"Basing commanders" Topic

All my brigade, division, corps and army commanders are single mounted figures. Several years ago I modified the original rectangular bases to oval, which many war-gamers use and which I like because it helps to distinguish commanders, particularly if they are cavalry brigadiers who can otherwise easily get mixed up with their regiments.

I have noticed that quite a lot of recent rules encourage multiple groups for commanders, and I have decided to use the system of a single figure for brigade commander, two for division, three for corps and four for army.

Rather than rebase my figures, I have decided to make a number of staff officers and ADCs, on the same size oval bases as my existing commanders. I will then make some command "sabot" bases by taking a circle or oval of card, cutting out 2, 3 or 4 ovals in it then mounting a base card below it. I then have the choice of mounting my command figures in groups or singly depending on the rules I am playing.

This also has the advantage that a particular commander might be at a different level in different battles (eg Hill as brigade, division and corps commander or Soult as a Corps commander in the Peninsula but as Napoleon's Chief of Staff at Waterloo), so I can mix and match commanders and staff as appropriate.

Does anyone else use this system?

Rod

Sounds like a good alternative to rebasing. My Napoleonic commanders are mounted on circular bases, with one as a brigade/regiment commander, two as a division commander, etc.

Jim

I tend to use the system of two figures for brigade commander, three for division, four for corps. The Brigade commander has got to have a second if he gets himself challenged to a duel after all, and the second figure is useful for an at-a-glance view of what type of brigade he is the commander of.

I like the idea of the sabot; I want to use it for Artillery crews as I hate the gun-on-a-base and four loose figures idea. The tendency is to grab the figures by their heads, smashing them together, chipping all the paint off, then dropping them in a heap behind the gun, and further chipping the paint. Currently I have the guns based with their crews but cannot remove casualties, I do like casualty removal even though we play GdeB as you can see at-a-glance which units have been bent. The problem becomes mass production of the bases as with 6 guns per battery and a Russian army with a few batteries, cutting individual sabots is going to be a chore.

I have an Army command, which is 6 figures, made up of two bases which can be also be used as 2 Divisional commanders. (We had only just started GdeB and going from a single 28mm Russian General under Quarrie's rules to two figs per brigade for nearly two Corps of Infantry and an oversized cavalry Corps, has meant painting a load of generals.) These 2 bases just fit together on table, but I will prepare a movement tray to take both… One day

rabbit

Exactly as ColCampbell.

Rabbit,

I have used "sabot" bases for artillery for years. I use a 1:30 ratio for my infantry and cavalry and don't like using 1:2 for artillery, so all my artillery is one gun and one limber per battery. When deployed I use a "sabot" base proportionate to the real battery frontage. Using this system, on my basing, a six gun battery has a frontage of 120 mm and an 8 gun battery a frontage of 160 mm. The gun goes in the centre of the sabot, with wheel ruts and a trail rut modelled in the sabot to help keep it in place. I then have the same number of artillery crew as real guns (normally 6 or 8). They are all on 15mm individual bases, and fit into slots in the sabot.

I have found that I can modify most rule sets to accommodate my basing.

Rod

I use one for brigade, two for division, three for corps and four for army. I get around the issue of some officers serving at different times at different levels by basing them on the smallest appropriate size but having a few single mounted ADCs as well. If they go up a level for a particular game I just put the extra ADC in base to base contact.

The one figure for brigade, two for Division, three for Corps and four or more for army is pretty common in 6mm.
They are generally mounted on 30mm x 30mm bases with a metal base or magnetic strip at the back to afix names that can be changed every game. Most are generic but some are personal. You can paint lots of generals at this scale in a very short period of time and at a very reasonable cost.
Today a lot of 6mm stuff is becomming standard avoiding remounting or sabots.

I go 1-3-5 for brigade, division, corps.

@ Rod,

I use 28mm figs and 1 model per 2 guns, My gun bases are 60mm wide and 100 deep, 6 models per battery; a battery takes up a lot of real-estate, and I like artillery.

With a bit of planning I hope to cut holes in a mouse mat or thin MDF sheet for the individual figures, cast this in resin to use as the main part of the base, base the gun model front and centre and fit the crew around the gun.

rabbit