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Do you prefer flock on your models bases or not?

I for one do not like the flock look.

I do, but it depends on the flock. Some flock looks really cheesy. The best flock is the flock that people paint over.

I honestly prefer black bases.

I prefer resin bases. They're fun to paint and look great, and I pick a 'theme' for each army and go with it. Flocking and sand can rub off and get all over my army case, which becomes a big pain.

Black bases look lazy and make a model look amateurish. Just gluing some gravel on and drybrushing it once or twice makes a model really pop and look like a complete piece. Blank bases are for chumps.

I have to agree with SRM 100%. Flocked bases really make the model pop and you can use different terrains to compliment your color scheme.

I reeaally prefer flocked bases.

Textured/painted/grassed/modeled scenic bases, yes. I rarely use flock, per se. Mostly sand, static grass, small stones, cork for rocks, resin scenic pieces and/or plastic bitz.

Models look much better with some sort of finished base. I'm currently using sand instead of flock, but I don't consider a model finished until its base is done.

Stormfather wrote:I prefer resin bases. They're fun to paint and look great, and I pick a 'theme' for each army and go with it. Flocking and sand can rub off and get all over my army case, which becomes a big pain.

Same for me, I no longer bother with flocking bases. All my armies now get resin bases

I love resin bases. Those can be quit pricey on larger armies or hoard armies. In fantasy I can only afford to flock the bases. 40k I try to use resin bases.

My Space Wolves are painted in various shades of light blue/grey, grey, and dark blue/grey to mimic colours found in a wintery environment. Flocking with snow really helps finish the look, plus I got a huge 32 oz bottle of Woodland Scenics Soft Flake Snow on clearance for $2.

Well, on one hand, the flocking kinda tickles my fingertips on occasion. Sometimes I like it, other times I don't.

On the other hand, I have a squad of Sisters of Battle who are all done, including their bases, and they look WAY better than the others who are eternal works-in-progress.

So on the whole, I'd have to say I prefer flocked bases.

Brother SRM wrote:Black bases look lazy and make a model look amateurish. Just gluing some gravel on and drybrushing it once or twice makes a model really pop and look like a complete piece. Blank bases are for chumps.

Implying that I'm lazy and don't know how to base models really comes across as being arrogant. I even removed bases from the models I had originally based with sand and flock, because I like black bases more. I don't care if you don't like my models as long as I like them. It's a matter of taste, not of being lazy, because, as you said, basing really doesn't take a lot of time.

I'm confused. Was that comment directed at you, Jidmah? It seemed like a general, all-around comment on the thread topic.

I'm on the side of flocked bases here. Flocked/based bases REALLY make a model look more dynamic, as if it were actually moving across the battlefield. As soon as I learn how to do it myself, I fully intend to run my full boyz horde totally flocked.

Always base my models to have them complete.

I use some Urban Scatter from Model Railways as my flock, sometimes I'll chuck in some static grass, but I think the basing really brings out the colours in the model, even though my paiting is awful.

I am tempted to go back through all my guardsmen, touch them up and rebase them all.

Jidmah wrote:

Brother SRM wrote:Black bases look lazy and make a model look amateurish. Just gluing some gravel on and drybrushing it once or twice makes a model really pop and look like a complete piece. Blank bases are for chumps.

Implying that I'm lazy and don't know how to base models really comes across as being arrogant. I even removed bases from the models I had originally based with sand and flock, because I like black bases more. I don't care if you don't like my models as long as I like them. It's a matter of taste, not of being lazy, because, as you said, basing really doesn't take a lot of time.

Mmm, there are black-based models that look nice. As you said, it is a matter of preference.

The usual indicator that it is out of preference rather than lack of effort, is that there are no stray paint marks around the parts of the model that touch or go close to the base. Or perhaps I'm just a sloppy painter... which is more than possible.

That's another reason I prefer flocked bases myself. With my lack of finesse with a brush, if I were to simply paint the base brown or green - or even just straight black - or what have you, the stray marks of base color on the model's feet would be noticeable. The flocking helps to hide that - I personally use static grass rather than painting sand or gravel.

All in all, a consistent look is probably more important than the look itself, particularly when it comes to bases, which are quick and easy to do up compared to the model itself. Well, for the most part anyways; some people prefer to have more complicated bases, often in the form of a themed resin base used across the army.

All that said, when I looked over my Sisters of Battle as I started to paint again, I discovered that some had been completely painted, and simply lacked any work on the base. Such models were a delight to find, as they were soon finished.

"flock" is a rather wide criteria.

There is good stuff and bad stuff.

I prefer static grass and sand, myself to flock, but my bases are still "flocked".

I don't like the coloured sawdust stuff.

Pouncey wrote:Mmm, there are black-based models that look nice. As you said, it is a matter of preference.

The usual indicator that it is out of preference rather than lack of effort, is that there are no stray paint marks around the parts of the model that touch or go close to the base. Or perhaps I'm just a sloppy painter... which is more than possible.

I'm a sloppy painter, too. When the model is done, the base usually looks like a piece of modern art. Last step on any of my models is getting the base black again and removing those exact marks you mentioned

My Cryx army stands on marsh themed bases using sand,cork, static grass, and enviro-tex for water. I can honestly say of the hundreds of models I own they are my favorite. So yes, "flocking" all the way.

Jidmah wrote:

Pouncey wrote:Mmm, there are black-based models that look nice. As you said, it is a matter of preference.

The usual indicator that it is out of preference rather than lack of effort, is that there are no stray paint marks around the parts of the model that touch or go close to the base. Or perhaps I'm just a sloppy painter... which is more than possible.

