Mounting Pike units??

[HestonFan23]

Hello folks.  I am  new to DbMM and am currently reading through the 2.0 edition of the rules.  I am building a Sumerian Army with lot of Pk (I).  Is it feasible to base my pikemen on 40mm by 60mm bases? 

[Duncan Head]

Hello folks.  I am  new to DbMM and am currently reading through the 2.0 edition of the rules.  I am building a Sumerian Army with lot of Pk (I).  Is it feasible to base my pikemen on 40mm by 60mm bases?

You could base them four deep: the rules in fact only envisage basing troops two deep - "Other troops (most commonly Warband) of the same type can be double-based for convenience, or if Baggage multiply-based, but do not receive special factors and are replaced by single elements if 1 element is destroyed" - but I don't think opponents are likely to object to bigger multiples.

However, you'll need to remove single elements when you lose a front-rank casualty, and with (I) especially you can sometimes lose a lot of casualties. A better course might be to mount most of your pikes two deep on 40x30, with enough single-based elements to "make change" when you're down to depths of three elements (or one...).

[HestonFan23]

"However, you'll need to remove single elements when you lose a front-rank casualty, and with (I) especially you can sometimes lose a lot of casualties."

Could I use casualty caps or pieces of red yarn to mark off rear casualties? 

[Duncan Head]

Again, you could, if your opponents don't object, but it's not something that the rules envisage, nor how the game is usually played.

And there will be times when the depth matters, such as if you want to deploy your pikes two or three elements deep rather than four, or if the enemy get behind you and you want to turn your rear ranks to face them, or if your pike are recoiling and there's something behind them.

[Barritus]

Hello folks.  I am  new to DbMM and am currently reading through the 2.0 edition of the rules.  I am building a Sumerian Army with lot of Pk (I).  Is it feasible to base my pikemen on 40mm by 60mm bases?

Is there a particular reason you're contemplating doing this?

Certainly moving 40+ Pk bases around can be fiddly, particularly if you use wire for the Pikes and worry about impaling yourself (something I've done with just 16 Pk elements in my Macedonian armies). The solution I've seen in this case is to single base the figures, but place them on temporary under-bases which can take a column of elements (or perhaps two or more). This works better if the bases are magnetic and the under-bases are metal. The under-bases have no effect in game terms, and are intended solely to keep the bases aligned.

[HestonFan23]

I enjoy seeing lots of massed infantry on the table.  In my experience it looks more believable if the unit (in whatever game you use) are on bigger scenic bases.  I am doing this army in 6mm.  I also plan on playing casual, historical games in my gaming room.  I doubt I would ever do tournaments.  And I will probably rope an unsuspecting person into playing the game with me. 

It really does not matter WHAT I do because it will mostly be me playing by myself.  I also believe that I rule the games...the games do not rule me.  I was really wondering in multiple basing of units would adversely affect the mechanics of the game.  It sounds like it does.  I am going to wait until I get my Irregular miniatures from Silver Eagle Wargames to decide if multiple basing is okay.