as this may result in:
Loss of structural integrity in fine parts
Decreased durability and print quality
For the best results, we always advise printing at the intended design scale.
Our Stance: Transparency Above All
For all these reasons, we’ve adopted 30mm as our official base scale, measured to the eyes of an adult human. Other races may vary intentionally based on their biology and character, but always with a focus on visual harmony.
To make comparisons easier, we include scale bars in many of our product images, especially the most recent ones. Older models will gradually be updated with this feature as well.
If you ever have questions about the scale or proportions of a specific model, don’t hesitate to contact us. We take this topic very seriously and want your experience with our miniatures to be clear, consistent, and satisfying from the very first moment.
*Miniatures from Games Workshop appear in some images for scale comparison purposes only.
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