Once, a long time ago, someone came up with an interesting hypothesis. Since troops fought in various orders (open, close, dispersed, etc.) why not base them on stands differently to simulate this?

Hence was born the much maligned HI, LMI, LI etc. As graven in stone as this practice is (we all refuse to remount our armies), for Dark Ages warfare, highly impractical. Notably, in accounts of the time, whether poems, sagas, battle reports, biographies, or chronicles, the lack of formal drilled training of troops led to a uniformity in a sense of fighting. No longer were there specialized "woods" troops, the famed LHI distinction. Only the good old skirmisher retained his distinction of fighting in a very open order, this to prevent missiles from disrupting a closer formation. Even these troops were usually no more than levies who happened to have a skill with the bow, sling, or javelin. Or try to simulate a shield-wall formation with WRG based Vikings, or any LMI/LHI based irregulars.

Why not instead mount all foot as close formation (screams and moans) and, as in Empire III and many later period rules use spacers or such to simulate an open order or skirmish formation? Likewise, all mounted troops may be based as close order. However, LC (and even LI) basing might be retained as it is as these troops did generally use a much looser formation than heavier armored types.

I know that this will probably kill any chance of anyone who's already based his troops on nicely flocked bases from using a rules system which states that this basing is to be used...but there comes a time when us Dark Ages gamers must stand up and say "...hey, it ain't right nor realistic to have our guys mounted the same as Alexander's phalangites..." So when using our troops for WRG, Shock of Impact, Newbury, et.al. we can use those spacers to spread out to LM/LH distance, but when playing our house rules we'll use realistic troop distances and formations for that time period. Now a shieldwall formation using Vikings will be packed together and when they traverse rough terrain, just space out the bases!