Okay, I got into minitures back in March. I have been focused on using Black Powder rules and using 28mm figures. I was building the Elixheim scenario for the War of the Spanish Succession. 

However, I didn't realize what I was getting into. The 2nd edition rules don't specify table sizes. I got me a nice 6'x4' green felt cloth to make my battlefield on. It's not big enough! I got a 1st editon rules where sizes are specified.to play a 28mm battle as put out in the 2nd edition will require a whote 12' x 8' battlefield. Are they kidding? I would have to use a zipline to go from my bedroom to my kitchen to go over my dinning room battlefield. Wife would be pissed. This just ain't practical.

Is it hard to use Black Powder rules with 6mm figures. I understand certain formations may be hard to do in this scale. 

Feel I wasted a lot of money getting 28 mm figures and terrain.

I should add. Things are big in Texas but houses often don't accommodate 12' playing spaces.

Someone with more gaming experience will be able to give you more specific ideas about what they do for Black Powder, but moving to 6mm will definitely solve your problem.  For example, for your 6 x 4 table size, you could just halve unit base sizes and movement / firing distances and you'd be good to go!  Units will look more realistic too due to the greater number of figures per unit and any formation you can represent in 28mm you can do in 6mm.

Not 100% sure what half the standard base sizes would be, but let's say it's 120mm by 150mm.  You can build your units by combining smaller bases such as 30mm x 60mm, which will give you more flexibility for representing different formations and unit sizes.

In short, everything can be scaled down and 6mm will help you do so and still have a great looking army and battlefield.  You can of course also scale down base sizes, movement, range etc. for your 28mm figures, but 6mm will definitely look and feel much better scaled down.

Yeh, switch to 6mm, halve all base sizes, and away you go. It looks far better in 6mm anyway, you don't end up with the "5 blokes taking a flag for a walk" look if you have a load of 6mm figures on your bases.

Thank you.

Hello gsayhi!

Yes you can certainly play Black Powder in 6mm. You can play pretty much any game in 6mm. However if you want to maximize the advantage in 6mm and your table size of 6'x4' you would be better off using the most popular basing in 6mm. Baccus uses this system in their Polemos rules which are designed to utilize the best advantages of 6mm. The 60mm x 30mm base for infantry, cavalry, limbers, wagons, etc. The 30mm x 30mm for artillery and commanders. Only two bases for your entire collection, couldn't be easier. 

In Polemos rules and in most "New School" rule designs they don't waste time and energy in changing formations. So if you want to use that feature in playing Black Powder you have a couple of options. Create markers for columns & squares. Some people just use one marker with square on one side and column on the other. Others simply build a few bases of figures in square and columns and just switch them out. Some who are not pressed for table space use three bases. The 60x30 actually representing two bases just joined together and two 30x30 representing the elite companies if the battalion had them. There are also those that just use the standard base 60x30 and ignore the formation rules. 

The main advantage in using the Polemos basing system is you can play pretty much any rule set as is or with a few simple house rules. No need to rebase or create and build a series of ugly sabots everytime you change rules. 

Baccus also sells their figures to match this basing so your not short figures or looking for extra figures. Just take them out of the bag, paint them and mount them. One, two, three!

Unfortunately due to covid restrictions and an overwhelming demand for their products Baccus is presently closed but is planning to reopen sometime this month. So keep your eyes open as they might be forced to close again. 

Any further questions, just ask, glad to help.

Best regards,

Glenn

I also think that if you are going to do relatively large battles like Elixheim you are better off doing it with smaller scale figures. Alternatively use a set of rules more aimed at larger battles like this. Doing this kind of battle with Black Powder and in 28mm is really a club project or for some special occasion.

We use a set called Twilight of a Sun King which covers larger battles in the War of Spanish Succession on reasonably sized tables & which are 'scale neutral'.

Hello gsayhi! 

We had been playing for almost forty years at 25mm then 15mm scales ... before moving, 3 years ago, to 6mm and in particular to Baccus to reconstruct the battle of Loigny.
Click here to see what a full battle looks like on a 120x180 cm table!

:-)

6mm works perfectly with black powder. I just change inches to cm and it feels right. AWI units are 5 2x2cm bases each for standard with two strips per base. gives you 3 bases for small, 1 for tiny, and 7 for large. Will work great on a 6 by 4 table, and even better if you can increase the tablespace but thats for big games with some extra ellbow room to maneuver... :)

Hi There

I play BP in 28mm and love it but you are right it really needs a big table and club night to play it.

Those 28mm figs would be great for sharp practice though which is also a great game.

I just started a 6mm Naps project to play DBN figs are all based on 40mm wide bases for DBN. Also plan to scale up to BP, will be playing probably scaled with all distances in it cm rather than inches. If I manage to go full power will also use figs for Blucher.