This transition started percolating in my brain during the last Roman-Carthaginian clash. I was using the "Pulse of Battles" rules and I realized that the only reason I was using multiple bases for a unit was to turn one stand backward to indicate disordered. Otherwise, having multiple bases was just a hassle for my players. In the past I even had people trying to move all four stands at once and tumbling a couple of bases across the landscape..."shudder."
Then I started rebasing my world war II stuff for Field of Battle WW2. I enjoyed the effect of mixing riflemen, machine guns, and mortars to create a diorama meant to represent a company of troops. The concept of a base being a unit (company, battalion, brigade whatever) appeals to me. Being able to put everything I need to know about that unit on that base in an inconspicuous way also seems the best way to go.
I started looking online figuring I couldn't be the only person thinking about this, perhaps others had already tried it out?
I found that Brent Oman toyed with this idea during the "Pulse of Battle" development. It is somewhere in his blog "Wargames and Stuff" He mentioned issues with bent swords and spears, or something like that. Undaunted I continued looking and found "Impetus."
Wow! 120mm bases for 28mm and 80mm bases for 15s. I figured 120mm base had to be the max for 28mm just from weight alone. I so I rebased my very small War of Spanish Succession collection, and finally finished painting enough of them to put on the table.
Each unit is a "combat effective." If it helps you can think of them as regiments or groups of battalions. I don't care. They have flags, because this seems important and adds to the look I am striving for. Some of the units are quite old. I started this project almost 20 years ago. The first units have wine bottle lead flags, the newer stuff is rice paper flags.
The French and Austrians face off! The French are defending the little town of hobbit folk (10mm buildings as I wait to build a 28mm town?).
French Cavalry Charging hapless Austrian infantry.
And a close up of La Reine
Lyonnaise on the move
None shall harm the hobbit folk here!
Regiments Navarre and Dauphin
Wendt destroying silenced French artillery.
Why were they silent? Austrian artillery counter battery fire!
Another look at French cavalry in action.
I had bought 8 cavalry for each unit at the start of this project, but on 120mm bases, 8 Front Rank cavalry would not fit. As it was I had to stagger them on a deeper base for La Reine to get them to fit. It looks really cool, but the base are heavy, and will require extra care when handling.
For me bases have become units and decorated (expensive) playing pieces. It also works better for my meager 5x9 foot playing space.
I'm currently rebasing my15mm Egyptian and Hittite armies. For these I'm going with 90mm bases because I can fit three chariots on one of these for a "unit" effect. I bought command figures for my infantry to expand those units to 14 figures per 90mm base. Close order infantry will be put at 30 mm depth, and light infantry (skirmish) on 40mm depth.
My online searches caused me to stumble upon Altar of Freedom. I love the large scope battles, where you try to put an entire Civil War battle on the table, not just a part of it. I tried it for 28mm WSS, but it didn't work for me, so I am scaling Field of Battle to 75 yards to an inch. This should allow me to get Blenheim onto my table. I've been play testing a few modifications using the above set-up, and things are coming along nicely.
I think I will return to Altar of Freedom for American Civil War (ACW), but with 10mm figures (to go with hobbit houses). I love the idea of the Priority Point system, it just isn't very solo player friendly. ACW will probably be my next project for sometime next year? So much painting to do, so little time.
Excellent! The rule set Bear Yourselves Valiantly uses large bases as well. My 10mm medieval knights are based on 80mm frontage. Looks really impressive
ReplyDeleteLooks intriguing.
ReplyDeleteYour WSS armies look great, Ray! I'd add more units to them, myself. :-)
ReplyDeleteFoB scales up just fine - I do it all the time and don't change anything about the rules. You might want to consider 15mm building with your 28's. I use 25mm buildings and they look great, but they are big, heavy, and expensive. That is the one thing I might do differently if I were starting over - use 15mm buildings with my 25's/28's, in part due to the much smaller foot print. Otherwise,. look at the Hovels line - they use a sort of forced perspective to limit the footprint on the tabletop.
I call and paint my units as regiments, but they function as whatever they need to - battalions, regiments, brigades, etc - it doesn't matter. Regiment is the levels where the uniform distinctions are so that's the look I want.
With roughly 10,000 painted figures, there is no way I am changing my multi-stand basing, and I prefer having the flexibility to do formations, especially for Napoleonics. But to each their own. In out hobby the look of the thing is very important, and you should do it the way that makes you happy. And to re-iterate, they look superb!
Thanks for the suggestions. Funny you should mention the 15mm buildings. I just ordered a town set from Total Battle Miniatures http://totalbattleminiatures.com/bigbattalions/15mm/blackpowdereurope.html
DeleteAnd yes, definitely many more units in the works for this collection. I don't even have the British started!
-Ray