Commander Basing

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:54 pm

Hi all,

Just another random question regarding basing this time. We did a playtest on Friday night and I based some new commanders on 40mm x 40mm bases and I had some already based on 40mm x 30mm.

The ones that were 40 x 40 looked too large when in the front rank of the HF, they forced the stand in behind to stick out a little. the 40x30 fit in perfectly. My question is, is it ok to use 40x30 commander bases or should I just use 40x40? Personally I have no preference other than asthetics. Does anyone else have different command base sizes?

Brian

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:05 pm

40 by 30 is fine for a commaners base, at the moment the vast majority of my commanders are on just such bases. I can see your point that if they are mainly going to be commanding infantry that 40 by 30 will look better and may reconsider my plan to go for a wholesale rebasing to 40 by 40.

andrewgr · Post by **andrewgr** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:12 pm

I haven't played yet, I've only read the rules, so maybe this is a stupid question, but why do they need to be based to any particular frontage at all? It seems to me that a single leader figure on a 15mm wide by 30mm deep base would be most convenient, you could almost always find a stand to stick it next to (or even on top of) that wouldn't require you to displace an existing stand.

Or am I missing something?

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:31 pm

Hi Andre,

I think the reason Commander stands are 40mm wide is for conformity. Especially when Commanders fight in the front rank, they fit in perfectly with no gaps on either side. I just found having it 40mm deep was a little too deep. I have about 4 commanders on horses based at 40mm x 30mm and they look really good on the table. The 40mm x 40mm ones just look too big especially when fighting in the front.

And thanks Hammy for your input, I'll go ahead and flock my commander bases at 40mm x 30mm. The only issue I can see is if you are measuring command range from the back, but if all the commander bases are the same then it should not be an issue.

Brian

shall · Post by **shall** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:09 am

They need a 40mm edge to allow them to show that they are with a BG by aligning with them.

We recommend 40x40 so they can do this with any edge but 40x30 or 20 or 15 will work fine.

Your range of control is measured from the base so the tourney pro looking for every angle will notice that your command range shrinks slightly at less than 40 square But it doesn't affect the game materially.

FWIW I am using Bd generals with romans and haven't rebased them yet.

Si

stevoid · Post by **stevoid** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:23 am

40mm diameter circle bases work well visually and we have not had any trouble re measuring etc with them. Distinctive and practical.

Nice little dioramas too

Steve

petedalby · Post by **petedalby** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:19 pm

I've just done some as sabot bases for HF.

When not in combat they sit on magnetic bases on a 40 x 40 base. Then if they go into combat I peel off the 40 x 15 base. Makes it crystal clear when they're in the front rank and retains the benefit of a 40 x 40 base for command radius.

Looks quite nice too.

Pete

trev · Post by **trev** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:42 pm

Out of interest, why do the commanders have to be placed in the front rank? It seems unecessary and to spoil the aesthetics. I'd have though that you could easily place a command base in contact with any point of the outside of a battle group to indicate the leader was 'leading'. Out in front when advancing and just to the rear when fighting would seem most sensible. A simple courtesy like telling your opponent when a leader joins a unit would remove any doubt and all measurement could be done from the front and centre of the battle group to remove any advantage to be gained from placing the leader at one end or another. The leaders could then be nice little dioramas on round bases to distinguish them. Although I appreciate many DBxers have them on rectangles already.

regards,

Trev

terrys · Post by **terrys** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:01 pm

A simple courtesy like telling your opponent when a leader joins a unit would remove any doubt

You've obviously never played opponents with poor memories.
We made a points of trying to maintain - as far as possible - a rule that there would never be a requirement to remember anything from one phase to the next. There are some instances where this couldn't be done, but in the main we've managed to avoid it. I can think of only one situation where you need to remember from one move to the next, and that's where a pursuing BG hits another. Even that's resolved in the first phase of the next move.

To tell your opponent every move whether or not the leader is with a BG is fraught with problems.
I forgot/he forgot/didn't you hear/isn't it obvious? are all potential pit-falls. Should you assume that having told him once, that it will then stay with that BG until you tell him it's left? and will he remember several moves later.

It's far easier to say - "The leader is where his model is"

trev · Post by **trev** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:48 pm

I was more thinking of a belt and braces approach of having the base touch the unit and also tell the opponent. It should be obvious if they are touching and I doubt it would be necessary to tell an opponent each turn they are. Then again I am not a tournament gamer so I don't really understand the need to be so pedantic and don't enjoy playing like that anyway. To me it seems easy to just have a general 'attach' and then to assume they are in the front rank for all purposes. I've done similar things in WAB games without any issues. Cheers for the reply though.

regards,

Trev

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:55 pm

The magnetic base solution sounds interesting, will have to have a look.

rtaylor · Post by **rtaylor** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:15 pm

Just as I use colored markers for disrupted, fragmented, and routed BGs, I like to use a marker for commanders in the front rank to save me having to shuffle bases. All my opponents have been fine with it.

petedalby · Post by **petedalby** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:20 pm

The magnetic base solution sounds interesting, will have to have a look.

There you go. It's still work in progress....and the picture's not great, but hopefully you get the idea.

Pete

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:41 pm

That is a really cool idea Pete. Pretty elegant

shall · Post by **shall** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:16 pm

Yeah I like that
Si

Kineas1 · Post by **Kineas1** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:25 pm

Me too. I love what can be done with magnets, and that rocks.

Hmm. I have some magnets in the basement... And ten hours til I leave for CWs.

fukateesays · Post by **fukateesays** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:42 pm

Its given me the idea that I'll do some infantry size bases with a foot commander on to substute when fighting in the front rank. I'm toying with round bases for the actual command bases.

fukateesays · Post by **fukateesays** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:43 pm

Its given me the idea that I'll do some infantry size bases with a foot commander on to substitute when fighting in the front rank. I'm toying with round bases for the actual command bases.