Wargaming has been fairly limited this past week due to family commitments. I have though commenced playing out the ACW battle 'Seven Pines' taken from a Fire & Fury scenario book.
On the painting front, my first Parliamentarian Foote regiment has been completed. I will post the results as soon as these have been finished:
Two smaller regiments, a yellowcoat and a greycoat regiment. Both are 40 figures strong and with a 3:2 musket to pike ratio gives 24 musketeers and 16 pikemen.
This presents a problem with basing. The musketeers will be the usual 15mm x 15mm 6 figure bases. The obvious and sensible way to go with the pikemen would be two 20mm x 15mm bases containing 8 figures each. However, as readers of my blog will know, I like to be able to represent a unit marching in column along a road. A 20mm frontage base will fit within the width of my roads but a 4 x 4 pike block may look a little out of place. I am considering four 10mm frontage x 15mm bases each containing 4 figures. It would solve the column problem and also better represent casualty removal. The downside is the practicality in this scale.
I will therefore try out both before deciding which way to progress.
The large grey figure in the photo is an old 25mm Garrison figure from the 1970's. I had quickly painted him up as a statue in my 15mm games. Having rediscovered it while clearing out my 15mm collection I thought it would be great for 6mm. I just need to find a suitable plinth and give it a better paint job which should provide for a dramatic feature on the tabletop.
The 3 trees on the left are almost completed bulking out of cheap Chinese trees purchased over ebay.
Jon, the basing question is one that has puzzled me for ages. In the end with 6mm WOSS I decided to give up on "in column" entirely and base all my infantry and cavalry in line on 60x30 bases. If a scenario, particularly a campaign, requires movement on roads I will just do this on a map utilising counters or blocks and then shift to miniatures for the actual battle. Not perfect, I know, but as I have mentioned to you before with perhaps a 100 infantry and 60-80 cavalry bases per side I just can't drop below the battalion size bases. But, that said, I keep an open mind and always look to learn from your efforts.
ReplyDeleteI agree, basing is never an easy one, especially when in the ECW you are attempting to represent different sized regiments with different musket/pike ratios. This is where large bases have the advantage - no need to worry about such things as you merely place the appropriate number of figures on the base. I suspect I will end up with the 8 figure bases but keeping an open mind.
DeleteA tricky one to sort out and in the end I opted for ease of movement, with my figures on 40mm x 20mm bases, with two making up a battalion. It speeds up game play but does lack that visual appeal of units in column of march. The sacrifices we gamers have to make...
ReplyDelete"The sacrifices we gamers have to make" - too true! My hands aren't as steady as they use to be either!! Ease of movement will definitely be a factor I shall have to consider.
DeleteHi Jon
ReplyDeleteJust tried 10 x 15mm quickly and it seems to work I guess you have tried it, what are your thoughts?
Regards
Peter
Not quite there yet Peter. In another day or two the figures should be ready for basing. I have prepared both sized bases so will try out both before making a final decision. Encouraging you have found 10mm x 15mm ok as that will definitely provide for more versatility. I will post the final results on my blog, and provided I have no surprise interruptions, that should be over the weekend.
DeleteAll the best
Jon
Hi Jon
ReplyDeleteTook an image of the 10 x 15 with four and eight figures on allowing for the spacing of Pikemen I think you will have enough room. It is tight but useable, cannot post an image in a comment so will wait too see what you think.
Regards
Peter
Many thanks for that Peter. Will post an update soon.
DeleteAll the best
Jon