"Cavalry and terrain scale in "De Bellis Napoleonicis v 2.1"" Topic

Hello everyone,

I am only interested in 25mm so I will only talk to you about 25mm, so to start in 2.4 page 3, it is written in summary: "All distances are referred to as 'paces' with 100 paces equating to 40mm if using 20mm to 30mm figures".

So the 60 mm of frontage of a base for any type of element really corresponds to 150 paces or 112.50 meters.

I would like a specialist in Napoleonic formations to explain to me in what historical formation a brigade sized group of 1200 to 1500 cavalrymen, including command staff as described in 2.3.2. page 3 would have been deployed on a frontage of 150 paces?

I could just see a charging column of cuirassiers. But if your point is that it's too narrow, I'd agree. I'd expect twice that for a brigade.

150 paces, I would say a frontage of 75 moving horsemen.

I have seen an American cavalry manual of the 1820s which says a horse was two feet eight inches wide and describes a boot width as four inches. On that basis, a cavalryman is three feet four inches wide or near a metre.

You could fit 122 to 114 horsemen into that frontage. Cavalry formed in two ranks with the squadrons behind one another. If you have three squadrons per regiment, that base is about the space that 750 cavalry would take up if drawn up in line with the squadrons behind each other.

I agree with Robert, a brigade would form at least two abreast so I'd expect double that – 120mm rather than 60.

@4th Cuirassier

Yes, me too, I read that, you count one meter per rider but only if he is stationary, but as soon as he moves (and faster and faster) you can count two meters per rider.

To my question if in DBN, the areas given on page 11 for BUA and NLF are for 15mm or 25mm figurines, Alex replied last night:

"Hello Pascal
All distances quoted are for 15mm scale (see 1.4) Therefore with 25mm figures on a 60mm Frontage, BUA's would be approximately 160mm x 160mm and NLF's 120mm x 90mm.
However If I was using 25mm figures, my personal preference would be to go with a 80mm Frontage and double all quoted distances.

Alex"

In conclusion now with 25 mm figurines – 50 mm corresponds to 100 paces.

This modifies all our previous calculations!

Furthermore, after asking Alex the question, this also modifies the quantities of figurines on the bases, which suits me well :

So now on a base for 25 mm figurines we can stick on these larger bases:

- 2 – 5 figures on a "C-in-C" base instead of 2 – 4.
- 2 – 3 figures on a "Sub Commander" base instead of 1 – 2.
- 10 "muskets" figures instead of 8 per base.
- 8 "light infantry" figures instead of 6 per base.
- 4 "jagers" figures instead of 3 per base.
- 10 "Levee en masse" figures instead of 8 per base.
- 4 "Guerrillas" figures instead of 2-3 per base.
- 5 "Heavy Cavalry" figures instead of 4 per base.
- 4 "Light Cavalry" figures instead of 3 per base.
- 3 "skirmishing cavalry" figures instead of 2 per base.
- 3 "Irregular cavalry" figures instead of 2 per base.
- 5 "Foot artillery" figures instead of 4 per base.
- 4 "Horse artillery" figures instead of 3 per base.
- 4 "Rocket Launcher Servants" figures instead of 3 per base.