Basing for Crossfire and O-Group (WW2)

[Berggeit]

I am thinking about getting into Crossfire as my first proper forray into historical wargaming and 10mm seem ideal for it. I think it might also be a good jump off point into O-Group.

I am curious about reconmended base sizes (going with round or oval) or reconmendation based on the number of figures (it would be nice to order everything in one go).

A basic force would have:

• 1 x Company Commander: 2 figures
• 3 x Platoon Commander: 1 figure
• 9 x Sections: 3 figures
• 1 x Forward Observer: 1 figure
• 1 x Mortar Team: 1 mortar and crew
• 1 x Machine Gun Team: 1 machinegun and crew

Still deciding on the theather/battle:
- Normany Campaign
- Operation Market Garden
- The Battle of the Bulge
- Invasion of the Netherlands (Polish infantry seem like a good proxy for the Dutch infantry)

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Welcome. Your basing would work for Cross Fire, but O Group is a skirmish game with 1-1 repersentation. As to campaigns Normandy and MG would be exactly the same figures.

[steve_holmes_11]

I can only comment for Crossfire.

I'm the sort of gamer / collector who provides both factions when hosting a game.
This frees me from the written basing conventions when they don't match my table dimensions.

Working in 10mm, I'd follow this line of thinking:

0. How big is my playing surface.
    Consider Crossfire is a terrain hungry system.
    Your table might accommodate 6' x 4', but you may only own enough trees for 3' x 3'.

1. How many bases, and what area of storage can I devote to this?
     Storage is a big issue for me - if not for you, then crack on.
     I would select 30mm or 40mm squares as the basis of my forces - I use 40mm squares for my Irregular Wars forces.

2. How many figures will look good on a base.
    Here 10mm permits rather more figures (especially on a 40mm base).
    I'd be inclined to 5 or 6 figures for a squad or company command and 3 for a team or platoon command.

[fred.]

but O Group is a skirmish game with 1-1 repersentation. 

I disagree. 


We played O Group with my WWII figures based 5-6 figures on 50x30mm bases. 

For O Group one unusual thing you need are some patrol markers - I went with 2 figures on 40mm circles - so they stood out from the standard infantry bases. 

A basic force would have:

• 1 x Company Commander: 2 figures
• 3 x Platoon Commander: 1 figure
• 9 x Sections: 3 figures
• 1 x Forward Observer: 1 figure
• 1 x Mortar Team: 1 mortar and crew
• 1 x Machine Gun Team: 1 machinegun and crew

Are you aiming to go with the fewest figures and smallest bases practical, so you can play in a small space? If not I'd be adding 1-2 figures per base. 


Whilst 1x 10mm foot figure on a base is possible it is a bit small and fiddly. 

[Berggeit]

Thank you for the quick responses!

@Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Welcome. Your basing would work for Cross Fire, but O Group is a skirmish game with 1-1 repersentation. As to campaigns Normandy and MG would be exactly the same figures.

Thank you! I wouldn't really call O-Group a skirmish game. Maybe big skirmish? I think you can play both Crossfire and O-Group as 1:1 or abstracted.

The way I see it, with my current system. I would just need to get 18 more sections, two more company commanders to go from a Crossfire company to O-Group battalion. Of course it would also require some more other options (artillery, support weapons, vehicles, battalion commander) etc.

A basic force would have:

• 1 x Battalion Command: 3 or more figures
• 3 x Company Commanders: 2 figures
• 27 x Sections: 3 figures
• 9 x Combat Patrols: 3 figures
• 1 x Forward Observer: 1 or 2 figures
• 1 x Jeep/Bike for the FO: 1 vehicle
• 3 x Machine Gun Teams: 1 machine gun and crew
• 3 x Mortar Team: 1 mortar and crew
• 3 x Anti-Tank team: 1 anti-Tank weapon and crew
• 3 x Field Artillery: 1 field gun and crew

@steve_holmes_11

I can only comment for Crossfire.

I'm the sort of gamer / collector who provides both factions when hosting a game.
This frees me from the written basing conventions when they don't match my table dimensions.

Working in 10mm, I'd follow this line of thinking:

0. How big is my playing surface.
    Consider Crossfire is a terrain hungry system.
    Your table might accommodate 6' x 4', but you may only own enough trees for 3' x 3'.

1. How many bases, and what area of storage can I devote to this?
    Storage is a big issue for me - if not for you, then crack on.
    I would select 30mm or 40mm squares as the basis of my forces - I use 40mm squares for my Irregular Wars forces.

2. How many figures will look good on a base.
    Here 10mm permits rather more figures (especially on a 40mm base).
    I'd be inclined to 5 or 6 figures for a squad or company command and 3 for a team or platoon command.

I am also collecting both factions. For the moment I am a solo gamer.

• My table is 3' x 3' but it can be increased to 5' x 3'. Still have to make terrain.
• Storage isn't going to be an issue for the figures.
• I have already settled on 3 figures for a standard infantry base. A matter of cost and board size.

@fred.

Are you aiming to go with the fewest figures and smallest bases practical, so you can play in a small space? If not I'd be adding 1-2 figures per base.


Whilst 1x 10mm foot figure on a base is possible it is a bit small and fiddly.

That is correct, as mentioned in my reply to steve_holmes_11.

I am probably going to base 1 and 2 figure's on the same base size.

I would assume for the base size something like:

• Platoon/Company Command/FO: 20 mm
• Section: 25 mm
• Support: 25 or 30 mm
• Combat Patrol: 40 or 50 mm

Maybe @Leon can divulge the base sizes they used for the WW2 Polish MG, Anti-Tank, and mortar team as well as the enigneers, truck, and artillery/field guns. Those look really neat.

[Berggeit]

I found a Reddit post about base sizes.

I am going to use 20mm bases for commanders, 25mm bases for infantry and light support (mortars, MG's, and man-portable anti-tank), and 50mm bases for combat patrols.


I suppose I'll just order a couple of different size bases for heavy support and tanks to see what fits.

Regarding the theatre, I am going with Normandy. The bocage seem ideal for Crossfire, easy and cheap to make.

Now to decide whenever I will go for the Yankees or the Tommies for the allies.