Historical Wargaming Basing Guide: Base Sizes by Scale & Rule System

Last updated: March 2026. Covers DBA/DBM/DBMM, Black Powder, SAGA, Chain of Command, Field of Glory, and more. Always verify basing with your local club or tournament organizer.

Historical wargaming has no single authority dictating base sizes. Unlike Games Workshop games where one company sets the standard, historical gaming spans dozens of rule systems, five or more common figure scales, and periods from Biblical antiquity through the Cold War. Basing choices affect not just how your army looks on the table—they determine which rule systems you can play, whether your figures rank up correctly, and how easily you can transition between games.

This guide covers basing conventions for the most popular historical wargaming systems, organized by scale and by rules. Whether you are building your first DBA army, rebasing for a new edition of Flames of War, or trying to find a basing standard that works across multiple systems, this reference has you covered.

LITKO manufactures precision laser-cut miniature bases in every standard historical wargaming size—round, square, and rectangular—in clear acrylic, plywood, and with magnetic bottoms. We also make movement trays for every major basing system. If you need a custom size, the LITKO BaseMaker tool lets you specify any dimension.

Basing by Scale: 6mm through 28mm

Before diving into specific rule systems, it helps to understand the common figure scales used in historical wargaming and the base sizes typically associated with each. Scale determines not just the size of your figures but also the visual density on the table and the size of game you can play in a given space.

A note on "scale creep": Miniature sizes are measured from sole of foot to eye level, but there is no industry-wide enforcement. Many modern "25mm" figures are closer to 28mm, and some "28mm" ranges push into 30mm+ territory. When in doubt, measure your actual figures and choose base sizes that look right and match your opponents.

DBx Family: DBA, DBM & DBMM

The De Bellis family of rules—DBA (De Bellis Antiquitatis), DBM (De Bellis Multitudinis), and DBMM (De Bellis Magistrorum Militum)—is the gold standard for competitive historical gaming. These element-based games put a fixed number of figures on a standardized base (called an "element"), and the element is the fundamental unit of play. You never remove individual figures; entire elements are destroyed or pushed back.

DBx basing has become the de facto common standard in historical wargaming. Even if you do not play DBA or DBM, basing to their specification means your army is compatible with Field of Glory, ADLG (L'Art de la Guerre), and many other ancients/medieval rules.

DBA/DBM/DBMM Basing Standards: 15mm Scale

All elements have a 40mm frontage at 15mm scale. The depth and number of figures vary by troop type.

DBA/DBM/DBMM Basing Standards: 25/28mm Scale

At 25/28mm scale, all elements have a 60mm frontage. Depths increase proportionally. Some DBA 3.0 players use 80mm frontage for 28mm figures with larger sculpts.

DBA 3.0 optional deeper basing: DBA 3.0 introduced an optional rule allowing increased base depth for close-formation foot. Many players now use 20mm depth instead of 15mm for Spears, Blades, and Pikes at 15mm scale, as modern figures with more animated poses need the extra room. Check with your tournament organizer before committing to the deeper bases.

Browse All Miniature Bases at LITKO

Field of Glory

Field of Glory (FOG) uses the same base widths as the DBx family—40mm for 15mm figures and 60mm for 25/28mm—making it easy to transition armies between systems. However, FOG specifies different depths for some troop types, and the number of figures per base can differ slightly.

FOG Base Depths: 15mm Scale (40mm Frontage)

If you are basing a new 15mm ancients army and want maximum rules compatibility, the DBx/FOG 40mm frontage is the safest bet. Your army will work across DBA, DBM, DBMM, FOG, ADLG, Sword & Spear, and To The Strongest with little or no modification.

Flames of War & Team Yankee

Battlefront Miniatures' Flames of War (WWII) and Team Yankee (Cold War) use 15mm-scale figures based on standardized team bases rather than the element frontages used in ancients gaming. The system uses just three base sizes—small, medium, and large—with figures grouped into "teams." Vehicles and tanks are not based. Team Yankee uses identical basing to Flames of War, so bases are fully interchangeable between the two systems.

Read the Complete Flames of War Base Sizes Guide →

Bolt Action & Konflikt '47

Bolt Action by Warlord Games is the most popular 28mm WWII skirmish game. Individual figures are tracked for casualties, so models are based individually rather than on multi-figure elements. The rules do not strictly mandate base sizes, but strong conventions have emerged through tournament play. Infantry go on 25mm rounds, 2-man weapons teams on 40mm rounds, and 3-man weapons teams on 60mm rounds. Vehicles are not based. Konflikt '47 uses the same basing conventions with larger bases for walkers and powered infantry.

Read the Complete Bolt Action Base Sizes Guide →

Black Powder, Hail Caesar & Pike & Shotte

Warlord Games' "big battle" trilogy—Black Powder (Horse & Musket era), Hail Caesar (Ancients), and Pike & Shotte (Renaissance)—shares a common design philosophy: base sizes do not matter, only unit frontage does. The rules measure everything in terms of the unit as a whole, not individual figures or bases.

