Wargames Illustrated 280 has tossed me on the horns of a dilemma (as well as tempted me with with lovely pictures of Sudan miniatures) and that is basing... One of the "things" that has always bugged me with Ancients (and I admit Fantasy) is irregular troops like Celts (and Orcs) being based on square bases in rectangular units with ranks and files as neat as the Guards at Trooping The Colour (indeed if anything neater).
Pete Brown has written an interesting article on this in WI, though not really coming up with any real satisfactory answer but it has caused me to look at my Celtic warband and wonder whether I should adopt a radical (and probably more accurate) approach by basing them on round bases and moving them as a blob like mass or leave on the 20mm square I have glued them to, on the rectangular movement tray I have made out of plastic card. I really like the idea of regular troops being mounted on square bases and irregular ones on round, I just don't know if I have the courage to do it...
Do it, you know you want to!
ReplyDeleteI will do mine that way too, if I can persuade the rest of my group to follow suit!
One of the arguments against is that whilst it would be more realistic to have Celts on 25mm round and Romans on 20mm square, thus less wild Celts v close order Romans on a frontage basis is that (supposedly) this is already factored into the stats and rules in the likes of WAB.
ReplyDeleteThat said my gut is telling me to, my brain is prevaricating...
Peer pressure led me to round bases with my Vikings. In the long run though I ended up liking it more than if I had gone square however...
ReplyDeletehttp://miksminis.blogspot.com/2010/03/another-week-another-viking-horde.html
In Mac's game S.P.Q.Orc, the Orc (Nomans) are meant to be on square 25mm bases and the Halfling (Boche) are meant to be out round, 20mm bases to reflect this.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you, that basing is something that should be very considered in this manner, but I think it looks a damn sight unappealing!
However, you could always base everything on round bases and then let the movement trays dictate how 'orderly' the troops actually are. For example, your Romans could sit in GW WOTR style movment trays, but your Celts, Gauls, Barbarians, Orcs etc could sit in 'skirmish' trays from Litko. This would aid faster movement for faster games, look appealing and also have the right 'feel'.
Just an idea.
I really must get this months issue of WI, I've been struggling to find it in Warks!
Cheers
Rob
@Rob - The trouble with the S.P.Q.Orc basing is that you should get more Romans in a frontage length than Barbarians so it's the wrong way round! :-)
ReplyDeleteI looked at the GW bases but they are too spaced out for regular troops that are supposed to be stood shoulder to shoulder.