Flames of War Base Sizes Guide | Infantry, Guns, Tanks & Aircraft

Last updated: June 2026. Base sizes reflect current Battlefront Miniatures standards for Flames of War 4th Edition and Team Yankee. Always check the latest Lessons From the Front FAQ for your period.

Flames of War by Battlefront Miniatures is the definitive 15mm World War II wargame. Unlike Warhammer where individual models each get their own base, Flames of War uses a team-based basing system—multiple figures are mounted together on a single rectangular base. This creates the look of infantry teams, gun crews, and weapon teams operating as a unit on the tabletop.

There are three standard base sizes in Flames of War: Small, Medium, and Large. Each size corresponds to a specific type of team. Getting the right base matters for gameplay—base size affects unit footprint, movement, and how teams interact with terrain features like foxholes and buildings.

LITKO manufactures precision laser-cut rectangular bases in all three standard Flames of War sizes, available in plywood, clear acrylic, and with magnetic or flexible steel bottoms for transport. If you need a non-standard size, the LITKO BaseMaker tool lets you order custom dimensions.

What Scale Is Flames of War?

Flames of War is a 15mm-scale game — roughly 1:100. Infantry figures stand about 15mm from foot to eye, and vehicles are 1:100 models (a Sherman or Panzer IV is roughly 55–65mm long). Team Yankee, Battlefront’s Cold War companion game, uses the same 15mm / 1:100 scale — so models and bases are interchangeable between the two.

That smaller scale is what makes Flames of War a true mass-battle game: you field whole platoons and companies where a 28mm game would fit a skirmish. It’s also why FoW uses team-based rectangular bases — several figures mounted together — rather than individual round bases.

Game	Scale	Figure height	Basing
Flames of War / Team Yankee	15mm (~1:100)	~15mm	Team-based rectangular bases
Bolt Action	28mm (~1:56)	~28mm	Individual round bases
Warhammer 40K / AoS	28–32mm “heroic”	~32mm	Individual round bases

Comparing WWII systems? Our Bolt Action base sizes guide covers the 28mm side.

Quick Reference: All Flames of War Base Sizes

Flames of War uses rectangular bases. The three standard sizes cover every team type in the game, from two-man anti-tank teams to full artillery crews with their guns.

Base Name	Dimensions	Used For	Figures per Base	Shop at LITKO
Small	1" x 1.25" (25mm x 32mm)	Command teams, anti-tank weapon teams, observers, snipers, light mortars	2–3 figures	Shop Small FoW Bases
Medium	1.25" x 2" (32mm x 50mm)	Rifle teams, MG teams, HMGs, medium mortars, infantry guns, small AT guns	4–5 figures	Shop Medium FoW Bases
Large	2" x 2.5" (50mm x 65mm)	Artillery, heavy mortars, large AT guns, cavalry teams, heavy gun crews	Gun + 4–6 crew figures	Shop Large FoW Bases

Imperial vs. metric: Battlefront specifies base sizes in inches. The millimeter equivalents above are approximate—a 1.25" base is technically 31.75mm, which Battlefront rounds to 32mm. LITKO bases are cut to the exact imperial dimensions for a perfect match with Battlefront's bases.

Infantry Teams — Small & Medium Bases

Infantry is the backbone of Flames of War. Every infantry platoon is built from teams—groups of soldiers mounted together on a single base. The base size depends on the team type and how many figures it includes.

Small Base Teams (1" x 1.25" / 25mm x 32mm)

Small bases hold 2–3 figures and are used for command elements and specialist weapon teams. These are the teams that lead your platoons and provide close-support firepower.

