(Another) question about basing in Hordes of the Things

[Hobgoblin]

Is there any particular obstacle to playing Hordes of the Things with square-based elements?

It's about a quarter of a century since I last played HOTT, and I no longer have the rules. But, as I slowly assemble some armies for Mayhem, I'm wondering about giving HOTT a bash again as a kind of "halfway house". I recall that HOTT armies are typically quite small, so I'll get to that level long before I get to the very large armies I'm aiming for for Mayhem.

Now, Mayhem elements are based on 50mm squares, rather than 40mm with variable depth. But - from dim memory - I can't think of any particular effect that the base depths had on the game (and I can't imagine 10mm of frontage making much difference either). I recall the game chiefly being about battle lines. But am I misremembering?

[matakishi]

Base width doesn't matter so long as both armies match.
Units recoil a base depth as a combat result. You can recoil them an actual base depth, in your case 50mm (I played like this for years and it made no difference), or you can recoil them the amount their bases ought to be (40, 50, 30, whatever) if you want to measure it.

[Hobgoblin]

Much obliged, Matikishi - that's a great help! *Presses button on Amazon*

I'll be supplying both armies (my opponents are my kids plus "occasionals" in the form of the people I last played HOTT with all those years ago ...), so we'll have consistent basing. I still have a couple of 25mm HOTT armies from back then, but 15mm makes much more sense on a dining table!

A full-base recoil sounds the simplest thing. I've been looking at HOTT armies online, and I reckon that I might be able to field a couple by the end of the weekend - nine elements on each side ought to do the trick. Also, from what I remember of the HOTT blades/warband/etc. division, I can probably get away with some quick-to-paint trolls and giant lizardmen and whatever as "blades" (although they'll be behemoths in Mayhem).

[Hobgoblin]

I'd somehow forgotten, as I focused on the 15mm project, that I had more than two whole 28mm HOTT armies based up from the very early 90s. The rules arrived on Friday; I supervised a game between my son and one of his friends yesterday, and played against my son this morning.

I'd also forgotten what a brilliant game HOTT is. It's terrific. Both kids caught on to the importance of measuring and moving precisely, and then got really into the tactics - flanking, wheeling, rear attacks, etc. I sense many more games to come. And I'd also forgotten that HOTT is a perfect dinner-table game, with its 3' x 3' playing area. So, while the 15 mm Mayhem project continues apace, we'll play HOTT in the meantime in 28mm scale. Actually, the two games are quite different: HOTT takes virtually no "time to table" and is over in an hour, while Mayhem is great for epic battles with significant ebb and flow, bringing up of reserves and really massive forces, but requires a bit more planning (especially on building unit profiles).

An odd thing: when I picked up the HOTT rules 25 years ago, I thought it must be some long-established game rather than one that was just published. I suppose that was due in part to the connection with DBA and in part to the booklet itself, which looked old-fashioned even then.

Three thoughts occurred to me during our games. First, I've been puzzling over how to represent Tolkien's Uruk-hai in games for some time (as fast, undersized, bow-armed heavy infantry, they don't map onto any historical infantry that I can think of. Given their strengths, they inevitably end up as too expensive/good in most games). In HOTT, they can simply be warbands, with their bows factored in and offset by their small stature: job done.

Second, I must and shall paint and base a large number of 28mm hordes for HOTT. I actually have three unfinished chaos ones from 1991 in the cellar. That's a start - but the various Ral Partha, Asgard and Chronicle orcs that are lurking in the lead pile would go nicely onto 60mm by 60mm bases (and you only need five or six models to get a decent-looking horde; my chaos ones just have three utterly dissimilar things apiece).

Third, a challenge: can I assemble a couple of new HOTT armies from the lead pile without making any purchases (other than some cheap pre-cut bases)? A brief rummage revealed all kinds of oddities: Grenadier sets of three (bugbears, man-sized "war trolls") that would make nice little three-man elements. So a "monster" army largely composed of dissimilar warbands might be an easy start ... ah, side-projects without end!

[Hobgoblin]

Another question - did the official basing for hordes change between editions? All my old hordes are on 60mm squares, but I was surprised to read last night that 60 x 40 is the recommended size.

It matters not a jot, of course, but I'm curious as to whether the base size changed or whether I misread the rules as a kid. I actually prefer the smaller size, as I can spin more elements out of the lead pile. I'd like to make something like 20 orcish hordes (leaving space for a hero or a couple of warband/wolfrider elements), so small, crowded bases sound good.

[matakishi]

No idea, sorry. All my units were 60mm x 50mm

[Commander Roj]

I'd somehow forgotten, as I focused on the 15mm project, that I had more than two whole 28mm HOTT armies based up from the very early 90s. The rules arrived on Friday; I supervised a game between my son and one of his friends yesterday, and played against my son this morning.

I'd also forgotten what a brilliant game HOTT is. It's terrific. Both kids caught on to the importance of measuring and moving precisely, and then got really into the tactics - flanking, wheeling, rear attacks, etc. I sense many more games to come. And I'd also forgotten that HOTT is a perfect dinner-table game, with its 3' x 3' playing area. So, while the 15 mm Mayhem project continues apace, we'll play HOTT in the meantime in 28mm scale. Actually, the two games are quite different: HOTT takes virtually no "time to table" and is over in an hour, while Mayhem is great for epic battles with significant ebb and flow, bringing up of reserves and really massive forces, but requires a bit more planning (especially on building unit profiles).

An odd thing: when I picked up the HOTT rules 25 years ago, I thought it must be some long-established game rather than one that was just published. I suppose that was due in part to the connection with DBA and in part to the booklet itself, which looked old-fashioned even then

How old were the protagonists?

[Hobgoblin]

 Seven in the first game; one considerably older than that in the second!

[krieghund]

First edition hordes were indeed 60x60, no idea why the base size was changed.

[Hobgoblin]

Thanks! That's good to know!

I wonder if it has something to do with matching DBA.