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For Napoleonic games I use 24 figures per unit with 4 figures per base and six bases per unit.
This works well for different types of formations. I like the six bases per unit regardless of unit size or rules. This number of figures works well because often figures are sold in boxes of 48. So two units per box.
From my point of view the new infantry sets value would be greatly enhanced if there was a second command sprue in each box. That way I could make two units per box. Alternatively a command box featuring a pile of command sprues would be appealing to me.
I have been thinking about going to 6 or 8 figures per base for two reasons. Its looks great and the new boxes do suit that number. However, it is a lot of figures to paint. Perhaps a lot of figures to paint is the best reason yet.
Cavalry is 12 figures per unit. One box per unit. 4 bases with 3 figures per base. Currently on the painting table are 4 Strelet's French Cuirassier units and 3 Strelet's French Hussars.
Artillery is one gun per base, and split up the crew evenly per gun. I prefer larger crews myself, 6 - 8 men. I love Artillery figures and commanders or specialty poses. I rarely buy limbers or other more complex models in soft plastic because they are too hard to assemble. Even though I like them. It is frustrating to assemble them.
Love Strelet's figures and I have lots of them.
I tend to use a 1:30 figure to actual scale for C18th and Napoleonics, and I try to use this scale to depict a unit according to its approximate strength (where known) in a particular campaign.
This means that, taking British and KGL units for the 1815 Hundred Days campaign, most British battalions started the campaign at around the 600 men mark, giving 20 figures on the table top. For a British battalion of 10 companies, this neatly fits since 10 x 20 = 20. Also, since I tend to work in terms of Brigades, four battalions of 20 looks suitably numerous, even though in actuality it is of course tiny compared with the real thing. It is pretty well impossible to get around the problem of depth v frontage, so British/KGL units are arrayed 2 figures deep, even though this is much deeper and less wide than a firing line should be. Somehow, laying the 20 figures out in a single rank 20 figures long (with a frontage of 15mm per figure, a table-top unit frontage of 30cm) just takes up too much space! And it looks so very vulnerable to flanking cavalry attack...which of course, it was...
Continuing with the British/KGL 1815 example: Several British units were large in June 1815, notably the Guards battalions and units such as 52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, each of which were around the 900-1000 mark. So these arrive on the table-top at around 30-36 figures each. Employing the 10 company organisation means that these companies are larger, 3 figures each. For my Guards units as 'elites' the extra figures over and above 30 figures are an extra colour party and extra command figures.
At the other end of the spectrum, KGL line and light battalions in the 1815 campaign were weaker, around 400 men, having 'lost' some of their seasoned veterans to bolster the 'greener' Hanoverian units in Wellington's army. So these arrive on the table-top around 16 figures strong. Here it becomes most important to brigade them, otherwise they are simply so small as to appear insignificant...which of course was far from reality so far as these excellent troops were concerned during 16th-18th June 1815.
French units tend to be regiments of 3 battalions, with most of these being 6 x 3 figure companies (18 figures, or 54 for the regiment; equating to a real strength of around 500-550 per battalion). However, again some units were stronger for the campaign, notably many of the Light infantry regiments and the senior regiments of the Guard; so these units have a 4 x 6 company (for Guards, 6 x 4 company) status, giving up to 72 figures per regiment (if 3 battalions).
Prussian line and reserve regiments also tend to be 3 x 24 figure battalions, with Landwehr at 3 x 20.
The same 1:30 ratio and attempt to reflect historical strengths also applies to cavalry. So for instance, the smallest British/KGL cavalry units is the Royal Horse Guards ('Blues') which fielded less than 300 men in the campaign, and appear with only 10 figures on the table-top. The Lifeguards were stronger, so brigaded as the 'Blues and Royals' this works, and they are not (quite) swamped by brigades of charging French dragoons and cuirassiers.
At the other end of the spectrum, a few of the French Guard cavalry units were notably large, in the 700-800 bracket, and so these appear as 24 figure units and perhaps should be even larger (ie: Chasseurs). Some line cavalry regiments were much weaker, and these might only field 10 - 12 figures each. Again, brigading these gives the necessary mass on the table-top. Three weak cuirassier regiments brigaded might, however, only just outnumber a single Guard regiment (Grenadiers a Cheval or Chasseurs) on this basis.
