Basing for FWC2

[Battleback]

I got excited when I saw Pendraken released several new factions in their Sci-fi range. I'm planing on putting in a order soon to play with FWC2 when it gets released.

So I was wondering what is the recommended basing for FWC2? I know that I could probably do whatever I want, but I'm curious about the official recommendation.

[Big Insect]

Hi there - to be honest it's unlikely that there will be major changes between FWCI* and FWCII (assuming you have a copy of FWCI?).

FWC has always had a flexible basing system, as it allows players the options to use a variety of models to represent units. Historically I have tended to suggest that playing with 10mm-15mm scale figures/units that you use the standard 40mm PIL type bases for Infantry and Infantry Support units, with multiple figures on them (a bit like the Battlefront/Flames of War ones. Vehicles and Mechs are a different matter and usually base size is dictated by the size of the unit. I'll put a number of bikes or small grav speeders on a single base (same size as the Infantry types) but for IFVs/APCs/MBTs etc. the size of the model usually dictates my basing. Aerial units often need bigger bases, so that they don't fall over in play  But as I say it's very flexible. I know a player who uses a 28mm scale giant sandworm in his 6mm army (along with some 6mm Jawa types) the base for the sand worm is over 10cm long (when it is fully exposed above ground!).
Another consideration is dismounting. I like my APCs & IFV types to have the same base frontage as the passengers they carry, so that when they dismount there is enough room for them in front of the vehicle so that the vehicle can fire over them in support.

Basing only really matters in combat as the number of units that can attack a model depends upon its base size (e.g. how many can actually get base to base with the target unit - on all sides) and to a certain extent in area weapon fire - where at least 50% of a units base must be under a template to count as being in the target zone (so smaller bases are good  ).

I'm aware that this is not a particularly definitive answer, but the Commander series of rules has never really been that specific about basing. I do things like base my Command units on 40mm or 60mm hexagons, so that they are easily recognizable. I put my Recce units on small circular bases as it again helps me recognise them easily (although I'll often forget were they are and only find one or two of them as we are packing away the terrain at the end of the game!).

Some players don't base their vehicles, and that is OK - but I prefer to add 'colour' to my units and will often camouflaged them to match my basing terrain - I have a red-martian army with a lot of red flock on it (for example). Some players make up blank bases for units that have advanced 'adaptive camo' or similar 'Stealth' technology. I've even seen a player get his adaptive camo vehicles printed up in clear resin -there's an ask for Leon on that one 

I hope that is sort of helpful and I'm looking forward to see what you've painted up?
Cheers
Mark

[Battleback]

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I kinda figured FWC2 would be pretty flexible when it came to basing.

I've never played FWC but I picked up the book on Wargames Vault a few days ago,and didn't see anything in there regarding basing. I'm thinking of basing my main infantry 5 to a base on 40mm X 30mm, that way one pack from Pendraken will get me 2 units of infantry, assuming it's 3 bases per unit, for a standard unit?

I noticed in FWC1 there are a vast array of army lists. Is that going to be carried over into FWC2? I'm really happy to see Leon expanded his Sci-fi range and I'm sure they'll be in the book (or not in the book, but online like in CWC2). But it would be great to have a large list selection that we see in FWC1.

I'm excited to see what other miniatures releases Leon has planned for FWC2. What he's already released looks awesome.

[Big Insect]

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I kinda figured FWC2 would be pretty flexible when it came to basing.

I've never played FWC but I picked up the book on Wargames Vault a few days ago,and didn't see anything in there regarding basing. I'm thinking of basing my main infantry 5 to a base on 40mm X 30mm, that way one pack from Pendraken will get me 2 units of infantry, assuming it's 3 bases per unit, for a standard unit?

I noticed in FWC1 there are a vast array of army lists. Is that going to be carried over into FWC2? I'm really happy to see Leon expanded his Sci-fi range and I'm sure they'll be in the book (or not in the book, but online like in CWC2). But it would be great to have a large list selection that we see in FWC1.

I'm excited to see what other miniatures releases Leon has planned for FWC2. What he's already released looks awesome.

With sci-fi I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a 'standard' unit  But generally I play FWC as 1 base = a unit. Formations are a different matter so grouping a series of bases together (& your five 10mm figures to a base seems sensible) under an HQ would work admirably.

There are a lot of existing FWC army lists and even more online via the old Commander series website, which I have forgotten the URL for (& I am not sure you can still join it as a newbie?) - maybe one of the FWC 'old lags' will publish the link up here?

Converting those old lists over to FWCII might have its challenges unfortunately (but we are looking at how we do that). The big issue is copywrite considerations. The original Commander series was just a family of rules - so the author was able to put up lists for many manufacturers sci-fi ranges, book genres etc. as he was not seen as 'competition'. That worked well and over the years a lot of 'fan' lists were also sent in and he'd publish those - after a judicious review of course (I was particularly 'fond' of my Prador list - from the Asher sci-fi books). 
Pendraken however is directly in competition with some of these manufacturers now, and some (one in particular) can be extremely litigious around copywrite! However, many of the ranges depicted in the lists are now sadly long OOP and so I doubt there would be any issue in reproducing those lists. NB: It would be nice to see the now defunct Dropzone Commander 'races' incorporated into FWCII lists (for example).

