Slitherine

An army I am doing from "leftover/spare" fig box has units that are only deployed in skirmish. Back in the day: skirmish was represented by spreading out the bases by a mutually agreed distance in between.

Looking at page 7 of the rule book would I be correct it is the same format as other FOGx rules in that it is a standard bases with fewer figs on? Eg: FOGAM, LI/LC 2 models a base.

The unit is deployed in 1 rank of bases ?

Cheers
Nigel

The preferred method is to put them on the same size baes (60x40 or 40x30) with less figures - 3 or 4.
The rules do allow you to deploy the bases out in front as some other rules do. In this case you could base them as you wish (perhaps 2 figures on a half depth base). They would then look much like they do in other rules, but are ignored for game purposes.
We tried this approach early on during game developement, but found that it slowed the game down by quite a lot and didn't add anything to game play. However, we recognise that for "the look of the game" some players may still prefer to do this.

Deadtorius and I have them on standard bases (but I thought for 28mm this was 60mm x 45mm as per page 84) but only 3 figures on the base, scattered about a bit, some kneeling, most firing.

A sample (one of my French light infantry regiments):

They look nive .

What i did is use 3 on a base and sometimes 2 if i rebase some old miniatures when I cannot find sme new compatible miniatures and due to a lack of miniatures I have to try to use as few as possible .

I rebased a wurtmburg light unit but had only 16 fihures . So 2 bases of 6 ( as we use 6 not 8 ) and 2 bases of 2 . it works all right .

Deadtorius here went with 6 figures on a base for his lights, along with the 3 figs for the front bases. Looks fine.

terrys wrote:The preferred method is to put them on the same size baes (60x40 or 40x30) with less figures - 3 or 4.
The rules do allow you to deploy the bases out in front as some other rules do. In this case you could base them as you wish (perhaps 2 figures on a half depth base). They would then look much like they do in other rules, but are ignored for game purposes.
We tried this approach early on during game developement, but found that it slowed the game down by quite a lot and didn't add anything to game play. However, we recognise that for "the look of the game" some players may still prefer to do this.

I really like the look of two figures on a thin base for an attachment.
15x40 for 15mm size
20x40 for 25/28mm size.

I'd not played this before and am sold on it.

Guys, have I read the rules incorrectly and based all my troops (28mm) 45mm deep and they should be 40mm deep?

(Hazel: I went with 30mm by 45mm, so a skirmish base was half a base width.)

Blathergut wrote:Guys, have I read the rules incorrectly and based all my troops (28mm) 45mm deep and they should be 40mm deep?

(Hazel: I went with 30mm by 45mm, so a skirmish base was half a base width.)

Probably. But i've based or am rebasing all by 25mm to 40x40 and then use 15mm MUs. Its been awesome.

What then does a unit deployed entirely in skirmisher formation look like?

all 4 bases like the front bases with 3 figs on them

Thanks Blathergut.

More on skirmishers:

Firing, at medium range generates how many dice for a unit in skirmish formation?
Looking at the tables I can see that light infantry in tactical generate 5 for a small unit and 6 for a large, but there is no mention of skirmishers at this range, does that mean they cannot fire?

Firing at short range generates how many dice in skirmish formation?
I think at short range it should be 3 but some posts on here seem to think that skirmish formation benefits at close range from the extended line rules. Surely a unit is either in skirmish formation or extended line, they are mutually exclusive.

Regards

pcas

Your numbers are correct.

All troops are assumed to send out skirmishers to shoot at medium range 2-6 MU.

The skirmisher formation effects your too hit and to be hit POA. Also your movement and response to assaults.

Just an add on to Hazelbark's post

Troops in a skirmish extended line are still an extended line.

A small unit gets 5 dice at medium range (extended line only shoots as 2 units at closr range), but at close range the extended line does shoot as 2 units, so gets 2 lots of 3 dice, each with a -poa for being skirmishers (see page 51, last sentance of the 1st bullet point under 'Extended Line').

An extended line of skirmishers moves as skirmishers, but would lose a dice when taking CTs (unless on a hill or behind an obstacle).

Cheers
Brett

they shoot as light infantry if you are looking for it on the charts. Makes it easy to remember. Just don't forget the POA's for being shot at and shooting at close range.

Thanks every one for the replies.

Where in the rules does it define a skirmish line as an extended line, I would have thought they are two different and separate formations?

Regards

PCAS

pcas wrote:Thanks every one for the replies.

Where in the rules does it define a skirmish line as an extended line, I would have thought they are two different and separate formations?

They are two different things, but a unit can be in both if it is skirmisher capable.

hazelbark wrote:

pcas wrote:Thanks every one for the replies.

Where in the rules does it define a skirmish line as an extended line, I would have thought they are two different and separate formations?

They are two different things, but a unit can be in both if it is skirmisher capable.

Last weekend I had the honour to play against Terry at a FOGN Competition in Brussels.
I had a great time, especially when my Opolchenie militia broke his Superior Austrian Currassiers
This was my first competition and learnt a lot.
Terry confirmed light units are either in SKIRMISH or EXTENDED LINE but not both !
When my light units are in Skirmish formation I exchange the other half of the unit with 'skirmish bases' as well,
so all 4 (or6 for large unit) bases have a few firing figures; this way it is crystal clear what formation the light unit is in.

Terry confirmed light units are either in SKIRMISH or EXTENDED LINE but not both !

I am pretty confident this is not correct. While the rules in general are mostly ambigous on the point, page 51 leaves no doubt:

"A unit in Extended Line fires at close range as 2 adjacent half units, each with its own centre point (when determining targets). Each half calculates its own number of dice as if it was a complete unit, even if in Skirmish order." (bold added).

Seems pretty clear to me from this that skirmish order and extended line are not mutually exclusive formations.

Presumably a skirmishing 'tactical' formation represents reasonably concentrated skirmishers with some companies held as supports to the skirmish screen.
Extended line skirmishers have spread out and have less of their formation in reserve as supports, and accordingly get the -1 dice for CTs.

Cheers
Brett

Just to confirm:
A unit in skirmish formation MUST also be in tactical OR extended line formation.
They will always move, fight and fire as skirmishers. Being in tactical or extended line formations are mostly irrelevent apart from:
> The width that they take up
> The number of dice that they fire with at close range - They fire as 2 skirmisher units.