The Great Jeffers CheapAss Wargaming MDF Base Post

 To quote Jeffers in comments related to the previous post:

 "It would be really useful if you did a ‘wargaming on the cheap’ post showing your unit sizes and what you found worked/failed from a practical and aesthetic perspective."

Now this question referred to the troops in the previous Aughrim 1691 game. These pretty much form the backbone of my 25mm troops (not 28mm, most were purchased in the 90s and early 2000s) for the period 1670-1715 - the single most maligned, misunderstood (and that's just by the rules-writers) and badly mis-interpreted period that exists in wargaming...possibly. So controversial it still gets people angry; so badly understood it still confounds researchers; and so maligned by history that many secrets still remain hidden in forgotten annals of folklore, more than stuffy academic history.

Danes kicking ass, with four figures to a base in the traditional manner

 I won't mention fraising battalions with pikes, platoon firing and firing by ranks, cavalry charge methodologies (see Brent Nosworthy for all associated refs); instead I will focus on the important thing - 3mm MDF bases for the model troops, and 'how i got away with having more bases than I should have', otherwise known as the 'very capitalist MDF base economy' !

Cavalry used to be based on 2" x 2" - then the V&B Marlburian supplement came out...

 I use two main sets of rules for these so far: 'Field of Battle' and 'Volley & Bayonet'. Much lyrical waxing has taken place on these, in terms of why they work for the period - and are eminently more suited than some other rules, and there is an option to also look at a Blucher variant soon. 

INFANTRY : based on 1.5" x 1.5" bases - this allows massive amounts of flexibility. ALSO - the little secret of using 3 figures (staggered) instead of 4 figures, saves an absolute multitude of cost and fannying about. In essence a four stand battalion with 16 figures, becomes 12 figures. Pics above show that this can be effective, with less figure bang for your buck.

Standard Marlburian types - Minifigs and Old Glory - 3 on a base, but with enough units they look fine

Now these guys offer lots of options (old Dixon Grand Alliance - still the best figures for this period in my view)

 

3 to a base and 3 bases - offering lots of battalion, with the en masse effect clearing up any issues with the fact that is 12 blokes taking a flag for a walk

 

Add another base, and they seem a little more dense - though remember, these boys did not operate shoulder to shoulder anyway - there was too much loose powder in the '12 apostles' even at this stage , and nutty matchlocks just make things even more dangerous

  

This also allows for the pike 'block' the late 17th century remnant of it with 11 foot pikes...

...which can also be placed frontally to indicate 'fraising', or hedgehog, depending on year and rules

 

These Dutch guards, are densely packed on bases - and despite flop hat could be used right through the period

 

...again add pikes to taste

 

...or drop them to three stand unit, and use battalions en masse

a dense battalion and thinner battalion operating together. Honestly, with enough of these, it looks great

 

 

 

CAVALRY & ARTILLERY: I used to have them based x2 on a 2" x 2" base (see first couple of pics), though the recent release of the V&B Marlburian book convinced me to shift to 3" x 3". In similar fashion to infantry, this allows 3 or 4 cavalry per base, which can be really useful again to save in figures per base, without looking daft. 

For guns, I just go with the flow, and keep figures loose - so that they can vary from economical to comedic! 

 

A standard 3 cav on a 3x3 base - recently changed due to release of Marlburian V&B book

 

 

Using older Irregular miniatures on 4 to a base, looking a little more Marlburian, though still staggered for effect, and due to space.

 

 

Some of the Jacobite lads wout with the Oxford Blues, looking for trouble...large figures look well in 'attack poses' on the 3" x 3" s

 

 

A few random generals - always useful in FoB and V&B

Random artillery, with crew varying from professional amateur, through dragoon, to interested ladies

'He can't even hold the bloody map straight!'

I have tried so many variations with these bases, even at one stage putting everything on 2" x 2", which frankly was a disaster. I can get a lot of figures / bases on the table with the current variant, and it all seems to work.