Plastic Colours

Manufacturers can make their figures in any colour they choose, but there is often no attempt to select one that is suitable for the subject. Indeed some make their entire range in just one colour, which makes little difference for customers that paint their figures, but for those that do not (often because they are buying in large quantities) they find opposing forces in identical colours and therefore more difficult to distinguish on the table top (and that much less realistic too).

On this page we suggest appropriate colours for various periods and campaigns. We have chosen to suggest that all units in a particular nation's army should be of a consistent colour. Thus for example although French Napoleonic Dragoons wore mostly green uniforms, we suggest a mid-blue for the French army as a whole, so the dragoons too should conform to this.

In deciding the colours we have taken the following considerations into account:
  1. The predominant colour of the troops (i.e. infantry) in the army. So we suggest the Napoleonic French army should be in mid blue, but the preceding Royal French army (as for the American Revolution) should be in a light blue that better reflects their off-white coats of the time (light grey would be better, but Austria already have that).
  2. The most common colour of existing figures. In some cases there are already one or more sets for a subject that use a different colour to the one we would choose. If these are a large proportion of the total currently available then we have chosen to suggest that future sets be produced in the same colour to maintain consistency.
  3. Different armies should be distinguishable. In some cases opposing armies would be in much the same colour if we only used the above guidelines, so we sometimes take liberties with what might be called the dominant colour to ensure they stay distinct.
  4. Practicality. If the plastic colour of a figure is too dark or too light then it is difficult to see the detail, and just as importantly, it is a nightmare to photograph them on any review websites you might be running. At the extremes, black figures are very hard to make out except at very close range, and pure white figures also successfully hide the quality of the detail.
  5. Not too loud. Very strong and pure colours can make the figures painful to look at, and again detail is effectively masked. This also presents a problem for painters as it takes multiple coats to hide the plastic colour, and of course such vivid colours are unrealistic on the battlefields of history.
The rest of this page is a list of the campaigns covered by this hobby with the suggested plastic colours for each participant. An example of each colour is shown, but it should be remembered that exactly how this colour appears on your screen will depend on its quality and settings and will therefore not be exactly the same to everyone.

Ancient Middle East
  Egypt Light Brown  
  Hittite Empire Dark Grey  
  Nubia Dark Brown  
  Sumer Light Grey  
  Assyria Medium Brown  

Ancient Asia
  China Dark Grey  
  Huns Medium Brown  

Ancient Greece and Alexander
  Greece/Macedonia Light Brown  
  Persia Medium Red  
  India Medium Brown  

Republican Rome
  Rome Medium Grey  
  Carthage Light Grey  
  Allies/Others Medium Brown  

Imperial Rome
  Rome Medium Grey  
  Others Medium Brown  

Dark Ages
  Viking Medium Grey  
  Frank Medium Brown  
  Saxon Light Brown  
  Norman Dark Grey  

Medieval
  Western Knight Medium Grey  
  Muslim Light Brown  
  Mongol Medium Brown  
  Peasant Soldier Medium Green  

Thirty Years War
  Imperial Medium Grey  
  Sweden Light Grey  
  France Medium Blue  

English Civil War
  Royalist Light Brown  
  Parliamentary Medium Red  

Conquest of America
  Spain Light Grey  
  Aztec Orange  
  Maya Medium Brown  
  Inca Light Brown  

War of the Spanish Succession
  France Light Blue  
  Bavaria Medium Blue  
  Austria Light Grey  
  Britain Medium Red  
  Netherlands Medium Grey  
  Brandenburg Dark Blue  
  Denmark Dark Grey  
  Spain Light Brown  

Great Northern War
  Russia Dark Green  
  Sweden Medium Blue  
  Denmark Dark Grey  

Jacobite Rebellions
  Jacobites Medium Grey  
  Government Medium Red  
  France Dark Blue  

Seven Years War
  Prussia Dark Blue  
  Austria Light Grey  
  Russia Dark Green  
  France Light Blue  
  Britain Medium Red  
  Other German States Medium Grey  
  Indians (America) Light Brown  

American Revolution
  America Dark Blue  
  Britain Medium Red  
  France Light Blue  
  Irregulars Medium Grey  
  Indians Light Brown  

Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars
  France Medium Blue  
  Austria Light Grey  
  Russia Dark Green  
  Britain Medium Red  
  Prussia Dark Blue  
  Bavaria Light Blue  
  Brunswick Medium Grey  
  Netherlands Light Brown  
  Spain Yellow  
  Portugal Medium Brown  
  Italy Medium Green  
  Poland Dark Grey  

War of 1812 (US/Britain)
  USA Dark Blue  
  Britain Medium Red  
  Indians Light Brown  

Carlist Wars
  Carlists Medium Red  
  Isabelinos Medium Blue  

Texan War of Independence
  Texians Light Brown  
  Mexico Medium Red  

US - Mexican War
  USA Medium Blue  
  Mexico Medium Red  

Crimean War
  Russia Dark Green  
  Britain Medium Red  
  France Medium Blue  
  Turkey Dark Blue  
  Sardinia Light Grey  

Italian Wars of Independence
  Italy Dark Blue  
  Austria Light Grey  
  France Medium Blue  

American Civil War
  Union Dark Blue  
  Confederate Medium Grey  

Franco - Prussian War
  Prussia Dark Blue  
  Other German States Medium Grey  
  France Medium Blue  

American West
  US Army Dark Blue  
  Cowboys etc. Light Brown  
  Native Medium Brown  

Zulu Wars
  Britain Light Brown  
  Zululand Dark Brown  

Mahdist Revolt
  Britain Light Brown  
  Egypt Light Grey  
  Mahdists Medium Brown  

North-West Frontier (India)
  Britain/India Light Brown  
  Rebels Medium Brown  

Sudan 1898
  Britain Light Grey  
  Mahdists Medium Brown  

Spanish - American War (1898)
  Spain Light Grey  
  USA Medium Blue  

Boer Wars
  Britain Light Brown  
  Boer Republics Medium Brown  

Boxer Rebellion
  China Medium Brown  
  Russia Light Grey  
  USA Medium Blue  
  Japan Dark Blue  
  Britain Light Brown  
  France Light Blue  
  Austria Medium Grey  
  Germany Dark Grey  

French North Africa
  France Dark Blue  
  Native Forces Light Brown  

Russo - Japanese War
  Russia Light Grey  
  Japan Dark Blue  

World War I
  Germany Dark Grey  
  Austria-Hungary Medium Grey  
  France Light Blue  
  Britain Medium Brown  
  Russia Light Grey  
  Italy Light Green  
  USA Medium Green  
  Ottoman Empire Light Brown  

American Expedition in Mexico, 1916
  USA Medium Green  
  Villistas Medium Brown  
  Mexico Light Grey  

Spanish Civil War
  Republican Medium Brown  
  Nationalist Medium Grey  

World War II
At this point colour standardisation becomes less meaningful as men wore uniforms coloured according to the environment in which they fought, and armies were increasingly agreeing on the most desirable colour to wear.
  Germany Medium Grey  
  Italy Light Grey  
  Japan Light Brown  
  Britain Medium Brown  
  Soviet Union Mustard  
  USA Medium Green  
  France Light Blue  
  (Desert Kit) Sand  

Korean War
  S. Korea and UN Dark Green  
  Communist Medium Grey  

Cold War
  Warsaw Pact Medium Grey  
  NATO Medium Green  

Vietnam War
  N. Vietnam / Vietcong Medium Grey  
  S. Vietnam / US Medium Green  
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