My standard 28 mm units are 6 to a base. For the large 95th battalion, I halved the base size with 3 figures to a base, so I ended up with 12 half bases. They can now be used formed or in skirmish order.

John

How do most people base and use 95th Rifles in Lasalle? Do people set up the 95th as a regular light infantry or do people set them up more sparsely using less soldiers. I am new to the game and I am looking for suggestions.

Looking Good Tobi!

Hi Everyone,

I'm happy to report that this project is finished - my 28mm British core army for Lasalle was completed today. For more details and pictures see my Blog:
http://paintpot.ulmer-strategen.de/

Thanks for your support and advice.

Best regards,
Tobi

Hi Mike - no I haven't mate - I have found something at Payless (Plastics) that may work - but I'll go and check our Spotlight tomorrow... Cheers.

Hi John

I assume you've had a look in Spotlight? My wife (she's a bit of a stationery fan) was suggesting the solid craft boxes they sell for decorating.

cheers

Mike

When I had 28mm collections for the tall figures I used to use 2 lever arch files Gaffer taped together, after cutting the bottom out of one and removing the lid on another, that kept the same foot print for storage.

Hi Andrew - yeah I've considered doing that - although it's not the best option - I've even thought of slicing one in half horizontally - adding the top half to the top of one box and the bottom half to the bottom of another (to get more value for money from the boxes that are sliced & diced) - but that'd need some pretty accurate cutting. It's just a bugger they don't do a x 1.5 depth version of the same box to start with...

When I had 28mm collections for the tall figures I used to use 2 lever arch files Gaffer taped together, after cutting the bottom out of one and removing the lid on another, that kept the same foot print for storage.

I would use different boxes for your oversized figures for the sake of space.

Thanks for the response Tod, I've looked at that but am trying to avoid - my objective is to try and keep the same footprint (and 'strength') as the (lever-arch) file boxes (these are made from light wood similar to balsa) as I stack the boxes in a wardrobe 5 wide and up to 12-15 high - it makes them easy to sort through and to see where everything is. They are also more robust for travel purposes (e.g. putting in car to take to club). I'm hoping to try and find something with a similar footprint (foolscap size) but obviously deeper so it will be stackable with the existing boxes (even if I have to add some reinforcing on the inside of the sides or such...

I avoid cake & biscuit/cookie tins because they invariably go rusty and are awkward to handle. Separate containers for oversize was my plan but when it's 2 of 4 bases in most of your Infantry Battalions (anything with 2 standards) and all your Cavalry and some of your Generals it's basically about 70%+ of each whole army (or 3/4 of all my 28mm Nappies)...

I have been experimenting with collapsible boxes (the type with the domes up the sides to join the sides at the corners) with a sheet of tin in the bottom but they are still fairly unsturdy and don't have great side strength (and are too high usually - effectively you need 2 layers but they can't hold the weight of all the figures safely)... My next plan was to try and find suitable plastic containers (like giant Tupperware) about the same size as the file boxes and glue or blu-tack a sheet of tin in the bottom of them - as this is how I used to store figures years ago, but these often aren't ideal due to the rounded corners and such and the fact they may be a bit inclined to slide around when stacked up or in the car... Examples being Sistema 7L Klip-it Food Storer or Décor Tellfresh 10L Food Storer.

I use 2 sizes of box - a 12" x 12" scrapbooking box for most items and large metal cookie tins for the lancers and some cavalry. I would use different boxes for your oversized figures for the sake of space.

Howdy all,

I am trying to figure out how to store my Armies in a practical way that is easy to put away & sort, and carry to club and so on. My normal plan with 28mm figures is to use foolscap (lever-arch) file boxes (with a self-adhesive sheet of flexible steel in the bottom & self-adhesive magnets on the underside of the bases), as these are pretty sturdy and are about 65mm deep (so usually ample for mounted troops, barring camels, and most Infantry standard bearers) - see here for an example if you aren't sure what I'm referring to. And they are an excellent size (because they fit normally 7 x 5 of the 50mm square bases quite snugly) - but they just aren't working for my Lasalle Nappies due to the numbers of infantry standards over 65mm high and the majority of mounted guys have upraised swords and such which won't fit in! And unfortunately (in NZ at least) they don't make a larger version that's 50% deeper or such (e.g. 100mm high) which would be my ideal solution.

So I'm trying to figure out what other commercially available products might be suitable and what's everyone come up with to store their figures - especially in case someone has a really cunning scheme no one else has thought of yet?

I am just starting to build my army. I use the standard 6 figures on 4 bases. My bases are 2" x 2" (50mm). I have one command base which includes the BN commander, sergeant, ranker, two standard bearers and a drummer. I have one center company stand which is all rankers. My two flank bases have one rank of three regular troopers in the rear and then the front rank consists of either three grenadiers or three light company. I am happy with the way they have turned out. I have one battalion so far, 1BN, 28th Foot, painted up in this fashion. One down, seven to go!

Joining in a bit late but FWIW ST I use the 24 figs (28mm) too (4 bases of 6 figs) and all I do is have 4 figs of Grenadiers, and 4 Figs of Skirmish Flank Coy chaps as the last 4 figs at each end of the unit - so the base has 6 figs, 4 flank, and 2 centre company (with the latter on the inside edge). All my bases are pre-marked to always go a particular way around (i.e. in a specific sequence) and my Command are spread over the 2 centre bases in the dead centre (which is where the colour party was historically - dead centre of the battalion). I then position the odd NCO (with Spontoon), Drummer, extra Officer, or Sapper fig amongst the unit at positions that roughly correspond to where the majority of these people usually were IRL (e.g. there were groups of Drummers, and officers for that matter, IIRC, in the rear directly behind the divider between the first two and the last two centre companies - so I put my Drummers about the 3rd file in from the end of the unit either side, etc...

