Hi all.
I'm starting to build a 6mm BKC army and wanted to hear your opinions on base sizes. I've also decided that I want to base my tanks (I know this splits opinion).
So, for 6mm, what are your suggestions for:
a) Infantry base sizes;
b) Vehicle base sizes;
c) Command base sizes.
Cheers ;)
To make it easy for 10mm I just based all my infantry on small FOW bases and I would do the same for 6mm..For tanks I used the middle sized bases but for 6mm I would put a tank on a small FOW base longways
Quote from: Fenton on 05 March 2015, 10:24:40 AM
To make it easy for 10mm I just based all my infantry on small FOW bases..For tanks I used the middle sized bases but for 6mm I would put a tank on a small FOW base longways
What size are FOW bases?
Also, aren't they a bugger to pick up because of the slope?
Quote from: getagrip on 05 March 2015, 10:25:33 AM
What size are FOW bases?
Also, aren't they a bugger to pick up because of the slope?
I never had any problems that I remember . From a quick look online they are 32mm x 25mm. I used the old bases before they started putting holes in them like the old Epic bases
Vehicles and infantry squads/platoons on 30mm x 20mm; heavy weapons, small vehicles, jeeps etc 15 x 10
Cheers guys.
Steve: yeah, the holes are a pain in the a$$.
Sub: Does 15x10 accommodate every vehicle?
Quote from: getagrip on 05 March 2015, 11:05:54 AM
Cheers guys.
Steve: yeah, the holes are a pain in the a$$.
Sub: Does 15x10 accommodate every vehicle?
Sorry - no way. I use 30x30, some people use various sizes and shapes to differentiate -so round for OP's etc. I dont but I can identify vehicles well.
IanS
Quote from: ianrs54 on 05 March 2015, 12:30:01 PM
Sorry - no way. I use 30x30, some people use various sizes and shapes to differentiate -so round for OP's etc. I dont but I can identify vehicles well.
IanS
Cheers.
Would you recommend basing vehicles according to size of the vehicle then?
Seems a bit tedious :-\
For 10mm I used 40mm x 20mm (width x depth) for infantry, MGs and mortars, 20mm x 40mm for armour and artillery, 40mm x 40mm for command with occasional exceptions. Big beasts like Tigers and Panthers need 25mm x 50mm for example.
For 3mm I use 40mm x 20mm for pretty much everything but with more models per base. The exception is command stands which are on round bases.
I guess in 6mm I'd use 40mm x 20mm for as much as possible with occasional deeper bases for bigger tanks and guns.
The 40 x 20 is simply because Warmaster used those and I had some spares when I started BKC and BKC was kind of WW2master.
I don't think base sizes matter too much for BKC to be honest. Better if both sides use the same basing but not essential so long as they're close, in my experience.
Cheers Ithoriel.
20x40 would work a treat for me because Warmaster is my main game.
I wouldn't be happy though if some vehicles didn't fit.
Maybe 30x40 would be better but that could drown smaller vehicles :-\
For my 3mm I use 40x30 as I can get 3 or 4 tanks on a base
Quote from: getagrip on 05 March 2015, 11:05:54 AM
Cheers guys.
Steve: yeah, the holes are a pain in the a$$.
Sub: Does 15x10 accommodate every vehicle?
It depends. I use a rule of thumb that is if it's small enough to go on a 15x10 then fine, if not 30x20. Jeeps, Gaz, motor cyclists and suchlike go on the smaller bases, an M113, Warrior, BRDM2 etc would be bigger. Go for whatever suits. Oh, command bases are 30 x 40 with a couple of vehicles on.
Thanks all, solid advice. :-bd
We use 30mm square for everything, mainly as that's the size of various other rules we'd used and have an imperial shed load of stuff already based.
When we started playing BKC/CWC in earnest I did new stuff the same, ut did do HQs on 40mm's, CO's on 50mm's and recce and weapons teams etc got pennies or t'uppneys as required and a si felt like it ;)
What's the ground scale in BKC and what is the typical frontage of the unit the base represents?
Or you could use 32x32mm so they are also based for Spearhead ;) (125 yards, typical platoon frontage)
Quote from: paulr on 05 March 2015, 07:07:38 PM
What's the ground scale in BKC and what is the typical frontage of the unit the base represents?
Or you could use 32x32mm so they are also based for Spearhead ;) (125 yards, typical platoon frontage)
I don't have the first clue :-/
BKC, like all of the Warmaster series, tends to be top down rather than bottom up - so no fixed ground scale/ time scale/ figure scale.
I play one infantry stand = 1 platoon.
Lets face it a WW2 platoon covered a frontage exactly equal to the ground it was told to hold .... OR I WILL KNOW THE REASON WHY, SERGEANT!! :)
Quote from: Ithoriel on 05 March 2015, 07:29:20 PM
BKC, like all of the Warmaster series, tends to be top down rather than bottom up - so no fixed ground scale/ time scale/ figure scale.
I play one infantry stand = 1 platoon.
Lets face it a WW2 platoon covered a frontage exactly equal to the ground it was told to hold .... OR I WILL KNOW THE REASON WHY, SERGEANT!! :)
Sir yes sir! ;)
I have another webpage I put together a few years ago about this http://www.kerynne.com/games/BaseArea.html
I note that ground scale is 1cm = 20m. So a 5cm base has a frontage of 100m. This seems a fairly compact but reasonable frontage for a platoon.