A standard-sized unit in any of these games should have a frontage of approximately 150mm–200mm (6–8 inches) when deployed in normal fighting formation. How you achieve that frontage is entirely up to you, which makes these rules ideal for players with existing collections on varied base sizes.

Recommended Basing for 28mm

These rules work just as well at 15mm, 10mm, or 6mm. Simply scale the frontage down proportionally. Many players use 60mm frontage per base for 15mm figures (similar to DBx 25mm basing) or 30–40mm frontage for 6mm/10mm.

Cross-compatibility tip: If you base your Hail Caesar ancients army on 40mm or 60mm frontages, it will also work for DBA, DBM, FOG, ADLG, and To The Strongest. Multi-system compatibility is one of the great advantages of historical gaming.

SAGA

SAGA by Studio Tomahawk is a skirmish-level game covering the Dark Ages, Crusades, and now the Age of Magic and Age of Hannibal. Models are individually based and individually removed as casualties. Base sizes are not rigidly specified in the rules, but strong conventions exist.

Gameplay note: In SAGA (2nd edition), all models in a unit fight when that unit is engaged in melee—there is no distance-from-enemy measurement to determine who participates. This was a deliberate change from the 1st edition, which required models to be within VS (Very Short, 2 inches) of an enemy to fight. Because base size no longer determines how many ranks can participate in combat, the choice between 25mm and 30mm bases in SAGA 2 is primarily about aesthetics and unit footprint rather than a tactical advantage.

Chain of Command & Sharp Practice

Too Fat Lardies' Chain of Command (WWII platoon-level) and Sharp Practice (black powder skirmish) are designed to be basing-agnostic. The rules do not specify base sizes, and the game mechanics do not depend on base dimensions. Both players simply need to use the same size bases for consistency.

Chain of Command

Chain of Command is primarily played at 28mm, though it works well at 20mm and 15mm. Models are individually based and individually tracked for casualties.

Sharp Practice

Sharp Practice covers black powder skirmish from roughly 1700 through 1865—the French & Indian War, American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, and American Civil War. Figures are grouped into "Groups" of typically 6–8 models that move and fight together.

• Individual infantry at 28mm: 25mm round
• Cavalry at 28mm: 25x50mm rectangular or equivalent pill-shaped base
• Artillery: gun model plus crew on a large base or individual round bases
• Groups often placed on a movement tray for convenience—LITKO's movement trays are ideal for this

Muskets & Tomahawks

Studio Tomahawk's Muskets & Tomahawks (2nd edition) is a skirmish game covering the entire age of black powder—18th and 19th century warfare. The core rules provide the framework, while supplements detail specific periods: Redcoats & Tomahawks covers the French & Indian War, American Revolution, and War of 1812; Shakos & Bayonets covers the Napoleonic Wars (1805–1815). The system also supports the American Civil War and colonial conflicts. All models are individually based on 25mm round bases at 28mm scale, consistent with SAGA and Bolt Action conventions. Units range from 4–12 figures depending on type (regulars, irregulars, Indians, etc.).

Other Popular Systems

Blucher (Sam Mustafa)

Blucher is a Napoleonic grand-tactical game where each base represents a brigade. The game uses a "base width" (BW) measurement system—all distances are measured in multiples of the base width, so you can use any base size as long as all players agree.

• Standard BW: 3 inches (76mm) for most scales
• Common base size for 6mm: 60mm wide (1 BW = 2 inches)
• Common base size for 15mm: 80mm wide (1 BW = 3 inches)
• Common base size for 28mm: 80–120mm wide
• Base depth typically 60mm, matching the Blucher unit cards (80x60mm)
• Many players use sabot bases to hold smaller elements (e.g., four 30x20mm DBx-style bases on an 80x60mm sabot)

LITKO's movement trays work perfectly as Blucher sabot bases, letting you use existing DBx-based figures for grand-tactical Napoleonic games without rebasing.

To The Strongest

Simon Miller's To The Strongest is a grid-based ancients game. Because movement is grid-square to grid-square (no measuring), base sizes are almost completely flexible. Your units just need to fit inside the grid squares.

• Common grid size for 28mm: 150mm (6 inches)
• Common grid size for 15mm: 100–150mm
• Most popular base for 28mm: 120x60mm (often a pair of 60x60mm bases side by side)
• DBx-based armies work perfectly—place multiple 40mm or 60mm elements together in a grid square
• The rules explicitly welcome any basing—that is part of the game's appeal

ADLG (L'Art de la Guerre)

ADLG has become one of the most popular ancients tournament rules worldwide. It uses 40mm frontage for 15mm and 60mm frontage for 25/28mm—identical to DBx. If you are based for DBA or FOG, your army works for ADLG with no changes.

Sword & Spear

Another ancients ruleset using DBx-compatible basing: 40mm frontage for 15mm, 60mm for 25/28mm. Units are formed from multiple elements, typically 2–4 bases per unit.

General de Brigade / General d'Armee

Popular Napoleonic rules that use individually based figures. At 28mm: 20mm x 20mm per infantry figure, 25mm x 50mm per cavalry figure. Figures are placed in group bases (typically 4 infantry on a 40x20mm base) for convenience, which is fully compatible with DBx basing.

