"Average number of figures in your games" Topic

Recently attended Little Wars and was considering the varying number of figures in games. Convention games different quite a bit from regular games in a handful of ways but regardless, got me thinking about this so:

What's a guestimate on the average number of figures that you put on the tabletop in your Napoleonic games?

Please also say something about the scale figures used (6mm, 15mm, 25mm) and the scope of the game (skirmish, tactical, grand tactical, strategic) just to give some context (200 figures isn't that many in a grand tactical game but it is rather huge for a skirmish game…).

Cheers,

The Bandit

Typically our games involve 15mm 300-400 per side for tactical or grand tactical.

Our last Napoleonic game in 25/28mm using Shako 2 rules had approx 930 figures, battle of Plancenoit.

I'd say this is pretty average for an evenings game of Shako, sometimes smaller, or bigger.

4-5 thousand for an occasional big bash using 28mm figures and at a 'grand tactical' level.

By grand tactical we mean using the battalion/regiment as the base tactical unit, but not having all battalions in a division represented (typically 50%. This gives a big battle feel but is manageable with a dozen or so players over the space of a day or weekend. Scenarioes we have done or plan to do include Borodino, a sector of Leipzig, Waterloo.

Of course not all figures are shown in this image – there are considerable numbers on the reserve tables to each side, including an entire Russian Cavalry Corps and Infantry corps making strategic march moves down the length of the table!

link

We've been playing a lot of 6mm Napoleonics the last few months (Modified Hail Ceasar). Austerlitz, Albuera, & Salamanca. I'm guessing an average of 4000-5000 figures per fight.

When we do 28mm skirmish we use Sharpe's Practice and probably have 70-80 figures per side.

Probably around 400 15mm, for a Grand Tactical game using Neil Thomases rules, similar for CnC Napoleonics.

Probably about 300-400 figures in 28mm for an evening's game using Lasalle or Shako.
100-150 for a game of Sharp Practice.

300-400 15mm tactical Shako II

Probably about 4000 – 5000 or so in 6mm (usually about 2000 or so French and 3000 or so Austrians/Russians)

Several hundreds per side. Typical Infantry unit is @ 32 figures with @ 6-10 units per player

28mm ancients from 600 to 1200 per side, with 16-20 figures being the average unit size.

6mm ACW from 1000 to 5000 per side, units size vary.

One million

Depends on battle..
1 figure per 400 men, plus every division and corps commander.

200 to 300 per side 15 mm on a 4 X 6 table each unit a brigade or so.

Depends on the games, most of my 10mm games I host are 1,000-1,600 a side on an 8x5 table.

Ours are usually Grand Tactical in nature and about a corps per side for a quick game. Each unit is a battalion. My Austrian corps for these games runs to about 400 figs plus any attachments (usually 30-40 cav). Double that for the two sides and we get to 900-1000 15mm figures.

If we have more than four players and are looking for a slightly longer game we go with two corps per side which more or less doubles that.

If we have 8-10 players and want a multi day game we go three corps or so per side which hits 2500-3000 figs.

The table gets adjusted accordingly. I have a 6x16' table in four 4x6 sections. The smallest size takes two, the mid size three, and the biggest one all four.

I'd been planning on LaSalle with 40 or 60 strong infantry battalions (and another ~10 minis per battalion for skirmisher markers), half the number of artillery pieces as historically present, and I'm not sure about cavalry count.

So a good 500 minis per side, minimum, for 15mm.

In 3mm, I'm planning on roughly 4:3 representation, so whatever the actual OOB said is what will be there!

Probably 400 15 mm figs for a normal game of 3-4 hours. With March Attack (1 unit = battalion of 12 figs) usually on a 6x4 table.

At our weekly club games about 1000-1200 Napoleonic 15mm figures at 20:1 (36 figure battalions)

Maybe this is why I laugh when a Warhammer player calls their 125 figures an "Army"?

I would say between 300 to 1000 15mm figs per side with up to 4 corps each.

I will be the heretic. I find huge games with many figures while a treat to look at, a bore to play. I never liked Warhammer and Warhammer 40k above 1000-1500 points, and I have a feeling I will hate Napoleonics and 19th century games in which I control more than 4-6 units. I do not wish to denigrate people for their preferences, that is just me.

My goal in my budding collection will be Brigade level games in which each side had 3-6 battalions of infantry + 1-2 squadrons of cavalry (or maybe a whole regiment) + some artillery, so about 200-400 28mm miniatures. I would not like more miniatures on a table. I want my fighting fast and I want it sharp! More Little Round Top than full Gettysburg.

A disclaimer: I do enjoy operational and grand tactical level games, but prefer board-games at that level.

About 750-1,000 6mm figures a side for an average Napoleonic game, but could easily be a third of that, or three times that, depending.

