"Basing Norman Foot Armed with Swords & Axes?" Topic

I have a no. of rules sets that indicate that Norman foot armed with spears would be based as heavy inf. (4 per 60mm frontage for DBX). Having just finished painting up a box of Conquest Games' Normans, a good no. of the figures are armed with swords and two-handed axes. Should these figures be based the same as the spears or would they be better represented in loose order and based 3 per 60mm frontage? Thanks for any input.
Clay

I have the Perry Crusades range which I painted as Normans. They now run mostly as Early Crusaders under dbmm so that the knights are less combustible.

In answer to your question I mixed my spear with the sword and axemen for variety and stayed four to a base. Perry's are smaller then Conquest though. You might find three conquest fit better or four give the mass effect but it really depends on your rule set, if it's dbx there is some flexibiltiy 3 v 4 for close order foot and it's base depth that matters more.

I do not think that the Normans separated their infantry into units based on weapons so the same frontage for all. The sword was normally a side arm with spear, axe or similar as the primary weapon, so i'd mix them with either the axe or spear (or both) rather than a seaparate unit.

x42

If you have DBA or DBM then you probably have the army lists that go with them.
How do the lists describe the troops you want to make?

DBA has the Norman foot for 1066 III/52 and Early Crusaders IV/7 with 4Sp or 4Bd, with no other choices other than Psiloi, bow, crossbow and horde types for infantry. 4 figures per base sounds like the right choice. I'll have to put mixed weapon types on each base in some cases and define what each base represents to my opponent, but that should be OK. It may be kind of difficult to get 4 spearmen on a base, but I'll see how it goes. I also have some Gripping Beast foot standing and holding upright spears that I will be painting next – those will be a lot easier to fit 4 to a base.

This basing also be compatible with the SAGA 2 unit sizes, which has 4 figures per Hearthguard unit, 8 per Warrior unit and 12 per levy unit.

Thanks.

I used to have my 28mm Normans based 4 to a stand on a 60mm, recently I decided to chuck the 60mm wide basing and go to 80mm which makes so much more sense.

60mm only made sense in the days of true 25mm figures. Today's 28+ just do not fit.

Fortunately the guys I play with all agreed and or had the same epiphany at the same time.

We all upscaled our 28mm stuff to 80mm with the commensurate depth change as well.

It significantly helps with mounting and minimizing figure damage.

I never worried about what DBA required in terms of numbers of figs as having to be literally followed. If something is based differently just let your opponent know and all is well.

I am using bases that are 60mm x 30mm, so I think that I can get them on there. They're just going to be "real friendly" with one another.

60mm only made sense in the days of true 25mm figures. Today's 28+ just do not fit.

I was saying that back in 1985.

I remember someone blogging that he freely mixed Bd and Sp on DBX bases with the proviso that the right-hand figure defined the DBA category.

That's good, bilsonius. Thanks!