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TOPIC: Basing
PM yelserpdog
Standard User
Posts: 1
Basing
yelserpdog
6th May 2017 08:02:19

Hi there. 

I'm new here and new to 6mm!! I've got an early immperial Roman army i'm painting up but and still undecided on basing. I'll be using Hail Caesar rulets and was thinking of basing each 4 man strip on 20x20mm squares with 2 strips on each then using say 4-6 of these for a unit. Looking at examples of basing most people seem to use rectangular bases for 6mm but how then do you represent marching in column or fighting in square?

 


PM mangemani
Standard User
Posts: 137
Basing
mangemani
6th May 2017 01:44:31

im pretty new myself to 6mm and still trying to figure out what bases works best for what. in my opinion, 40 x 20 bases works just fine, 2 strips of figs and 2 ranks deep and you can easily shift from fighting line to marching column. this is a cohort on working progress, 3 centerys almost done, they all stand on 40 x 20 baseplates and they can easily shift from fighting line and marching column, works and looks fine, but thats just my opinion.

 


Email dourpuritan PM dourpuritan
Standard User
Posts: 1064
Basing
dourpuritan
7th May 2017 10:37:31

I use 30x30 for Bloody Big Battles (C19th), 40x20 for Warmaster Ancients, 60x30 for ECW.


A little goes a long way

PM Glenn Pearce
Standard User
Posts: 404
Basing
Glenn Pearce
7th May 2017 02:15:25

Hello yelserpdog!

In the early days of 6mm most people used small 20mm x 20mm bases. Over time some people realized that they were way too small and fiddly. If your collection grows then the problems compound. It does not take long to have a few thousand figures. A number of early rule sets were designed by 15mm players and they dictated that 6mm figures should be on 40mm x 20mm bases. It was not until Baccus that an actual base was designed for 6mm figures and thats the popular triangle base that you see in most of the photos 60mm x 30mm. Baccus even sells their figures to match these bases. It has become known as the "standard" base for 6mm. Baccus also sells Hail Caesar army packs to match these bases.

Most modern rule sets for 6mm and some other scales as well ignore formations. A common rule is "units are always considered to be in the best formation for the situation at hand". Others just use markers, etc. to show what formation the unit is actually in. There is no need to actually show the different formations.

Best regards,

Glenn


PM njt236
Standard User
Posts: 426
Basing
njt236
7th May 2017 04:59:55

For whatever ruleset I'm using eg Ancients (I have Hail Caesar, Polemos, Sword and Spear) I use 60mm bases. My Roman cohort is based 24 figs in 2 ranks on a 60mm base. If, for whatever reason, they have to be in column, marching on a road perhaps, (or marching through the Teutoburg Forest)  I just turn the base 90' to the line of march and you now have a 2 figure wide column. 99% of the time they will be in line so I have no need for smaller bases to rearrange into column, then back to line. As for fighting in squares, testudo etc, All you have to do is state before hand that the unit on a 60x30 base has formed square or testudo. I don't feel the need for lots of small bases trying to represent every possible formation for a particular unit. 

Nigel

 


Through the travail of the ages Midst the pomp and toil of war Have I fought and strove and perished Countless times upon this star.
So as through a glass and darkly The age long strife I see Where I fought in many guises, Many names but always me.
So forever in the future Shall I battle as of yore, Dying to be born a fighter But to die again once more.         

                G S Patton

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