Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hmmm...now to go buy a load of static grass and get basing :-/

I really hate flock. The stuff looks horrific and makes a tremendous mess. That said you won't ever see any of it on my models. Some other base materials (sand and rocks for example) are not so bad and I don't mind using them, but flock is terrible.

Flock is a general catch all term used for a range of products that are used for ground cover (in this case, basing), while static grass is a specific type that will stand up when a static charge is applies when gluing it down (it's kinda tricky to get right, but it does work). Most "flock" isn't made of sawdust, most are made of some sort of tiny, tiny shaved foam or something, though some is dyed sawdust.

Check out Woodland Scenics, who makes and has a huge range of natural dyes. Scenic Express also has a similarly wide range of similar products (including some of Woodland Scenics products IIRC). Using quality materials (not just the crap GW pushes in their stores) you can get some pretty amazing looking bases.

Flock is a bit crap because it falls off easily, and doesn't look much like grass anyway.

I texture my bases with Milliput or Plastic Padding, and glue on sand, fine grit and rocks. It's much more durable than flock, and can paint up nicely with green, brown and yellow.

I'll have to look into flocking bases and how to use static grass effectively -- currently all my bases are Goblin green in their entirety.

I just mentioned this trick in the "glue fasta" thread in modeling: Wet down an old brush with water and use it to thin down some white glue on the base. "Paint" the glue so it's everywhere you want sand/rocks/flock/whatever, drizzle the stuff on, and then put some CA (super thin) super glue on. As soon as the CA glue penetrates down to the white glue, it cures instantly, seals everything in and helps prevent crap from falling off. Allow to dry, wash black/dark brown, dry brush whatever color you want the rocks/sand to be and your done! I will usually super glue in some tufts of static grass or green flock (the foam kind) before sealing the fig too. Looks pretty good, IMHO.

Infantryman-

I do this to get a decent looking base for most of the models we do at the shop. GW started doing something similar when they started putting out LOTR miniatures, and we copied the look.

Paint the edge of the base in graveyard earth, or other neutral earthtone. Using an old drybrush, put a layer of white glue, or wood glue on the base, trying to keep it off the edge, and obviously off the model itself. Keep a tub of sand handy, and then pick up the model and run it through the sand, and let dry. GW sand works for this, but so does a 50 lb. bag of sand for 3 bucks at Home Depot. When the glue is dry, take an old brush, and paint the sand with brown ink. The ink spreads easier than paint, and the job goes faster and looks better. (I've also done this with a quart of dark brown wood stain, for big projects.) Drybrush with bleached bone. Let dry. Next, put white glue on the sand in 2 to 4 small random areas of the base. Take a pinch of static grass and push it into the glue. Let dry, and brush off the excess grass with a tank brush. The remaining will stand up and bush out from the brushing.

Looks good, not as hard as it sounds. I did about 500 bases like that this year.

So should I top the entire flat top surface of the base with this? With a green base I'm not exactly sure.

you wont see the green ase after you have put the sand on, its ok if you have already painted the bases the effect you will get will be something like this

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g320/vittorio_13/IM001467a.jpg

hmm...well, I'll get around to it eventually I guess.

Most of my bases are simply gobbo green with railroad flock that has fallen off railroad flock paper.



While the paper is rolled up I just twist the tube a little collecting the leavings in a baggie.

I paint the green bases with watery white-glue, and basically shake-N-bake.

As much as I appreciate playing against a well-painted and beautifully based army, it has always struck me as being particularly obnoxious when stores do not allow non-painted or based armies.  Sure it isn't as much fun playing against that guy who never paints his stuff, but he still has a right to play in the store.  It may be a turn off to see two kids playing with poorly painted or un-based minis in the GW store, but to kick them out because of that is the epitome of arrogant and obnoxious behavoir.  These are their customers, and kids with unpainted armies are a part of the hobby.  I was one of those kids at one point, but over time I painted my armies and made them look nicer, still they are all un-based, just painted gobbo green.  I like them that way, and maybe someone at a tournament could give me a lower appearance score, but it would be ridiculous if they refused to let me play.

Posted By Samwise158 on 11/29/2006 10:21 AM

Sure it isn't as much fun playing against that guy who never paints his stuff, but he still has a right to play in the store.

A right?  Please.  I think that many stores would find it useful to allow unpainted play to an extent, (enforce some sort of system of gradual completion, perhaps) in order to stimulate sales and/or get new armies or opponents into the store, but I'd never be so presumptuous as to call it a right.

Thats correct. there is no right of play. However, we can always exercise our right not to buy product.  So it all balances out in the end.

It is there right, since when have they inforced stupid rules such as unpainted bases. TRUST me all it takes is for a few parents to complain to head office and its gets sorted out styraight away. Trust me at my local store a few obnoxious staff were simply sacked cos a few parents complained, Remember GW doers not have any loyalty to its staff, GW values those kids with the unpainted armies's parents cash more.