Team Type	Figures	Examples
Command Teams	3 (officer, NCO, rifleman)	Platoon HQ, Company HQ, Formation Commander
Anti-Tank Weapon Teams	2 (gunner + loader)	Bazooka, PIAT, Panzerschreck, Panzerfaust teams
Light Mortar Teams	2–3	2-inch mortar (British), 50mm mortar (German), 50-PM 40 (Soviet)
Observer Teams	2–3	Artillery observers, forward air controllers
Sniper Teams	2 (sniper + spotter)	Sniper teams for all nations
Commissar / Political Teams	2	Soviet Komissar teams, political officers

Medium Base Teams (1.25" x 2" / 32mm x 50mm)

Medium bases are the standard for rifle and MG teams—the core fighting units that make up the bulk of your infantry platoons. Battlefront sells medium bases in both 4-hole and 5-hole configurations. The 4-hole base is the most common, but either works.

Team Type	Figures	Examples
Rifle Teams	4–5 (NCO + riflemen)	Standard infantry teams for all nations
Rifle/MG Teams	4–5	German infantry (MG42 + riflemen), British Bren teams, US BAR teams
SMG Teams	4–5	Soviet SMG teams, assault pioneer teams
HMG Teams	3–5 (gun + crew)	Vickers .303, MG42 on tripod, M1917A1, DShK
Medium Mortar Teams	3–4 (mortar + crew)	3-inch mortar (British), 81mm mortar (US/German), 82mm mortar (Soviet)
Infantry Gun Teams	3–4 (gun + crew)	Small field guns assigned to infantry units (7.5cm leIG 18, 76mm regimental gun)
Light AT Gun Teams	3–4 (gun + crew)	Small anti-tank guns (2-pounder, 37mm AT gun, 45mm AT gun)

4-hole or 5-hole? Battlefront recommends 4-hole bases as the standard for infantry. A standard German or Soviet squad historically fielded 5 soldiers on a team, but there is always room to fit a fifth figure on a 4-hole base. Either variant works—the base dimensions are the same regardless of hole count.

Infantry Base Sizes by Nation

All nations in Flames of War use the same three base sizes. However, the mix of team types varies by army. Here is a quick breakdown of what a typical platoon looks like for each major nation:

Nation	Typical Rifle Platoon Composition	Base Mix
Germany	HQ + Rifle/MG42 teams, Panzerfaust team	1 Small (HQ) + 6–7 Medium (Rifle/MG) + 1 Small (Faust)
United States	HQ + Rifle teams, Bazooka team, 60mm mortar	1 Small (HQ) + 5–7 Medium (Rifle) + 1–2 Small (Bazooka/Mortar)
Great Britain	HQ + Rifle/Bren teams, PIAT team, 2" mortar	1 Small (HQ) + 6 Medium (Rifle) + 1–2 Small (PIAT/Mortar)
Soviet Union	Komissar + Rifle/MG teams or SMG teams	1 Small (HQ) + 7–9 Medium (Rifle or SMG) + 1 Small (Komissar)
Japan	HQ + Rifle teams, Nikuhaku (anti-tank) teams	1 Small (HQ) + 6–9 Medium (Rifle) + 1 Small (AT)
Italy	HQ + Rifle teams, close-assault AT teams	1 Small (HQ) + 6–8 Medium (Rifle) + 1 Small (AT)

Shop Small FoW Bases Shop Medium FoW Bases

Gun Teams & Artillery — Medium & Large Bases

Gun teams consist of a gun model and its crew, all mounted together on a single base. The base size depends on the physical size of the gun. Smaller infantry guns fit on medium bases, while larger anti-tank guns, field guns, and artillery pieces require large bases.

Guns on Medium Bases (1.25" x 2" / 32mm x 50mm)

Small guns that are light enough to be attached to infantry formations use the same medium base as infantry teams.

Gun Type	Examples	Crew
Light Infantry Guns	7.5cm leIG 18 (German), 76mm regimental gun (Soviet), 70mm battalion gun (Japanese)	3–4
Small Anti-Tank Guns	2-pounder (British), 37mm AT (US/German), 45mm AT (Soviet)	3–4
Medium Mortars	81mm mortar (US/German), 3-inch mortar (British), 82mm mortar (Soviet)	3–4

Guns on Large Bases (2" x 2.5" / 50mm x 65mm)

Heavier guns, artillery pieces, and large mortars need the extra space of a large base. This is where you mount anything from a 6-pounder AT gun up to a 155mm howitzer.

