Here's the thing. I seem to have acquired a bunch of 6mm Baccus Napoleonics, and they are steadily clamouring for some attention.
The problem is that I am somewhat prone to leaping in to massive painting projects that take years, only to discover that I have committed myself to some scale/basing convention/rules system that nobody else uses or likes, and that even I find tiresome before I've ever finished painting an army. My current aspiration is to have a stab at doing up some 6mm Napoleonic armies before I am too senile to tell the difference between an Uhlan and a Landesknecht. At present I have the basis of a 1813 Austrian army and some French.
Ideally, I would like to base up my figures so that I can use them in Lasalle, Back Powder and anything else you good people suggest. For example, should I look into Polemos? Napoleon at War? I don't actually own Black Powder yet, not have I ever played a game, but people seem to like it. Will it work with 6mm?
I'm thinking that basing my units on 60 X 30mm bases will allow me to play any of these rules, perhaps even with the possibility of meeting somebody one day who has a similarly based army (!!) This is a big commitment in figures, for example meaning that one Austrian large Regiment of foot would be made up of 6 bases, each holding 24 figures, but I'm embracing the mass battle effect that 6mm offers.
So what do you think? Is this basing a good idea? Are there other rules it will work for that are worth considering? What do people play? I am of course aware that such topics have been discussed on TMP, and that I could post my questions there, but I usually try to avoid TMP because of all the angry people. Following threads about Napoleonic rules usually just makes me wish people weren't such dicks. Of course, there are lots of lovely helpful people as well, so no offence intended to them. By definition, if you are a follower of this humble blog you are obviously a person of taste and discernment, and full of gamerly bonhomie.
try 30x30mm basing as used by Baccus for their Polemos series of rules. This will let you game with any other 6mm gamer using the same, and allow you to build the mass battle feel by combining the bases. although not Napoleonic I based mine this way with flags on every other base so a battalion in our local games are two bases side by side for line or one behind the other for column etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks! But I thought Polemos used 60 X 30 for Napoleonics??
ReplyDeletePolemos are 30x30 for guns and command
DeleteThey use either 30x60 or 60x60 dependant on the size of battle being played.
30x60 for Battalions whilst 60x60 are regiments.
I much prefer 60x60 for single battalions and 30x60 for the cavalry.
Best work out the rules first
Ian
Not a clue brother but you've got to base the little buggers somehow, they're really small!
ReplyDeleteI have trouble identifying who's who at 15mm...it's an age thing. I might suggest though that you consider the formations your units need to conform to. Do some test arrangements with figs on blue tack to get the look and feel of the units right first. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of Black Powder but they are extremely flexible and since everything is by "unit" as long as opposing frontages are vaguely similar for average units, any agreeable size would work.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered Command & Colours? It seems to be popular for conversion to miniature games and blocks of 6mm troops would seem just right. If Polemas uses 3cm wide bases, you could plan on 4 such for a unit and by a felt hexcloth from somewhere like Hotz Artworks with a grid big enough to hold them.
That 3 cm basing would cover all 3 systems and probably others. On the other hand if it sounds like a lot of bases you could probably use the 6cm wide ones and use a marker for losses if using the game required it,
Oohh! The basing curse!!! I based my napo 20mm armies first for V&B, then rebased for Principles of War and re-rebased again for V&B a few months later... now I play with Lasalle and I let the others bring their figures.
ReplyDeleteThe only advice from me is to pray...
If you like 60mm x 30mm go for it. I based my 6mm Napoleonics in this way. Each base with command figures, mounted officer and infantry in two lines. However I saw bases 60mm x 60mm...infantry in two lines, command, musicians and skirmishers...really nice small dioramas... :-)
ReplyDeleteMarzio.
I am also using 60 x 30mm for my Napoleonics, anything smaller in my opinion just doesn't look right. I use each base as essentially a British regiment (everyone else calls them battalions..) So between 4 - 6 is essentially a Brigade, less for cavalry. I posted some pics on my blog at: http://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com.au/p/6mm-napoleonic-british.html
ReplyDeleteHi Alan,
ReplyDeleteI am in a similar quandary with SYW 6mm and the Maurice Rules. The asthetics of 60mm x 30mm for cavalry and infantry is what I like but I will do the artillery as 30 x 30. If you do it deeper 60 x 60 then you can put a skirmish screen in front of the unit. That said the only thing yo may have issues with is running your battalions/regiments in column. As there is more of this maneuvering in Napoleonic periods I wonder if 30 x 30 for them all may work better.Either way as you seem to be building both armies then if they are both based the same way then it should work with little tweaking of any rules. Used Hail Caesar and have Black Powder if you swap inches for centimeters it might work well. hope you have fun cheers chris
While I have no interest in either Napoleonics or 6mm figures, I do have some advice.
ReplyDelete"Who are you going to play with?" . . . discussing it with them should be a serious concern. (Of course, if you are going to play solo, this doesn't apply.)
-- Jeff