Regards

Don't do Nappy's. Have 18th century but it doesn't matter. Usually 1000-1200 counting both sides. All 28mm-33mm. Table top is 6' x 12'

Hello Bandit!

Excellent thread.

We now mainly play 6mm and have done so for about 35 years. Our club has been into Napoleonic's for 49 years.

In front of me are the stats from our last game "Laon", played at a brigade level with 3,127 figures. That's pretty close to our average number for any game. We play all levels of games by simply changing the scale. For a small battle the ratio might be 5:1, so the number of figures for a battalion will increase.

Our games are designed for 4-8+ players and last roughly 7 hours. There is always something going on to engage the players. The action builds like a plot in a movie and often a winner is unable to be determined until the last few moves. The spectacle is very similar to my mate Sparkers games, but of course in 6mm. The 5' x 9' table is raised to almost chest height to further enhance the presentation.

The 5' x 9' table is raised to almost chest height to further enhance the presentation.

Aha! I've often wondered why I can't quite recreate the impact of the games we play at our FLGS at home on a similar sized table, but of course the professional tables are set much higher, and that does give a much more pleasing aspect to the eye…

And for an all day game that foot rest when leaning across the table becomes all important!

Sparker, why are the little folk on the table so much better dressed than those than those that stand over them and control their movements?

Hello Sparker!

Exactly. The first one I saw in person was about 20 years ago. The table was actually just below shoulder height with two raised runways on both sides. You stepped up on the runways to move your figures and stepped down to ogle the table. Step back and you hurt yourself.

I raised mine about 5 years ago now and everybody is amazed at what a difference the entire presentation is. Also no runways, low lights, or sore backs.

Best regards,

Glenn

Glenn,

I raised mine about 5 years ago now and everybody is amazed at what a difference the entire presentation is. Also no runways, low lights, or sore backs.

Doesn't that reduce the distance that a player can reach across? I'm guessing a table width of ~4' would make this a non issue but a table width of 6' would not be a practical option.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Bandit: Because the armies for both side are rolled up it varies but between 1800 and 2300 for Empire using 15s'.
John Miller

I consider myself fortunate. My table is 12x6 and I can easily get 1000 to 1200 figures (28MM) on the table, using General de Brigade rules, and still have room to maneuver, flanking moves, etc. Plus all the requisite terrain.

Same as OSchmidt above.

…. and its not just a straight forward slogging match.

Typical monthly pick up game using 25/28mm would have 3-4 Corps per team side. Each corps three infantry divisions and attached cavalry. A small reserve given for each side of reserve divisions (grenadier, guard or heavy cavalry). Each corps about 250 miniatures so each side maybe just over 1000. With two team sides, works out to 2000-2200 for the monthly pick up scenario game. Historical scenarios generally smaller as they have unique situations to cover. Basic units are battalion, cavalry regiment or battery. Miniature ratio is 1:100 down to 1:80 for historical scenarios. Table size range from 5x6 feet out to the massive 24x6 tables using one inch = 50 yds. I have played games on a card table setup.

Battle of Lodi 1796 scenario example photo.

Link to other photos of the above Lodi scenario game: link

Other sample games found on the blog using the right column links: link

M aka Wr

Hello Bandit!

Yes table reach had to be considered. My table is simply a 5'x9' ping pong table that has been raised to 46 1/2". I originally thought that 44" would do, but the precut legs were longer. If it turned out to be too high I could always cut them down, but everyone likes it as it is. Before raising it I could easily reach 4'. Now it's less then 3', but I have a couple of plastic 1' stools that gives back the 1'. So the reach is still 4'. There is a ban on sweaters and baggy tops so you don't knock off some of the figures or terrain near the edge of the table. It's certainly been a better move. The 6mm game now looks pretty close to the picture above.

Don't do Nappy's. Have 18th century but it doesn't matter. Usually 1000-1200 counting both sides. All 28mm-33mm. Table top is 6' x 12'

Dang, Otto, that's gotta be impressive. Got pics?

Chaps,

Fantastic games on show here!

Just to add my own little contribution….

I'm a fan of large games of General de Brigade as you can see, hopefully, from the link below:

link

This involved 12 Brigades of Prussians vs 14 Brigades of French not all of which have reached the battlefield yet! About 2,000 figures in all.

As there were only 2 players, me and my chum Chris, the game did take 25 hours over 5 consecutive Wednesdays but was great fun, particularly as I was Prussian and triumphed.

Cheers,

Paul

Sparker, why are the little folk on the table so much better dressed than those than those that stand over them and control their movements?

How rude! True though ;-)

We did actually get a T shirt made up for the regular project members, but as in any such big project, you always get last minuters turning up begging a game, and you can hardly turn them away – well I can't anyway!

Our recent Gross Bereen using Age of Eagles 6mm consisted of
5500 infantry figures in 48 brigades
372 Cavalry in 25Brigades
189 guns in 62 batteries

link

David