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Here is my Biker Boss with no basing.


And here it is WITH basing.


Which one is finished?

For me, the model isn't finished if it isn't 'based'... but 'based' doesn't necessarily mean texturing. Just painting the base in a block colour (or not painting it at all, but not having stray streaks of paint all over it from painting the model) is fine.

If you want your models on ugly black bases, be my guest. I used to be delusional and said models looked better with black bases "since they never look out of place" or whatever, but once I stopped being a lazy ass and actually based them, I've never looked back. Models aren't done until they've at least got some gravel on their base.

I wouldn't turn down a game against someone that didn't but I personally don't put a model on the table until it is complete. To me this includes basing.

Oddly enough my Ork Bikers that came in the Battalion Box didn't include bases while the 2 boxes I bought did.

Other:

Models are not complete until they are based.
However, a person should not be prevented from playing just because they have not based their models.

I do agree with insaniak though. Basing can simply be patching and painting the base itself for a nice uniform platform to showcase the model.

My personal preference is to texture, but I'm not going to force that on someone else.

All my finished models are based in sharp builders sand, had the same tub of sand for almost 10 years now. I like to make sure if i play I'm going to try and have the best painted minies on the table becouse every one knows "The dice Gods favor the best painted army"

If people include 'painting the base a uniform color' under the heading of 'basing,' then I withdraw my query. I can understand a Games Workshop requesting you have your bases at least match to some degree of uniformity. That's sensible.

Mine have painted bases.

Some might have sand+paint.

Most are just paint on the base, though. They are as done as I wish to do them.

If it gets me disallowed from playing in stores, then so be it. I play in three clubs, all of which are NOT in stores. ALL have beer available, and I don't have to put up with sales trolls, either.

People can play with unpainted, unbased models I don't really care.

Calling them complete models without at least the base being painted makes no sense to me.

Not basing is basically same thing as not painting your mini. I do sometimes play with unfinished bases but that only concerns minis can stand with unfinished bases (that is only 2 bases in my ork army and they are getting based in the next batch) and I usually finish their bases asap.

Here's something else to consdier. Much of the "it looks fine without basing" may be a specific GW phenomena.

I don't like unbased models, but I have to admit that because so many GW kits are plastic kits whose feet affix directly to the base without slottas, it actually doesn't look too bad when a well painted model is sitting on a smooth plinth of plain black plastic.

Put an army of painted metal figs on slottas on the table without basing and the ugly groove in between the feet of the model, half filled with a strip of pewter would be much more visually jarring. You'd certainly have many fewer people saying "it looks fine without basing".

Not basing is pretty cheesy, it's usually the fastest part of the modelling process.

And it makes the models look soo much better.

It's the old argument of hobby vs game.

Personally I'm into the hobby and the game, unfortunately my basing skills leave much to be desired, but I'm learning.

As for playing someone with unbased models? I'm used to playing CMGs like D&D minis or Star Wars minis, they have plain black bases. But then again I'll play a game if someone is using grey plastic models. It's not up to me to decide how someone else enjoys their hobby.

Yes based models look far better, but it's too petty to argue over something like that. Play the game.

Thing is though, for the sake of a coat of 1-2 greys you can happily make it a tarmac, or concrete, and it's done to a... reasonable standard, it's just fighting in a city, or industrial complex. etc, and it's a legitimate base, I can't really thing of much you can do for variety there. Maybe the odd curb, or some street lines, maybe part of a manhole cover here and there.

On larger bases rubble / building corners mayhaps.

Just lack of effort really :3

Ovion wrote:
Just lack of effort really :3

This is it basically.

Ovion wrote:I think ultimately, the biggest confusion would be as to what exactly counts as 'based'

'3 colors and based' is a short descriptive term to describe a more detailed standard which has been in place for decades within wargaming. So if you are referring to the 'based' part of '3 colors and based' they don't mean a model that is silver metal, grey plastic, green stuff and black base...

When I say 'what counts as based' I mean 'officially'/generally is simply painting it sufficent, or does it supposedly require anything else, such as sand or flock.

