"Left-Over Figures" Topic

It depends. Six figures to a base? I can live with five. Three? I'll try harder to find a substitute. In case I needed a five and crew for a gun at on point, I based a bucket.

Have let the hole for figure missing until it's figure showed up

It's contingent on several things. Do the rules use base removal or figure removal? How many figures to a base and are they needed to distinguish troop type?

I think Bill was making assumptions he didn't share with us. The solution in 28/30mm CLS, where the number of "live" castings in a unit is critical to fire and combat effectiveness, is by no means the solution when I have 15 of a desired 16 microscale hoplites on a DBA base. (I'd also regard the situation as rare: you have to either not know how many castings you need, or not know how many you just paid for in a situation in which exact numbers mattered.)

That said, I regard an incomplete base as safer for the castings. They're less likely to be lost that way, so if I truly have an unacceptable number I just put them on a base and don't grass the base.

The original question made sense. The poll as titled is confusing by comparison. The suggestions to "melt down the figs" and "abandon the project" were tongue in cheek, and never intended as poll choices!

Here is the original question:

Imagine that you're basing up figures for a game system that recommends X number of figures per base. You realize you will end up with X minus 1 figures – that is, not enough figures to complete the last base.

What are you most likely to do?

* order another figure(s)
* discard the excess figure(s)
* make a base with fewer figures than recommended

Save the excess figures to replace figures broken or lost?

Sorry. Had to reread the Question. How about find a similar figure to fill the last space?

Depends on the rules. I rarely play any set where the exact number of figures on a base are relevant, unless the game relies on figure removal, in which case the figures would be mounted individually, rendering the "problem" somewhat moot.

In most cases, the number of figures is entirely aesthetic, so it doesn't really matter that one has a "short platoon" as it were.

So it depends on what I then want out of the project— more units being a possibility (I've converted "four fig" cavalry stands into 3 fig stands to create a whole unit or even two units out of amounts meant for one).
Sometimes I do want the aesthetic. If I can find an extra figure somewhere, I'll do that.

But generally, I just plan ahead so it doesn't happen, and I'm more likely to have extra figs than be short.

Last time this come up, I begged a mate for a spare figure out of his hoard. A few times I've pressganged a "close enough" figure into service.

But it doesn't happen much: I normally buy as many figures as I know I'll need, rounded up to the nearest number of whole packs. That last time came up before I discovered the manufacturer had accidentally replaced one figure in a pack with an unsuitable one, and too much time had passed since purchase for complaining to the manufacturer to seem reasonable.

I plan better than that, far more likely to have a few left over as potential replacements for damaged figures or simply changing my mind. With 6 & 10mm figures in largish packs that works well.

I order extra figures. Always good to have a few extra as "parts figures" for broken swords, muskets, etc., or to replace the occasional crushed or shattered figure.

Other: I won't play such a game, typically. I don't play games by bases, I play games based on figure counts, where each figure is valued, rather than bases.

If the bases are the combat relevant factor in the rules, then the number of figures per base, is immaterial: 1, 2, 3, … whatever, doesn't matter. Combat values are calculated on the number of bases, not figures. Cheers!

You don't need any figures, just a base. Might as well play a board game.

I agree, Old Contemptible. It reminds me of playing the Avalon Hill games of the 1970's. It especially reminds me of playing Squad Leader.

Nothing wrong with playing such war board games. I just prefer gaming with miniatures over that, seven days a week. Once bitten by the miniatures war gaming bug, I can't go back to board games -- not because of the rules complexities (SL rules were excessively complex, for me), I just love the visuals of the painted figures and the 3D terrain. Cheers!

In the past I would short the command base one figure, now I just 3d print the exact figures I require for a unit.

I would disagree with the above comments on bases. Rules that mark bases with unit status or use base removal do not equate to board games, at a minimum you still have the 3d visual effects. Much better for large scale battles and army level games. Fire&Fury, Blucher for example. Having said that I do like Sharp Practice which is figure removal or The Sword & the Flame.

In the old days I would buy more figs – now I retrofit/convert another figure to fit – and for excess figs I have been building "consolidated" units over the past few years – just finished two units of medieval footmen made up of figs left over some other projects