Basing 6mm moderns

A certain shed-based habitué of these parts (Hi Richard!) has suggested that it might be useful to share the basing conventions I use for 1/300th scale WW2 and Cold War units. So be it.

I've based my 1/300th scale vehicles since I moved over to playing rules where a single vehicle represents a platoon or more (Cold War Commander, TacWWII, Blitzkrieg Commander). I find bases help remind me that this is a unit, not just a single tank. In addition, regular-sized bases help me to store the models safely, particularly in magnetised drawers when the base has a layer of self-adhesive steel paper.

My basing conventions have evolved over the years but what follows is where we're at now. I'll give the dimensions in millimetres; width x depth.

Rifle platoons have four figures on a 30mm x 20mm base:

Soviet WW2 rifle platoon

Some WW2 armies need tank riders. I've started making special bases for these. I cut out a 30mm square from an old business card. I then glue a few suitable figures along both edges and add 5mm strips in front of and behind the figures to make a 20mm wide channel into which a tank base will fit:

Tank riders with T-34/76

Obviously when the riders dismount they are replaced by a normal infantry base. 

Another recent tweak I've made is to mount my engineer units on 20mm x 30mm bases (i.e. portrait rather than landscape). This helps distinguish them from conventional infantry. I've also taken to adding flamethrower flames from painted clump foliage or barbed wire made from cotton thread and staples:

Soviet assault engineers

Medium and heavy machine guns go on a 30mm x 20mm base with a single team depicted. Given that the gun crew are kneeling around the gun, it's easy to distinguish them from the riflemen:

Cold War British sustained-fire MG

I put medium mortars (typically 81 or 82mm calibre weapons) and heavy (106-120mm) mortars on 30 x 30 bases. 

I don't often represent lighter (50-60mm) mortars as separate units. I usually assume that effect of the British 2" mortar and the German 50mm is factored into the platoon's inherent firepower. However, the H&R US support weapons pack includes some nice 60mm mortar teams to I've started putting a few of them on 25mm x 25mm bases to make them easily distinguishable from their larger brethren:

US 60mm and 81mm mortars

Artillery or anti-aircraft units, whether self-propelled, towed or man-handled, get 30mm x 30mm bases:

US .50 cal AAHMG

I also use 30mm x 30mm bases for battalion HQ elements. A few suitable command figures make for a mini-diorama. I've recently started doing some of these with a space on the base where I can add an un-based vehicle if the HQ is for a motorised unit:

Japanese battalion HQ

The same HQ with staff car

Tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks the like generally go on a 20mm x 30mm base:

M18 Hellcat

Tank HQ units are distinguished by appearing on a 30mm x 30mm square:

Panther battalion HQ

However, I've recently started upping the depth where the model has a long gun that would otherwise overhang the base. These 3D printed IS-IIs are on 40mm deep bases, the HQ platoon being 30mm wide to distinguish it:

IS-IIs on extra-deep bases

CWC and BKC distinguish between battalion and higher-level headquarter units. The latter, called CO units, get 40mm x 40mm bases; a great opportunity to try your hand at mini-diorama building:

WW2 US CO base

The Commander series rules depict artillery observers and forward air controllers as separate units. I base these on 2 pence coins (25mm diameter), usually with a suitable vehicle and some dismounted observers:

Artillery observer with 1 tonne Landrover

The same basing can be used to distinguish the Centurion OPRA from its Sabre troop equivalent:

Centurion OPRA

Finally, a one-off. Years ago a wargaming forum had a painting challenge to produce a sniper unit. I decided to go tiny and did a 1/300th scale Frenchman with a .50cal. He went on a one penny (20mm diameter) coin:

French sniper - he should probably
remove the brass badge from his beret!

The Prague Summer - about rules

This is a long one and to some extent it's about getting my thoughts organised on the matter. Feel free to skip the text and just look at the pictures if that's what does it for you.

How does one come to prefer a particular set of rules? Whilst out walking the dog this morning my thoughts turned to TacWWII. Why am I going back to it after having abandoned it in favour of Blitzkrieg Commander years ago? I think part of the story lies in my reasons for flirting with BKC back then. BKC had three things going for it. 

I like the idea of building headquarters units as little dioramas, which BKC supports but which doesn't entirely suit TacWWII as written.

The second appeal of BKC was that it was substantially similar to Cold War Commander, the game that got my Cold War collection onto the wargaming table for the first time in years. It made sense to use common basing standards and common mechanisms for both my WW2 and Cold War collections.

Thirdly, I do think the BKC/CWC command and control mechanisms are fun. Having recently played a comparative game of A Fistful of TOWs, I was struck by the relative lack of interesting command and control challenges. Without the uncertainty of CWC's command dice rolls the game seemed very flat.

Ah, the joys of the ill-timed command blunder!

So why would I go back to TacWWII? In many ways it's an old-fashioned set of rules. It uses simultaneous movement and written orders and it's completely lacking in the full-colour, glossy-photos-on-every-page approach that seems de rigueur today.

