Miniatures - Ideas for miniatures that don't fit your collection

Miniatures - Ideas for miniatures that don't fit your collection

Article updated: 2022.12.17

If you are trading miniatures in bulk or buy used lots of minis, you sometimes end up with miniatures that do not really fit your collection. I've collected some ideas what to do with them, if you don't want to spend time to get rid of them.

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Miniatures that do not belong to your armies

Unless your game is very special, most of the time you only use miniatures that belong to a single species and a single nation. This means the majority of the miniatures on the market won't fit into your army.

Allies: While they retain their own command, they help your army in battles. If the rules of your game allow this, use these miniatures as allies.

Immigrant volunteers: They joined your nation and they would like to show their good intentions by joining the army. Use these miniatures as if they belong to one of the units of your army, that do not have any special abilities these minis do not have. So if you have an Undead army, and get some orcs, you can make them into a cultist unit or maybe zombies (just don't give these minis zombi fortitude), but you can't use them as ghosts as they are not ethereal.

Slaves: These are captive enemies or criminals conscripted into military service. If the rules of your game allow this, use these miniatures as conscripts or penal soldiers. They won't fight for your army unless they are pushed to do it, but they can still be useful as human shields.

Captives: Your army defeated the soldiers of the other army, and now these minis represent your captives. Cut off the weapons from the minis, and put some ropes or chains around their hands or neck. You can use the weapons you have cut on some trophy stand.

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Bits of miniatures that do not belong to your armies

Sometimes you don't get the whole miniature, just bits and pieces that belong to another army.

Trophies: These heads, weapons or other bits represent trophies your army collected from a defeated army. You can create a stand to put the trophies on, or hang them from a pole. If you are planning a parade, you might even create a moving trophy stand from a chariot.

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Static miniatures

Some miniatures just look like they are standing on guard duty or fell asleep while standing. If models like that are not your style, you can still use them for something.

Statue: Paint them with a colour that fits a statue (concrete grey, marble colours, metallics) and put them on a stand to represent heroes of the past.

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Miniatures of the same size, but in a different scale

Sometimes you get models that belong to a different scale, but they could otherwise represent something that could be used for your collection.

Small giant robots: There are some giant robot games at around 1/300 scale - Adeptus Titanicus or Battletech -, that comes with robots that are giants in their own scale, but the models could be used as regular robots in 1/50 scale.

Big dwarves: Even if the model would represent a character of small stature at a larger scale (for example in 1/32), it could be used as a robust regular model in 1/50 scale games.

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Larger miniatures in a different scale

Miniatures are made for several scales. Most wargaming miniatures are done in 1/300, 1/100, 1/72, 1/56, 1/35 scale, but there are still more scales on both ends of this spectrum. Sometimes a miniature is just bigger than the others in your collection, even if it has the same scale. For example, heroic scale miniatures will always look bigger than their realistic counterparts.

Giants: These minis represent a hardened nation, mutants or genetically engineered creations. Use them as stronger troops, with maybe more fortitude, if the system you use allows that.

Statue: Paint them with a colour that fits a statue (concrete grey, marble colours, metallics) and put them on a stand to represent heroes of the past.

Giant monsters: A 1/50 scale creature could be a giant monster in a 1/300 game.

Giant vehicles: A 1/50 scale vehicle could be a giant troop carrier in a 1/300 game. A 1/50 scale flyer could be a large dropship in a 1/300 game.

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Smaller miniatures in a different scale 

Miniatures come in various sizes, it's easy to get some that do not fit with the size of the others. Realistic scale models will always look tiny and fragile compared to heroic scale ones.

Midget: This model represents a midget. Probably a headswap will be needed to include a head of one of your normal sized miniatures. The mini will be probably weaker than other units.

Kid: This model represents a kid. The mini will be probably weaker than other units.

Small statue / figurine: Paint them with a colour that fits a statue (concrete grey, marble colours, metallics) and put them on a stand to represent heroes of the past.

Small robots / pixies: Depending on your game, you might use them as some special units.

Small vehicles: They could be used as remote controlled drones, bomb disposal robots, or small pack carriers.

Small tanks: If you could separate the tracks and the turret, the tracks could be used as small vehicles, and the turrets could be additional weapons for regular sized vehicles, or parts of stationary defence.

Small artillery: The guns could be used as additional weapons for regular sized vehicles, or parts of stationary defence.

Medium vehicles: If a vehicle is big enough that one model could fit inside, it might be used as a mini vehicle, carrying one driver.

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Do you have other ideas what to do with miniatures that do not fit your army? Did you encounter further problems? Tell us in the comments!