"Basing for Infantry Squads and Fire Teams?" Topic

Not really looking for any specific basing schemes for different rules systems, though comparisons with them might be useful in some cases.

What I'm really interested in are troops basing suggestions, based upon real-world formations, and tactics.

I haven't run across a lot of info on this subject, but in one Cold War document I was reading (American, IIRC), it was suggested that troops should maintain a distance from one another of about 10 yds./meters, generally.

Obviously, formations can vary considerably as well, if just moving, or when deploying in a line for battle, e.g. column, echelon left or right, firing line, etc..

I need to base 6mm, 12mm, and 15mm troops, so any other generic suggestions regarding the above will be appreciated.

For example, with a half squad of 4 – 5 guys, I'm thinking about a frontage of about 30 – 50 yds./meters in games scale, and if in a skirmish line, as when firing, perhaps about 10 – 20 yds./meters deep, again, scale-wise, for the base size.

For fireteams, a bit smaller footprint, obviously.

For squad bases, probably going with a frontage of 50 – 60 meters; maybe more?

Will have to see how many troops will fit on a base, and not sure I want to go 1:1 with minis vs. real troops, due to the costs. Perhaps a figure ratio of 1 mini per 2 men might make more sense.

I suspect I won't bother with creating formations of guys moving in columns, echelons, diamonds, vees, or chevrons, due to all the complications and costs that would entail.

I might have to reconsider doing at least a few in columns though, for city street fighting, since they'd be very useful for that, as if hugging the walls, while advancing through it. Perhaps in 6mm at least.

Also, considering some leaders, special weapons, and RPGs/ATGMs as individual bases, but am not sold on that either. Might make sense, but that also adds a lot of extra figure bases into the mix.

How are you all doing it?

Squad bases seem easiest, but from a game play standpoint, depending upon the rules, fireteams of 3 – 5 guys, plus perhaps a separate base for the light machine gunners, and/or guys with medium/heavy RPGs may make more sense.

I'll probably assume light RPGs like the LAWs are already carried by all fire teams on the table, with the exception of the light machine gun teams, and similar specialist troops – RPGs, Manpads, etc..

For early 80s British, probably go for 3 bases per section, 2 with rifles (Odd numbers even numbers) and a gun group. Probably the same with the Sovs, out of BMP turn left, out of BMP turn right,

Tally Ho!

Sticking with 30mm square as it fits a lot of Peter Pig stuff and works fine with Force on Force in 15mm with 2-3 figs a base plus casualty caps. All for 15mm.

For my 12mm WW-II stuff which also does fine for Korea I use 4 figs per 30mm base for Western tropps and 5-6 for 'horde' wave assault types, 1-2 heavy weapons on a stand (2 HMG as 1 looks a bit lonely!!).

6mm I use small coins (1p) with 4-5 figures or a slightly larger ones (2p) for heavy weapons.

This from Wiki:

German defensive squad tactics stressed the importance of integration with larger plans and principles in posts scattered in depth. A Gruppe was expected to dig in at 30 to 40 metres (33 to 44 yd) (the maximum that a squad leader could effectively oversee).

link

And this:

PDF link

On page 5.5 it shows the front line deployment of a rifle platoon and indicates that "The physical frontage occupied, up to 40 meters."

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info, suggestions, and links.

I appreciate hearing how you all are basing your minis, since that gives me some good ideas as well.

That PDF on the USMC squad is also very useful too, since it provided a lot of great examples on formations.

Spacing between soldiers is recommended as 5 – 20 meters, depending upon the circumstances. Given the examples though, I suspect 5 – 10 meters to be the norm, which fits nicely with what I've read elsewhere too.

It'll be flexible depending on terrain, circumstances and the difficulties in keeping troops dispersed, but 5-10 meters is proably a decent average.

I tend to go on the low end, purely because the stand is a static snapshot of a formation that would change depending on circumstances (file, line, blob, etc.)

If you are looking at 1985, then British small unit tactics were just transitioning from the traditional 1943 Gun Group – Rifle Group that Nick mentions to 2 equal fire teams – this was in preparation for the SA80 and Light Support Weapon (a squad SAW). Each half section 'fireteam' of 4 men would have 3 SA80 and 1 LSW. That year at the School of Infantry we were using this process, but with SLRs and LMGs – Inevitably because of my height I got to carry one of the two LMGs when I wasn't playing Section or Plt Cdr – rechambered 7.62 Brens – which were much heavier than the LSW and not designed to be sprinted about with every other bound! Hard Yakka!

Anecdotally, I believe that in some units equipped with LMGs this had been the org for some time, and understand that's how 3 Cdo Brigade operated in the Falklands in 1982.

But then again your average Royal Machine makes a gazelle look sluggish…

Talking Flames of War here, but I've based all my Vietnam stuff with 3 men per medium base (30x50mm for those that don't play). They're a bit close together, about 2m visually. But it looks good.