Gun Type	Examples	Crew
Medium Anti-Tank Guns	6-pounder (British), 57mm AT (US), 7.5cm PaK 40 (German), 76mm ZIS-3 (Soviet)	4–5
Heavy Anti-Tank Guns	17-pounder (British), 3-inch gun M5 (US), 8.8cm PaK 43 (German), 100mm BS-3 (Soviet)	4–6
Field Guns / Howitzers	25-pounder (British), 105mm M2A1 (US), 10.5cm leFH 18 (German), 76mm ZIS-3 (Soviet)	4–5
Heavy Artillery	5.5-inch gun (British), 155mm M1 (US), 15cm sFH 18 (German), 122mm M-30 (Soviet)	4–6
Heavy Mortars	4.2-inch mortar (British/US), 12cm mortar (German), 120mm mortar (Soviet)	3–5
Anti-Aircraft Guns	Bofors 40mm, 2cm FlaK 38 (German), 37mm AA (Soviet/US)	3–5

Gun team tip: When basing a gun team, the gun model is the focus. Place the gun first, then position crew figures around it. For large guns on large bases, the crew typically goes behind and to the sides of the gun, as they would in action. The base should be oriented with the 2.5" (65mm) edge as the depth, giving the gun barrel room to extend over the front edge.

Shop Medium Gun Bases Shop Large Gun Bases

Vehicles & Tanks — Basing Rules

Vehicles and tanks do not require bases in Flames of War. Unlike infantry and gun teams, armoured vehicles sit directly on the table on their own tracks or wheels. This is the standard convention and matches how Battlefront packages their tank kits.

That said, many players choose to base their vehicles anyway. Here is why you might want to:

• Protection: Bases prevent delicate parts (antennas, stowage, side skirts) from breaking during handling
• Scenic basing: A base lets you build terrain dioramas around your tanks—mud, rubble, tank tracks, crew figures
• Visual consistency: If your infantry is beautifully based, unbased tanks can look odd next to them
• Easier movement: Picking up a flat base is easier than grabbing a detailed model

Rules note: If you do base your vehicles, the Flames of War rules state that the extra height added by the base is ignored for line-of-sight purposes. Your opponent should not gain an advantage from your basing choice. Keep the base edge 1/8" to 1/4" beyond the vehicle hull on all sides so you can grip the base without touching the model.

Common Vehicle Base Sizes (Optional)

Since vehicle basing is optional, there is no single "correct" size. Here are common choices based on vehicle type:

Vehicle Class	Examples	Common Base Size
Light Vehicles / Armoured Cars	Sd.Kfz 222, Daimler, M8 Greyhound, BA-64	Large FoW base (2" x 2.5") or custom
Half-Tracks / Transports	Sd.Kfz 251, M3 Half-Track, Universal Carrier, M5	Custom rectangular (varies by model)
Medium Tanks	Sherman, Panzer IV, T-34, Cromwell, Chi-Ha	Custom rectangular (typically 2" x 3" or similar)
Heavy Tanks	Tiger, IS-2, Churchill, Pershing, King Tiger	Custom rectangular (typically 2.5" x 3.5" or similar)
Self-Propelled Guns	StuG III, SU-76, Priest, Wespe, Marder	Custom rectangular (varies by model)

Since there is no standard vehicle base, the LITKO BaseMaker is ideal for creating custom vehicle bases. Measure your model, add 1/4" border on each side, and order the exact rectangular size you need.

Aircraft & Flight Stands

Aircraft in Flames of War are mounted on flight stands that elevate the model above the battlefield. Battlefront sells plastic flight stands for this purpose. The aircraft model attaches to a flight peg, which inserts into a base on the tabletop.