You can see lots of pics of them here:
http://wargaming.info/category/napoleonic-1789-1815/le-ordre-mixte/

Thank you Zhenya for the kind words - I'm glad you like the figures. I'm also grateful for your remark - I fear that is one of the things that profes to be a hazard for the greenhorns of Napoleonic wargaming like me. I'm actually thinking about overpainting the facings, but I'll finish the core army first. If just posted some more pictures - it seems the project is right on shedule (some rare thing for a project of mine :-)

Nice paint job, minor point really, but buff faced regiments had buff turnbacks on the coat. They also pipeclayed their leather work buff - something that was unique to buff regiments

Very nice Sir Tobi.

My new British 28mm army makes good progress thanks to a fellow wargamer who has decided to part with his Waterloo-collection. I have started to dokument the recruitment of the litte force on my new blog:
http://paintpot.ulmer-strategen.de/

I have to say I like the way the regiments turn out with the basing scheme - thanks again for your help.

Thank you very much for your very helpful comments & explanations. This sound very reasonable. I have already started to adapt your System, Andrew, and it looks very good. Thanks.

Very best regards,
Tobi

BGBED - sure they had large battalions, but my point was they also had small battalions, like Hiller's column at Aspern in your second reference, 17 battalions 10,300 men averages just over 600 men per...I used to have a reference that listed the actual unit strength (and had the army itself in 1:50) and it varied widely, from memory some having 300, some 800.

Check out the battalion strengths in the Austerlitz OOBs as well - quite small.

However I realise also I misread the lists , I thought all battalions were large but I see the Liberation list allows a couple of normal sized units.

Hi Sir Tobi,

British battalions in practice were only about 500 men (little different from most other nations). There were two exceptions - the 43rd and 52nd Light infantry tended to be at very high strength; and the Guards who were generally at near full-strength.

Interesting comment about the strengths of Austrians, DaKiwiMike. From the strengths I've seen of Austrian battalions (i.e. http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/813JIB.pdf; http://www.cgsc.edu/CARL/nafziger/809EBN.pdf) they were very large battalions compared to other countries.

Cheers

Paul

I don't bother with Flank/Elite companies in Lasalle...except for seperate skirmish stands.

Although they had 10 companies there were only a small minority of battalions up to theoretical establishment, typically company strength was about 40-60 men, giving you a normal sized unit. The foot guards were probably the most consistent exception being typically quite strong. I think the LaSalle lists represent this quite well.

If anything the Austrian lists are a bit too based on theoretical strengths as even prior to campaign wastage they had units well below strength, with the Hungarian regiments tending to be larger.

I use 4 bases with 24 figures so in theory 2.4 figs to a company.
so i base 2 grenadiers and 4 centre on one base, officer, drummer 2 standards and 2 centre on next, a base of 6 centre and finally one of 4 centre and 2 light company.

Hi All,

I understand that units in Lasalle are not meant to be 1:1 matched with batallions, but with most nations this works pretty well in my opinion. Yet I'm still trying to work out how to depict British Batallions. As they were exceptionally large with their 10 companies, I would have expected them to be classified as large units (like e.g. the Austrians). But since they are defined as normal units, I'm thinking about breaking down a Bristish batallion into two Lasalle units - for example depicting in one unit three bases infantry and one base command and in the other unit three bases infantry and one base grenadiers. What do you think about this, and how do you depict your British units?

Very best regards,
Tobi

Hi Trev....when me and Nev play its usually a game with 2 support choices and a 6 x4 is usually a bit cramped, the trouble is when we have played on a 8x6 we still never use the extra 2 foot as usually the game either times out ir its a mad attack to take the objective:) ..using a 8x6 for a Historical type scenario would be a lot better, the Austerlitz scenario in the Lasalle book would be good to try out (as anybody actually tried it? ....

Paul

I think the 6x4 table size is just a traditional thing. It also is influenced by timber amufacturers as boards tend to come from 8x4's but that is a little too large for most peoples temporary gaming facilities, hence they get cut to 6x4. 7x5 and 8x6 are both very good sizes to go for but then you find most rules writers are trying to write for the masses, not the minority.

Trev

Yep that's the one I'm thinking of - I don't recall any of the other references saying the table "had" to be 6' x 4' just the suggestion it be so...

Yep, I figured as much, but wasn't sure.

But I take your point about consistency with the "Unit of Measure" thing... :-)

Yep, the "unit of measure" should stay consistent to keep everything nice and neat.

Page 87, Lasalle Rulebook, "The board diagrams are presented here as 3:2 ratio rectangles (traditionally a 6' x 4' table)."

But I take your point about consistency with the "Unit of Measure" thing... :-)

Where does it say that?

I didn't say anything about "common size" I clearly said "fixed table size". This, to most, is odd since the BW is not a fixed measurement.

Page 83, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 4' x 6'"
Page 84, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 4' x 6'"
Page 85, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 4' x 4'"
Page 87, Lasalle Rulebook, "The board diagrams are presented here as 3:2 ratio rectangles (traditionally a 6' x 4' table)."

Granted, page 85 says 4' by 4', but why did Sam make BW the universal measurement in Lasalle, but gives a fixed table size of 4' x 6', or even 4' x 4' for that matter. Maybe a better way would have been to list table sizes as BW like everything else? Also, it fits in better with page 91.

Maybe it would be better to change it to read:
Page 83, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 30BW by 45BW"
Page 84, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 30BW by 45BW"
Page 85, Lasalle Rulebook, "Table Size: 30BW by 30BW"
Page 87, Lasalle Rulebook, "The board diagrams are presented here as 3:2 ratio rectangles (traditionally a 30BW by 45BW table)."

...but gives a fixed table size of 4 x 6...