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Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Gaston de Foix on September 15, 2019, 06:33:53 AM

Title: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on September 15, 2019, 06:33:53 AM
Hi to all and particularly 40mm collectors,
I have based my current small collection on a 20mm frontage by 25 deep for foot and 30mm by 70 deep for mounted.
Generally the models are based in 3's with some 2's and 1s so they can rank up more easily but sill play skirmish games based on multiples of 6 (particularly Rebels and Patriots). The Larger unit organisation is either 18 or 36.
However, having made the decision to enlarge the collection (it is about 250 foot, 33 odd mounted and 5 guns) and aim for smaller battles as well I am in a quandary as to whether to continue the same basing or aim a standard unit size of 24.
I would like to play smallish table top teaser style games using General de Brigade giving orders to each unit instead of brigade. I could play with smaller units and record casualties on a roster and could therefore use any size unit and simply write its notional strength on the roster thus effectively expanding my able size but wonder if that will give the game feel of the difficulty of controlling and deploying units in the period.
Any thoughts from players who have reduced from a 36 model unit standard to smaller units appreciated.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Norm on September 15, 2019, 01:47:40 PM
what a lovely collection. I am just going through some similar thinking.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on September 16, 2019, 12:03:13 PM
Thanks Norm. It is definitely a quandary which I think turns on the sort of game I am after.
1. An immersive smaller action with larger units; or
2. Something that will serve and be the basis for a larger contest with higher level considerations and a view to a larger unit count collection in the future.
Of course there are other game approaches and yes I want them all at once but for me these are the choices with this scale and collection.
Smaller unit size does increase relative table width but I may continue with larger units for a while until I decide. If I get two 36s of some of the basics then they can always be rearranged into 24s. So next is two more units of French line on order from S&S.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Norm on September 16, 2019, 09:18:34 PM
I think you may enjoy this 40mm Napoleonic gamers Blog. he is thinking of basing for DBN.

Link
http://napoleonictherapy.blogspot.com/
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: grambo589 on September 17, 2019, 02:15:21 PM
Hi, Thats a lovely collection of 40mm's you have there and as a fellow 40mm collector I'd like to share my thoughts on basing as it seems we are both thinking along similar lines.

Norm has posted a link to my blog should you care to take a look at it, although it's currently mostly a painting focused blog as I build up my 40mm Peninsular Napoleonics. I recently passed the 500 painted figures mark and have a lot more planned.

First thing I notice is that we both use the same size basing of 20mm frontage x 25mm deep for infantry, I think my cavalry bases are probably also the same as yours. A couple of months back I decided to change my basing convention to standard 120mm frontages, for foot, cavalry and guns. My infantry are based as follows:

Command base of 12 figures: 120mm frontage x 50mm deep, two ranks of 6 figures.
+ two 'half bases' each of 6 figures, 60mm frontage x 50mm deep.

I currently have 15 battalions of 24 figures based as above.

My cavalry units are just 8 figures on two x 120mm frontage bases, 4 per base.

Skirmish units are 12 to 14 figures on two bases, each 120mm frontage x 70mm deep per base.

Artillery are on 120mm frontage x 100mm deep per gun and 5 crew, two guns per battery although this might change!

 It might actually be easier to add an image here to illustrate if you dont mind me doing so? Will save a lot of typing :)

Like you I use thick bases as they are heavy figures and I want to reduce the handling as much as possible. I think your's are more aesthetically pleasing than mine!

Rules: well I'm still searching, but my plan is for simple fast play rules, I doubt I will ever get all my figures on the table together but I'm thinking along the lines of a random small force generator. I  don't mind admitting that I'm very much inspired by 'Sharpe' and I live in Spain so how could I resist the Peninsular War?