I use a different figures scale for one conflict in this period, that is the American War of Independence, where I use 1:10 figures to actual to reflect much smaller units in a conflict where few battles had more than 7-8,000 in either army, often many less. This means that a small unit of, say, 40 American rifleman is represented by 4 figures, rather than the single figure which would be necessary under the 1:30 ratio.
The responses, above, make interesting reading.
I'd just add that the man:figure ratio often depends on the scale of the game you're playing (ie from large battle to skirmish), the look of the thing (eg my SYW battalions are a tad bigger than my Nap. ones because that's the look I wanted) and the ratio of ranker to command figures in the box.
The last parameter is an important one. I'd really like to field lots of 10 figure Russian Napoleonic infantry battalions to mirror the understrength nature of the Russians in 1812 & beyond. However, I don't because, for example, a Strelets' box has 4 Command figures (for a single stand) and 40+ ranker figures.
donald
Indeed, some fascinating answers.
As a non-playing wargamer* (!) I can indulge myself by making the look of the thing the chief criterion, but numbers have to be adjusted to allow basing by the basic tactical building block, a company or division of companies.
The point is well made about the inability to represent frontage versus depth to any kind of scale; I base all companies 2-deep, so they are 2-deep when deployed in line, which is far too deep for 2 or 3-men deep line in reality, whatever the notional figure ratio or ground scale. But, it's the look of the thing; 20-40 figures in a single line just looks silly!
*I like the figures, the painting and the research. Wargames units are a convenient way to represent historical units, but I have never actually played a wargame.
Sir, thank you for taking the time to formulate such a detailed & clever solution but I must respond with "no".
I'm sorry if I appear ungrateful but see my comments on, "the look of the thing".
Every battalion, no matter what size, must have a 4 figure command stand: commonly, officer, musician, ensign & NCO. These figures, at the head of a column, the middle of a line or the front face of a square, *must* look good & not like some jury-rigged conversions.
This is, of course, a long standing problem. My best solution was found in the HaT MAC sets, where I could purchase enough command figures to fit my exacting needs.
Again, apologies for spurning your excellent suggestions.
donald
As far as I'm concerned, I'm not a gamer and I like the mass effect, I use 1: 1 for my infantry scale. So I have French battalions of 700 to 840 men with a single flag, 10 drums and 2 bugles ... but I think I am the only one here to do so. :slightly_smiling_face:
For the cavalry I use a 1: 4 ratio.
I hope the machine translation will be correct this time ...
I don't wargame, not any more, I gave up after facing a particularly childish outburst from one opponent in response to my militia brigade routing his guards.
My collection is based on the real armies themselves. Of course sources differ/argue but my French average 20, though vary from 10 to 26.
By comparison the Prussians and allies average 26 ranging from 14 to 43.
Cavalry average 16 across the board. Artillery has one gun and crew per troop/company plus a team of horses and drivers with either a limber or caisson in support. Wargamers will be jumping up and down saying how do you play half companies with one gun? To which I reply, I don't wargame!
In all 12,000 figures, which are awaiting Netherlands Carabineers and Prussian artillery train to compete the deal. Though I don't mind waiting a little longer for these if it means Alan gets his LRDG, and we get a little peace ;0)
16 men here for an average SYW battalion of say 500-600 men, larger formations a total of 18/20 and weaker ones about 12, all carrying 2 colours. The number being more of a compromise btw time invested and a nice variety/number of units.
My WSS/GNW: 16 men
Cavalry 8, arty 4.
Cheers,
N.
Hi
Short answer is 24.
The rules I use are more concerned with the number of 'bases' rather than figures. Black Powder, General D Armee and Honours of War current favorite sets
Essentially for a standard battalion four bases works, and for WSS and Napoleonics 6 figs in two rows per base looks right to us (40mm aware bases)
For Napoleonics then would throw in additional bases of Skirmishers but more at a Brigade level. 2 or 3 figures to a base.
For units that were larger or small add base or two
We like big games so that works, if doing a smaller campaign such as War of 1812 may be tempted to use larger battalion (say36) for the aesthetics.
Cheers
I use Carnage and Glory computer moderated rules. My battalions
are 4-6 figures, my cavalry regiments are 4-6 figures, my artillery
is 1 gun per battery. Carnage and Glory has a system that keeps
track of exactly how many men you have fit, are wounded, or missing
so basing is more for color than counting.