Epic frontages

[SteveT]

Yes, another questions about frontages..

According to the new “epic” booklet, atypical cavalry unit would have a smaller frontage than a standard infantry unit. (3 bases to 4). I thought the idea of BP was to ideally have units with matching frontages?  (Otherwise what happens when 2 cavalry hit 1 infantry’s front… seems to have a game effect not just a visual matter)

Anyway, 4 bases per infantry unit  produced a full line that is too long for a 6 x4 table. Therefore, as others have said, I am going to reduce the number of bases.

I am actually thinking 2 infantry is enough to show a line and a column. (Yes, partly I am trying to avoid painting too many!). If so, cavalry would need 2 also. That means their frontages match perfectly too. Yes in doing so, the 3:4 ratio has changed.

Has anyone else tried this? The only other option I have seen people suggest is Infantry 3 bases. But then what are they going with for cavalry? Or artillery?

Very confusing as to what the rules actually want/need/suggest.

Apologies for the 300 questions jammed into one post!

[Big Al]

If you read the rules, you will see that only a single unit can contact any one side of a unit! So the difference in unit frontage doesn’t matter. There are occasions where that doesn’t apply, but it always applies if it is the two smaller frontage units that are charging.

the occasion when it doesn’t apply is when a larger unit charges into smaller frontage units. The requirement to maximise frontage means that two units could become engaged, but that is the unit with the larger frontage making contact.

 

as to base sizes, I agree that for the scale the are way too large! I usually play in 28mm and the Epic bases give a wider frontage than my 28mm units! I play on 8x6ft tables or larger and you are right, a 6×4 table is not wide enough.
I only have the ACW Epic set and I have reduced the units to 3 bases. It makes everything much more manageable.
apparently, the reason for the number of bases was for the aesthetic reason of the look of masses of troops. Unfortunately, someone’s idea of a spectacularly large game has not taken into consideration that most wargamers don’t have the luxury of a large playing space!
I still play Warmaster, the GW game that spawned Black Powder, which used 10mm figures. Units consisted of three 40x20mm bases and gave the massed troops aesthetic perfectly on a standard 6×4 table.
oh and cavalry was mounted using the 20mm edge as the front, while infantry used the 40mm front.

[SteveT]

Thanks Al.  So when you did the ACW at 3 bases, did you use 3 bases for cavalry too?  How about artillery, did you go 1 or 2 bases per “unit”?

Cheers

 

[Big Al]

<p style=”text-align: center;”>I used the three bases but spread the figures out a little so that they wouldn’t look too cramped.</p>

[SteveT]

Yes, I have based my Napoleonic light horse with 4 horses, 5 for heavy so you can immediately see what is what. For ACW 4 seems good.

[Author]

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