How important is the size of bases?

[vivsavage]

Rookie here... how important is it that I follow the guidelines for the size of bases in FoG? I'm using 15mm, and would like to use the bases from Flames of War. It's not that I have difficulty finding bases of 40x15 or 40x20 size, its more of an aesthetic reason; I want to spread out my celts in a non-regimented fashion. I also find the larger bases more pleasing to look at after they've been flocked. As long as the widths are all the same (50mm), will it make any real difference to the game? Will it matter that heavy infantry will have the same depth as light infantry (32mm), etc? I'm not planning on going to any tournaments; this is just between my friends & I (and I'll be supplying the armies).

[richnz]

The only important thing with basing is to have consistency between the armies on the table. Since you will be supplying the armies then there is no problem at all.

I often make some departures from the standard basing- double basing warbands, deeper bases for some infantry, round bases for generals- and it hasn't mattered at all.

Go for it!

[hammy]

If you supply all the armies then as long as all the troops have bases the same width it shouldn't be a problem. If you ever get someone from outside your group turning up to play you would need to lend them troops but that shouldn't be a problem.

base depths being the same won't significantly affect the game either.

What base sizes are you going to use for cavalry? I can see medium bases for infantry but large FoW bases for cavalry are going to be pretty chunky. You might find that everything apart from elephants and cavalry on a FoW medium base is the best way to go.

[DaiSho]

Rookie here... how important is it that I follow the guidelines for the size of bases in FoG? I'm using 15mm, and would like to use the bases from Flames of War. It's not that I have difficulty finding bases of 40x15 or 40x20 size, its more of an aesthetic reason; I want to spread out my celts in a non-regimented fashion. I also find the larger bases more pleasing to look at after they've been flocked. As long as the widths are all the same (50mm), will it make any real difference to the game? Will it matter that heavy infantry will have the same depth as light infantry (32mm), etc? I'm not planning on going to any tournaments; this is just between my friends & I (and I'll be supplying the armies).

If you only ever play within your own group do what you feel is right. I agree with you about Aesthetics. I'm basing most of my 'Heavy Foot' barbarians on 40mmx40mm square bases. I'm calling them 'double based' so they are only 10mm too deep, but I'd be very careful if I was playing in a comp to make sure my opponent knew. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem.

In your case I think it would be a BIG problem because the base widths wouldn't match up. Not a problem if you're only ever playing within your group, but painful in several instances that I can see:

1 - you find a new opponent that uses standard basing. What do you do then?
2 - you decide you really really like FoG and want to play in comps. What do you do then?
3 - you decide that you really HATE FoG and want to sell your armies to the lowest bidder, but NOBODY bids becaus they are going to have to re-base the army and that's just too much hard work. What do you do then?

So, I guess if the answers to the above are all 'that won't happen' then do it and enjoy the game within your own group, and good luck

Ian

[hazelbark]

whateverone else said.

My recommendation though would be use the official widths. The depths are not significant. But the widths would be better correct. One of your club mates builds his own army and moves and have the wrong widths etc. An outsider moves to nearby and has armies etc.

[Phaze_of_the_Moon]

Why not base to the 25mm standard of 60mm? Then there is at least some pool of players you can play against.

[nikgaukroger]

The depths are not significant.

Working on this theory I have considered basing all my 15mm foot on 20mm deep bases and the mounted on 40mm deep ones - should mean that you can always turn 90 degrees barring terrain obstruction

[Polkovnik]

To continue with Daisho's good advice - are you sure you will never want to play against another player from outside your group ? Will you never go to a wargames club, or move to a different area and want to play against new opponents ?

[lawrenceg]

The depths are not significant.

Working on this theory I have considered basing all my 15mm foot on 20mm deep bases and the mounted on 40mm deep ones - should mean that you can always turn 90 degrees barring terrain obstruction

Yes, makes a difference when turning your column of 4 cavalry to a line. Also affects stepping forward. IMO the base depths were simply decided to be the same as DBM where possible, rather than to produce particular results for turning 90 and stepping forward. However, some may regard deeper bases as a cheesy way of gaining advantage.

[nikgaukroger]

Stepping forward had not crossed my mind, honest guv ...

[vivsavage]

The depths are not significant.