I'm a sloppy painter, too. When the model is done, the base usually looks like a piece of modern art. Last step on any of my models is getting the base black again and removing those exact marks you mentioned

Yay! : D Then all is well. ^_^

I think flock has it's place in a good base, but I don't like "flocked" bases. Or gravel/sand bases, really. I like bases to evoke a scene: cold weather, urban, cracked/parched wasteland, conquered enemies, etc. I don't mind other people doing simple bases, but on my own models I like the bases to look like they took effort.

I never consider a model finished until it has some kind of scenic effect on the base, be it flock, static grass, painted green, sand, rocks, resin base, or whatever. Basing to me makes up at least 25% of 'painting' the model. It is huge.

Check out Flames of War sometime. That game requires sweet bases.

I don't mind flocking per se, but I personally don't flock, simply because I can't be bothered to buy basing stuff, and if I did I'd have to go through all my armies and base every model.
Plus I like the black base look enough not to be bothered with it.

I understand basing, and I don't deny it looks good, I don't agree with peole claiming it's the mark of a lazy or mediocre painter.

(End rant)

I don't give a crap what your bases look like, I only ask that you put at least some kind of effort into making it look neat & tidy!

Flock, various grades of sand/gravle, resin bases, custom/converted with bits of ruins or razorwire or other battlefield detrious, snow and/or a tidy & non-chunky coat of paint!!! (green, black, pink, whatever - as long as it doesn't look like my cat just puked on it, I don't care!)
Also, I like to see the rims tidied up too! Seriously, it's not that hard and it takes all of about 30-40 minutes to tidy up an entire army!

Nothing I hate more than seeing a beautifully painted model being ruined by a lazy-@$$, piece of crap base!
I can understand if the army is still considered a 'work in progress' that just needs the final touches and all, but it shouldn't take well over a year to simply clean up your bases!

I’m not a fan of flock as I dislike flocks tendency to rub off the bases. I also prefer simplistic bases as overly embellished bases can distract attention away from the model itself. My personal preference to decorating a base is the classic sand/tar effect (sand/rocks with grey dry brushing and highlights).

I strongly disagree with the lazy perceptions on bases though. Whilst I agree that flocking/decorating a base can look very good however personally I only see it feasible for display pieces only (pieces not intended for gaming). Considering sand, flock and small stones tend to rub off, plain bases and resin bases more feasible for gaming pieces IMO. Plain GW bases painted black look pretty good anyway IMO.

Personally I’m just starting to get into resin bases. I took advantage of some of the Christmas sales this year and got a bunch of sand finished resin bases from Anvil Industries. I’ve got enough to fit the entire army I’m working on.

Experiment 626 wrote:I don't give a crap what your bases look like, I only ask that you put at least some kind of effort into making it look neat & tidy!

Flock, various grades of sand/gravle, resin bases, custom/converted with bits of ruins or razorwire or other battlefield detrious, snow and/or a tidy & non-chunky coat of paint!!! (green, black, pink, whatever - as long as it doesn't look like my cat just puked on it, I don't care!)
Also, I like to see the rims tidied up too! Seriously, it's not that hard and it takes all of about 30-40 minutes to tidy up an entire army!

Nothing I hate more than seeing a beautifully painted model being ruined by a lazy-@$$, piece of crap base!
I can understand if the army is still considered a 'work in progress' that just needs the final touches and all, but it shouldn't take well over a year to simply clean up your bases!

Errr... well, I've been working on my Sisters of Battle for probably over two years now, and I have one squad fully painted and based, in addition to 2 Seraphim, 1 Canoness, 1 Superior, a few heavy and special weapon troopers, and 2 Battle Sisters with boltguns. Everything else is unpainted, has a paint job in progress, or has been primed but had no other work done on it yet. I have an Immolator which I started in 2009, and haven't done any work on it since.

Painting is probably my least favorite part of wargaming. Sometimes I enjoy it a hell of a lot and crank out a bunch of models, but then a few days later, I grow to dislike it again and don't touch my paints for weeks or months. As a result, the majority of my models are of the grey and silver legions, or their bitter enemies from the allied white and black primer dictatorships, with only a relatively small number being painted, and fewer of those being completely finished. I used to enjoy painting a lot more when I was younger, but that changed as I grew up.

Edit: Terrible grammar.

Jidmah wrote:

Brother SRM wrote:Black bases look lazy and make a model look amateurish. Just gluing some gravel on and drybrushing it once or twice makes a model really pop and look like a complete piece. Blank bases are for chumps.

Implying that I'm lazy and don't know how to base models really comes across as being arrogant. I even removed bases from the models I had originally based with sand and flock, because I like black bases more. I don't care if you don't like my models as long as I like them. It's a matter of taste, not of being lazy, because, as you said, basing really doesn't take a lot of time.

I wasn't directing that towards you or anyone in particular. I just think black bases in general look lousy. One of the reasons I can't stand a lot of my old paintjobs is because I didn't use to do any sort of basing on the figures, and they just stood around on boring black bases. Proper basing really makes a model stand out. I remember painting my first bunch of Cadians and being unimpressed, then I based them and I'd never been happier with a painted mini.

It's amazing how much more finished a based model looks. A plain black base reminds me of a prepainted D&D mini, straight out of the Chinese factory.

Haven't used flock yet, but glue then sand then another layer of watered down glue to fix it in place is clean, cheap, easy, and when painted, looks 10x better than a bare base.

I like having some grass/snow etc on but not the whole base.

Good example is these DE I did up a while back.




Doing the whole base with the grass would be OTT, having a bit to break up the colour on the base I find works well though.

I also like to do a black band around the base edge, just looks neat and tidy.

I really hate bases just painted green.