One of the things that has held me back on the pre-dreadnoughts project is the basing for torpedo boats and destroyers. The rules I'm thinking of using, Broadside and Salvo or Naval Thunder: Rise of the Battleships, both use flotilla basing for these smaller warships but don't actually specify how to go about it. I've seen it done in different ways including four or five models based on large rectangles, two or three based on smaller rectangles and even individually based models with magnetic strip underneath and magnet lined movement trays.
I'm thinking that the best way forward would be to use group basing of between two and three models, depending on their size, on square or slightly rectangular bases so that they can be organised into divisions or flotillas. The square format means that they can also be arranged in formations without looking odd or taking up too much space. I'm going to stick with a base width that matches the rest of the warships too, probably 30mm to allow for larger models to fit but also not so big that smaller ships like cruisers end up looking silly.
I think this should work well and avoid having to move loads of individual models each turn?
For General Quarters I use square bases for torpedo boats and small destroyers. 2-3 to a base.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I'm going to do..good to kmow it works! Thanks :O)
ReplyDeleteWill watch developments with great interest. We do some WW1 naval wargaming but not pre-dreadnaught (yet) but finding your blog very inspirational.
DeleteI use rectangles of clear plastic to base my 1/2400 models with streaks made up of a little hot glue painted off white for the bow waves and wakes. I hadn't considered multiple basing for destroyers, which are barely there in this scale, but it has promise.
ReplyDeleteI've based mine 2 to a base with dice frames in the corner
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of clear bases.
ReplyDeleteI noticed how you did yours Colin. Presumably the dice frame is to record losses?
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan, although since doing that I've thought using them for shooting identifiers
DeleteClear plastic , thats a thought just cut bases from stout plasticard for a bit of filler for waves and wakes, just started my Japanese 1904 -05 fleet
ReplyDeleteTo give an idea of how clear bases look in practice, here's a link to my blog page on the topic. The photo with the pre-Dreadnoughts is a little way down the page.
ReplyDeletehttps://ajstable.blogspot.com/2018/10/saxon-force-majestics-finished.html
I was pondering the same question back in 2015 for the Jutland fleets in particular (https://thomo.coldie.net/2015/01/19/general-quarters-world-war-1-destroyers-part-2/) but then as things go, I was distracted by something else bright and shiny. I got back to thinking about it today when looking at some 1/3000 scale plastic Fujimi destroyers from the Battle of Guadalcanal. Lovely models but like most destroyers, at that scale, small compared to other vessels.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking for WW1 British, by half division on rectangular or square bases. Now thinking the same for WW2 destroyers with say 4 destroyers er base. It will at least stop the flotilla's getting mixed up and spread out :-)
Yes I think it makes sense to base them in flotilla or sub-flotilla sized multiple bases, probably in squares so that they can be rearranged in line, echelon etc?
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