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I've been looking into historicals for some time now, and now that I've started to play Napoleon: Total War, looking into Sharpe, etc., I kind of want to start Napoleonics over the summer. The problem is the basing (as the title notes). I want to have minis that are easy to transport, so I've been hoping to base each figure individually. However, a lot of rules tend to have multiple figures per base (Field of Glory Napoleonic, for example, has units made up of 2 bases of 4 minis each. I think [I'm in a library right now and can't access the rules]). I was thinking, would it be acceptable to use LOTR movement trays, or to make my own movement trays of about 4 minis each and have them count as bases?

Frontage and depth are important in most historical rulesets, but the manner in which you get there generally isn't. That being said, I think minis are a lot easier to transport in groups than individually. More flat surface to magnetize and more stable.

FOG:N uses four bases per unit, not two. most napoleonic rulesets I've looked at (recent ones that is) are pretty flexible with the basing so long as you and your opponent are based the same or nearly the same.

Okay... where to begin. Do you want skirmish or larger? If larger do you want battalion scale or brigade scale or even something like grand tactical where you are manuvering whole corps?

If skirimish then Sharpe Practice by Too Fat larddies is excellent. I use it for my 40mm Napoleonic skirmish. I have two other sets of rules I prefer that being Age of Eagles for brigade scale and Snappy Nappy for corps level. The problem is that many of them are not compatible with basing.

In the end as someone who has played multiple nappie rules I think you should avoid FoG napoleonics. They are not the best set of rules in my opinion especially for someone new to nappies. Another new rules set is Napoleon at War. Think of that rules set as flames of war for Napoleonics.

I use the square 20mm bases used in WHFB and have them magnetized to a movement trays. Most rules if seen its the frontage and depth that matters over the minis and that frontage has been in 40mm incriments. I disregard the tray boarder and measure the bases frontage. By doing this I've allowed myself to base my units depending on the rule set I'm using and freely pack and move my units based of space available.

Do you find 28mm artillery fits on the same 40mm frontage?

Since my game of choice is black powder I don't base my guns as they in and of themselves are how fireing arc and targeting are decided, my gun crews stand on single bases around the gun. With the same rule set my officers, ensigns, drummers and sergeants also stand off the movement tray from my rankers. I have Victrix plastic British foot artillery and holding the gun itself to a pair of bases 40mm frontage works, depth is more like 60ish and there would be no room for a crew on that base.

Heres my 20mm Perry/Victrix British on 20mm bases and movement trays.

Cool. Thanks for the explanation/picture. I ended up getting some steel trays from Shogun Miniatures for another project, but I just might have to re-purpose them for historicals.

http://shogunminiatures.com/shogunminjaturessteeltrays.html

I've actually thought of either putting sheet metal into my trays or getting 40mm by 40mm metal pieces. As is I have magnetic strips in that base.

This was my first attempt making my own trays and the magnets I used work fine in line formation but aren't as effective in column. My thoughts are either getting some metal or circular magnets instead of cutting strips.

My movement trays are one file too narrow :( They'll work as I'm likely to supply both sides in a given game, but it looks like if I want an even number of miniatures, I'm going to have to get new ones.

I might join you with the 40mm metal square bases idea.

For magnets, I just use cheap thin magnetic sheeting from the dollar store. They sell it to put photograph and the like on the fridge. It's not quite strong enough for metal figures, but my plastics can stand horizontally on the fridge nicely.

Same magnets lol. I've found that while the magnets are paralle (line formation) there is a solid hold and I can hold the base upside down. If I turn the minis so the magnets cross eachother (column) they don't have as stronge a hold.

I think it will be alleviated by either circle magnets or metal in the tray.

Sheet magnet does still have polarity. I've never used magnet on magnet though, just magnet on my steel movement trays, so I've never noticed any difference. I also don't do full 20mm squares, but do more like 17.5mm of magnet sheet, so there's a bit more than a mm between the magnet and the base and twice that between each piece of magnet.

A friend of mine did 1/8" rare earth disc magnets into the bases of his guys for metal miniatures. They were actually too strong. He switched to 3/32" and that was better. Though apparently there are different grades of rare earth magnets, so I guess he could have just switched to a lower grade instead.