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1:285 scale or 6 mm figure size is a US Army scale introduced in the late 1960s, and used for wargames and some scale model dioramas. It is used in miniature wargaming to depict large battles in a relatively small gaming area. 1:300 scale (5 mm scale) is an almost identical NATO standard scale.
Both figure scales are based on the 1mm = 1ft calculation that reduces the average 1.72m height of a Caucasian male to 5.7mm tall figure. "6mm" is therefore used as a rounded-up reference to the scale.
In 1:285 scale, a typical 20 mm base can mount approximately 3-5 infantry figures; or three strips of four figures in rank-and-file formation.
1:285/1:300 is a popular scale for micro armour games, or modern games emphasizing tanks and other vehicles. Games that use these scales include Battletech, Ogre miniatures and Epic. Other genres, such as medieval fantasy, have been catered to by specialist figure manufacturers such as Irregular Miniatures.