Multi-Basing vs. Single Basing

One of the biggest decisions in historical wargaming is whether to place figures individually or in groups on multi-figure bases (elements). Each approach has real advantages and trade-offs.

Single (Individual) Basing

Multi-Basing (Element Basing)

The Best of Both Worlds: Movement Trays

The solution most experienced historical gamers settle on is individually based figures on movement trays. You get the speed and tidiness of element basing during formation games, with the flexibility to pull figures off the tray for skirmish games.

LITKO manufactures movement trays in every standard configuration: rectangular trays for ranked infantry, skirmish trays with round recesses, cavalry trays, and custom configurations. Our trays are laser-cut for precision—your 25mm figures will snap into 25mm recesses with no wobble.

Shop Movement Trays Specialty Movement Trays

Choosing a Base Material: Acrylic vs. Plywood vs. MDF

Your base material affects appearance, weight, and how you finish the model. Here is a quick comparison:

All LITKO bases are precision laser-cut in the USA, which means consistent sizing across every base in your army—no warping, no variation. This matters when you are ranking up 100+ infantry on element bases or fitting individually based figures into movement trays.

Need a Custom Size? Use LITKO BaseMaker

Historical wargaming sometimes demands odd base sizes—40x30mm for DBx cavalry, 50x32mm for Flames of War medium bases, 120x60mm for To The Strongest, or any other dimension your chosen rules require. The LITKO BaseMaker tool lets you specify any shape (circle, square, rectangle, oval), any size down to the millimeter, and choose from over 25 colors of acrylic or plywood. Order packs of 10, 25, 50, or 100.

Build Custom Bases with BaseMaker

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use round bases for rank-and-file historical gaming?

It depends on the rules. For element-based games like DBA, DBM, and FOG, the answer is no—elements must be rectangular so they can line up edge-to-edge in combat. For games like Hail Caesar and Black Powder where only frontage matters, you can use individual round bases on a movement tray and it works fine. For skirmish games like Bolt Action, SAGA, and Chain of Command, round bases are the standard.

What if my opponent uses different basing than me?

In most historical wargaming rules, this is a non-issue as long as the base frontages are close enough. DBA, FOG, and ADLG all specify exact base widths precisely so that armies from different players line up correctly in combat. For games like Black Powder and Hail Caesar, where only unit frontage matters, different individual base sizes within the unit are fine. The one thing to avoid is a large size mismatch in a game where base-to-base contact determines combat—if your 40mm elements face your opponent's 50mm elements, the edges will not align. Standardize within your gaming group.

How do I rebase from one system to another?

Rebasing is the bane of historical wargaming. Before committing, consider whether you actually need to rebase or whether sabot bases (movement trays) can bridge the gap. For example, if your figures are individually based on 15mm rounds for Flames of War, you can place them on a 40x15mm movement tray to play DBA, then remove them for FOW games. LITKO makes specialty movement trays specifically designed for this purpose.

If you do need to rebase: soak metal figures in warm water to loosen superglue, or freeze plastic figures (superglue becomes brittle in a freezer). Use a hobby knife to carefully pry figures from old bases. Clean the feet, then reattach to new bases with fresh superglue or PVA.

I play multiple periods. Is there a "universal" base size?

The closest thing to a universal standard in historical wargaming is the 25mm round base for 28mm skirmish (works for Bolt Action, SAGA, Chain of Command, Sharp Practice, and Muskets & Tomahawks) and the 40mm frontage element for 15mm massed battle (works for DBA, DBM, FOG, ADLG, and many others). If you base to these two standards and own a collection of LITKO movement trays, you can play almost any historical game on the market.

What base thickness should I use?

Most historical gamers prefer thin bases so the base does not visually overpower the figure. LITKO offers bases in 0.8mm (microply), 1.5mm (standard), and 3mm (heavy-duty). For individual 15mm or 28mm figures, 1.5mm is the most popular choice. For element bases that will hold 3–5 figures, 1.5mm or 3mm provides enough rigidity. If you use magnetic base bottoms for transport, the added magnetic layer means you can go thinner on the base itself.

Does LITKO make bases for 6mm and 10mm figures?

Yes. LITKO makes bases in every size from 15mm rounds up through large custom rectangles. For smaller squares and rectangles commonly used in 6mm and 10mm gaming (20x20mm, 25x25mm, 30x30mm, 40x20mm, etc.), use the BaseMaker tool to order the exact dimensions you need in your preferred material.

Related Base Size Guides

LITKO publishes detailed basing guides for individual game systems:

• Warhammer Base Sizes Guide — 40K, Age of Sigmar, The Old World, Kill Team
• Bolt Action Base Sizes Guide — 28mm WWII & Konflikt '47
• Flames of War Base Sizes Guide — 15mm WWII & Team Yankee
• Star Wars: Legion Base Sizes Guide — All factions & base sizes
• Kings of War Base Sizes Guide — Multi-basing & formations
• All Base Size Guides — Master index