Ayton 2020 - Sunday 18th Century Game

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

It's a good job that Helen Mirren turned George down. Can you imagine what Mel Gibson would have done with that storyline in The Patriot?

I'm happy to say that my mind is too limited to imagine such a horror.

[Essex Boy]

How are people basing Light Bobs? I'm going for 4 on a 60 by 40 base.

That looks like open order to me, Buff. Is that how you see it? Dave's certainly would.

My thinking for open order and skirmishing units is that they should be much weaker than formed, close order troops. In the rules there is an advantage to being in open or extended order. I don't want to start fiddling with the core shooting stuff (any more than I already have), so I'm thinking of making open order and skirmishing units just four bases strong - remembering that formed line troops will all either be six or all eight bases strong.

Have I already said that a gun is one base? It, or they, is, or are. Single base units don't tend to hand around. I'm thinking that very small units, i.e. a dozen or so individual skirmishy type figures, if there are any, will also be just one base strong.

Has anyone got units which they thought, or think, were/are close order line but might be open order or skirmish in view of what I've said above?

Iain

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I'll need to check mine as they were originally based for British Grenadier, so everyone is in "loose files".

[Essex Boy]

I'll need to check mine as they were originally based for British Grenadier, so everyone is in "loose files".

BG is four figures to a base with a frontage of 38mm I believe? That's pretty close order. I'm wondering what depth Buff has on his bases and if they can be two figures deep?

Iain

[Buff Orpington]

As yet everything is unbased so I'm happy to fit them to a recommended standard.

[Essex Boy]

As yet everything is unbased so I'm happy to fit them to a recommended standard.

If I were you I'd base my figures to my own taste. I'm sure we can fit in with your preferences by tweaking the rules to accommodate most options.

There are so many different basing conventions and unit sizes within the forum that I seriously doubt there is a standard. If you're doing AWI I don't see how you can go far wrong by using the British Grenadier basing. 15mm frontage for close order foot is popular, used by most here I think, so it's no real stretch to make that 18mm or 20mm per figure to represent looser files.

How many figures are you planning for a unit, and were you thinking of two ranks of figures on a base?

[Buff Orpington]

Thanks Iain

[World2dave]

We're going to have the usual mix when it comes to lights, not just because of basing differences and unit sizes, but also due to people's armies being set in slightly different periods.

Mine are c1750 so they're very much just a few light skirmishers, offering minor nuisance value and easily swept away by most others. Anyone basing their forces on the AWI may have proper Light Infantry who are more capable and possibly in bigger units.

I suspect that Iain will just class these all the same in some handy 'mid-18th century' manner, with unit footprint probably counting more than numbers and basing style.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

If it helps, I have separate "skirmishers" (according to the general definition) with 2-3 figures on a big base. My "light infantry" can just be another line battalion, but with a more frugal clothing budget.

And "pimp hats".....

[Essex Boy]

Dave has it right. This is what I said last week...

All units will probably be deemed to have the same number of bases, most likely six but perhaps eight depending on the play test. A 'base' is therefore simply the nomenclature for referring to the fighting strength of a unit. Casualties are not removed but instead a running total of whole base casualties will be indicated using a dice or other appropriate marker. A 'base' is removed on every third hit – hits being caused by shooting and melee (you’ll have a supply of little discs to track the hits).

Units keep the same footprint regardless of the bases lost because loss of 'bases' indicates all manor of factors which would reduce a unit's ability to carry on. So it doesn't matter how you base your troops. Happy days.

We have between us quite a variety of base widths and unit sizes. Making them all effectively the same makes sense and I’m sure players will be able to make the necessary tweaks during the game. This has been play tested and no insurmountable issues were identified. It may be that the very largest of units will be asked to bring their frontage down a little, but it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to cope with frontages ranging from 180mm to 250mm. Large cavalry units can be formed in double lines.......which looks very manly.

Calculation of melee and shooting will take into account any potential advantages/disadvantages.

Guns, troops deployed in skirmish or open order and 'specials' are not covered by the above.....because they have their own rules. More on that anon.

The best thing to do is to organise your troops how you want because we can accommodate anything. Probably.

Iain

I confess that troops mounted on wider frontages do present a challenge but, by treating all units as having the same strength (e.g. six 'bases' strong), by having upper and lower limits to a frontage and, by doing away with casualty removal, we should have it sorted.

It occurs to me now that a further 'test' should be made to differentiate between what we call 'close order foot' and what will be skirmishers or open order troops. How about this.......

Close order: Maximum frontage per figure of 20mm. There must be two ranks of figures of equal number in each rank and a total depth of both ranks not to exceed 50mm.

Open order and skirmish: Any unit which fails the above test.

Does anyone have any units which they wish to be classed as close order but which don't fall within the close order test?

I stress that this isn't set in stone, I'm just trying to establish a suitable compromise.

Iain