"For grand tactical gaming – which figure poses best?" Topic

There's a variety of solider poses available in miniature – marching, charging, firing, etc.

For generic "grand tactical" regimental gaming, say 10mm to 28mm scale, which poses do you choose for your bases?

The bases themselves will see themselves doing everything in a game – marching, charging, firing, or in melee.

It seems like a march pose is the best default. A base with firing figures – wouldn't that look strange in march column – or far off on the tabletop, awaiting activation?

gaiusrabirius – I use a mix of figures on the base – marching, firing, advancing, etc….to add variety. I mix up the poses to give the units a unique look. I do this for both my Union and Confederate units.

I like to mix Old Glory and Sash & Sabre figures – they mix well together.

These are 28mm scale and mounted for Regimental Fire & Fury rules:

I have found that advancing is the best generic pose.

I like the marching or advancing poses best, but I do have a mix of everything.

Anything but Firing!

It's a matter of taste but a column of troops all shooting each other in the head, drives me nuts!

After decades of trying to make sure that no two figures in my brigades are the same, I've come full circle to only 2 or 3 advancing poses total, plus command.

The table just seems cleaner.

Some of all poses. There is nothing grand tactical about 28mm, I painted 1,000 and couldn't get them all on a 6x8 table.
10mm is the best scale for ACW>

If you can choose the figure pose, I would go with "advancing" too, as it an active pose and looks fine in column or line. Next best would be "marching".

For nineteenth century games I generally prefer marching/advancing type poses but my skirmishers are usually firing away:)

It partly depends what comes in the box/pack. My twentieth century figures are used for anything from tactical to operational games and have lots of firing figures but it doesn't seem to jar. They are rather more spread out than their earlier counterparts though.

I'd choose marching every time, except for skirmishing figures which are only placed on the table when deployed in skirmish lines and look better in advancing, firing and loading poses.

I've just now started to paint up 10mm and I must say that the quality of sculpts nowadays is quite amazing.

I tend to agree with "anything but firing" though I was thinking about using them for skirmishers. I also tend to shy away from marching. I kinda like arthur's idea about only placing them on the table when a unit goes into a skirmish line.

I will say though, that a line of minis that does not offer advancing will never see any of my money.

Advancing or marching are OK, although if the uniform is at all complicated I find it easier to paint marching figures.

I go for firing line/skirmishing poses every time and avoid marching when I can. I want my games to look like battles.

Well, when a unit is in march column I use marching figures, then when they deploy in battle line, I replace the front rank figures with advancing figures, and when they fire, I replace them with firing figures. Then when they engage in melee, I use a mix of advancing and firing. Of course, when needed, I replace them with casualty figures. Same general approach with cavalry (mounted and dismounted). I need an airplane hangar to store all the variants, but it's worth it.

For the general rank and file(Federal) I feel that the Right Shoulder Shift position is best. For CSA troops I like Gilham's shoulder (the old musket carry). For NCOs and color escort the shoulder (aka NCO or rifleman carry). I have no idea where the advancing at the guard position seen on many figures came from (it also makes then harder to base).