Hi All,
I'd like your advice/opinion on the following:
As some of you may know, I'm basing a 10mm British colonial army for Battles for Empire.
These rules advise me to base irregular enemies (Pathans in this case) with the same number of figures on double width bases compared to regulars. In my case that would be 6 figures Pathan on a 60mm wide base, 6 British regulars on a 30mm wide base.
Now, I also have Gurkhas on the Empire's side. These are skirmishers, I feel, but BfE says nothing about them.
What is your opinion: should I base them like the Pathans, like the British regulars, or even with 3 figures to a 30mm base.
Somehow using a 60mm base for guys that will navigate narrow mountain passes for me feels a bit off to me...
They are "European" Trained therefore I'd go with 4 figures on a 30mm base so they match the British
The double size irregular bases are for irregular troops that fight in a mass ie 2 x 2 bases
As an aside for marking casualties we use a single figure with one of Leon's dice frames on a 2 pence piece
When they take the first hit the marker is placed down with a D6 showing 1. As the hits increase so the number on the dice increases
When the 7th casualty is taken the dice is removed so that when the 8th and final hit is taken the unit and the marker are removed
BFE is a good set of Colonial rules except for the Fix Bayonets rule which I never saw the point of as our lot would fix bayonets on turn 1
Thanks. Yes, you are right of course.
Rereading the design philosophy of BfE it suddenly dawned on me: Double width does not denote skirmisher status, it denotes mass.
Skirmishing (if done at all) is performed by leaving some space between regular bases.
As for the fixing of bayonets: yes I wondered about that too...
Why not fix bayonets right away?
After all they don't like it up'em, Sir, no they don't! ;D ;D ;D
And I'll look into the casualty thing. Good suggestion, that.
Could it be the old, "Watch where you're waving that thing, PiKe............stupid boy!"
Pike with a pike :)