I build armies across both modern heroic 32mm and true 28mm — 28mm WWII platoon wargames, the classic fantasy RPG, and historical ranges — and every time I imported a real-world creature or vehicle I was doing the same calc by hand. So I wrote myself a proper 28mm chart and taped it above the printer. This is that chart, and the math behind it.
The formula is identical to the 32mm version, just with 28 substituted for the eye-level:
(real_height_inches × 28) ÷ 63 = height_in_mmFor my favourite 18-foot dragon (216 inches):
(216 × 28) ÷ 63 = 96mmAt 28mm true scale the dragon comes out around 96mm tall — noticeably smaller than the same dragon at 32mm (110mm), which is exactly right, because true 28mm is a smaller scale.
Why 63?
The constant 63 is the number of inches in 160cm — the eye height on the 175cm human baseline this site uses for every conversion. At 28mm scale, 160cm of real height maps to 28mm on the figure, so:
- 28 ÷ 1600 = 0.0175, or 17.5mm per real metre.
- In inches that’s (inches × 28) ÷ 63 = mm.
For practical use just remember: (real inches × 28) ÷ 63 = mm on the tabletop at 28mm scale.
Quick Reference Chart (Creatures)
All values at 28mm true scale with the formula above. These are the numbers on my workbench wall:
| Real Object | Height | In 28mm Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Goblin / Halfling | 4 ft | 21mm |
| Average Human | 5’9“ | 31mm |
| Orc / Brute | 6’6“ | 35mm |
| Horse (to shoulder) | 5 ft | 27mm |
| Horse (to head) | 8 ft | 43mm |
| Ogre / Troll | 10 ft | 53mm |
| Giant | 14 ft | 75mm |
| Dragon (to shoulder) | 18 ft | 96mm |
| Dragon (total height) | 24 ft | 128mm |
The average human lands around 31mm — that’s correct. At 28mm true scale the eyes sit at 28mm, so the full figure including skull and hair measures closer to 31mm. That’s what my calipers read on printed true-scale infantry every single time.
Vehicles at 28mm (~1:56)
Because 28mm eye level maps to roughly 1:56 top-of-head, real vehicle dimensions convert almost directly. For vehicles, divide the real size by the ratio:
(real_length_inches ÷ 56) × 25.4 = length_in_mm| Real Vehicle | Length | In 28mm Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Jeep | 3.3 m (11 ft) | 60mm |
| Truck | 6 m (19.7 ft) | 107mm |
| Tank (Sherman/T-34 class) | 6 m (19.7 ft) | 107mm |
| Heavy tank (Tiger class) | 7 m (23 ft) | 125mm |
| Half-track | 6 m (19.7 ft) | 107mm |
| Field gun + crew | 2 m + crew | ~36mm gun, crew = infantry |
The vehicle numbers match what 28mm WWII platoon wargame players field every week. A 1:56 tank at around 107mm sits correctly next to 28mm infantry, which is why the 1:56 to 28mm conversion in the reference library works so cleanly.
Terrain and Buildings
Terrain needs no heroic-proportion adjustment — the math is direct:
(real_height_inches × 28) ÷ 63 = height_in_mm| Real Object | Height | In 28mm Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Fence / low wall | 3 ft | 16mm |
| Single-storey wall | 8 ft | 43mm |
| Barn / Shed | 12 ft | 64mm |
| Two-storey building | 20 ft | 107mm |
| Church tower | 60 ft | 320mm |
Print a single-storey wall at 43mm and place a 28mm miniature next to it — it reads as a believable 8-foot wall. My 28mm WWII platoon wargame board’s ruins all follow these numbers.
Mixing 28mm and 32mm on One Table
You will end up with both, and that’s fine. The math is identical, just with different eye-level numbers, so a 28mm model is about 12.5% smaller than an equivalent 32mm one (28 ÷ 32 = 0.875).
Three rules that keep a mixed table coherent:
- Don’t scale factions to match. A 28mm platoon fighting a 32mm force reads fine at arm’s length. Shrinking one army to match is where everything starts to look wrong.
- Keep bases consistent. Mixing base sizes reads far worse than mixing figure heights. Pick one base standard for infantry and stick to it.
- Use slightly oversize vehicles for 28mm. 28mm WWII platoon wargame players commonly run 1:48 tanks with 28mm infantry because the extra bulk reads better than a true 1:56, which can look toy-like next to bulkier sculpts.
Summary
- 28mm uses the same formula: (real inches × 28) ÷ 63.
- An 18-foot dragon is about 96mm at 28mm scale.
- 28mm maps to roughly 1:56, so it doubles as a WWII vehicle and terrain chart.
- Terrain converts directly with no heroic adjustment.
- Mixing 28mm and 32mm is fine at arm’s length — keep bases consistent.
This is the chart I wish I’d had when I started. Whenever I’m scaling a real-world creature, vehicle, or building to run beside my 28mm infantry, I go back to these numbers — and now so can you.
Quick Answers
How do I convert a real-world height into 28mm miniature scale?
Use the formula (real height in inches x 28) divided by 63 = height in mm. An 18-foot dragon (216 inches) works out to approximately 96mm. This is the chart I printed and measured against real minis on my workbench.
How tall should an average human be at 28mm scale?
About 31mm. At 28mm true scale the eyes sit at 28mm on a 175cm human, so the full figure including the skull and hair stands closer to 31mm. That matches what my calipers read on printed true-scale infantry every time.
Why is 28mm the same as 1:56 scale?
A 28mm eye-level measurement maps to roughly 1:56 top-of-head on the same 175cm baseline — which is exactly why 28mm WWII platoon wargames treat 28mm infantry and 1:56 vehicles as the same scale. That overlap makes this chart double as a vehicle and terrain reference for WWII games.
How do I mix 28mm and 32mm armies on one table?
The math is the same, just with different eye-level numbers, so a 28mm model is about 12.5% smaller than an equivalent 32mm one. On the tabletop the two read fine together at arm's length. Just keep bases consistent and don't scale one faction down to match the other — that's where it gets visually wrong. 28mm WWII platoon wargame players commonly use 1:48 tanks with 28mm infantry because the extra bulk reads better.