The answer, it seems to me, is related to why I prefer Basic Impetus over DBA. Both of these rules sets use element bases representing indeterminate numbers of ancient warriors. Both would have you field armies of maybe a dozen elements (exactly a dozen in DBA's case), and both emphasise speed of play and simple rules.

DBA focusses totally on the outcome of a combat between two groups of men. The fighting may continue for some time without a decisive result, one side may somewhat gain the other hand and push its opponents back, or the fight may be decisive with one or other of the units wiped out (or more likely routed). DBA does this on the basis of a single pair of opposed die rolls. That's great in terms of moving the game along quickly and allowing the players to concentrate on their roles as army commanders but it's just a bit... vanilla.

When I discovered Basic Impetus I was immediately struck by the fact that melées were now exciting. You could envisage the swaying back and forth of momentum as both sides got inexorably closer to the point where one of them would collapse and flee the field. Yes it was slower that DBA but DBA's speed now seemed to come at the cost of an unengaging narrative experience.

This speaks to why I'm proposing to use TacWWII instead of, say A Fistful of TOWs or Spearhead. Having tried both of those, I find them unengaging. I struggle to get excited about playing either game and I think it's because the units feel like anonymous playing pieces with no connection to what the troops are actually doing below the level of the battalion.

TacWWII's mode system (every company is in a distinct tactical mode at any given time) allows me to better envisage what the troops are doing. The Volkssturm Kompanie in Prepared Defence mode in the ruins of Oderbruch are well-hidden, having scouted out the lines of sight and stockpiled additional Panzerfausts. Across the Hitlerstrasse, while the Soviet tank company in Bold Attack is perhaps being too aggressive, the dismounted tank riders in Deliberate Attack mode are more cautious. Each platoon, we can infer, has one section moving at any one time with the other two laying down covering fire.

So does BKC suffer from this blandness? To a degree, yes but there but I think it's another issue with BKC that's pushing me back to TacWWII. I'm not convinced by the tactical decisions BKC is asking me to take.

Let's say I have a battalion of six Panzer-IV lining the edge of a forest somewhere in Lower Silesia and a wave of T-34s is advancing towards me. It's my turn to shoot and immediately the sense of immersion in events takes a hit whilst I ponder the maths of the situation. To knock out a T-34 will take five unsaved hits and my Panzers are rolling four dice per gun. Should I fire two Panzers at any given T-34? Three? Am I better off just trying to suppress as many enemy tanks as I can? These are valid tactical questions in the context of the game but what do they represent in terms of real world decisions?

Another set of decisions in BKC that I struggle with from this point of view is around giving orders. There are lots of decisions to make within the game turn. I may want to use a particular HQ to order the tanks to advance and to call down some fire from more distant supporting guns. Do I try to combine both in a single order that'll have a lower chance or success or do I make sure I get the tanks moving first? Having got the tanks moving, do I risk giving them another move order or do I pass on to the supporting guns and give up on moving the tanks again? Again, these are valid tactical decisions in the game but they don't seem to me to map well onto the tactical decisions required of a real-world commander.

A final element of BKC that I'm slightly uncomfortable with is the core combat mechanic. Hits are added to a unit during a turn and they may suppress the unit. Only if these hits reach a certain level is the unit destroyed. If it's not, the hits disappear at the end of the turn. Now you can just accept this ("It's how the rules work; don't sweat about what it means") or you can justify it to yourself in terms of units ability to fight being destroyed if the stress of action meets some hard-to-define crisis level. I certainly have argued that but not with real conviction.

One thing I want from a wargame is an emerging narrative of events occurring on the field of battle. BKC and TacWWII both do this but in my view TacWWII does a better job of allowing me to command a brigade whilst showing me what's actually happening to the units below battalion level. That it does this in a way that neither bogs down in detail nor involves complex on-the-fly statistical analysis hits a sweet spot for me.

Village Module

Last night I finished a small built-up area that may see use in next year's Cold War Commanders' Normandy games.

The buildings are mostly resin but I'm not sure by which manufacturers.  The exception is the building with the blue shutters.  That's a white metal model by Irregular.

Walls are simply strips of cardboard.

Ready for the Blitzkrieg

My 1940 French force is finally based up properly for Blitzkrieg Commander.

Most of the models (1/300th scale from H&R, Scotia, Irregular, and some scratch builds) were painted years ago but it's been a plan of mine to get all of my 6mm stuff based up for Blitzkrieg Commander and that's now officially done.

The force is roughly based on being able to field most if not all of 4eme Division Cuirassée de Reserve (4DCR) the armoured division commanded by de Gaulle in 1940.  In fact I have more vehicles than de Gaulle ever had at any on time (at least at one model to the platoon scale).

Up front is the recce group with Panhard 178 armoured cars.