Cheers,
Lee. .
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on September 18, 2019, 03:11:01 AM
Hi Lee and thanks Norm, I have enjoyed Lee's Blog very much and he is partially to blame!! for the holes in my gaming budget but I am now pretty happy I am getting back into 40's having sold out a couple of years ago when feeling poor and regretting it.
I agonise over basing (OCD?:-) of Napoleonics and actually settled on current sizes after asking Darren Taylor what size he used on some commission work (STUNNING Frankfurt Regiment and Berg Lancers).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=341944986742502&set=pcb.920806648260689&type=3&theater&ifg=1
For a fast play game that uses your 120mm bases you might look at Dadi and Piombi Basic Battles downloadable for free )I tried to attach it but it is too large) though you need to be familiar with Basic Impetus 2 it would work for you I think (as would anything really).
My bases are split so only 1 deep for use in skirmishes using rebels and Patriots but any in future units will be based two deep as I have enough that way.

My thinking (currently....) is that I should stick with larger units and go for a more detailed game and see how I go. Larger units can always be split into smaller ones!

I had Spanish girlfriends for about 10 years back in the day.......

E's not a proper Officer!
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on September 25, 2019, 04:06:00 AM
The collection so far out for a solo set up.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Alan Mercer on September 25, 2019, 04:58:43 AM
They look great. My aim is to use GdeB for my rules, not perfect but I am familiar with them. My figures are mounted in 6s on a frontage of 2 inches and a depth on 2.5. It just seemed to work for me.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on October 03, 2019, 02:09:25 AM
Hi Alan, I have my own rules but also intended to use Gdb. I have reduced unit size to 24 for greater table width and smaller relative cavalry units.
Received a few more supplies and attach photos of some experiments using S&S Poles and AWI Militia for Spanish. I also recently added 3 battalions of 24 Legere (again fast paint jobs but with these models I intend to return when my collection is battle sized).
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Alan Mercer on October 05, 2019, 06:59:55 AM
Looking great mate. Nice collection building up.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: grambo589 on October 07, 2019, 08:01:16 AM
Coming along a treat :) I'm kind of close to the terrain stage now, just wondering are you using 28mm scale buildings? That is what I have been thinking. Great to see some 40mm's on the table.

Lee.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: Gaston de Foix on October 16, 2019, 12:11:23 PM
Hi Lee, sorry for the slow reply but I missed that you had posted.
For buildingsI am using purpose build foam core to a scale somewhere between 28mm and 40mm. Too big and the table disappears and too small they are practical but look funny. I think the 'use buildings one scale down' approach works best at small scales. Some manufacturers and builders are slightly over sized and work well for 40mm, I am thinking of Eslo and Emperor Toad.

I have been busy and another 6 battalions sees my forces reach small divisional size. The Spanish are S&S Poles with bicornes or top hats.
Cheers
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: grambo589 on October 18, 2019, 10:22:18 AM
Those buildings look very good and just about the right size. The figure collection is coming along at quite a pace too! Really like those S&S Poles.

I have a foamboard spanish church on the go. I have the sides and front and rear cut out. I tried to go for a smaller scale footprint but when I put the parts together it still looks huge! Not sure about it now but I think I'll finish it and see how it looks.

Lee.
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: ian220756 on October 18, 2019, 10:58:25 AM
The method I’ve always used is a 28mm footprint but 40mm scale - doors , windows etc - you can’t get away with 28mm buildings per se - they look daft - doors too small etc - but each to their own - here is an example of one of mine
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: MiniPigs on May 04, 2020, 10:29:57 PM
Hi Lee, sorry for the slow reply but I missed that you had posted.
For buildingsI am using purpose build foam core to a scale somewhere between 28mm and 40mm. Too big and the table disappears and too small they are practical but look funny. I think the 'use buildings one scale down' approach works best at small scales. Some manufacturers and builders are slightly over sized and work well for 40mm, I am thinking of Eslo and Emperor Toad.

I have been busy and another 6 battalions sees my forces reach small divisional size. The Spanish are S&S Poles with bicornes or top hats.
Cheers

Hi Gaston,

Nice collection. Because there is a 40mm party going on right now, I re-found this thread. You used S&S Poles as Spanish with Bicorne heads? Do you feel the bicornes were close enough in shape?  Also, I see you have riders in bicornes and coatees with lapels behind the Spaniards. What figures are those?

Do you have any more or any sharper resolution photos of your stuff?
Title: Re: 40mm Napoleonic basing
Post by: schoey on May 05, 2020, 08:21:18 AM
What a lovely collection, good use of Poles as Spaniards. Interesting base sizes.