Base sizes for WW1 Pendraken

[Bearwood]

Hi Forum,

While I am not new to table top gaming, I am entirely new to WW1 Pendraken.

Would anyone out there be able to tell me what base sizes and shapes that I should use for my various troop types: general infantry, stormtroops, flame-thrower crews, field guns, howitzers, large mortars, A7V tanks, etc..?

As should be obvious from my list above, I am collecting Germans, with a view to fighting Western Front battles. I have purchased an HMG rule set, but I am not sure this was the best, or even a good set of rules; any suggestions of alternatives would be great.

Every and all wise input from experienced gamers out there would be most appreciated!!

Dan

[Techno]

Hi, Dan......

Sorry, I can't help you, myself......But one of the very nice chaps here, will be along 'toot sweet' to aid you, I'm sure.
As that was your first post...A very warm welcome.

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

What ho Bearwood!

Welcome.

I don't get involved in base size debates. It's the wargaming equivalent of "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin".  (Answer - depends on which dance they;'re doing.)
I don't get involved in rule sets. It's the wargaming equivalent of "which was Wagner's best opera?" (Answer = they are all awful.) 


However, there will be someone along in a moment who can speak expertly (and probably at great length) on these subjects.
Then someone else will come along and explain clearly and precisely why they are wrong.


Hope you stay to become assimilated.
And post photos. We love a photo.

[Nick the Lemming]

I'd recommend Great War Spearhead rules, but for those you might need quite a lot of figures - some of the larger battles have well over a hundred bases. Not sure what's out there for smaller scale battles, as GWSH are the best I've come across in quite some time.

[fred.]

Welcome!

A kind of unanswerable question.

I've largely gone with 30mm square bases for my WWI stuff. Other than for tanks and big guns that don't fit, where I have used 30x50mm in general. For commanders I always like round bases so they stand out.

One question with WWI is around trenches. Do you want to do a skirmish type scale where your troops can fit in trenches? If so you need to go with quite shallow bases. If you go with a larger representative scale then you can treat trenches as area terrain and the troops can be on top of them. But I do quite like the idea of single based 10mm figures for trench raids - but that's just me...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Velcomen - as to base sizes it's what fits your rules, if you are doing the GW spear head rules it's laid down, 30x30 I think, for a skirmish set individuals fit well on board game counters 12.7 x 12.7, otherwise what feels right.

[paulr]

Welcome Bearwood

As others have said base size really depends on the scale of battles you are looking to play and the rule set(s) you use

As mentioned Great War Spearhead is the most common rule set if you want to fight with Divisions or Corps

We use If the Lord Spares Us from Too Fat Lardies which is aimed at Brigade level actions and gives a really good game in the more open periods / theaters of WWI
We use 25x25 for infantry and 30x30 for cavalry and big enough for vehicles

[Leon]

Welcome to the Forum Bearwood!

[Shedman]

Hi Bearwood

If you are doing Western Front Trench warfare then it is worth bearing in mind the width of the trenches you intend to use as this will affect your base sizes.

alan

[mmcv]

Welcome to the forum! As mentioned before, please share pictures of what you get up to, we all love a bit if inspirational photography 

[fsn]

I've steered clear of WWI so far ... for many reasons ... except for that small foray into East Africa prompted by the Pendraken release of giraffes .... I see WWI as 3 wargaming periods (yes I know it's over simplistic)

• the 1914 "Old Contemptibles"
• The 1915-1917 trench "Lions Led by Donkeys"
  
• the 1918 "Through Mud and Blood to the Green Fields Beyond"

I may eventually try out the 1914 or 1918, but I don't think I have the energy or space for a trench system. However, I am not above appreciating and applauding those who do. If I were to do that period, I would go for a low level - trench raid type game rather than the division level great breakthrough. Fray Bentos rather than Flers-Courcelette.

Or the Eastern Front.

Or something to do with the Austrians.

Sorry. Rambling.   

[sultanbev]

Of all the WW1 campaigns, only the East African one ever appealed to me. That and the Russian Civil War.
Somewhere I have some random terrain rules for East Africa, including random casualties due to crocodiles or hippos.....

As for base sizes, rectangular ones look better than square. Whether you base is representing a squad or a company, all infantry units had greater width than depth. So reflecting this with your bases kinda makes sense.

Mark

[fsn]

Oh c'mon! What's not to love about the 1914 campaign. Look at the pretty uniforms*! It's like the FPW with the improvement of having the British there.**






* Why is there a camp shepherd in the middle of the French army?
** Joking

[sultanbev]

  yes, indeed, the uniforms are great. Just not the tactics...

[Techno]

Good grief !

Those illustrated figures have got even thinner calf muscles than me!
....and I'd be in the frame as a body double for Judge Death.

Cheers - Phil

[Bearwood]

Thanks to everyone for your responses! There is nothing better than direct person to person transfer of information.

I will get hold of the Great War Spearhead rules and go from there.

Interesting that nobody picked up on my comment on the HMG ruleset....maybe they are not even a 'thing'...?

When I have painted up some models, I will put some photos on the forum, for your collective amusement.

Dan

[DHautpol]

I have just started painting some of the Pendraken WWI figures myself.  I have opted for the early armies as trench warfare has no appeal, whereas the early weeks of the two sides crashing into each other as both are feeling out the enemy seems more attractive.

I've gone for the GWSH rules myself and am looking initially to build a division for each side, which is basically 48 stands of infantry plus machine guns and artillery and a few bases of cavalry; i may double this later to a Corps for each side, but that is down the way.

The GWSH rules suggest 30mm square bases and i went with that. I experimented with the number of figures on each base and finally settled on three; two figures were a bit too spaced out and four figures risked looking too tidy. So essentially one of my divisions requires 144 figures.  The artillery will also fit on the 30mm squares and, as I'm doing the Mons scenarios, I shan't have to worry about tanks. 

[fred.]

I've not heard of the HMG rules, do you have a link?

[fsn]

https://www.wargamevault.com/product/102961/HMG-WW1-World-War-One-wargame-rules

[Nick the Lemming]

Thanks to everyone for your responses! There is nothing better than direct person to person transfer of information.

I will get hold of the Great War Spearhead rules and go from there.

The scenario books for GWSH are pretty good too, well worth a look, even if you decide to go with other rules. They're on a variety of theatres and periods too, from early war (still fairly fluid), eastern front, Italy / Serbia, Mesopotamia, and the new one on Turkey should be out fairly soon.