Big Base 28mm Napoleonics

[nikephorous]

Hi All,

I have been looking at reviving my obsession for 28mm Napoleonics. I have a gazillion figures lying around awaiting paint but have always found it difficult to settle on one set of rules and one way to base.
Just for the record, I know that Black Powder is basing agnostic. The problem there though is that I just really hate the rules. 

I will be looking at trying Grandeur from Dadi et Piombo and their Basic Battles rules until the full version of their Napoleonic set arrive. I know it will probably be a while, but that is ok as I paint slowly...
A few years ago I was surfing (as you do) and discovered a gamer who was using 120mm frontages ala Impetus.

Stephen Smith does the same and his stuff looks pretty much exactly the way I want my games to look.

http://phenallred.blogspot.com/2017/12/peninsular-project-part-11-rolica-what.html

I cannot for the life of me find the website/blog again. It is driving me nuts trying to find it.
Any help would be gratefully accepted.

[Hitman]

nikephorous;
I was having the same issue as you and decided to do something completely different. I am basing all my figures on 25mm magnetic round bases. I am also in the process of making magnetic movement trays measuring  2.25" x 2.25" as well as 2.25" x 3.25" with 1/8" bass wood sides. This will allow me to use my figures for skirmish games as well as any other rule sets. If I use 3 of the smaller trays of 2 x 2 figures (total of 12 figures) frontage vs. 2 x 3 figures (total of 12 figures) frontage the difference in the tray size frontage is 6.75" vs. 6.5" or 0.25". No big deal to me as it allows me to have battalions of 24, 32 or 36 figures and also individual for skirmish games. The best of all worlds in my personal opinion. Hope this helps you. Now I need some warm weather over the next few days to clear coat my trays. 5hen on to painting hundreds of figures...😉
Regards,
Hitman
😎

[Harry Faversham]

Those big unit stands in Stephen Smith's AAR look great.

 

[Norm]

Here is the link to Stephen's website, it has not been update in a long time, but he does have a lot of YouTube content, which in some of the older clips, shows the big bases close up. LINK

http://phenallred.blogspot.com/2017/12/peninsular-project-part-11-rolica-what.html

[nikephorous]

I am basing all my figures on 25mm magnetic round bases.

I used to do that with my WAB stuff, but on 20mm bases. I even looked at doing the same for other things as well recently and going Full Lard.

But then I realised how much I enjoy repainting, patching and repairing single based models that seem to take a hammering.

I prefer the single base "keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times" approach now.

:-)

John

[nikephorous]

Here is the link to Stephen's website, it has not been update in a long time, but he does have a lot of YouTube content, which in some of the older clips, shows the big bases close up.

Cheers Norm. Stephens stuff is easy to find, and is inspirational. That Rolica project is a work of art! He bases to a 150mm frontage so he is able to make his bases look superb.

The guy I am looking did a bit series of articles on his blog about rebasing to 120mm frontage units and they looked amazing. He also was big into 40K so I tried the dakka dakka forum as well. He shall be found...

:-)

John

[nikephorous]

Those big unit stands in Stephen Smith's AAR look great.

 

You are not wrong Harry. Bling without the worry of stuff falling over. I am a big fan of Impetus and Warband, the fantasy set from Pendraken. These are designed for 10mm figures on a 100x50mm base but I play 28mm on 120x60mm. Not my idea, but one pinched from Steve Price:

http://stenicplus.blogspot.com/2016/02/paw-2016-warband-tournament.html

Bit of a theme developing here... 

John

[anton ryzbak]

I mount all of my minis on pennies and make sabot bases to accept the penny. That way if I decide to change rules all I have to do is make new sabot bases. https://antonswargame.blogspot.com/2018/08/diy-sabot-bases-using-proxxon-hotwire.html

further info here https://antonswargame.blogspot.com/2018/08/blue-board-sabot-bases-completed.html

[nikephorous]

I mount all of my minis on pennies and make sabot bases to accept the penny. That way if I decide to change rules all I have to do is make new sabot bases. https://antonswargame.blogspot.com/2018/08/diy-sabot-bases-using-proxxon-hotwire.html

further info here https://antonswargame.blogspot.com/2018/08/blue-board-sabot-bases-completed.html

Hi Anton,

That looks brilliant! It is certainly a fantastic solution similar to Hitman above.

With new rules coming out every 30 minutes or so, it can be difficult to know what to do isn't it?

I have decided that the solution is to make a stand (there is no wrong choice) and run with it. With the larger bases I have a good looking game with bases that can be used for many different games. Black Powder springs to mind, simply declaring the 120mm frontage as a standard unit. DBn, Impetus (Grandeur), and so many brigade based games can also be played with little modification.

To be honest, I must admit that single figure basing and sabot/movement trays is probably the best overall solution as it is astonishingly flexible, but it doesn't look busy enough on the base for Napoleonics for me...

I have been playing Impetus since the first Basic version came out way back in 2006 or so. I just love the elegance of the basing and the astounding ease of moving stuff about.

:-)

John

[nikephorous]

I found it! I found it!

http://worldofwaltonscrafts.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-re-base-ening-revolutions.html

Stephen Smith mentioned a set of rules in one of his videos. When I Googled that I found what I was looking for.

From there it was a case of following my nose. Chris Walton's stuff looks outstanding.

Cheers to all for the amazing responses and ideas. Hopefully these ideas will find homes on tabletops around the globe!

John

[brunei35]

Some of those larger bases look as though they could be Simon's To The Strongest originally? I like the irregular edging on these bases.

Cheers
Tony

Link if not seen the bases before

https://bigredbatshop.co.uk/collections/all?page=7

[nikephorous]

Some of those larger bases look as though they could be Simon's To The Strongest originally? I like the irregular edging on these bases.

Cheers
Tony

Link if not seen the bases before

https://bigredbatshop.co.uk/collections/all?page=7

Hi Tony,

They are. Chris mentions using Simons bases. Slightly wider (130mm) but I will adapt. ;-) Having everything to a common frontage allows for nice easy proxying... ;-)

John

[robh]

I think that style of basing is superb. They are so "busy" that your eye does not immediately see the hateful die marking system that spoils so may otherwise great looking games.

I started basing my 28mm Zulus and Lord of the Rings figures with the same sabot system Anton uses (as above) but also found them not busy enough. Consequently I have started gluing the figures in permanently and fixing new figures inbetween them to bulk out the look of the bases.

[ilkley Old School]

Coincidentally this week I have started rebasing my old Napoleonic 15mm collection for higher brigade level games such as Blucher and DBN with one large 80 by 50mm base representing a unit.

Here are the first efforts.

[nikephorous]

Hi Mark,

They look brilliant! Blucher has certainly inspired a few 10mm and 15mm gamers to base to a footprint type of base. Impetus has done the same for the ancient and medieval period, and Pendraken's Warband for fantasy.

I am not saying that the days of the footprint are here, but it now has sufficient numbers basing this way for people to see the appeal.

I grew up in the days of Grant and Featherstone, plastic Airfix and then Peter Laing and Minifigs strip 15s. Phil Barker's element basing was a shake up in the hobby when it arrived.

I feel that Mantic's Kings of War and Impetus have been setting the scene for footprint games as a strong option for future games. Even James Morris is producing a footprint game! If James is doing it, it must be the way... 

Imagine DBA or DBN with 120mm frontage games... 

John