"Brigade Fire and Fury Basing Question" Topic

I have just a quick question concerning Brigade command stands. What is the purpose of separate Brigade command stands if each unit represents a Brigade? Wouldn't the flag bearers as a stand in the brigade do the same thing?

I currently don't have the rules but am trying to base my figures for our club.

A "brigade command stand" in BF&F is in all respects an infantry stand of its brigade, but it also serves as a point of reference for certain maneuvers in the game. It is not really separate, does not ever leave its brigade, and is not the same sort of command stand as division/corps command bases.

mostly I use them for marking where a unit starts (upper right corner) and to attach the label to. last stand to be elminiated

I thought the same thing. That they would be part of the Brigade itself, but I keep seeing them used as a round base for the brigade command stand in basing threads. I wasn't sure if they had a special purpose or being used as a separate marker.

Thank you for your responses.

As far as I know, the only round base brigade command stands are the brigade commander bases for Regimental F&F. I've never seen Brigade F&F played with anything other than rectangular brigade command bases (the same dimensions as the other infantry stands in the unit).

According to the Brigade F&F rule book (at which I just looked), a single officer on a 1" round base is a division commander while two mounted officers on a 1-1/2" round base is a corps or army command group.

The other comments, above, about a "brigade" command base are accurate.

Jim

The round command bases could just be something that some gamers do for aesthetic reasons.

I just got the 2nd edition a little while ago and they show exceptional brigade commanders mounted singly on foot, on round bases. I guess the idea is to expedite resolving which brigades have exceptional leaders whenever there's a need to know.

Every brigade consists of one or more infantry/cavalry/dismounted cavalry stands and one infantry/cavalry/dismounted cavalry command stand. The command stand in the brigade is distinguished by having an officer on foot, one or two flag/standard bearer and/or a drummer instead of infantry/cavalry/dismounted cavalry figures in their various poses.

During the game, casualties and the deteriorating morale of the brigade is represented by stand removal, with the other stands being removed before the command stand. When the brigade is reduced to the command stand, that command stand is removed to represent the final collapse of the brigade as a fighting unit.

These command stands are part of the brigade and separate from the leader stands listed below.

Divisional leaders are represented by one mounted figure on a 1" round base (for 12 or 15mm scale figures) and army or corps leaders by 2-3 mounted/dismounted officers respectively on a 1.5" diameter round base.

Exceptional brigade commanders (where the order of battle indicates a brigade had one) are represented by 1 officer on a 3/4" (infantry) or 1" (cavalry) diameter round base.

Round stands for the leaders may be aesthetic but there is a practical reason. A division, army or corps leader stand has a command radius (which can be reduced by terrain effects such as thick woods). So the round base makes their command "footprint" a large circle. To check if a brigade is within the command radius, you deduct half of the base's diameter from the command radius and measure that adjusted distance from any point on the leader's stand – if any part of the brigade's footprint falls within that distance, the brigade is within the command radius.

Thank You all so very much for the information. This is just the information I needed to get me started on basing my figures while waiting to get my rule set.

I will have to talk to the club again on the reasoning for mounting separate Brigade command stands. Not sure I want to use up that many figures for extra command stands when I am building a corps size force for both sides.

I've always mounted my command stands with just an officer, maybe a drummer and an OR. It was always the label stand and for me, always on the right of the brigade line. YMMV.

It doesn't really matter what is on the stand. It is just the last stand removed, and many people use it as the stand to attach the unit id to. I just plonk a flag or an officer on it, but Tbh it could have anything on it. It is only going to get removed when the unit is reduced to one stand anyway. The number of figures on each stand is irrelevant too, put as many or as few on as you like.

Maybe the folks at your club are playing the regimental rules, which do need brigade command stands, or maybe those stands are for divisional and corps commanders.

Thank you all again for the insight.

Dexter – We are definitely using the Brigade F&F rules. I went back to the club and asked what the purpose of Brigade command stands were for and am still confused by the answer. Next time I go to the club I will ask in person so I can get an explanation and hopefully understand better.