CROSSFIRE: basing and modelling

Crossfire suggests a system of basing for the figures. I have based mine slightly differently, and I'm arrogant and stupid enough to think my way to be an improvement. Here is how I went about it:

French infantry: WW1 Revell figures, painted as WW2 1940 French (more accurate than Esci's WW2 French). Stands shown make up one platoon, as per the rules. Each rifle squad is three men on a rectangular base 1 1/4" by 1 3/4". This gives the figures more room, makes them easier to tell from other types of stand, and makes their facing easier to see. The HMG base is square.

In the rules, Arty suggests that each base have a couple of numbers written on it; one number to denote company membership, the other platoon membership. He also suggests the use of prone figures, wounded figures and rubble to mark whether a unit is Pinned, "No Fire", Suppressed or Ground Hugging. I like the latter because it does not involve a nasty number or word written on a card, which would spoil the look of my battlefield. I dislike the former for the same reasons.

In the photograph above, each stand is identified as belonging to the same platoon by a piece of yellowish rubber lichen on the base. Note the platoon commander on a single base, blowing his bugle. Towards the bottom of the picture, is a Company Commander. He commands this platoon, as can be seen by the yellowish rubber lichen on his base. He also commands another platoon (not shown) with large whitish rocks (cat litter) on their bases, and another with upright green sprigs of plastic aquarium plant (difficult to see on the CC's base as it is green against green).

I have marked one company of 1940 French as follows:

1st Company, 1st Platoon: each base has a little bush made out of yellow rubber lichen.
1st Company, 2nd Platoon: each base has a sprig of pond weed made for putting in fish tanks.
1st Company, 3rd Platoon: each base has a whitish rock, made from a lump of cat litter.
1st Company, Mortar and FO: both have a whitish rock, made from a lump of cat litter.
1st Company Commander: base has two figures on it, plus a small yellow lichen bush, a sprig of plastic pond weed, and a cat litter rock.

So one can tell at a glance which stands belong to the same platoon, and by looking at the symbolic bits of terrain on the company commander, it is possible to see which platoons belong to him. One battalion of three companies of three platoons needs nine different symbolic bits of terrain. Mine were: the above three, small twigs cut to look like logs, patches of wheat flock, green foam for another kind of small bush, two other colours (green and red) of artificial lichen, and tall reeds (made from old fashioned string). Others ideas include piles of bricks, puddles, vehicle wheels, and small craters.

For ground hugging squads I use a prone figure lying behind the stand. For pinned units I use a prone figure in front of the stand. For suppressed squads I use the same prone figure as before but turned belly-up (and I have painted gory glossy crimson on his belly - very clear to the eye). For "No Fire" I use an ammunition crate.

The barbed wire is made with a cardboard base, textured with a mixture of brown poster paint and Tetrion plaster wall filler, then onto this are glued upright sections of cocktail stick, for the wooden posts, and the wire itself is strips of car body repair mesh, cut along the bias so that the strands of mesh going the other way become the barbs, which are about the right distance apart for this scale. They are genuinely sharp, too. A little rust coloured paint was applied to knock down the shine.

You are going to need a lot of terrain/scenery for games of Crossfire, so you may like to have a look at my scenery section, which is part of the model-making section.