An Army Dilemma

[Ahistorian]

I am looking at starting a 6mm (maaaaybe 10mm) project to playtest some WWI corps/army level rules based on my ACW ones.

Each base will be a battalion, with brigades as the lowest usual manoeuvre element (though battalions can be detached). Since I want to make a note of the battalion on the back to help me and my players identify the survivors of badly torn-up brigades, I am currently torn between square 25mm "slotta" style bases or 30mm square 3mm-high bases from Warbases. There is 8p difference in price between them, so that's not terribly relevant.

Would any of the common tanks or artillery pieces need more than 25mm? Are there any other aesthetic or morphing considerations that should be taken into account? I know GW Spearhead uses 30mm bases as standard.

Similarly, I am currently torn between Heroics & Ros, Baccus and Irregular for my early-war armies (I figure start at the start and move forward). Irregular is cheapest, Heroics has a better range, and Baccus are the most expensive but probably the easiest to paint into looking nice. Or I could double/triple my costs per figure and go 10mm Pendraken, which would arguably need just as many - or barely fewer - models per base.

All & any thoughts appreciated (other than those telling me to use a smaller or a larger scale, ta  )

EDIT: And Heroics & Ros have various colonial models that I can use to include the Indian Army units present at 1st Messines &c.

[fred]

I'll suggest 10mm figures - because they are my favourite!

You will only need 3 or 4 10mm infantry figures on a 30x30mm base. You can get most guns on this size base. Tanks are too big and will need 30x50 or so. You can get 2 cavalry quite happily on a base.

Obviously you can pack more figures on  - but then it will start to look more like linear warfare formations - which I think (even for 1914) don't look WWI.

edit:
Added links to my topics showing photos of 10mm WWI on 30mm bases
1914 French http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=67334.0
Late war Germans and some British http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=67280.0

[Ahistorian]

I agree that the bases shouldn't be too full - and yours look very lovely! How did you get the puddle effect?

[fred]

Puddles! They are meant to be shell craters! 

The bases have a layer of Ronseal Woodfiller as the main base - this is fairly gloopy so can be easily pushed into craters and other holes - basically down to the wood of the base. Then with a bit of dark paint / wash in them. The water is created using a thin layer of Vallejo water effects. They come out well for very little effort - and with no real depth to the holes (just a couple of mm)

[Ahistorian]

Puddles in shell craters!  I thought it was implied...

Water effects!?! Damn, I hoped there was a clever secret I could replicate without paying for it  Still lovely work.

[fred]

They are small enough you might be able to make them from PVA, or even just a couple of coats of gloss varnish or Klear.

[Ahistorian]

I was already planning to give the models a Klear/paint wash... maybe I should slop it over the bases too and then double down on the wetter bits.

Of course for the early war it might all be a bit OTT.

[Flemish mercenary]

I'm in the first place a 6mm fan but for WWI I will go for 12mm.

http://vandyckmodelsandfigurines.be/index.php/what-s-next/ww-i-project.html

The quality and detail are the best I've seen.
The first releases are for the following weeks. The range will cover the early war with the German and Belgian army.
Some verry nice extra little things are on the workbench. I can't say more but Kris will do this in the near future.

[Cerdic]

For 6mm I would recommend Baccus. It may only be a small range at the moment but it will get bigger! The first field guns are now available.

The figures themselves are very good and look great with a bit of paint and some nice basing!

[Ahistorian]

It is currently between Baccus and Pendraken, with not much in it between the two, except cost of figures vs cost of terrain.