Position of Command Models

[Chilledenuff]

Just a quick question really. with the pike blocks is it best to set them up as follows? (o=officer, m=musician, s=sergeant, p=pike and e=ensign):

s p p p
p p p p
p p e p
p o m p

Obviously the front rank contains the officer and musician in the above example. I haven't included the 2 wings of shotte as it just makes text based examples messy. Or have I missed something and ECW units were set up in an entirely different configuration?
Horribly newbie question, but without asking these things how do I become an expert?

[mikeland]

Looks fine to me, though I may be wrong, I think the arranging of command within the pike block is purely an aesthetic thing. But until the rules are published I couldn't say for a fact.

I often put my officer at the front:

p p p p
p p p p <-----this is the front
S p p p
p e m o

But I think it is more what looks good.

[grant]

I usually put an officer, musician, and ensign, and don't usually have a sergeant. I forget about him!

[Big Al]

Units in general will need some mark to note the centre of the unit for purposes of Line of Sight and to determine where the unit is fighting or supporting. These are the reasons in either Black Powder or Hail Caesar and that is unlikely to have changed. The use of the unit leader in that position is only to make it easier to spot the centre point of the unit. I have no idea as to the correct positioning of the leader as I don't have any knowledge of the era, but however you do it, I would recommend marking the front centre figure with some embellishment to make it stand out from the rest, just to define the centre point easily.

[Chilledenuff]

i hadn't really considered the rules set for the layout of the unit See what asking questions can do? I've learnt stuff! As it seems there is no hard and fast suggestion then I might stick with what I've got, mayhap tweaking it so the musician is in the second rank, leaving the officer in front, marking the centre of the unit.

... Of course you need a sergeant! He makes sure the lackeys stay in formation and don't desert.. or even worse defect to the parliamentarians!

[grant]

Definitely need to add sergeants!

[mikeland]

... Of course you need a sergeant! He makes sure the lackeys stay in formation and don't desert.. or even worse defect to the parliamentarians!

I need to find a forum full of good and true men of parliament lovers of liberty and truth, will to take a stand against the king and his wicked advisors... too many of the kings men around here by half.

[BigMike]

I don't like putting command models in units, I reckon they look better at the side or on diorama bases, otherwise pike blocks stop looking like pike blocks!

Also, see how being outnumbered erodes Mikeland's treacherous principles, now he's trying to flee the nest like others of his ilk did!

[stampedingviking]

I don't like putting command models in units, I reckon they look better at the side or on diorama bases, otherwise pike blocks stop looking like pike blocks!

Also, see how being outnumbered erodes Mikeland's treacherous principles, now he's trying to flee the nest like others of his ilk did!

Send him to the colonies!

[Black Sheep]

Of course you need a sergeant! He makes sure the lackeys stay in formation and don't desert.. or even worse defect to the parliamentarians!

[/quote]

Interesting. What do you need to add to stop your top men running away and hiding in Oak trees for the night?
Thanks for lulling these Royalist chaps into a false sense of security Mikeland. The New Model Army awaits your orders.