#1 [url]

Nov 16 04 1:16 PM

Orange

I would be interested to hear how others represent built up areas on the table. There arn't many buildings available into which you can fit a battalion or two, so it would be good to hear from some old(er) hands with a few hints and tips.

Lasalle

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SGH

Fusilier

Posts: 220

#2 [url]

Nov 16 04 9:00 PM

Actually, this is something missing from the rules. How about the definitive answer DB? Somehting along the lines X square cm will hold Y men perhaps.

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Eclaireur

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#3 [url]

Nov 16 04 10:40 PM

Gents,
this is how David and I work this problem...
1. You buy a building (maybe two !) and you buy some walls or hedges or fence. You group 36 figs, 40, 60 whatever your desired capacity is and cut the base to the required size. I glue the building(s) to the base, then glue in the walls or other boundaries of the BUA with my battalion(s) actually sitting on the base to make double sure it will all fit. Then I put the texturing or flock on.
2. The approach given above provides a way of knocking together some BUAs for generic uses. If the base is required for a specific historical scenario, like Essling or Waterloo, then you've got to get the relevant books up and research the issue. How many troops actually held the Granary or La Haye Sainte ? Is is appropriate to split Plancenoit or Eylau into several BUAs ? How did the battle flow - was there for example a church or farm at one end of the town that one side or other couldn't take, despite holding the rest of the town ? Is there a separate area of walled garden, as at Dresden or Hougomont that needs to be represented, as well as the buildings ? These inquiries will give you the answers about how many bases of BUA to use and what their approximate troop capacity is.

I feel like I'm teaching you guys to suck eggs... but maybe I've missed something in your inquiries. The historical reality of these fights should provide your key...
regards
EC

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#4 [url]

Nov 17 04 8:22 AM

for quick Friday night games, if we use buildings, we just agree between us how many Battalions can fit into a built up area. It's usually one per model building. This makes it fairly simple.
The boundary is set by placing the building on a dark green rough cut mat that allows figures to placed on it.
If recreating a real engagement, look at the historical scenario and work out the number of figures that should be there.

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#5 [url]

Nov 17 04 9:57 AM

EC,

My query was aimed at establishing whether anyone has attempted to standardise space for capacity - ie a 40 fig village to always be a specific surface area.

I have been doing much the same as you and DCR (except that I try and avoid gluing the buildings to the bases if possible so as to allow me to use buildings in different configurations for different scenarios). I was wondering whether there was a more scientific method aimed at minimising ground scale distortions - particularly as the number of figures that one can cram into a BUA depends on the model buildings etc that are used to constitute the BUA.

One of the ideas that I am toying with is, with the exception of individual chateaus, farm compexes and the like, make all BUA have a fixed troop capacity (perhaps 40 figures) and have all larger BUAs constituted by sections of these smaller BUAs on the basis that it is inherently unlikley that all parts of a BUA that has space for 1,600 fighting men to change hands at once. The question for me, therefore, is whether each 40 man section needs to be of identical surface area and, if so, what that surface area should be.

O

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#6 [url]

Nov 17 04 12:20 PM

Eclaireur/Suchet

Thanks guys. The suggestion of a defined area that will accomodate (say) three buildings and the bases for three battalions works for me.

Lasalle

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Eclaireur

Brigadier

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#7 [url]

Nov 17 04 5:25 PM

O,
why work towards standard BUAs ? It's like standard numbers of men in a battalion, life just isn't that tidy. I see what you're saying about trying to minimise ground scale distortion but it's not a problem we were ever too concerned about.
regards
EC

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#8 [url]

Nov 17 04 5:50 PM

Ec,

Only reason is to minimise ground scale distortion - but I guess yr right - life's too short! BTW, the idea is not to have identical templates - just the same surface area. Anyway, I suppose that if no body else is hung up about this, I shouldn't be either.

Orange

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