"Most flexible Basing Scheme for 15mm Figures?" Topic

I'm putting together armies for LaSalle.

I'd like to be able to use the figures for other rules too, like Age of Eagles, Shako, Le Feu Sacre, maybe the upcoming FOG Napoleonics rules.

What would the most flexible basing scheme be to accomodate all of these sets (assuming that's possible of course).

FYI, LaSalle recommends 40mm x 25mm bases with 8 infantry figures on that size as standard.

Thanks.

For 15mm, 20x25mm (3/4"x1") with four infantry figures mounted 2x2 is standard for "Age of Eagles", is acceptable (as "Napoleon's Battles" basing) for "Shako", and works for "LFS". Two such bases equals one recommended "Lasalle" base.

In the Austin and San Antonio area we are basing infantry with four figures on a 40X20. Cavalry with 2 or 3 figures on a 40X30. Artillery is being based on a 40X40.

I agree with aecurtis, Napoleon's Battles basing is the default standard for many rule sets. I use that one and would suggest the same to anyone else.

Forest

there is no default standard in Napoleonics.

There are regional clumps of consistency, however.

Go with what your neighbours do, or what you like most.

no one will attempt to impose a basing system on you in Napoleonics – not without a good few years of total tabletop gaming domination and then a revision first.

If you want the "Most flexible Basing Scheme for 15mm Figures?" then base them individually and use sabot bases for each different rule set.

Could be fiddly, though …
Ultimate flexibility may not necessarily be the best overall solution.

What I'm doing, albeit with strong magnets (the heavy duty ones from Litko) is basing 2 infantry on a 20x15mm base. It's a little deeper than 1/2" and helps avoid the face-plant issue on hills, but it was custom cut too. This way I can use the troops as is for any single rank battalion game, put 2 stands on a 20x30mm base for age of eagles/NB, or I could put four of those stands on a 40x30 for LaSalle. I actually intend to experiment with LaSalle using the single rank infantry units (of 12) as a standard size unit and use 1" as the base width for measurement instead of 1 1/2".
Phil

How about basing on 1/2" washers and then putting those in turn on flexible magnetic sheet? You can rebase in moments! You could even take figures off to show hits.

Andrew

Another issue to consider is the actual size of your "15mm"… some ranges are at the true scale, but you have quite a variety. Bulkier 15mm can look cramped on smaller bases, and smaller 15mm may look sparse on the larger ones. My 15mm Minifigs are based three to a stand on 1.5"x0.75" (1-1/2" x 3/4") Litko stands, but I mostly play solo, thus I can afford to go for the look I like. My bases work very well for Piquet-Les Grognards and Lasalle, and fit conveniently to some of the older rules I happened to play over the years. With some adjustments, I managed to play even Napoleon's Battles (again: being solo, it didn't take long to agree with myself about the necessary corrections…)

The "40mm" base size thing is new to me. Except for Fire and Steel (which is IMPOSSIBLE with the current generation of figures) the 15mm standard has always been 3/8" frontage for 3-rank troops.

That means four figures would be 1.5", or about 38mm.

That very close to 40mm, but not the same. Whoa be to you if you are gaming with a protractor fanatic!

(FYI – many players have closets full of 15s based this way. I'm not changing and I'll bet most won't either.)

"the 15mm standard has always been 3/8" frontage for 3-rank troops."

Standard? What standard? As Keraunos said:
"there is no default standard in Napoleonics."

Oh brother I wish there was. I too use the napnat basing of 3/4inch by 1 inch with 4 figures. Though my cav is mounted by 2's on a 1 inch square for better flexibility.

Personally I think if you mounted your figures in pairs on 20mm by 15mm and your cav in pairs on 25mm by 25mm you'd probably be able to play any rules.
regards
max

Hi.
As Aecurtis said:
"For 15mm, 20x25mm (3/4"x1") with four infantry figures mounted 2x2 is standard for "Age of Eagles", is acceptable (as "Napoleon's Battles" basing) for "Shako", and works for "LFS". Two such bases equals one recommended "Lasalle" base"
I agree!

Definitely, whatever base size you come up with using a magnetic system that is granular and allows you to assemble and dis-assemble your figures for different rule sets.

I don't think Depth is as big an issue as frontage. Generally speaking I think 40mm wide is as big as you would want to go (regardless of "Arm"; be it Inf, Cav or Arty).
By going 20mm wide per base you can play to AoE and Nap Battles. By using 2 such bases, (thus a 40mm frontage); you're well set for LFS, DBN, and "Lasalle" (though "Lasalle's" only hard and fast rule is that both Armies are based "similarly").