Thirty Years War and English Civil War- The Horse..my kingdom for the Horse

      The Horse..my kingdom for the Horse...or something like that..
Following on from my musings about my basing for my infantry (see last post), I was struck by the basing conventions of many rules as being rather random. Sure, some tried to be proportioned and approximated some ground scale.  Some rules insist that each figure is based on 25mm frontage, or 20mm , or 15mm. Other rules- those with a "big base= one unit" approach tend to have a standard frontage for the infantry and perhaps the same for the cavalry (or Horse!) (Baroque) . Some have the Horse on smaller bases  (Tercios). 
SO many rules, so many variations, so little time...... I am so confused.....and a little disheartened.
(Not withstanding phone calls and emails from so called friends calling me after the last post - inquiring as to the state of my mental health!)

I got my classifications from all rules that I have: Pike and Shotte, Polemos, Field of Glory (Renaissance), 1644, Warhammer ECW, Baroque, DBR,  George Gush's WRG rules, For King and Parliament, Liber Militum Tercios and Twilight of Divine Right.  I think there is a small fortune in every wargamer's library that consists of rules never used- or intended to be used but 'never got around to it'.
Anyway with the categories, I just unashamedly copied them: Sipahis, Cuirassiers, Trotters, Gallopers, Arqubusiers, Light Cavalry and Mounted Dragoons.
Some people say this is too many categories.
Other say not enough.
I say "Go away". 

There are some 'sub-categories'. For example I class the Winged Hussars as Cuirassiers but give them a lance with the attendant exaggerated charge bonus. .. ..just to make sure that they can never be beaten.........ever..........you're chuckling to yourself.....but I'm serious............ever.
(Talk about favourite troop type!).

I guess people will say  "What's the base meant to represent?"

Is it 500 horsemen vs a unit of 1000 infantry or 1500. I got myself tied in knots trying to decide how to base my cavalry for the TYW/ ECW. For each 'solution' there was an argument around playability, representation , appearance and let's face it - cost. 

Some of my ideas were greeted enthusiastically by various Brothers. This particular attitude was greeted with appreciation, acceptance and the idea was utilised.  Other ideas were poo-pooed. This attitude was greeted with a sickening lack of tact and a flurry of mindless violence.

So, confused by all the rule sets sitting on my shelf, I wondered how to base the various figures in the various units that needed to be represented somehow. 

I experimented with long wide bases- 180mmx 60mm, as I did the infantry. They looked spectacular but the base was very unwieldy. Looking at my ancients and medievals I had been very happy with the 120mmx80mm bases  that we used for all mounted ( cavalry , chariots, elephants) regardless of troop type. This also means that Turkish light cavalry ( I have a few) can be used from the 12th to 17th centuries!

The big 180mm x 60mm bases. Big and heavy!!

In the end, who cares??  If so many rules have so many different conventions and frontages and proportions and ratios, which one is the 'right one'?  
I recall one of the Brothers, Paul, writing to a Wargames Magazine a number of years ago as we were in the process of rebasing thousands ( yes you've done it too) of ancient and medieval figures to a new ruleset. He asked if the respected editors of said magazine could they not create some world wide accepted convention for basing or form an "International Wargames Standards Authority" ( or something along those lines)!

There isn't a correct basing. I couldn't get my head around what each man represented or how much space the figure took up representing an amount of space in real life. And I have always liked the basing conventions of Impetus.....so it was decided!

 I went with the same sized frontage as most of my infantry and was happy with the result. I put  all the mounted figures on the same sized base 120mmx80mm...and slept peacefully for the first time in months....or maybe it was the new bottle of sedatives.

So in the end every mounted unit I have is on the same base for all my armies from the time of the Dinosaurs until the end of the Thirty Years War ( Skirmish games not included).

If this is all boring- just look at the pics.........( and the variety of painting quality)- all mounted on 120mm frontage and 80mm depth.

Light Cavalry- Turkish in this case....now able to be used from the 11th century until the 17th century! 

Sipahis

You know who these boys are. They never get beat.....( I mean it.....ever!)

Harquebusiers

Some other lights- yes that man is wearing chainmail!

Trotters or Gallopers

Arquebusiers

Gallopers!

Arqubusiers or Trotters- depending on which army I decide to put them in!

Scots lancers for the Covenant!

And so now for the TYW and ECW Horse and Foote- all on the same frontage. The depth varies for the Foote.  Now it doesn't mean that this is the 'be all and end all'. 

In two years I will probably change my mind...and I can hear the faint cry:

"But what does it represent ?

How many men does it represent??"

"Lots!"

So what does this represent? 1000 hussars vs  a unit of 1500 infantry?  300 hussars vs 600 infantry?
I have no idea, but it means a unit of cavalry charging a unit of pike and shot infantry. ( Later Tercio -Mixed!)

And this one? What does it represent? .........oh leave me alone.
 It's a unit of gallopers charging a mixed unit of reformed pike and shotte.