French Napoleonic basing

[rangerdad]

Another daft newb question for all you 10mm napoleonic experts

I've been reading back through forums for info and playing around with bits of card and bluetack, in an attempt to figure out the best way to base my shiny new French once they're painted

I haven't plumped for a ruleset yet though several appeal, and feel that as much of my gaming will be solo my battalions should firstly appeal visually to me and be able to form line/column/square effectively ? I also want to keep the basing for subsequent Brits/Spanish etc

My initial thought is to go with 3 Warmaster style 40x20 bases with 2 ranks of 6 figs each plus a couple of 20x20's of skirmishing voltigeurs out front. This should hopefully achieve the massed ranks look and give me sufficient bases to manouvre

As an ancients gamer coerced into Naps by Pendrakens lovely new rangess , I'd appreciate any advice on whether this basing system seems ok ?

cheers in anticipation

[nikharwood]

Sounds sensible to me - that's how I've got my Naps based - for NapoleonicMaster (free variant - ping me an email if you want a copy...) - although I've not got any smaller bases for voltigeurs

You can see my lot in-action here:

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,966.0.html

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,117.0.html

[Malbork]

I'm also just venturing into 10mm Naps and have gone with the Warmaster idea.

My French are on 40x20 in two ranks of 4. My sausage fingers couldn't get more on the bases and it also leaves a little room for "landscaping".

Haven't got to the Lights yet but I did some British Rifles as a test to see if I could paint the tiny shinies. I based them in a loose line of 5 on a 40x20 base with a lot of flocking, rocks etc. to make them look less regular. Currently waiting for French reinforcements to pop through the letter box and then may try your 20x20 idea for the voltiguers.

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

My problem is wanting to have company bases (eg for GdB to allow use of column of companies) without making the units so large I can't play a reasonable size game on a 6' x 4' table - that's compounded by wanting to use the figures for Lasalle and Field of Battle both of which use 4 bases per battalion. I've not got a solution yet.

Regards

Edward

[rangerdad]

Nik - I've drooled over those pics of yours many many times before thanks, and I've downloaded those WM variants from the Yahoo Group site to read through at the weekend

Obviously by using 10mm figs we're all trying to recreate that 'massed ranks' look in a much smaller footprint, but I'd also like to give myself enough flexibility to manouvre a battalion in the formations of the period and 4 bases would seem to be the minimum I'd need

Edward - I've toyed with the idea of six 30x20mm bases 8 figs on each, or  six 20x20mm bases with 6 figs on each but I'm not sure if they'd be too fiddly ?

Three  40x20mm bases with 12 figs crammed onto each looks really good and equates to a full pack of figs with 5/6 command to add which keeps things simple for my brain. The voltigeur bases will have to wait until loading/skirmishing figures are sculpted, but I've plenty to keep me busy

[robert]

a tad difficult to form a square with a unit comprising three bases

Nik and Malbork sound right to me

[rangerdad]

a tad difficult to form a square with a unit comprising three bases

Nik and Malbork sound right to me

My intention is to form a fourth base of skirmishing voltigeurs once they're sculpted

[Syr Hobbs]

Has anyone every given any thought to replacing four stands with a single stand that's a in the Square formation?  I think it could look real good on the table but maybe more hassle then its worth switching back and forth.

Duane

[Hertsblue]

Has anyone every given any thought to replacing four stands with a single stand that's a in the Square formation?  I think it could look real good on the table but maybe more hassle then its worth switching back and forth.

Duane

Good point, Duane. Since squares were habitually four ranks deep they actually covered less area than four separate three-rank lines would do, since the frontages of the "faces" were shorter.

May I also suggest basing infantry battalions on company stands? This would give you 8 stands for early French, 6 stands for later French, and 4 stands for later Austrians, Prussians and Russians. Means you can form column of companies or column of divisions with no problem and squares too. The Brits are a slight problem with 10 stands - but nothing a little ingenuity couldn't fix. 

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

Having ordered some 20mm x 15mm Minibits bases in the sale (thanks to Leon for their prompt arrival) I have just tested some French Leger march attack pose figures - six figures will just fit with no room for basing etc.  So if this was a company base for 1809 a battalion in line with all companies present would be 12cm x 1.5cm but the bases are a bit fiddly to pick up so maybe putting magnetic strip on the base and having 40 x 20 steel sabots might work?

Regards

Edward

[quasar42]

I also use 2 x 1.5 cm bases, two rows of three figures on a base and six bases for a battalion. Looks nicely dense. I am still torn what to do with the cavalry though.

[tzen67]

I use 2cmx2cm bases, 6 figs 3x2. Looks dense, not too fiddly. But they are on magnetised bases and I have recently made some very thin sabots out of thin vinyl tiles covered with steel paper and painted accordingly. Overall it works really well.

[WeeWars]

First of the July posts up on the blog - Post 37 deals with figure bases for the 1809 project.
http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,5128.0.html