THE ULTIMATE
ARMY MEN GUIDE
Scale
Which Scale Should You Choose?
If you're new to the world of army men, if you're already an avid army builder, or if you're looking to reconnect with an old pastime and mainline some of that sweet toy soldier nostalgia, this guide is for you.
This page was built to give newcomers and long-time collectors a clear, simple, and reliable place to start. You’ll find breakdowns of brands, scales, materials, prices, and recommended sets — plus direct links to trusted shops.
Whether you want to paint, display, diorama-build, gift, or just revisit a childhood favorite, this guide will help you make confident choices and discover the best figures available today.
Scale is the first and most important decision when getting into army men. It determines how your figures look, how they interact with vehicles and scenery, and what brands you’ll have access to.
The most popular choice for collectors and painters is 1/32 scale — large enough for strong detail and expressive poses, but still affordable and easy to store. Other scales like 1/72 or 1/35 offer their own advantages, but 1/32 hits the sweet spot for painting, display, and nostalgia.
This section will walk you through each scale, how they compare, and which one fits your goals.
1/32
This is the heart of the hobby for many collectors and painters. At roughly 54–60mm tall, 1/32 figures strike a balance between nostalgic toy-aisle simplicity and enough sculpted detail to make painting genuinely rewarding. Most classic brands — Airfix, TimMee, BMC Toys, Marx reissues — live in this scale, which means you get a huge variety of eras, poses, and styles. It’s also the easiest scale for building small dioramas without needing a ton of space. If you’re looking for that traditional army men look with modern quality and availability, 1/32 is the scale to start with.
1/35
Often associated with military model kits rather than toy soldiers, 1/35 sits just slightly smaller than 1/32. The key difference is realism. Most 1/35 kits come unassembled and unpainted, aimed at hobbyists who enjoy modeling, weathering, and creating highly accurate displays. If you want to pair figures with tanks, vehicles, and scenery from the scale-model world, 1/35 gives you the widest options.
It depends on your goal. If you want classic army men energy with great paintability, go 1/32. If you love modeling and realism, go 1/35. If you want huge armies and sprawling dioramas, go 1/72. Pick the scale that matches the hobby experience you’re excited about — everything else builds from there.
A Quick Note on Model Kits
While model kits often sit in the same aisle — and sometimes the same scale — as army men, they’re a very different part of the hobby. Model kits usually require assembly, gluing, sanding, and full painting from scratch. The figures are designed for realism, not play, and the expectation is that you’ll treat them like miniature sculptures rather than classic toy soldiers. They pair with tanks, diorama bases, and detailed scenery in a way that’s closer to traditional scale modeling than the army men experience this guide focuses on.
Because this guide is built for collectors, painters, and nostalgia-seekers looking for ready-made or lightly prepped toy soldiers, model kits fall outside the scope. If you want high-detail, build-it-yourself figures, the model kit world is huge — but if you’re here for classic armies, big poses, bagged sets, and display-ready troops, you’re in the right place.
1/72
Tiny, affordable, and perfect for massive army builds. At this size, you can field entire battle scenes on a single table. Detail isn’t as sharp, but the tradeoff is quantity — you get dozens of soldiers in a box for the price of a couple 1/32 figures. Painters who enjoy speed-painting or historical wargaming gravitate toward this scale. If you love the idea of recreating large-scale battles without breaking the bank, 1/72 is worth a look.
Eras and Genres of Figures
Ancient & Medieval
Napoleonic & Colonial
World War I
Ancient & Medieval
Ancient & Medieval
Ancient & Medieval
Army men aren’t limited to one time period or style. The hobby spans centuries of military history and even crosses into fantasy and sci-fi, giving you plenty of ways to shape your collection. The era or genre you choose affects poses, uniforms, weapon types, and even the personality of your armies.
From Roman legions to armored knights, these figures lean on shields, swords, spears, and iconic helmets. They’re great for collectors who enjoy historical themes with strong silhouettes and dramatic poses. Medieval lines also make fantastic painting projects thanks to cloaks, armor, and heraldry.
