"new to 10mm, how to base?" Topic

Hi guys, I'm starting a 10mm napoleonic french project and wanted to know what the most common basing size/ratio is? especially for infantry, but the other arms as well. I have no idea what game I would play, as this is mainly a painting project, but I would preferably like to have them based so I can play if I want too.

I'm doing my Crimean War stuff on .75x.5" bases with five figs in a line to a base. If I were doing Napoleonics though I would probably base them in two lines, 6 figs on a 1x.75 inch base or a 1x1 inch base depending on what they would fit.

I'm currently building up the French for a Quatre Bras relight. I am basing mine as six figs to a 20mm square base. It looks pretty good when they are ranked up.

I would have thought it depends on the rules you are using. My experience of what you can get on a base is fairly consistent – these are with Pendraken.

On 40mm x 20mm Warmaster bases – Imperial Romans – I get 6 x 2

On 20 x 20 I get 3 x 2 – this is WSS.

My ACW that are based ar 20 year old Chariot, though I expect to get the same with the 2012 Pendraken, I have 7-8 in two ranks (4 wide basically on 30mm wide bases. These are 30 deep as well, mostly for the footprint to match 3 different rule sets (or close as dammit), as well as giving room for levelled muskets

My ECW are also on 30x30 – Pendrakens again – and I can get 16 pikes in 4x4 on this.

This is a game on a 12' x 4'

flic.kr/s/aHsjA2EDcY

Mine are the 36 man units. Sunjester bases of 2x2 for 24 man units to reduce figures needed. His are cheaper and qucker to paint, but mine have that nice denseness.

Hussar, which rules will you be using? and 20mm by what?

20x20mm. I am using BP for the most part but it works with Waterloo and GdB as well.

Marcus, If you'd like to see 10mm Napoleonic French infantry on both 20mm and 25mm square bases, have a look at Post 37 (page 5) of my 10mm Napoleonic Blog: TMP link
Michael

Thanks Weewars!

20mm bases are the most flexible, as it allows you to mix and match and thus use different amounts of bases to represent a unit at different ground scales. Thus:

At 1" = 100 yards ground scale (really big battles) a typical battalion would occupy 40mm of frontage, or 2 bases.

At 1" = 50 yards, 80mm or 4 bases (a good compromise for most battles).

At 1" = 25 yards, 160mm or 8 bases, for smaller battles or the look of really big units.

Although you used to be able to fit early 10mm figures on a 5mm per figure frontage, now it seems that 3 infantry figures per 20mm (or 2 cavalry or 1 gun) is pretty much the standard. The next decision is whether or not to base in two ranks …

Cheers,

Christoper

Marcus, If you'd like to see 10mm Napoleonic French infantry on both 20mm and 25mm square bases, have a look at Post 37 (page 5) of my 10mm Napoleonic Blog.

There's a direct page link, now:
link

Same as the other Hussar! Maybe we should start a regiment of our own.

we use 25mm x 20mm with 6 figs in two ranks and 30mm x 20mm with 8 figs again in two ranks.

jon

I'm another for 20mm x 20mm, 6 figures in two ranks. Seems the most flexible and looks good.

I went for the following:

Infantry 6 figures in two ranks on a base 20mm*15mm

Cavalry 3 figures in one rank on a base 25mm*20mm

Artillery 40mm*40mm with 2, 3, or 4 figures for light, medium and heavy guns.

Just got some samples from Pendraken, I'm going to paint them then try 20mm basing. I'll post results, if only for a pretty picture's sake.

Essentially I'd go for a 15mm base and double up.

When I went in for FPW in 10mm I wanted to create a sense of mass. I was thinking of using Principles of War which meant in 15mm units of 3x(30mmx15mm) bases. I elected to put six or seven 10mm figures where I'd have put three 15mm.

This is the first unit of them I painted. link

If I was doing another army between 1700 and 1850 I'd repeat that intensity of basing. What I've read since about the FPW I suspect it's too dense for the period. I'm currently creating some 60mm x 15mm bases for an extended line of six figures.