4th Cuirassier | 08 May 2017 6:13 a.m. PST |
If one wanted to base Napoleonics in the most flexible way, i.e. so they fit with ad many rulesets as possible, what would that be? I know LFS is indifferent to base size but lots aren't; is there for example a comparison table that anyone has compiled, that sets this out? |
robert piepenbrink | 08 May 2017 7:33 a.m. PST |
The best I've come up with is infantry 2x2 on a 3/4" x 1" stand for three-rank troops and a 1" square for 2-rank lines, and all cavalry 2 on a 1" square stand. Guns go on a 1" (frontage) by 1 1/2" (depth) stand with two gunners, but I also keep 1/2" x 1 1/2" (frontage/depth) "spacer" stands with one gunner, and skirmishers two to a 1 1/2" x 1/2" (frontage/depth) stand. (All dimensions for 15/18mm.) This isn't exactly anyone's system, but it will work with a surprising number, even if your opponent is using the "official" basing. It has two weak points: for those rules which must have identical frontages, like DBA clones, your minimum unit frontage is 3". And it won't cover tactical rules concerned with battalion internal organization, like CLS, In the Grand Manner or Playable Napoleonic Wargames. (PM me, and we can discuss that one.) Anyway, it's one reason my Napoleonic armies tend to be differently based in different scales. But as I said, that basing in the first paragraph will take you a long way. |
StoneMtnMinis | 08 May 2017 7:54 a.m. PST |
I have wondered the same thing for AWI and ACW. Is there a more or less middle ground for basing figures for those periods(15mm and 28mm)? |
daler240D | 08 May 2017 8:20 a.m. PST |
really depends if you represent formation changes on the table, but I think any rules would work with any reasonable basing as long as both sides are the same. If you keep in mind what it represents(unit frontage), it makes sense. Now figure and base removal are a totally different issue, but these things can often be represented via various markers. Of course there are some that p[lay games that it is critical to them to micro detail and represent things, but if you find people to game with that share your sensibilities then you should be fine. |
Ed von HesseFedora | 08 May 2017 9:07 a.m. PST |
My gaming partner (XRaysVision) and I base all of our Horse and Musket 28mm figures on 20mm squares for foot and 25mm x 50mm for mounted. We've done this for Seven Years War, American Revolution, Napoleonic, and American Civil War. We usually provide the troops for both sides. If the rules require multiple figures per base, we use sabots and/or movement trays as needed. We've changed rule sets several times, especially for Napoleonics, with no problem. |
robert piepenbrink | 08 May 2017 10:18 a.m. PST |
Stone, I think you'll find ACW falls into two camps: base for JR/ADS or base for all the OTR, F&F MLW, TWF and such. The one problem is F&F Regimental, which uses the usual 1" square, but looks really ugly with more than three infantry on it. For me, three castings on a 1" square looks too thin for anything not requiring double ranked stands, but that's taste rather than game mechanics. And or course Ed's quite right from, say, 20mm up. My 20mm and 28mm are individually mounted too. But if you play a game written for 15mm figures with 28mm, you can expect serious problems with table depth and most of us draw the line at individually mounted 15mm castings. Of course, in any scale, you could have a serious investment in movement trays and sabots. I do love the flexibility of individually-mounted 28mm figures, but I try not to have more than maybe 150 such on a side on a table in any game. Sabots and trays would help. So would opponents. And I should have noted earlier that my recommended 15mm basing also won't accommodate all the relatives of Warfare in the Age of Reason. But I prefer smaller scales to placing my infantry in single ranks. Again, it's a matter of aesthetics. |
Extra Crispy | 08 May 2017 10:35 a.m. PST |
Base two 15mm figures on a 20mm wide, 15mm deep steel stand. Cut sheet magnet trays as your rules dictate. Works for 90%+ of the horse and musket rules out there. |
Frederick | 08 May 2017 11:38 a.m. PST |
All my 28mm are on either individual 20X20 bases or in groups of 4 on 40X40 For 6mm they are all mounted on the Age of Eagles size bases |
Dexter Ward | 08 May 2017 11:39 a.m. PST |
For 28mm, I find 40mm square bases with 4 infantry or 2 cavalry lets me play pretty much any set of rules. |
MajorB | 08 May 2017 11:45 a.m. PST |
For 28mm, I find 40mm square bases with 4 infantry or 2 cavalry lets me play pretty much any set of rules. Ditto |
1968billsfan | 08 May 2017 1:02 p.m. PST |
I base napoleonic on 3/4" deep bases in two ranks. The widths of the bases are ~8mm per file. Each base is generally a company- 4 or 6 companies for French and 4 for Prussians. There are company bases with 3, 4, 5 and even 6 files. This represents different strength battalions. I can not understand how some rule sets claim absolute accuracy and fidelity and then have ever battalion of every nation the exact same size. Many units have a or some companies that are skirmish capable. These have 2 figures per stand and can be 2 files or two ranks. Battalions are not reduced in front rank size due to casualties when in line because they would maintain the same frontage and reduce the back ranks. When going to column and then back to line, then they are reduced in stands. But by that time they may have already disappeared….. Also, IMHO, there is nothing "wrong" with having moderately different sized frontages. Just play as normal and consider the difference in characteristics as a free complexity in the handling and behavior of the troops, that you got without additional pages of rules. |
Winston Smith | 08 May 2017 1:51 p.m. PST |
I base 3 AWI infantry on 2"X1" stands. Or on washers, with 2"X1" magnetic bases. Cavalry are singly based on same stands. Artillerists are singly based on washers, guns are loose. Cut out a base to put them, if it matters. I have never seen an AWI game this does not work with. Black Powder or British Grenadier? Put one stand behind the other. As long as both sides use the same convention, I see no problems. |
rustymusket | 08 May 2017 5:43 p.m. PST |
Ever since Napoleon's Battles I have had the opinion that consistency of both opponents on the table is much more important than the base sizes specified in a rules set. |
Martin Rapier | 09 May 2017 5:17 a.m. PST |
I generic H&M I generally find four bases (of whatever size with however many figures) per 'unit' (whatever that is) works fine. Lets you do line, attack column, square and march column, and is flexible enough for most things. I generallyuse a 30mm frontage, my pals use 1" frontage. For my 2mm TSK stuff I did wide and shallow bases, 30mm x 15mm, so you can use two bases per 'unit' – side by side for line, one behind the other for column, back to back for square and end to end for march column. That works too. |
Martyn K | 09 May 2017 7:36 a.m. PST |
I individually base my infantry on 20mm x 20mm bases and my cavalry on 20mm x 50mm bases. I then use the LITKO movement trays which allow me to group my figures however I want. The figure bases are wooden with a flexible metal piece attached and the movement trays have a magnetic base. It allows me to put them in different formations or easily change unit sizes. It also allows for easy casualty removal or detachment of skirmishers. The basing system is not the cheapest, but I find it works well for me. |
HappyHiker | 09 May 2017 2:00 p.m. PST |
I had the same question when I moved from fantasy to historical. I used to do individual bases 20x20 for infantry and 25x50 for cavalry, usually using magnets on trays. When I did historical, I continued the same bases for ancients and war of the roses so we could keep using them for kings of war. When I started napolionics I wanted to multibase and be compatible with black powder, turned out they recommended 40x40 with 4 figures, so basically the same. When I asked on a couple of forums, seemed like lots of rules will work with this size at 28mm, and 40mm bases let's you do the formation changes easily. Magnets give extra flexibility but I don't think it's needed so much in historical. Having said that I magnet base 4 figures for a skirmish company in most battalions I do. I figure ifever want to play sharpe practice or use figure removal to record damage it will be useful |