Numbers of figures per unit?

[FifteensAway]

I 'inherited' a bunch of colonial figures that I want to organize into units for painting, not my usual 15 mm.  So, for larger figures, how many figures would be 'standard' for a unit, mostly Europeans or their allies?

I figure it is either 8, 10,12, (16 - more for natives?), or 20.  I don't plan to settle on one size but to make units of varied size depending on what is in the 'haul of figures'.  I will do as many as possible at 20 to match TSATF since I know those rules are popular - but what other of the more popular sets use what sizes, please?  Those numbers are for foot - but mounted unit sizes, too, though more of a challenge given what is available.

Also welcome comments about how to use 'not quite right' sized units (other than for pulp or skirmish at 1:1 which is pretty easy - and the figures that don't fit into units will probably go down that road).

Thanks for the help!

Figures are either Ral Partha or Minifigs - tried to sell as blisters but no interest so figure to paint them and either sell the painted figures or use them with the local folk.  Lots of people still have 25 mm armies floating around.  Not going to worry that 28 mm is the 'new' 25 mm (or is it now 32.8 mm!  ).

[FifteensAway]

Here is a listing of just the Minifigs by type, from the Sword and the Flame range (still in packs but this is per figure count):

24 Gurkhas advancing
2 Gurkha officers
1 Mounted turbaned officer
2 Sepoy officers
9 Bengal Lancers

24 Imperial infantry charging
24 Imperial infantry advancing
2 Imperial infantry buglers
2 Highland Pipers
12 Highlanders Advancing
9 British Lancers
12 British Cavalry with swords

12 Egyptian infantry advancing
24 Egyptian Sudanese infantry advancing
2 Askari Camel Corps

6 French officers
6 Austro-German officers
30 French marines
30 French sailors
6 United States marines

3 Natal native cavalry

2 x Pom-pom guns with 2 total crew
1 x Field gun with 3 Boer crew
4 extra limber horses with 2 riders

The following are from the ACW range but pretty clearly purchased to use for above figures - though who knows for sure:

11 limber horses, 6 riders (looks like one pack lost a horse or maybe was mistake at packing - seal looks original)
2 limbers with 2 drivers
6 rifled Whitworth guns with spurs of artillery tools.

I suspect you can see my dilemma - can get to at least six 20 man units but not always with officer or other leader type figures, which I might 'cheat' with some of the 'extra' figures.

I'll be back later - or perhaps tomorrow - with the Ral Partha listing.

For anyone who knows, how compatible are Ral Partha with Minifigs in your opinion.  They certainly look like an okay match.

[Inkpaduta]

The Sword and the Flame can also be played by cutting unit in have.
So going from 24 to 12 figures for infantry.

[FifteensAway]

Hmm, half sized units for TSATF?  That works for me and 'attacks' an element of the rules that I don't much care for (though adherents think it makes the rules) - and that is melee, dicing one-for-one across 20 versus 20 always seemed really tedious to me so having only 12 will probably work better.

And I'm still interested in hearing about other rule set numbers.

But going with 12 foot or 6 mounted seems workable and also means better use of the available figures.  So, thanks for that Inpaduta.

[anevilgiraffe]

yeah, can't remember where it was, but TSATF can be halved down...

[robh]

Assuming you intend to multi-base the figures, going with 4 per base (2 ranks of 2) or 3 (in a single rank) gives you a lot of flexibility with rules.
Black Powder, Victorian Steel and Death in a Dark Continent all "brigade" bases into variable size units, examples in the books give "units" of as few as 2 bases (DITDC) or 4 (VS & BP) up to 20 bases (VS) but mostly in the 6 to 8 bases range.
The number of bases is important not the number of figures.

[Cat]

I've been hooked on 12 foot and 6 mounted as the best basic formula since the freebie Rules According to Ral came out in 1986.  And coincides nicely with a great deal of figure package sizes, such as those Minifigs.
 
