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I've said on my first post that I am fairly new to wargaming so I need help.

As a change from solo Dark Ages skirmish battle on a 6' by 4' board I have commandeered the 5.5' by 3' dining table and covered it in brown 4" hexes to represent the NW Frontier in the 1930's.
I will be using simple, solo skirmish rules from the Lone Warrior magazine or thePz8 rules for the period.

At the moment, I have a group of 28mm Sikh infantry, two of Scots, and two of English each with between 8 and 12 figures to the group.There are two dozen Pathan warriors in opposition.
All single figures are on 25mm plastic bases.

I am wondering if it would ease movement to group the figures. If so, how? 12 regular infantry figures grouped very closely just about fit on one hex but look better in as two double ranks of six figures over two hexes.
Any thoughts would be most welcome but I would rather not reduce the miniatures to anything smaller than 28mm.
Cheers

you can put them in movement trays are they on square our round bases?

Thanks Dane. They are on 25mm round plastic bases.
Movement trays has made me think about a magnetic tray and a coin or washer under the figures. It would be fairly easy to rebase at the stage I am at and give me flexibility for removing casualties and open or close order on each tray.
Otoh, I maybe over complicating things, as usual.

Suggestion - base to 50 X 40mm bases with 6 figures in two ranks on each base. two bases side by side would give you 12 figures in 2 ranks and just about fit the hex. the bases could also go behind each other to show column.

25mm rather than 28mm figures might allow you to do that on a 45mm frontage instead of 50mm, so the two bases would come in at 90mm frontage and so there would be a natural gap between other units.

you can try these

http://war-bases.co.uk/index.php?route= ... =68&page=2

Thank you Norm and Dane

I've tried a mock up of the 50 X 40mm bases but I can't get six 28mm figures on that size of base.
I like the idea so I am now pondering reduced sections of eight figures. Most are the 'heroic' Copplestone figures so even 8 of them on a Hex have a good 'presence.
Are there any obvious reasons why that wouldn't work?

Not at all, the big chaps bring their own sense of mass visually and when using hexes, a unit is a unit regardless of how it is constructed. Have a try at a single base with an 80mm frontage. The single base gives greater efficiency, so the larger Copplestone may get onto that.

Suggesting 40mm deep for 2 ranks, 60mm deep for deeper. Formations and 80mm deep for cavalry.

Thanks Norm
Enjoyed your Hexon videos by the way, and a couple of pieces I've come across in old Mini Wargames mags.

I've been experimenting a little with the base sizes taking on board your last two suggestions.
If I keep my individual figures on 25mm round bases I can get four on a 50 by 50mm movement base and six on a 75 by 50mm movement base, and two of either, or one of each, fit a 4" Hexon.
Twelve 28mm figures on a single Hexon looks crowded but a base of six and a base of four isn't bad, and I can imagine that the base of four is a Lewis gun sub section. Having said that, however, two bases of four looks uncluttered on a single Hexon.

Today I will cut some card bases to 50 by 50 and 75 by 50mm, overlay them with the magnetic sheet and mount some of the Regular infantry figures onto steel washers. I hope for the best of both worlds: movement trays and single figures that free stand
The Pathans can stay as single figures on their plastic bases and I have ordered some anti slip tape so they won't ski down the hills.

My regular cavalry are mechanised with a couple of Carden Lloyd carriers and Vickers light tanks but they won't be making an entry until later games.