Working on this theory I have considered basing all my 15mm foot on 20mm deep bases and the mounted on 40mm deep ones - should mean that you can always turn 90 degrees barring terrain obstruction

Yes, makes a difference when turning your column of 4 cavalry to a line. Also affects stepping forward. IMO the base depths were simply decided to be the same as DBM where possible, rather than to produce particular results for turning 90 and stepping forward. However, some may regard deeper bases as a cheesy way of gaining advantage.

For folks like myself who are rank novices, could you explain what this means?

[hammy]

Working on this theory I have considered basing all my 15mm foot on 20mm deep bases and the mounted on 40mm deep ones - should mean that you can always turn 90 degrees barring terrain obstruction

Yes, makes a difference when turning your column of 4 cavalry to a line. Also affects stepping forward. IMO the base depths were simply decided to be the same as DBM where possible, rather than to produce particular results for turning 90 and stepping forward. However, some may regard deeper bases as a cheesy way of gaining advantage.

For folks like myself who are rank novices, could you explain what this means?

When you turn a formation 90 degrees the resulting formation is as wide as the minimum number of whole bases that would be the same depth.

Or put another way if you have 4 cavalry on 40mm by 30mm bases then in a column they will be 40mm wide and 120mm deep. Turning them 90 degrees will put them in a line 3 bases wide with one base as a partial second rank. If the cavalry bases were 31mm deep then when turning you would need to be 124mm wide and as a result would end up in a line 4 wide and 1 deep.

To be honest it really makes very little difference, especially if both armies are based the same.

The only time things could get silly would be if your bases are smaller than 1 MU wide so if you use 50mm bases and 1" MU that would be fine but if you use 25mm bases and 2" MU then there might be a few 'strange' side effects.

[shall]

fwiw i have played fog with friends using wrmaster basing and with individual figures used for WAB. all worked fine and dandy.

Si

[nikgaukroger]

When you turn a formation 90 degrees the resulting formation is as wide as the minimum number of whole bases that would be the same depth.

And if your formations are a multiple of a base width in depth then the enemy cannot put a BG in such a position to prevent you from making that 90 degree turn

[lawrenceg]

Or put another way if you have 4 cavalry on 40mm by 30mm bases then in a column they will be 40mm wide and 120mm deep. Turning them 90 degrees will put them in a line 3 bases wide with one base as a partial second rank. If the cavalry bases were 31mm deep then when turning you would need to be 124mm wide and as a result would end up in a line 4 wide and 1 deep.

To be honest it really makes very little difference, especially if both armies are based the same.

It makes quite a difference if your cavalry want to evade next bound.

[nickandmatt]

Another newbie queston.

I've recently tried to rebase most of my armies to FoG spec.
I have however based based all my HF units on 40x20mm bases & not 40x15mm.

Would this be OK I started to play tournaments??

[philqw78]

based all my HF units on 40x20mm

I don't think many people would mind providing you could tell the difference between your MF and HF, I certainly wouldn't and nobody I know would . Although some peple I know of might .

[hammy]

Another newbie queston.

I've recently tried to rebase most of my armies to FoG spec.
I have however based based all my HF units on 40x20mm bases & not 40x15mm.

Would this be OK I started to play tournaments??

If the worst comes to the worst it is perfectly possible to play them as if they were 40 by 15 if your opponent gets upity.

Some of the places that base depth makes a difference are:

Distance you can step forwards (you have to stay in contact with the rest of the BG)
Turning 90 and the depth of the new formation although this would only be different if you are 5, or 7 or more bases deep
Getting charged in the rear (your opponent needs to be further past your front edge but this is not really significant)
Being within 3MU of a friendly BG when you break (a reserve BG has to be further back to avoid testing if you break)

All in all there is not a lot of difference at all. If you base all your HF 4 to a base on 40 by 20 and all your MF 3 to a base I really think it would be very difficult to find any reason to complain.

[nickandmatt]

I've based HF with 4 miniatures, MF with 3 & LF with 2, so shouldn't be that confusing to other players.

Cheers for your help lads.

[hazelbark]

Another newbie queston.

I've recently tried to rebase most of my armies to FoG spec.
I have however based based all my HF units on 40x20mm bases & not 40x15mm.

Would this be OK I started to play tournaments??

Absolutely. People are very fair and forgiving to begininers. Now sharks like Nik will get penalized because they are doing it for evil reasons.