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.

This applies to your table top armies. I understand basing display pieces or special stuff (my HQ choices are based), but I think basing an entire army is a waste of time/money. These everyday armies are designed to be thrown around the table (relatively not literally), dropped, and handled constantly. Flock/basing would just get ruined.

Man, how badly do you treat your models?

My friends, brother and myself all flock our bases and sometimes go further (the GW basing kits are heaven for this kind of thing). None of the bases have even been 'ruined'.

I am trying to complete my models now, real life getting in the way...

MY only completed models, my HQs, are based, as are some of the sergeants.

I would disagree that these models are supposed to be thrown around on the table and that the bases will break etc.
I base any and all models I finish but to each his own

I at least try to put a rock or two on my normal troops (in fact, it's a necessity for Hormagaunts, since they're unbalanced. A slight breeze knocks them forward. A couple of peices of slate from the basing kit medium slate tub sorts this right out, and makes the beast look better as well).

To me, the base is as important as the model. You can paint a model superbly, but without a decent base, it looks average. You can also paint a model rather plainly, but a good base can help make it stand out.

When talking about table ready armies, it's still important. Having a fully painted army is awesome - a fully painted and based army looks far better.

just learn to take care of your models better.

I've done some simple basing and it's pretty durable, some of my models have taken a tumble and they're fine.

I have not based anything yet, mainly because I always have something else to paint, or I can not figure out how I want to base them. I plan on basing them someday but for now; I am still stuck between basing them with grass and rocks or basing them with ruble and city ruins (they are a mainly urban combat regiment of Guard).

Its not hard or expensive to base an army and it looks so much better for it.

My painting is fairly average but the fact that I have a consistent colour scheme and all my minis are based makes my army look great on the table. Its amazing what some model sand and some static grass can do for the look of your minis.

A lot of places around me that hold tournaments consider "basing" as part of the paint job of a model. If it isn't based, then it's not considered to be 100% finished.

I'm of the same opinion, personally. If you're going to go all out on a paint job, you want to make sure the entire model looks good.

I sand my bases first before the fig gets primed. If it's a grassy base the flock/grass goes over this sand.

M.

Infantryman wrote:I sand my bases first before the fig gets primed. If it's a grassy base the flock/grass goes over this sand.

M.

Do you find this to be a better way of basing, as opposed to basing them after they've been painted? I've always thought that by basing them first, you risk painting over them while painting the model, only needing to paint/repaint the basing material afterwards. That said, I usually base my models after the painting is done, and they've all seem to come out pretty well.

I have nothing based, I base after I paint, and I base all together. so when my army is done, I will base all of them.

I'm basing my Orks in a city fight theme, even going to have the Deff walking on a SM mostly sunking in the mud and rubble.

Rurouni Benshin wrote:

Infantryman wrote:I sand my bases first before the fig gets primed. If it's a grassy base the flock/grass goes over this sand.

M.

Do you find this to be a better way of basing, as opposed to basing them after they've been painted? I've always thought that by basing them first, you risk painting over them while painting the model, only needing to paint/repaint the basing material afterwards. That said, I usually base my models after the painting is done, and they've all seem to come out pretty well.

I think he means he puts the basing sand on the base before priming the model. That way, the sand is primed. Then, at the end, he can base the model after he's finished painting, and doesn't need to worry about priming the sand.

I took the "everything based" option, imagining the hypothetical future of my army. I paint at a snail's pace and I base either before priming or after painting, depending on the type of basing. As a result, most of my models are unbased, but most are also bare plastic. Everything that's been fully painted has also been based.

You may consider your models simple playing pieces to get tossed around, but I want a nice looking army, so I'm going to paint and base them all. With the time, effort, and money involved in doing so, these little plastic men become my babies. They're well worth the extra effort to keep them pristine. Then again, I'm pretty particular about caring for my possessions, in general.

-Loki- wrote:

Rurouni Benshin wrote:

Infantryman wrote:I sand my bases first before the fig gets primed. If it's a grassy base the flock/grass goes over this sand.

M.

