Does anyone here play General d'Armee?  If so, how do you base your minis?  This looks like a great divisional level ruleset.  

Hello zabarr!

I've never played General d'Armee, but you might want to try and avoid any basing scheme that is geared towards only one set of rules. My experience from rebasing many times to play different rules is never to do that again. The common rule of thumb today is to base your figures to match the scale not the rules. Baccus recommends you use their "Polemos" basing system to not only play those rules, but pretty much any rule set that is 6mm capable. I'm not aware of any popular rule set today that can't be played using Polemos style basing as is or with a couple of simple house rules.

So before locking yourself into a unique style of basing you might want to ask an experienced General d'Armee player if Polemos basing can be used or not and if not why not.

In case your not aware Polemos basing is generally a 60mm x 30mm base for almost everything and 30mm x 30mm for commanders and artillery guns and crew. For some games 60mm x 60mm bases can also be used. It's what I call the Swiss Army knife for 6mm basing and it is by far the most common system used by 6mm players.

Hope this helps you out and if you need any further information, just ask.

Best regards,

Glenn

"The common rule of thumb today is to base your figures to match the scale not the rules."

For you, maybe. My 6mm Age of Hannibal are based on 40mm squares, like the rules suggests. My 6mm Maurice are based on 30x30mm and 60x30mm squares, as the rules suggest. My 6mm GWSH2 will be based on 30mm square bases, as the rules suggest. My 6mm Bluecher are on 80x60mm bases, as the rules suggest.

When I play other people here in Toronto who uses those rules, their basing are the same as mine.

If anything, you want to see what current players in your locale are using for their basing, and match that. if you follow Glenn's advice and base them to his standard but then find that all your local opponents are based to a different standard, you're going to be out of luck.

Hello Nick!

"maybe", no maybe for me. It's a common understanding. Often quoted by Peter.

There is nothing wrong with basing your figures to match the suggestion in a rule set. There is also nothing wrong with customizing your basing to suit your own preferences. You are, however, possibly leaving yourself open to rebasing when a new rule set comes along. Rebasing is the scourge of our hobby. Something almost everyone dreads. When you base your figures to match the scale your minimizing your exposure to rebasing. The Polemos system of basing was not only designed around 6mm, it is also the way Baccus sells their figures. So not only do you have a common system of basing you also have no figures left over or are short when you mount them. Which is another common problem with other basing systems.

Since the creation of Polemos basing over 20 years ago, I'm not aware of any new, popular rule set where the basing can't be used. A number of people now even call it "standard 6mm basing". Within the 6mm community no other basing even comes close in sales.

The only Napoleonic rule set that you mention is Blucher on 80mm x 60mm basing. I can see that might be awkward trying to play another Napoleonic rule set where the recommended basing could be a lot smaller. What would you do, rebase or just buy new figures? People who use Polemos basing can play Blucher, no problem.

"all your local opponents are based to a different standard, you're going to be out of luck"

It's certainly good advice to see what's going on in your area, but the different standard could be crap! Since Polemos basing is common in some areas (like mine in Toronto), there is a better chance that he would find compatible basing. The reverse is also true. He might encounter new players in his area or he might move to another area. He might even want to sell his figures some day, there is a market for Polemos basing. Friends of mine have bought entire armies of Polemos based figures on line.

Best regards,

Glenn

I can assure you that the main wargaming group here in Toronto uses the basing I've outlined above. 

On the idea of other places too: If I go elsewhere outside of Toronto to play Age of Hannibal, Bluecher, or GWSH2, my basing will be compatible with other players in those scales.

Hello Nick!

I never said your group didn't use the basing you outlined. I can only state that my group in Toronto is presently 54 years old and has roughly 30 regular members, with another 20 associates. I presently have over 50,000 6mm figures, the other members would add another 15,000 6mm figures. The other scales contain massive collections that fill at least four basements. So I'm not really sure why you call your group "the main wargaming group". Last I heard was your group broke up!

As for going outside of Toronto or more like the GTA (as my group covers all of southern Ontario) you would be very, very lucky to find more then a dozen 6mm players. I know of only one player who plays 6mm Blucher and nobody who plays 6mm Age of Hannibal. There are at least 6 that I know that play GWS. But none of this matters as the topic here is General d'Armee in 6mm.

So if zabarr lived in southern Ontario he would have no problem finding 6mm players that use Polemos basing. I think there are a number of places in the world that use it. I don't know of any clusters in the world where you'll find an abundance of Blucher players using 80mm x 60mm basing for General d'Armee.

Best regards,

Glenn

Our group has not broken up. The name changed, and the place where we mostly meet up changed ownership, but the club itself if still going strong. There are more than a dozen people who play 6mm there too, which is just Toronto and not the whole of South Ontario like your group.

If you don't know other groups in Toronto (there's also a large group based at U of T, as well as at other stores), and don't know any AoH or Bluecher players, then I suggest you get out more. There are loads of us in Toronto (and our group is based just in Toronto, not the GTA, though we're in contact with other similar groups in other parts of Ontario (Hamilton, Barrie, Windsor). Your ignorance of other players, the games they play, and what basing they use doesn't do you any credit. Zabarr could take advice from someone who remains ignorant of the wargaming scene, or he could ask his local players (which is what I originally suggested) to see what basing they use, and if he's interested in playing groups from all over the world, then he's better off using the basing that the rules themselves suggest rather than one out of touch wargamer with a weird obsession about everyone using the same basing he does.

Hello Nick!

I have absolutely no idea what has prompted you to insult me numerous times in a single posting. Please, please have a second look at your comments.

I never said I didn't know about other groups. I simply stated that I'm only aware of one 6mm player outside the GTA that plays Blucher and no 6mm players outside the GTA that play Age of Hannibal in 6mm. Since you seem to know more then I about these fellows then perhaps you could inform me who they are and where they are located. I have members all over southern Ontario who might be interested in meeting them.

What relevance does the "wargaming scene" have to do with my comments, or zabarr's question?

It does, however, seem that you are unaware that I have been into the "6mm wargaming scene" for over 40 years. I won't say anymore as it would all be off topic.

Your last rant and insult also appears to be completely off base. I never said that everyone should be using the same basing that I do. In fact I clearly stated that there is nothing wrong with usuing other bases!

Nick, in future please, please try and refrain from trying to belittle someone, simply because they have a different point of view then you. It drags down the whole concept of an open and friendly forum where people can express themselves and learn from others. It also does absolutely nothing to embellish your image.

Best regards,

Glenn

Should anyone be still interested in this topic and I have no idea why, a quote from General d'Armee rules.

"rules for both 15mm and 28mm figures"

Although it makes no mention of 6mm it's possible they are in the rules somewhere. It's also possible they don't acknowledge the scale at all. My past experience with rules openly aimed at larger scales generally don't really care about smaller scales and if they are included it's often not tested or even understood. 6mm players are then forced to create their own basing which is now based on pure guess work. Some seem to work out okay while others often don't see the cracks untill they have wasted a lot of time, money and effort. Clearly the safe choice then becomes to see if Polemos basing can work or not. If it does great, if not your able to move on to another rule set with probably little or no adjustment.

So zabarr, unless your able to find some concrete information on how to base your 6mm figures for this rule set you might want to find another rule set.

Well I have just bought a copy of Twilight of the Sun King and guess what the suggested basing is - 60x30 and 60x60. Oh goody!

Also, was beginning to think I had got onto TMP by mistake.