Anyway - the proposal is to create new lists for the exciting new Pendraken sci-fi ranges - of which more are due to be released - and move across as many of the old lists as is possible, with due consideration to copywrite. We may then look at a way by which 'fan' created (or recreated) lists can also be added to the FWCII forum for players to use.
One of the old 'assets' for FWC was a downloadable unit calculator app. This allowed players to in effect create their own new units and build new army lists. It just kept everything nice & 'legal' and avoided the attempted creation of 'uber units (although many a player tried). Unfortunately when that app was created it was 'hard-coded' and so we're going to need to try and 'unpick' it to create a new one, as creating any new lists for FWC is devilishly complicated due to the mass of weapons, movement, armour and tech combinations, and their interplay.

Again, a long answer to a short question - but I hope that is helpful?
Cheers
Mark
 

[Battleback]

With sci-fi I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a 'standard' unit  But generally I play FWC as 1 base = a unit. Formations are a different matter so grouping a series of bases together (& your five 10mm figures to a base seems sensible) under an HQ would work admirably.

There are a lot of existing FWC army lists and even more online via the old Commander series website, which I have forgotten the URL for (& I am not sure you can still join it as a newbie?) - maybe one of the FWC 'old lags' will publish the link up here?

Converting those old lists over to FWCII might have its challenges unfortunately (but we are looking at how we do that). The big issue is copywrite considerations. The original Commander series was just a family of rules - so the author was able to put up lists for many manufacturers sci-fi ranges, book genres etc. as he was not seen as 'competition'. That worked well and over the years a lot of 'fan' lists were also sent in and he'd publish those - after a judicious review of course (I was particularly 'fond' of my Prador list - from the Asher sci-fi books). 
Pendraken however is directly in competition with some of these manufacturers now, and some (one in particular) can be extremely litigious around copywrite! However, many of the ranges depicted in the lists are now sadly long OOP and so I doubt there would be any issue in reproducing those lists. NB: It would be nice to see the now defunct Dropzone Commander 'races' incorporated into FWCII lists (for example).

Anyway - the proposal is to create new lists for the exciting new Pendraken sci-fi ranges - of which more are due to be released - and move across as many of the old lists as is possible, with due consideration to copywrite. We may then look at a way by which 'fan' created (or recreated) lists can also be added to the FWCII forum for players to use.
One of the old 'assets' for FWC was a downloadable unit calculator app. This allowed players to in effect create their own new units and build new army lists. It just kept everything nice & 'legal' and avoided the attempted creation of 'uber units (although many a player tried). Unfortunately when that app was created it was 'hard-coded' and so we're going to need to try and 'unpick' it to create a new one, as creating any new lists for FWC is devilishly complicated due to the mass of weapons, movement, armour and tech combinations, and their interplay.

Again, a long answer to a short question - but I hope that is helpful?
Cheers
Mark
 

That all makes sense, I didn't think about copyright issues but of course that is a huge consideration.

It's seems like a great time for Pendraken to be jumping into Sci-fi with the announcements companies have recently made regarding small scale Sci-fi games. I really don't have any interest in those systems, but maybe it'll bring new players to FWC2 and to Pendraken for miniatures.

I look forward to reading/playing the rules once it's released. After FWC2 is finished I hope you can talk Leon into creating Great War Commander. I've always wanted to get into WW1 but never found a set of rules I liked, GWC would fill that hole in my gaming life 

[Big Insect]

I look forward to reading/playing the rules once it's released. After FWC2 is finished I hope you can talk Leon into creating Great War Commander. I've always wanted to get into WW1 but never found a set of rules I liked, GWC would fill that hole in my gaming life 

Great War Commander is "on the list" - I started work on a draft a year or two back. The challenge has always been with Great War, how to give a table-top game that doesn't just end up as a massive off-table artillery dual. Specific elements of the war, such as Palestine or early 1914 or even the mobility on the Eastern Front play well. The challenge (as always is the Western Front). But using things like the static smoke dispenser mechanism from the Korean War BKC supplement, as Poison Gas dispensers would probably work quite well!

I'm also looking at a Fantasy Commander* set and also a Line Commander set, covering the period the Horse & Musket era (post pikes and pre-massed rifles & rifled artillery). The 'Commander' mechanisms work well with both.

*NB: the challenge with a 'Fantasy Commander' set of rules, is that the basic Commander mechanisms are very similar 'genetically' to Warmaster, and that is a very hard act to follow.

Cheers
Mark

[Battleback]

Great War Commander is "on the list" - I started work on a draft a year or two back. The challenge has always been with Great War, how to give a table-top game that doesn't just end up as a massive off-table artillery dual. Specific elements of the war, such as Palestine or early 1914 or even the mobility on the Eastern Front play well. The challenge (as always is the Western Front). But using things like the static smoke dispenser mechanism from the Korean War BKC supplement, as Poison Gas dispensers would probably work quite well!

I'm also looking at a Fantasy Commander* set and also a Line Commander set, covering the period the Horse & Musket era (post pikes and pre-massed rifles & rifled artillery). The 'Commander' mechanisms work well with both.

*NB: the challenge with a 'Fantasy Commander' set of rules, is that the basic Commander mechanisms are very similar 'genetically' to Warmaster, and that is a very hard act to follow.

Cheers
Mark

That all sounds great! I would love a set of commander rules for ACW someday. It's another period I've never found a set of rules I've been really happy with.

I can see your problem with fantasy. How to make it different enough to stand apart from Warmaster/WM Revolution, while still appealing to that playerbase. That will be a tough nut to crack. I think you would want a different setting than Warmaster and combine that with new fantasy miniatures. Something fresh but still feels similar might be the way to bring people into the game.