Aircraft are typically loiter or strike assets—they arrive, make an attack run, and leave. Their base presence on the table is temporary, so the base mainly serves as a location marker and flight peg holder.

LITKO offers a variety of flight stand accessories for Flames of War, including acrylic flight pegs and altitude markers that work with 15mm aircraft models. These are more durable than the standard plastic stands and can be customized with colored acrylic.

Team Yankee — Modern Variant (Same Basing)

Team Yankee is Battlefront's Cold War-era companion game to Flames of War, covering hypothetical 1980s NATO vs. Warsaw Pact conflicts. The good news for basing purposes: Team Yankee uses the same three base sizes as Flames of War.

Base Size	Team Yankee Usage	Examples
Small 1" x 1.25"	Command teams, ATGM teams, specialist teams	HQ teams, Milan teams, Dragon teams, LAW teams, Blowpipe teams, SA-14 Gremlin teams
Medium 1.25" x 2"	Rifle teams, MG teams	US Mech Infantry, Soviet Motor Rifle, British Mech Platoon, West German Panzergrenadier
Large 2" x 2.5"	Heavy weapon teams, mortar teams, large ATGM platforms	81mm mortar teams, TOW teams on tripod, heavy MG nests

Since the base sizes are identical, you can use the same LITKO bases for both Flames of War and Team Yankee. If you play both systems, your bases are fully interchangeable.

Multi-Basing & Movement Trays

A Flames of War infantry platoon can have 8–12 individual team bases. Moving them one at a time across the table is slow and tedious. Movement trays solve this by grouping multiple bases onto a single tray that you can pick up and move as a unit.

Why Use Movement Trays for Flames of War?

• Speed of play: Move an entire platoon in one motion instead of repositioning 10 individual bases
• Formation coherency: Trays keep your teams at consistent spacing, making it easy to maintain legal formation distances
• Casualty removal: Individual bases still lift out of the tray when a team is destroyed
• Transport protection: Trays with magnetic bottoms keep bases secure during transport in a carrying case

LITKO manufactures movement trays in a wide variety of configurations. For Flames of War, you will want trays sized to hold the FoW rectangular bases (Small, Medium, or Large) in the formation your platoon typically uses.

Magnetic Basing for FoW

The most popular setup for Flames of War movement trays combines:

1. Magnetic base bottoms on each team base—LITKO offers peel-and-stick magnetic base bottoms in all three FoW sizes
2. Steel-bottom movement trays that the magnetized bases stick to

This means your individual team bases snap securely to the tray during movement but lift out easily when you need to remove casualties or reposition a single team.

Shop FoW Movement Trays

Choosing a Base Material

Your base material affects appearance, weight, and how you finish the model. Here is a quick comparison of what LITKO offers for Flames of War bases:

Material	Best For	Characteristics
0.8mm Plywood	Minimal base profile, focus on the miniatures	Ultra-thin microplywood. Barely visible under your teams. Easy to prime, paint, and flock. Great for players who want the thinnest possible base.
1.5mm Plywood	Balanced thickness, easy to pick up	Thin enough to keep focus on the minis, thick enough to grip easily. Good middle ground for most FoW players.
3mm Plywood	Durability, scenic basing, heavy terrain work	Thick and sturdy. Easy to pick up by the base without touching the miniatures. Ideal if you plan to add sand, rubble, or sculpted terrain to your bases.
Clear Acrylic	Gaming mats, transparent "invisible base" look	Lets your terrain mat or gaming table show through the base. Clean, modern appearance. Available in 1.5mm and 3mm thickness.
Magnetic / Steel	Transport, carrying cases, movement trays	Peel-and-stick magnetic bottoms or flexible steel bottoms that pair with magnetic sheets in your carry case or with steel-bottom movement trays.

All LITKO bases are precision laser-cut in the USA. Every base in your order will be the exact same size—no warping, no variation. This consistency is especially important for Flames of War, where bases need to fit snugly into movement trays and sit flush on the table.

