Planning First HC - Advice?

[warpaint_figures]

Okay so hopefully planning first HC game next week. We have Imperial Romans (Mid to late) and think will put them against babarians (Celts etc)

Looking for bit of advice on recommeded size of game for first one and unit sizes and frontage//ranking set up to give a good managable game to get used to rules. All figures on WAB sort of base sizes

Was thinking maybe legionairies/Auxilleries 8 x 3 with warbands 8 x 4 as keeps complementary frontages then. Cavalry probably 6-8 wide when in line 2 deep?

rde should the romans be looking at 2 ranks deep and 12 models wide?

Stew

[NorseKnight83]

Well I haven't played the game yet my self. I have already determined the sizes of my units and such for the forces I do have. I have some Normans and Vikings. I base a standard unit on three bases equaling the frontage listed in the book. Each base contains 6 figures in two ranks so a total of 18 figures per standard unit. The cavalry equates out to the standard frontage listed broken into six bases. Two figures per base in two ranks for a total of 12 figures per unit.

Visually I thought it looked perfectly fine at least for the dark ages where army numbers were not all that huge. That and I have to collect both forces so this stretches my resources a bit further to be honest. If you were wondering I have Conquest Games Norman infantry/cavalry and Gripping Beast viking hirdmen plastic box.

Hope that helped some!

[coastcityo]

As you mentioned, frontage is all that really matters, and that means numbers of units is really just a matter of what looks best to you. As far as our gaming group goes, we base our HC armies on 40x40mm squares for formed infantry, and 20mm squares for skirmishers/ open order infantry. We then use eight men for small units/skirmishers for any unit, but the formed units vary. My Romans re built up with for to a base, and four bases per unit/cohort. My friends Britons are built with three or four men per base, and eight bases (4 wide and 2 deep) per warband. Our Spartan commander does four per base, and eight bases per phalanx (same as the warband front). As you can see, our formed infantry is always setup 160mm wide, with depth and numbers of figures determined by the army itself.

[warpaint_figures]

Cheers Gang

Probably going to limit to 2 divisions a side as about 3 or so hours to play and first time. Roman infantry 8x2 on 20mm frontage.

Will let you know how it went if goes ahead

Stew

[coastcityo]

I know you have already got some games in, as well as knowing this is an older thread. But, I thought I might add in something else for a newer HC gamer. Our gaming circle is pushing more for three division battles over two, just for the chance to break an army, without having to destroy the whole force. We have been more flexible in our division sizes, allowing three units vice four, and even counting skirmishers in order to stretch less units into more divisions. I'm planning on running my nine units as three divisions of three (when I get my ninth that is). For now, I usually borrow up to nine, or just add mine to another's for bigger battles.