My bases are 16 10mm figures on a 30mm square base.  The plan is to paint 2 Pike stands per game unit (with 4 musket bases of 9-12 men)  I reckon this will give me the most flexibility to represent both sides for the whole war - I will be painting about 55% in red coats, the rest a lot of blue with some other colours.  One of each pair of stands has the 'command figures' (Officer, drummer, Standard)

How how many breastplates should I do for the pike units.  I know they fell out of favour as the war went on - they are going to be aesthetic only, as they don't make any difference in the 2 sets of rules I have (Pike and Shotte and Regiment of Foote).

It doesn't have to be a precise number - Some stands could have none, others the upper end of the range.

So you have some idea what the finished stands look like

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lasthussar/sets/72157621671630377/

I would say about 25-50% should do. The average regiment would then have the front row armoured with wealthier (or more old-fashioned) regiments having two lines armoured with the 'poorer' regiment having none or just a few men in armour in the front ranks. I guess that would be a fair reresentation of the historical looks...?

Cheers,
Rob

Don't think I'd go higher than 25% in the Royalist force, LH. Armour was expensive and the King was always short of money. Might go a bit higher with the Parliamentarians - they had access to the Tower and various arsenals - but I'm willing to bet those heavy, cumbersome breastplates got ditched as the campaign wore on.

I did front row only on my units in 28mm

Put the unarmoured and armoured figures in a bag and randomly pull out enough for each unit, that should give you an interesting mix

Yep, that just the way my Lord of Essex did it! 

Further question

I'm guessing not too uniform- I'm doing coats all the same colour, and most of the trousers in a unit- a little variation I think!

The Buff leather over jacket thing- should I paint some of the chaps in them?

Leather coats - some of London Trained bands wore them.

Coat colours - not too uniform. Throw in a few civilian coats to make a unit look more authentic.