Collecting and painting figures in 24 & 12 then works great for fielding double units or working into games that fail to follow the best formula.
: 3

[FifteensAway]

Here is the Ral Partha listing - first set is blister packed, second set is boxed, more or less (some are mixed):

20 India artillery crew (+ 2 tool spurs)
4 Field Guns
2 Screw Guns
4 Gatling Guns
12 Artillery pack mules (but don't seem to come with packs?)
20 Indian infantry firing
2 Mounted officers - India (British?)
4 Officers on foot
8 Turbaned "command" (sergeants probably)
20 Gurkhas
4 British dismounted British camel corps with 4 kneeling camels
10 Naval brigade officers
30 Naval brigade advancing
8 Mounted Boers
8 Mounted British officers in sun helmet
22 Mounted Natal Police (+2 extra riders without their horses)
3 Mounted highland Officers
6 Highland officers
6 Highland pipers
6 Highland sergeants
30 Highlanders advancing
20 Highlanders in trews advancing

10 British infantry officers
10 British infantry buglers
30 Sikh advancing (turbans)
40 British infantry firing
40 British infantry advancing
20 British Lancers with lances and pennants
20 British Cavalry with rifles
24 Mounted Boers
20 British artillerymen (+ 1 sprue of tools)
10 British foot advancing
10 Sikh advancing (turbans)
12  Bengal Lancers with lances and pennants

Of course, the big challenge is there isn't much in the way of traditional opponents.  But easy enough to make the India, Sikh, Gurkha, and Boer all on one side against the British. 

While, at the moment, leaning towards the 12 foot or 6 mounted units, need to look over the lists a bit - and combined a bit - to see just what is possible.

Hmm, maybe a slightly 'wacked-out' variation for Faux-shoda!?  There are those French marines and sailors and some Egyptians.  What other creative scenarios come to mind looking at the available figures?  (no plan to add to it, just make it work with what is here - will have to see if some Old West figures I have might join in the mix if they match size wise)

[FifteensAway]

160 foot
82 highlanders + 3 mounted officers
40 naval
32 cav
29 lancers
20 gunners
8 mounted officers

"Enemies"
20 india artillery
20 indian infantry + 2 officers
30 sikh advancing + 10
8 sergeants - turbans
20 gurkha + 24 + 2
12 egyptian
24 sudanese

8 mtd boer + 24
22 mtd natal police
12 bengal lancers

66 French
12 Austro-German and US

Just a very quick amalgamation of forces to consider

[JBaumal]

FifteensAway, you have a lot of fun ahead of you sorting and painting units for TSATF. Half units and smaller have long been accepted by fans of TSATF. There are several colonial scenario books by Mark Fastoso with small units for TSATF.

Here’s a link to his awesome scenario books.

https://skirmishcampaigns.com/

[FifteensAway]

Thanks for the link JB, took a moment to find the right link at the site and then to find information on the contents independently.  I'm pretty sure I have a book that matches to the Boxer version - but not sure it is the same author, maybe???  Memory does say it is the same scenarios or dang close though.  And I believe, though not certain, that the copy I have was written long before the Colonial Campaigns, unless it is that book.  Will have to find my version and confirm.  (Just did some checking, Fastofo seems to go back to 2003 - I believe I've had the book I have longer than that but my no means certain.  Will be fun to find how good - or bad - my memory is!  )

And do keep in mind that while TSATF is a possibility it is by no means settled.  You are, however, forgiven considering your longstanding enthusiasm for those rules.  They certainly have stood the test of time better than perhaps any other set of miniature rules I am aware of. 

The rules have proven amazingly adaptable in many ways but there are still elements that really give me fits.  The aforementioned melee system but perhaps most of all the way units move.  It beggars credulity to think that mounted troops - in a battle - would consistently lag behind troops on foot given bad dice rolls.  Sure, in a campaign infantry can out march mounted troops because of the need to graze and groom animals.  But during a battle?  I don't buy it.  Hang back because they can, run away because they can, perhaps.  But move at as a little as 1/12th the speed of infantry?  Nope, don't buy it.  And I've seen it happen that way more than once.

So, while it might be TSATF in the end, I'm still exploring options.

[warwell]

The Men Who Would Be King also work with 12 figure infantry units, 16 for tribal infantry, and 8 for mounted.

[olicana]

For the Sudan: Due to the small number of units (and army sizes) I decided to go for fairly big units. The British usually mustered either around 600 or 800 men per battalion and rarely anything in between so I decided units of 36 or 48 figures (roughly equating to 2:33) using historical OOBs to decide what regiments had which. I'll base them on bases of 6 figs (50x50).

This is one of those projects with a slow start - my projects nearly always start that way - but once I get going they'll be done in around 18 months to 2 years. I bought the collection 10 months ago and so far I haven't painted a single figure. 10 boxes of plastic and 126 packs of metal.



I have scratch built a few buildings (currently using for the Crusades) and a paddle steamer though, LOL.