"Basing Quandary" Topic

I realise that this is most likely a well trodden discussion, but I am looking for some input from the wider community on how best to base 28mm figures.
After seven years away I have decided to dip back into the world of Ancient/Medieval war gaming. I enjoyed Terry Gore's Medieval Warfare, but recently there are some other rules that have come out that I would like to try, FoG and Impetus. So far so good right, 60mm frontage bases doubling up to make the standard Impetus base. However to be difficult I wouldn't mind keeping WAB as an option (seems like there are some who play it locally). Ultimately I would like to gather a group and play a similar battle (i.e. Saxon v. Norman) with each set of rules and see which one I enjoy the most.
The infantry is not much of a problem, if I went with 40mm square bases then MW, Impetus and WAB work , FoG not so much but I am sure rig something up. The problem is the Cav, 40mm does not work with WAB and of course most 28mm mounted figures don't fit. 50mm squares fit WAB, but not much else.
So 4 rules sets with slightly different basing systems. What to do? I realise that of course I can base them anyway I want and convince others or build both sides. But I would like to be able to play with others at some point so a basing system with the most flexibility. I am sure that I am not the only one to come across this issue. How have you addressed it?

probably you should base as for WAB and then play at FoG and Impetus (both should be a multiple of WAB) using slotta bases.

I can usually get my FoG cavalry on 40mm deep bases, but I have seen some people use bases that are 60mm wide x 50mm deep, and that seems to take care of any depth problems. FoG specifically allows the deeper bases to be used too.

I have seen many people base individually on steel washers and use magnetic sheet movement trays..this way you should be able to do all three systems, although the aesthetics may suffer

I would go with WAB basing using 60mm sabots for FoG. OK the cavalry are too deep for FoG but base depth is not a big issue in FoG and the rules specifically allow over deep bases where figures based for other rules are concerned.

The biggest problem using WAB figures in FoG is that you can't get 3 cavalry on a 60mm frontage but I have seen people just use 2 figures and there have never been any issues to my knowledge.

You might even want to base the cavalry on 20mm frontages and then just use movement trays for them in WAB.

Impetus bases could just be fancy movement trays.

Stick everything on 60mm frontages and punch anyone who complains on the nose.

Base everything on 20mm frontages and then use trays. That way you can play our rules too :)

Medievals, imho, are much prettier all scambled in a scrum; orderly lines of multiple based figures look too abstract and not nearly chaotic enough….

1066.us

I hate trays and like multibases with some diorama effect. But i also hate the single line multibases of DBx. Hoplite phalnx in a single line is stupid.

So my solution would be:

Use 6cm frontage (it is the standard) but double the depth of the DBx bases. Use the same number of cavalry but 1,5 the number of infantry from DBx.

So roman legionaires, you have a base 6cm wide, 4 cm deep, 6 figures. Cavalry you have 6cm wide, 8cm deep and 3 figures.

WAB: It is identical for infantry, smaller for cavalry, but that is no problem.
Impetus: use two of these bases side by side.
FOG/DBx: use your infantry as double bases, depth and number of models is not important.
DBA: use your bases as one base, but fall back only half a base.

Oh, and multibases can be much more scambled than is possible with single bases.

Oh, and multibases can be much more scambled than is possible with single bases.

I'd like to see how that's possible: how can fewer "parts" scramble better than more "parts"?

Hi

Before Art of War, i was gaming in denver with 6 different groups playing 6 different sets withe 6 different basing.

I used a general tray, and "terrained" my individual fig bases. Merely using double sided tape on the larger unit tray, had both spacing and SOME modeling.

Rocky

I think that the "scramble" is allowed more by depth and flexibility figure placement. I like have several guys packed together at the front of a large base to form a shield-wall, and then have a couple of guys behind with spears and the like. If all the figures are mounted on individual bases then they have a certain spacing that they can't go smaller than. I agree that there is not much flexibility in a 60 x 20 base with four figures. I like you suggestion decebalus and will play around with some placing to see how it looks. I might keep some Cav on 25mm singles to allow for WAB.
Thanks everyone for you help.

60 MM X 50 MM is my current standard. either 3 Cavalry or 6 formed infantry. That gives me 20mm frontage for WAB and an Element Base for DBA, DBM WRG7. I find it almost impossible to pack 4 legionares or Phalangites on a 60X20, and who wants to. with a slightly larger stand you can put rocks, Static grass and other scenery on it

Exactly. You only need single figure basing if you are firing matchsticks at the figures to calculate casualties.