"15mm/18mm Basing" Topic

2nd edition Battlesystem was designed for 25mm, but I am thinking about using smaller scale miniatures because it is more affordable. Has anyone used the "by the book" base sizes mean't for 25mm miniatures with smaller scale figures? I thought about converting the base sizes to accommodate 15/18mm, but I feel you would then end up with all these fractional numbers for movement and areas of effect that would slow down game play.

Use the same base sizes with more figures unless you want to reduce the table size then use smaller bases and reduce everything proportionally.

Hi WC, I use 15mm or 1/2 inch for mansized, 15mm x 15mm for humanoids and 25x25 for monsters like trolls and giants. Can are 15x30

Pay close attention to base size for the smaller races, such as Goblins, and Gnomes, and other smaller races. This affects their frontage, allowing more of them to fight bigger creatures, as they can pack in more densely, bringing more attacks within the same frontage, allowing more AD to be rolled for them.

I overlooked this, for a number of years, which weakened the Goblins, by removing figures, and AD, from their front lines. It also prompted me to use more in-scale Goblin figures. The Goblin figures I started with, were too large for the correct base size, so I went with standard, man-sized, 25mm bases (25mm-28mm figures).

2e BattleSystem is carefully made, incorporating characteristics of races, into their base sizes. Altering their base sizes shifts the power balance/effectiveness of the races. It is not a huge difference, but it adds up as the length of the unit's frontage increases.

I've played 2e BS with both 25mm and 15mm figures. The 15's really allow much larger battles (mo' troops on the table), compared with 25mm games. I prefer the larger figures, for my old eyes, but 15's have their advantages… Cheers!

Haha my eyes at a big fan of 15mm, but 25mm is too much for my wallet. I have a good size collection of Ral Partha AD&D miniatures, but not enough for armies. Finding modern 25mm manufactures seems to be a challenge. I really like the D&D feel of Splintered Light Miniatures, so I might start investing in those.

What size bases do you recommend for 15mm? I think my math concluded that the bases should be approximately 60% smaller than 25mm.

If you want true 25mm figures, look into Caesar Fantasy mini's, as well as Red Box's Light and Dark Alliance figures. They typically sell boxes of 35-40 figures, for around $17 USD-$20, delivered to your door, off of e-Bay. That is for purchasing them from either Taiwan, or the Ukraine. If you buy from US distributors, expect to pay around $5 USD-$10 more, per box. If you calculate the cost/figure, they work out to be around $0.50 USD/figure.

Caesar Fantasy, 1/72 (true 25mm): bottom of page

Red Box Alliance Fantasy, 1/72 (true 25mm)

They have surprising detail molded into them. They take acrylic craft paints quite well. Just be certain to seal them with something like Mod Podge, or clear urethane, to protect your paint work.

One of the two companies is releasing Centaurs by next Summer (2019)! They have quite a selection of figures out, currently: Goblins, Orcs, Dwarves, Worg Riders, Elves, Lizard Men, Humans, Undead Humans and Undead Human Cavalry, Rat Men, Amazons, Skeletons, Trolls, Balrog Demons, and more.

My Goblin army, at last count, was around 150 figures strong. Being plastic, they are easy to modify and adapt. I bought a dozen Schleich Fruit Bat figures, cut the Caesar Goblins hurling molotov cocktails from their bases, and used E6000 Glue to attach them to the bats. I bent a large Quilting Pin shaft, near the sharp end, inserting that into the plastic bat body. I glued the pin head to a base, with Hot Glue. The Aerial Bat Cavalry can bank!

I use 25mm bases with 25-28mm figures. So 60% of 25mm, is 15mm. Funny how that works. ;-) For smaller creatures (Goblins, Kobolds, etc.), 2e BS rules state to use a 20mm base. Taking 60% of 20mm, yields 12mm bases for Size S creatures.

The official 2e BS rules for Size L creatures, says to use, I think, 2-inch bases, or whatever size accommodates the figure. I use 2-inch, or 50mm bases for my Giants, regardless of type. So taking 60% of that, they should be based on 30mm bases. Cheers!

Thanks for all your help. I was ready to commit to 25mm, but then I discovered that a lot of my miniatures have bases too big to fit on the Battlesystem required bases. I'm not prepared to cut down bases. So I think I am going with 15mm and just use the bigger base sizes. I have some Essex 15mm stuff kicking around, but now I'm reading that Splinter Light miniatures are bigger than 15mm. Ugh miniature scale so frustrating. Haha.

I am building several armies in 15mm with the main goal of using them for battlesystem. I acquired the orginal 1st edition back in the days, but could never get anyone to play it with me, only interested in DnD which was fine but still wanting to give it a try.

Now skip forward, and I have a son who seems very interested , so I have invested in building several armies, orc/gob, elf, human, dwarf, etc.

Lots of Ral Parth Demonworld, but others like splintered light, Battle Valor, and a few others. I have decided to base my miniatures on washers, and make magnetized movement bases that I can easily move things around, or use them for skirmish, or any other rule set, just by changing the movenment bases, but Battlesystem is my main goal, and looks like quite a decent system.

White cloak, You mentioned Essex being smaller, or SL being bigger, they are, but unless you have lots of essex, just go with SL, Demonworld, Battle Valor, Khurasan, and a few of the other 18ish mm ranges, or since its fantasy, just go with the natural variations in humans, orcs etc. Just have the essex be from a different region or country where they average 6" shorter in height.