Bright uniforms, tall shakos, cavalry units, and iconic marching formations define these eras. Brands like Armies in Plastic shine here, offering big sets and consistent sculpts. These figures appeal to history buffs and diorama builders looking for structured, regimented scenes.
A mix of trench fighters, early machine guns, gas masks, and unique helmets. WWI figures tend to have somber, grounded poses and work beautifully for moody dioramas or narrative painting projects.
From Roman legions to armored knights, these figures lean on shields, swords, spears, and iconic helmets. They’re great for collectors who enjoy historical themes with strong silhouettes and dramatic poses. Medieval lines also make fantastic painting projects thanks to cloaks, armor, and heraldry.
From Roman legions to armored knights, these figures lean on shields, swords, spears, and iconic helmets. They’re great for collectors who enjoy historical themes with strong silhouettes and dramatic poses. Medieval lines also make fantastic painting projects thanks to cloaks, armor, and heraldry.
From Roman legions to armored knights, these figures lean on shields, swords, spears, and iconic helmets. They’re great for collectors who enjoy historical themes with strong silhouettes and dramatic poses. Medieval lines also make fantastic painting projects thanks to cloaks, armor, and heraldry.
From Roman legions to armored knights, these figures lean on shields, swords, spears, and iconic helmets. They’re great for collectors who enjoy historical themes with strong silhouettes and dramatic poses. Medieval lines also make fantastic painting projects thanks to cloaks, armor, and heraldry.
popular brands
A staple of modern 1/32 collecting, BMC delivers durable soft-plastic figures with that unmistakable classic toy soldier feel. Their D-Day, Iwo Jima, and generic infantry sets are affordable, widely available, and great for both play and painting. They’re the easiest entry point for beginners and a reliable source for army builders who want consistent poses and quality.
BMC TOYS
Airfix is legendary in the hobby. Their 1/32 sets defined a generation of collectors, and many of those classic sculpts are still circulating today. The detail is simple by modern standards, but the charm is undeniable. If you want that pure nostalgic energy, or you’re painting figures for traditional diorama scenes, Airfix remains a go-to brand.
Mars sits in the mid-tier: more detail, more unique subjects, and a broader range of historical troops. Their sculpts sometimes vary in quality, but when they hit, they hit hard — sharp poses, expressive animation, and themes that bigger companies rarely attempt. Great for painters who like character in their figures.
Italeri blends the modeling world with the toy soldier world. Their 1/32 kits tend to lean more realistic, with refined sculpting and historically accurate poses. They’re ideal for painters who want something a little sharper than classic toy styles but not as demanding as full model kits.
TSSD (Toy Soldiers of San Diego) focuses on higher-detail soft-plastic figures, often with bulkier, more expressive sculpts. Western, Civil War, and WWII collectors gravitate toward them. They take primer and paint well, and their poses have a lot of weight and movement. If you’re looking for standout figures with personality, TSSD is a strong pick.
This is premium territory. Plastic Platoon figures are known for incredible sculpt detail, dynamic poses, and limited-run production. They’re more of a collector’s item or a painter’s showpiece than a casual buy. If you want top-shelf 1/32 miniatures, this is one of the highest benchmarks in the hobby.
A great all-round brand for historical themes. Their figures are cleanly sculpted, consistent in scale, and come in big, satisfying sets. Collectors appreciate how easy they are to paint and how reliably they line up with other 1/32 lines. If you want themed forces — colonial, WWI, Napoleonic — this brand shines.
airfix
mars
italeri
TSSD
Plastic platoon
armies in plastic
how to choose a brand
Start by matching the brand to your purpose. For nostalgia or army building, go BMC or Airfix. For painting, Italeri, TSSD, or Mars. For premium display pieces, Plastic Platoon. For historical variety across many eras, Armies in Plastic. Each brand brings something unique, and mixing them can make your collection feel even richer.