"How Do You Base Your Flagbearers?" Topic

For those of you that base in two ranks, where do you place your flag bearers? Front rank or rear rank?

I like them in the front, so that they can be seen. I am not sure that is historically correct, however.

I believe that the correct British positioning was in the second rank.
Continentals, I place in front. Militias also.

I've yet to begin to "flag" my Hessians, so advice would be welcome.

For the British, when advancing, the colours were level with the front rank, so that they could be seen by the entire battalion. When it came to fisticuffs – or just shooting – they were removed to the rear. There was a colour guard appointed – about 26 corporals and privates from memory, drawn from the various centre companies (1764 Manual of Arms) – which used to stand either side in the advance, or in front when danger threatened.

Hope that helps.

Front rank.

I have started to base them seperate lay so they can go in front behind or be left out entirely.

I kind of fudge and put an officer front and center, followed by the two colours, with a drummer behind them, also in the center.

Marching/Advancing figures = Front rank.

Skirmishing/Firing figures = Rear rank.

That should work and be in keeping with common practice of the time.

In my youth I always put them in the front rank. Now I either split the stand so I have an option, or just put them in the second rank, mostly to protect the flag staves and flags themselves.

Front rank with a drummer and an officer or NCO in the rear ranks when in line. This is historically correct for the pre and post Napoleonic period.

For the AWI I place standards in the second rank. I like having the officer and drummer in front and with the standards behind the flags won't interfere with any other figures behind them. It's a bit more tricky for Naps, where you have colour parties, sergeants with halberds etc.

Like 21eRegt, I split the stand so that when the figures are in column the flags go at the front, when in a punchup I put them at the rear rank. Whether historically correct I don't know but for me it looks good.

Generally choose units that didn't have flags wherever possible.

I think it only looks right in the front rank, historical or not!
Anyway, in our games a single rank of figures may well represent more than 1 rank of real men.

It varies, I paint in batches, normaly i have one officer in front, and depending on how good or bad the drummer turns out, i put him back or front, so good drummer, both standards behind, bad drummer, one standard forward and one behind. I normally don't put more then 2 "command" figures in the front as i want as many rank and file up front to give the impression of a line, if i have 3 or 4 command i front then a large part of the unit doesn't look like a unit, but an officer party.(up to 3rd of the front rank of the unit is now, "none combatens"

Font rank for advancing, marching, charging units. Second rank for firing or defending units.

I've started putting drummers as separate stands BEHIND the line of battle, next to the officer, so they can sound orders to the battalion and also not be killed off.

Two flags in the front row with an officer and 2-3 drummers and maybe a Zimmerman in the back row. Historically, the drummers were always posted behind the line and on each flank as 1968billsfan says.

As a former re-enactment drummer, I am skeptical that drums were really used in the din of battle to do anything other than perhaps play music and beat out a march.

Since much of my army is generic, it probably is no surprise that I base flags separately. It not only allows me to switch flag stands depending on what unit the figures are intended to represent. It also allows me to move the flags within the unit depending on the unit size. Where I have units deployed in two ranks I place the flags in the front center of the unit.

I place mine where they look nicest; this usually means in the front rank of the command stand alongside the 'colonel' figure, with the drummer and a couple of other ranks/supernumeraries behind them. I tried placing them either side of the colonel but came to the conclusion that I preferred them together with the colonel to their left.

I appreciate that, in reality, they may have stood further back behind the firing line but, as a wargames regiment/battalion is only a representation rather than a recreation, I go for effect.

Front rank,usually.

Front.

Front rank, it helps to protect your flags (not hanging over the rear of the base).