Posted By jfrazell on 11/29/2006 11:51 AM
Thats correct. there is no right of play. However, we can always exercise our right not to buy product.  So it all balances out in the end.

I've had a mason-jar full of the railroad flock since '86 and have only used 1/3 of it.  Back in my younger days, after finishing a fig, I was just too lazy to want to paint the base.  So just slapped on some Elmers and dipped into the jar; done in 20 seconds.  Has worked well for me for the past 20 years.

Man, I'm getting old . . . .

Posted By jfrazell on 11/29/2006 11:51 AM
Thats correct. there is no right of play. However, we can always exercise our right not to buy product.  So it all balances out in the end.

John,

Their last name escapes me, but ask the father and sons (one worked at Willowbrook before joining the Army, and the others still play there) about the time they were not admitted to the Katy Mills store because they just had plain sand glued to their bases.

Posted By TroyBrun on 11/29/2006 5:39 PM

Posted By jfrazell on 11/29/2006 11:51 AM
Thats correct. there is no right of play. However, we can always exercise our right not to buy product.  So it all balances out in the end.

John,

Their last name escapes me, but ask the father and sons (one worked at Willowbrook before joining the Army, and the others still play there) about the time they were not admitted to the Katy Mills store because they just had plain sand glued to their bases.

Well thats 1) reeks; 2) is sucky; 3) violates their own rules. 

Sand is flocking.  Thats not acceptable. I call Shennanigans! everyone get your brooms...

Only in America. They could not pull that crap here in the UK.

I'm surprised as well.  My IG guys have sand bases mostly, and they went through about ten tourneys without problem.

some store owner/workers just have power trips.

Posted By jfrazell on 11/30/2006 5:44 AM
I'm surprised as well.  My IG guys have sand bases mostly, and they went through about ten tourneys without problem.

This was a long time ago, back in the day when Katy Mills was the only HC in town and they would hold RTT's and not advertise or tell anyone so only the staff and a few select friends could play.

 But now, Johnny Fockstick the 11-year-old can come in with his shoebox of unpainted Greater Demons of Khorne (all 6 of them), dump them on the table and expect a game.  I love those kids that keep their armies in shoeboxes.

Gone are the days of the old regieme to make way for for the kiddies and their parents' disposable incomes.

Your wrong those days are not gone. GW still focus on Parents disposable incomes, Vets dont get a look in as vets tend to be fewer in number and spend less.

Can't wait till I'm a vet...

This comes from the observations of someone who's been into wargaming since the late 80's (ironically when 40K showed up).

I learned how to play miniature games from then the old timers; historical gamers. One of their cardinal rules was all miniatures that went on the table had to be painted, fully. It wasn't even considered bringing unpainted , much less non painted armies. This also includes bases, so as to stay on topic. This is how I learned and how I pretty much play even to this day.

It appears it is more of a generational thing (within the gaming community) about using painted minis. I first saw this debate over on the Privateer Press forums and there were basically two camps: must be painted and those who didn't care all that much.

I play with painted armies and I will play against unpainted armies. However, from experience, I've had more enjoyable gaming experience (for the most part) from playing with those with fully painted armies. It's a rare day that I have a bad game against someone who has a painstakingly detailed painted army. It just seems to be a correlation (not meaning one begets the other) that folks who fully paint their armies tend to be more fun to play against.

I'm sure many will disagree or scream blasphemy, but that's been my experience in about 17 years of playing 40K.

well my experience of 14 years is that Some people like painting and some like gaming. some even like both. I dont personnaly care if the army I am playing against is not painted or has proxy models as long As I get a game. I played at my local store last nights (vets night) and this french guy came in with no army so he used the store ultramarine army with a few squads of some storm lords marines. All the tactical squads were supposed to be assualt marines, basically everything there was different as he had an army list from before but his mini were still in france. I had a really good game as I am not so dumb that I forgot what was proxying for what. I even let him start the game again as by turn 2 it was obvious I was going to totally crush him and that was no fun so we started again and he deployed better and the game lasted longer and we had fun and I still wone but it was not a whitewash.

I like gaming. If they did cheap pre painted figures I would def be interested,

I used to never field an unpainted mini. Now I just have too many, so occasionally a primered unit sneaks into a game, especially if I'm trying something new. I don't mind much if my opponent has some unpainted figs on the table, either. It's the people who never, ever get around to painting their figs that bug me. Geez, why not just put out cardboard counters? Even the people who paint like crap are at least trying. As long as there is some progression, I am happy. Bare metal one month, primer the next, basecoated, good, keep it coming!

fair point but some just like to play, what about hem? some are to busy. Would just a primer/basecoaqt suffice?