Do you find this to be a better way of basing, as opposed to basing them after they've been painted? I've always thought that by basing them first, you risk painting over them while painting the model, only needing to paint/repaint the basing material afterwards. That said, I usually base my models after the painting is done, and they've all seem to come out pretty well.

I think he means he puts the basing sand on the base before priming the model. That way, the sand is primed. Then, at the end, he can base the model after he's finished painting, and doesn't need to worry about priming the sand.

Correct; I typically paint it an earth tone and then drybrush another color over that. In theory. I suck at drybrushing.

M.

All of my painted models are based. May go back and do a brown around the base.

I generally just go for the gravel base, it looks good and is hard to wreck (I have smaller siblings though)

PraetorDave wrote:I think basing an entire army is a waste of time/money

Sorry, I like my army to not look like garbage.

I don't to anything too special when basing, some watered down PVA and a layer of flock with some static grass but I think it finishes off the model. If I've spent the time and effort on the model to get it to a (for me) acceptable standard it seams a shame to spoil it for the sake of 30 seconds and a tub of flock.

Always found that basing is quick and easy so it's almost not worth not doing it - the effect of a based model vs one that's stood on a plain base is always far greater. Models just don't seem right unless they've been based with at least a layer of flock imo.

I plan on basing, it's just a matter of figuring out a way to get snow to look right. Then it's just a matter of mass-production.

All my armies are based, and all todifferent themes, it really helps them be cohesive and as a friend once told me 'bases and faces'

I also have a problem with a base that differs with the table. A space marine with a base of grass, standing in the middle of a city street looks plain silly to me. When your armies bases are just black (which is what I do), they look fine anywhere.

PraetorDave wrote:I also have a problem with a base that differs with the table. A space marine with a base of grass, standing in the middle of a city street looks plain silly to me. When your armies bases are just black (which is what I do), they look fine anywhere.

Ill partially agree.

However, I prefer the more finished look of a base that is at least flocked or finished in some way. Black, while not conflicting with most settings, tends to make the figures look more like display models or simple board game figures. Bases that are finished a bit lend a touch of realism to them.

I finish all my bases the same...black sides, green top, then flocked over the green. HQ and special figs sometimes get more details. Even my Necrons are done that way. Which Ive gotten crap for because most people associate them with barren worlds. My theory behind the grass (flock)? Simple...Necrons are not just found on empty tomb worlds, they raid all kinds of other worlds.

Also...I have a ton of green flock, so I used that just to use it.

I like to base my armies. It just seems to round them off nicely for me, like a sort of signature.
Generally, I'll base them depending on the places they have fought in the fluff (or in the case of my orks, where I say they've fought) so my SW have snowy bases, and my Iron Warriors have rubble bases.

Infantryman wrote:

-Loki- wrote:

Rurouni Benshin wrote:

Infantryman wrote:I sand my bases first before the fig gets primed. If it's a grassy base the flock/grass goes over this sand.

M.

Do you find this to be a better way of basing, as opposed to basing them after they've been painted? I've always thought that by basing them first, you risk painting over them while painting the model, only needing to paint/repaint the basing material afterwards. That said, I usually base my models after the painting is done, and they've all seem to come out pretty well.

I think he means he puts the basing sand on the base before priming the model. That way, the sand is primed. Then, at the end, he can base the model after he's finished painting, and doesn't need to worry about priming the sand.

Correct; I typically paint it an earth tone and then drybrush another color over that. In theory. I suck at drybrushing.

M.

Thanks M. I might give that a try next time I'm ready to prime my mini's.

As for the color around the base, I go with the Graveyard Earth color, as it's usually recommended on the back of most boxes. Looks pretty good on my stuff!

i would base them, but i dont have one finished model. Im new you c.

Last time I looked, sand is free. And white glue is dirt cheap. I don't see why it's a waste of money, and it's gonna be hard to destroy that even if you toss the model around.

...and why would you toss a model around!?!

Every single one of my models is based or partially based. In fact they all have their bases mostly complete before they are primed (sans flock and pigments (if used)).

I have never understood the difficulty people get from basing, it is quite easy to glue some sand down and then some flock in patches over the top and you have more than ample basing. The more funky advanced bases, well that just comes with time and experience.