"Adapting Empire for different basing" Topic

Although I've it's been a plan of mine for sometime, I've never done a proper (i.e., corps-size) Empire game. I did do some test drives with divisions back when my figures were based for WRG. Then I switched all my (15/18mm) figures to the 40mmm wide bases of 8 infantry (in two ranks), 3 cavalry or 1 artillery piece. Even though my infantry currently are for regiments or brigades of 4 or 6 bases I always subdivided them into 2 bases for a notional battalion thinking that one day…one day I use them in an Empire type game.

The basing of the infantry in 2 ranks is a bit of a problem. One could ignore the 2nd rank and effectively be playing 1 figure = 30 troops, but if I did that I'd use rules like General d'Armee. So that means 1 of my infantry base = 480 troops. With that in mind I checked the scale with the Empire scale for 480 troops and it works out that I will need to halve all the Empire distances since my scale works out to 1" = 80 yards. The only issue is that I will only have 3 cavalry figures in the same space as 4 cavalry figures with Empire basing, but I'm okay with that – cavalry needs some room to the sides.

The next question is how many bases per game unit? I want to differentiate between columns and lines so that means at least 2 bases – 3 bases are okay too but I'd break a 4 base unit (2,000 infantry) into 2 units of 2 bases. Firepower in line is straight forward – just count the figures in both ranks. In a column I can't do that since the basing doesn't match regulation column formations. I'm fixing that by giving units in column a 'firepower' factor that's based on the size of the unit and the proportion that would be in the front for a regulation column (e.g., 1/3 for a French battalion in a column of divisions). Of course, the unit will be wider than a proper Empire column but I'm okay with that as units should have space to the flanks (i.e., having several columns shoulder to shoulder would be a recipe for confusion).

So, I've worked that out and now I'm working up some ORBATs and maybe I'll post an AAR. At least that's the plan.

As long as it's consist and reasonably close.
Not really totally sold rule lawyers have it exact anyway.

Maybe just ignore the figures and tally casualties on a roster? Then you can use whatever basing you like.

@14Bore, "not totally sold rule lawyers" won't be invited to the party. :)

@Dexter, rosters are option I'm considering, especially for representing historical ORBAT, the main issue remains that I want one of my infantry bases of 8 figures in 2 ranks to be about 500 troops plus/minus (i.e., close to 1:60 troop scale). That means I need to reduce the Empire ground scale to 1" = 80 yards from 1" = 40 yards. Having decided I think other issues can be accommodated by rosters or markers (e.g., to designate different types of columns, etc. which Empire can more easily be represent with official basing).

My two thoughts are 1) use a roster, or 2) go with a rule set that uses elements.

I play mostly Peninsular, but I like the basing system- a 12 figure French battalion using the post-1808 organization breaks out nicely into six two figure stands, four center companies, the grenadier company, and the light company (both figures based separately). It gives you some of the sense of a real battalion, but with a very manageable number of figures.