Basing means on a base.

My personal (!) opinion is that, unless a mini is properly based, it´s not yet finished. A simple base is quickly done, and a painted mini on a plain black base looks unfinished.

However, as with painted minis themselves, I would never refuse to play someone because he did not base his models. An official tournament is a different story, but in a regular store game or whatever it does not really matter. Different people have different interests in different aspects of the hobby.

Doesn't matter if it's painted, flocked, resin scenic, or just neatly painted black, a coherent and neat base 'finishes' the model.

Personally I find that an un-base miniture remove nothing, but a proper one adds a lot.

My minis still have a black base for a few reasons. I'm still concentrating on assembling and setting up an army, overlooking something minor like basing does not bother me. I've also not decided on what type of base I want and how much I want to put into it. Neither do I want to paint them green or yellow simply to please some one i dont know or care about. I will get them done eventually, but right now it's simply not my priority

From a painting/hobby point of view the model is not finished till something is done with the base. Most of the time it really brings the mini to life.

Eilif wrote:Here's something else to consdier. Much of the "it looks fine without basing" may be a specific GW phenomena.

It's not a GW specific phenomena. Even if you have to buy other bases/card to base your models with integrated bases, you still have to do some kind of basing. When I was younger I glued Old Glory, Future Wars, Battletech and Kryomek figures to bases and didn't usually do anything with the bases at all. I know I'm not everybody, but it's not GW specific.

I'd never refuse to play against someone because they have not based their models, but I also don't refuse to play against unpainted models.

My main thought on the topic though: basing to a table top standard (sand, gravel, etc., no fancy flock, grass or debris) is so incredibly easy and fast, and is significantly easier and faster than painting the model to a table top standard, I have to wonder why someone wouldn't base a painted model. Paint on some elmers, dunk them in some basing material, set aside to dry. Often the basing won't even require any painting to achieve a decent look and if it does you can probably get away with a quick wash to give it some depth. Then just rim the base with whatever color looks best and you're done. Simple basing seems to make a big difference also, it just seems to say "this model is complete".

I prefer based, but if it's on the base it is meant to be on it's fine. A slight annoyance is the commander models on a larger base, they may be converted a bit but the base is still over sized and has a fair bit of empty space.

I love basing and consider each base to be a miniature diorama and try to make them very detailed and unique.

But I wouldn't begrudge anyone for not basing.

I prefer to base my models myself, but I don't mind if other people would rather not.

Admittedly, it does look rather odd when you've got guys based as if they are on a daemon world fighting on the idyllic green field board.

amen brother

and it is easy to base
simply put pva glue on the base
put the base in sand and you are done

and i like the look but to each his own

Alot of folks seem to feel that their basing skills are inadequate. I can see where one might be intimidated by the amazing custom basing jobs seen online or in WD, but basing is really quite simple. Sand/flock, painted and then drybrushed is an extremely easy and cheap method that can be customized for nearly any color of earth or rubble and looks many times nicer than a plain base.

Just give it a try.

DarknessEternal wrote:Basing means on a base.

Inventing your own definition for widely used hobby terms does not make you any less wrong.

Brother SRM wrote:

Eilif wrote:Here's something else to consdier. Much of the "it looks fine without basing" may be a specific GW phenomena.

It's not a GW specific phenomena. Even if you have to buy other bases/card to base your models with integrated bases, you still have to do some kind of basing. When I was younger I glued Old Glory, Future Wars, Battletech and Kryomek figures to bases and didn't usually do anything with the bases at all. I know I'm not everybody, but it's not GW specific.

Perhaps I over-spoke. I agree that it is not exclusively GW, but I still think that the opinion that "it looks fine without basing" will find far more acceptance when one is speaking about a plain black non-slotta base. It just looks alot "neater" than an unbased slotta.

Eilif wrote:
Inventing your own definition for widely used hobby terms does not make you any less wrong.

DakkaDakka remains the only place I've ever heard someone refer to "basing" and mean "with lots of fancy scenery, colors, and terrain". Not once have I met a single person anywhere else that thought of basing as such.