Hello, I just received my first 6mm minis in the mail, got them sorted out, and glued to the last of my tongue depressors before painting. I do have a question on basing, however. I goal is to base my army(ies) as versitile as possible for any one of many different systems. I have FoG, DBA, Impetus, Hail Caesar, War & Conquest, Comitatus and Sword and Spear and Clash of Empires are on the way.

It seem that most, but not all of the systems, are based on 40mm frontages or can be played easily with 40mm frontages. Except Impetus, which from a cursory look-through seems to use 80mm.

So I am curious on how most people base their units. And the following questions occured to me as I am considering using 40mm long plastic bases with steel paper and 80x20mm long magnitized strip for a "movement tray" if Impetus becomes the game of choice.

1) I have a whole bunch of Rendera 40x20mm and 40x40 plastic bases. Are these suitable or are they a little cramped? Do most people use something (MDF?) with a little bit more height (how much?): it seems the Rendera bases may be difficult to pick up on the gaming table but on the other hand look good aesthetically.

2) Does a 40mm, 3 rank deep unit of legionaires usually represent a cohort or century? If it is a cohort, does anyone double the models on a 40x40mm base to represent the 1st Cohort?

3) I also ordered the HC Dacian army and I have a similar question about warbands and such: 40x20mm base or would perhaps a 40x40mm base with double the models work better for warbands?

Thanks in advance for any advice any one cares to share.

Best regards,

Richard in Saxony

I am sorry I can't discuss your questions directly - I mainly play rules using the 60mm x 30mm Polemos standard - but I have seen a couple of useful discussions of similar issues here and here and here.

I hope that helps a little

Thanks, Whirlwind, for the reply and the links. They help... but my head still hurts and I'll have to consider it a bit more. Oh, but that last link was a doozy! I like the look of those 60x30mm stands as well as the practicality of having a bit of 'fat finger' in moving game pieces across the board. I am just trying to create my armies to be very versatile in order to be able to play different systems: from Impetus to FoG to Hail Caesar with other players.

I realize there isn't a standard size, just trying to figure out the most workable.

Thanks again,

Richard in Saxony

I have recently started an ancient indian army and like yourself hurt my head worrying over base sizes. In the end I decided to base my army on 40x20mm and 20x20 mm metal bases (1mm thick). To get the height I made alot of 40x20 mdfbases 2mm thick to place these on with magnetic paper. Just using the 40x20 I can play HC or warmaster ancients or sword and spear. However if I play an opponent with 60x30  I can place my units on and 60x30 mdf base which has magnetic paper glued to the top.  If I then decide to play other games with much larger bases all I have to do is make the appropriate base out of mdf or even card with the magnetic paper on top. This way my army can be based to play any game against any opponent. 

If you have the rehendra plastic bases and steel paper then I would go ahead and base them on that. Then like you say are free to make movement trays however you need. You can always go from 40x20 to 60x30 using this method but not the other way round really! As for picking up the bases I have seen one example where someone put tiny magnets on top of the bases and uses nail to pick the baes up so as not to touch the figures. I personally wouldn't go this far and if the minatures are given a good coat of varnish to protect them the bases can be picked up by the models.

Thanks Mobius,

Now that sounds like the solution! That is what I'll do, even for the 40x20 games it may be worthwhile to place the bases on a sabot /tray with a little more gripping space. I'll tell you how much my head hurt over this - I woke up around 2AM with the idea in half-sleep to put three strips on 20X20 bases for the whole army and imagining a very challenging Teutoburger Wald scenario with the entire Roman army in a column only 20mm wide.

Then I decided that that would be way too fiddly and when I woke up in the morning it would be a stupid idea in the light of day... you know how ideas are in the middle of the night - they sound great... until morning.

But I woke up to this reply, taking that idea and making sense of it. So that is what I will also do, but for now I'll stick to only 40x20mm for infantry and when the Dacians come, see how they look as a warband on 40x40mm.

And if any one in my area begins to play a 60x30 system, I can always order another bag of legionaires and make some 20x20mm bases and the appropriate trays to put a 20x20 side-by-side with a 40x20 and there we have the 60mm frontage problem solved.

Thanks again for the suggestion and solution, that's how I'll do it.

Best regards,

Richard in Saxony

You know, I saw that four threads down someone has already discussed this very problem and solution.

I don't know how I missed that yesterday as it has all the answers already there, nevertheless I apologize for the redundant thread.

R