Need a Custom Size? Use LITKO BaseMaker

Playing a variant with non-standard base sizes? Basing your vehicles? Need larger trays for a reinforced company? The LITKO BaseMaker tool lets you specify any shape (circle, square, rectangle, oval), any size, and choose from over 25 colors of acrylic or plywood. Order packs of 10, 25, 50, or 100.

BaseMaker is especially useful for Flames of War vehicle bases, where there is no standard size and you need a base matched to each specific hull.

Build Custom Bases with BaseMaker

New to custom bases? Our companion guide walks through how custom bases are made and ordered — what BaseMaker can produce, choosing a material, exact sizing, and ordering in volume tiers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What scale is Flames of War?

Flames of War is 15mm scale, roughly 1:100. Infantry stand about 15mm tall and vehicles are 1:100 models. Team Yankee uses the same 15mm scale, so bases and models are interchangeable between the two games.

What are the three standard Flames of War base sizes?

Small (1" x 1.25" / 25mm x 32mm) for command and specialist teams. Medium (1.25" x 2" / 32mm x 50mm) for standard infantry and light gun teams. Large (2" x 2.5" / 50mm x 65mm) for artillery, heavy guns, and cavalry teams.

Do tanks and vehicles need bases in Flames of War?

No. Vehicles sit directly on the table on their own tracks or wheels. Basing vehicles is optional and purely aesthetic. If you do base them, the rules state that extra base height is ignored for line of sight.

Are Flames of War and Team Yankee base sizes the same?

Yes. Team Yankee uses the exact same Small, Medium, and Large rectangular bases as Flames of War. Bases are fully interchangeable between the two systems.

Should I use 4-hole or 5-hole medium bases?

Either works. Both are the same 1.25" x 2" dimensions. Battlefront recommends 4-hole as the default. A 5th figure can always be squeezed onto a 4-hole base. Some players prefer 5-hole for nations with historically larger squads (Germany, Soviet Union). Choose whichever you prefer—it has no game effect.

What is the best base thickness for Flames of War?

Most FoW players prefer thin bases (0.8mm or 1.5mm plywood) because they keep the visual focus on the miniatures rather than the base. If you plan to do scenic basing with sand, rubble, or sculpted terrain, 3mm gives you more surface area to work with. Battlefront's own plastic bases are roughly 2mm thick.

Can I use clear acrylic bases for Flames of War?

Yes. Clear acrylic bases let your gaming mat or table terrain show through, which looks great on detailed terrain boards. Most opponents and tournament organizers have no issue with clear bases as long as the dimensions are correct. LITKO cuts clear acrylic bases to the exact FoW dimensions.

What base do cavalry teams use?

Full cavalry teams (3–4 mounted figures) use large bases (2" x 2.5"). Smaller mounted teams like cavalry command or reconnaissance can use medium bases turned sideways. Cavalry is less common in Mid and Late War periods but appears frequently in Early War Eastern Front and Pacific Theatre lists.

How many bases do I need for a typical Flames of War army?

A standard 100-point Mid War or Late War force typically needs 20–40 bases for a predominantly infantry force (mix of Small and Medium), plus 4–8 Large bases for gun teams and artillery. Tank-heavy forces need fewer bases since vehicles are unbased. A good starting order is 10 Small, 25 Medium, and 8 Large bases.

Related Base Size Guides

• All Base Size Guides — Master index for every game system
• All Miniature Base Sizes — Size-first reference, every shape and material
• Historical Wargaming Basing Guide — DBA, Black Powder, SAGA, Chain of Command
• Bolt Action Base Sizes Guide — 28mm WWII & Konflikt '47
• Warhammer Base Sizes Guide — 40K, Age of Sigmar, The Old World, Kill Team
• Age of Sigmar Base Sizes Guide — All factions, 4th Edition quick-reference chart
• Magnets for Miniatures Guide — magnet sizes, magnetizing & storing your army