So the consensus seems to be for the Sunday, but there is still the option of playing something on the Saturday as well. Sunday will be a rematch/re-fighting of the Warhammer battle we just fought, but using the Fantastic Battles rules. I am currently creating movement trays for both sides, individual company bases of 60mm x 60mm and some larger trays that will hold 2, 3 and even 4 company units. It is all a bit of an experiment but so far I like the look. I have also been adjusting the forces involved, adding some units removing other units. It is all a bit of a balancing act. I am not certain how big a force I should aim for, my heart says really big, but the mind says keep it manageable, after all it is our first go at the rules.
Some samples of what I am working on, just rough work so far. Ultimately the bases will be textured, painted and flocked. I plan to use double sided tape to 'attach' the troops to their respective bases, this tape will not allow one to pick up a tray by one figure, but it will keep them in place when players pick up their units by the tray as they should!
While troops can form up in three different formations, anything other than a line seems to me to be a rare thing, so multi company trays might just work. I can certainly create a few Testudo trays but I do not think they would be used all that much.
Now, column formation might get used more often, but in reviewing the various AAR that I could locate I have found very few times in which a column was used. A column comes in handy in tight places or when snaking along a road, but that is about it. It does not confer a movement bonus and is viewed as a non combat formation. Should someone want to form a column the troop stands could be turned in place on the unit trays, or an arrow could be deployed to indicate the new front of the unit. The only real challenge would come from a unit trying to snake along a winding road. Well, I do not have any winding roads and even if I did, I will always have spare single company trays that could be subbed in.
The main value in using multi company trays would be in the speeding up of figure movement. There is another benefit, an aesthetic one, it allows me to tighten up my formations. As can be seen in the following pictures, multi company unit trays will allow me to have more troops in formation, no gaps between companies and therefor looking more like massed troops. Since the system does not care how many figures are on a base there is no rules reason preventing me from doing this. If my figures were on individual bases this would not be such an issue as I could spread them out a bit better on the base, but they would still be 4 figures on a tray (6 does not always work due to the size of the bases) The unit trays still have dead space but that is at the ends and is less noticeable. When I finish off the trays I will make a mark every 60mm to indicate each company so that we will be easily ably to line up our combatants in melee.
As a side note it also occurs to me that I can use this style to indicate formed and irregular units. Irregular can remain on individual trays, or even company trays that will mimic the appearance of individual company trays. While not really important it will perhaps offer a visual clue to the nature of the enemy and offer a variation to the uniformity of all the units.
Finally I have to say having a single tray 4 company unit really drives home the message about how difficult it is to manoeuvre these units!.
More pictures of my WIP
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| An unwieldy 4 company wide formed unit |
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| Two 3 company irregular units |
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| Two 2 company formed units beside a 3 company formed unit |
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| 3 company irregular cavalry unit |