Quote from: fred 12df on 05 March 2015, 08:18:19 PM
I have another webpage I put together a few years ago about this http://www.kerynne.com/games/BaseArea.html
I note that ground scale is 1cm = 20m. So a 5cm base has a frontage of 100m. This seems a fairly compact but reasonable frontage for a platoon.
Cheers Fred, that's really useful. 20x40mm might be a goer ;)
Oddly enough out 30mm square was for Spearhead! Close enough :)
Could be why my stuff is 30x30, and the BMP/BTR bases look like they have a rash - where I pulled off the riflemen.
IanS
Yeah, that'd do it - 30mm square is the default for most people I think, and Spearhead uses Combat Teams for IFV mounted foot where they operate together on a base...
Wouldn't infantry look a bit lost on 30x30?
How many troops would you put on there?
Usually I put three for rifles, four for SMGs and five for engineers so I can tell them apart :D
And on with lots of nice scenery these days so they look nice. I did used to be very simple - three riflemen and flock. They really do look lost then!
Quote from: toxicpixie on 06 March 2015, 11:46:01 AM
Usually I put three for rifles, four for SMGs and five for engineers so I can tell them apart :D
And on with lots of nice scenery these days so they look nice. I did used to be very simple - three riflemen and flock. They really do look lost then!
That makes sense; like the idea of varying numbers by type :-bd
At 30x30 though, I think might double your numbers :-\
I'm a cheapskate ;)
Actually, the last 6mm I did was some Vichy French that ricardophillipo now owns - he can probably give you a nice description of them if he see's this ;)
There's some terrible pictures on my painting Faceache page - (https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10155183_1424965374419929_2811857855248384067_n.jpg?oh=db4da4f23912b3f32a3f4e31b69258e7&oe=5595C3EA&__gda__=1434945749_0f4e79add64ff09ea5bc1561435534d6)
https://www.facebook.com/jtppainting (https://www.facebook.com/jtppainting)
No 4 or 5 figures is enough...though these days I use 30x20 for my infanrty, mainly because I have battalions of those for use with 1-1 rules.
IanS
Quote from: toxicpixie on 06 March 2015, 11:53:41 AM
I'm a cheapskate ;)
Actually, the last 6mm I did was some Vichy French that ricardophillipo now owns - he can probably give you a nice description of them if he see's this ;)
There's some terrible pictures on my painting Faceache page - (https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10155183_1424965374419929_2811857855248384067_n.jpg?oh=db4da4f23912b3f32a3f4e31b69258e7&oe=5595C3EA&__gda__=1434945749_0f4e79add64ff09ea5bc1561435534d6)
https://www.facebook.com/jtppainting (https://www.facebook.com/jtppainting)
Cheers Pixie. So they are 6mm minis on 30x30mm bases? Doesn't look as sparse as I thought :-\
The painting's good too ;)
Quote from: ianrs54 on 06 March 2015, 11:55:03 AM
No 4 or 5 figures is enough...though these days I use 30x20 for my infanrty, mainly because I have battalions of those for use with 1-1 rules.
IanS
What do you put vehicles on Ian?
For GWSH I put 4 on a 30x30. They are Baccus which are a bit bigger than H&R. For H&R I would probably go 5
Vehicles are mostly 30 x 30, HQ's from 30x30 up to 60 x60 (that's a Corp HQ with 4-5 vehilces and flagpole) Some do need deeper bases.
IanS
Yes, the infantry there are Adler (barring gun crews who are H&R), whilst the vehicles are H&R. All 30mm square, scenic effect (sand then cork rocks and some static grass tufts). HQ's are the 40mm squares with a couple of vee's and blokes and the CO the 50mm square with two vee's and about five blokes. Signals bloke being useful and four officers gesticulating IIRC :D
The limbers are a 60mm long by 30mm wide, as horse trains take up a lot of space!
I like the BKC approach to the HQ/CO - lets you get a nice looking mini-diorama with a couple of trucks or a jeep and tank, and some chaps looking earnestly at their maps etc.
I put 6 Pendraken infantry figures on a 40x20 base - for no better reason than that BKC infantry bases take 6 hits to eliminate.
The best and worst thing about this forum is there are so many differing opinions and they're usually all good. :-\
I have an "brain issue" with vehicles mounted on square bases; the vehicles are rectangular, the bases square!
I realise this is an odd thing to say but I'm not sure I could live with it... :-\
Quote from: getagrip on 06 March 2015, 12:09:13 PM
I have an "brain issue" with vehicles mounted on square bases; the vehicles are rectangular, the bases square!
You are not alone.
Our small events at Crisis Point - last weekend in Sept this year - draw troops from all over and with all types of base. We have no problem, apart from gas attacks on US marines.
IanS
yeah, just trying to get a consensus; the chance of everyone on here agreeing is...zero :D
And, to my mind, better for that :)
I think I might use 30x30 for infantry and 30x40 for vehicles. Would that work?
Don't see why not!
BKC isn't really very worried about base sizing in my experience :)
For 10mm, I use 50 mm x 25 mm for foot, 25 x 25 for support, 25 x whatever fits for the bigger guns and no bases for vehicles.
6 mm could be nice with 3 or 4 vehicles on one stand to have a 1:1 platoon.
I've thought about that for 6mm before, but you need much bigger bases to avoid it looking like a carpark... there's some very nice piccies of that done with a desert force over on the BKC forum - Dr Dave, I think? Maybe?
With 3mm I'd say definitely for multiple mini's even on a smallish base though!
Don't think I could live with unbased vehicles, especially since I'm using 6mm :-\