Then we have the Grand Fromage himself - CO unit flanked by two anti-aircraft half tracks.

Then we get to the teeth.  46eme and 47eme Bns de Chars with Char B1 bis.  All Scotia models except for one H&R.

Then we get the rest of 6eme Demi-Brigade de Chars; Chars D2 in this case:

Then we have the elements of 8eme Demi-Brigade de Chars. These guys are equipped with Renault R-35s.

And a couple of R-40s, leading the six platoon column.

Later in the campaign (25th May), the 3rd Cuirassiers (Hotchkiss H-39s and SOMUA S-35s) were attached to the division:

Next in the order of battle is 4eme Battaillon de Chasseurs Portées, a motorised infantry unit riding in requisitioned civilian buses, infantry companies on the left and support company (25mm AT guns and mortars with Citroen trucks on the right.  They are backed up here by the 1/7eme Battaillon de Chasseurs Portées in Lorraine chenillettes.

I seem to have acquired plenty more infantry - nearly three battalions' worth here:

The division was fairly well set-up to resist enemy armour - here are some 47mm weapons of the divisional anti-tank batteries.

Then we have the artillery.  Lots of Mle1897 75mm guns:

And a regiment of 105mm guns as well:

Having painted some spare trucks and half-tracks I have a logistics train, sort of...

...and a few assorted supporting types; a platoon of Chasseurs Alpins, a Renault FT-17, and a Char d'Assault 2c.

Finally there's a bit of air support.  Two Bloch and one Breguet light bombers and Moraine Saulnier fighter:

I think, to be honest, I've probably got too much stuff.  I'd certainly struggle to use all of the infantry unless we do a really large game.

Next target is to get my 1940 German army similarly based.

Nothing To See Here...

... move along please.

Weekends have been busy of late with trips to Liverpool and Hull so I haven't completed much that's particularly photogenic.

I've decided to spend a few evenings getting the whole of my 6mm early WW2 French force based according to the standard I use for Blitzkrieg Commander (though it will also function for Tac:WW2).  Here's a Renault R-35 battalion in mid-basing.

And below another shot showing the whole army to be completed.

The chopping board on the left has models in various stages of base painting including the R-35s plus another battalion of Chars B1 bis.  In the middle are infantry and support weapons (Scotia).  The two boxes on the right contain mostly finished models but also a reinforced infantry battalion (Heroics and Ros) that need rebasing to my current standard.

German CO

This is the CO unit for my early war Germans when playing Blitzkrieg Commander.

The SdKfz 251 is from Scotia with a Heroics and Ros figure added as the gunner.  The motorcyclist and other figures are also H&R.  The car is from a set of 1/285th civilian vehicles I bought at Vapnartak back when it was at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall!  No idea who the manufacturer was.

6mm Unit Basing

The impending Big Cold War Commander Game in April has raised the issue of basing standards for 6mm scale models.  This is what I do.

My basing material is artist’s mounting board.  You can get it from an arts and crafts supplies shop.  I back mine with self-adhesive steel paper before cutting out the bases.  This is available from a company called Magnetic Displays.  It’s not cheap but a pack lasts a long time.  My storage drawers are lined with “magnetic foam” which you can pick up for about 60p an A4 sheet from Hobbycraft.

Having cut out the bases with a Stanley knife, I try to remember to mark the bottom of the base to show what kind of unit the base will be.  I use a fine-pointed Staedler felt tip designed for writing in CDs.

Next, apply a thin layer of PVA glue all over the base.  Place the model into the glue and sprinkle finely sieved sand over the rest.

You can if you like add small stones or twigs to the base before the sand but I tend not to bother because most of my bases aren’t much bigger than the model.

With infantry or command units I sometimes disguise the thick bases of the figures by blending them in with a little tile adhesive tinted brown with poster paint.

When the base has dried (usually over night) you can invert it and tap the bottom to remove the excess sand.  The base is now ready for painting.

I start off with a base coat of Miniature Paints’ Earth Brown or Games Workshop’s Khemri Brown (or if I’m feeling particularly keen, irregular patches of the two).  I make sure to paint the sides of the base to match the top.

I then drybrush.  For small, single vehicle unit bases I usually just go straight to Vallejo Iraqi Sand or GW Bleached bone but for larger unit bases I use layers of increasing lightness - GW Graveyard Earth followed by Vallejo Camo Orange Ochre, Khaki, Iraqi Sand and finally Iraqi Sand mixed with white.

I then paint the base with patches of thinned down PVA and scatter on static grass.

My bases are to the following sizes for the Blitzkrieg Commander series of games:

CO bases 40mm width x 40mm depth

HQ bases 30mm x 30mm

Tanks, trucks, armoured cards APCs etc. 20mm x 30mm

Infantry, MGs etc 30mm x 20mm

Mortars, artillery, AA elements 30mm x 30mm
FAOs and FACs use a 2p coin, and
Snipers use a 1p coin.