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As the name implies, really. I am making plans to build a diorama, both for the purposes of a personal school project, and to showcase for Dakka (and possibly my FLGS). What is a good material to use for the purposes of a large base? For context, I am going to have a Daemon Prince facing off against a lone guardsman, with room for extra scenery.

Some good materials are Cork and pink or blue extruded Styrofoam sheets.

On top of that i hear drywall joint compound or other plaster types can be used to add texture.

How much since its going to be a diorama it should be fine. wouldn't recommend it on a play model.

Id suggest a piece of thin MDF or chip board if you have access to a jigsaw you can then cut it to whatever shape you want, plus it would be rigid without being too heavy.

I agree with MDF for the very bottom of the base.
Also look for special basing materials like leaves of bricks & long grass to really make it pop.

Any idea what the final footprint will be, even roughly? Shape? Wooden plaques of various shapes and sizes can be found for a few bucks at craft stores with decorative routered edges. If you find one with reasonably clean sides (can be tricky - they're mostly cheap, knotty pine with tear-outs galore), a bit of sanding and stain will give you a much more attractive, "professional" looking base (seal before staining - the porous end grain will end up a full two shades darker than the sides if you apply directly) than cut foam, MDF, or plywood. They do have more limited shapes and sizes than a DIY base, though.

Inserting a rectangular MDF base into a suitably sized picture frame can give equally clean and potentially even more elaborate results, and allows you to increase the footprint, if need be. Just stick to standard sizes (11x14, 16x20, etc.) to increase your potential frame selection.

In either case, you still have the option of using any other materials to build on top of the base. Personally, I just think that something a bit more decorative acts as a nice foil to the scene above it. Think of all the epic, competition-winning display models you've seen online - how many of those were on nice wooden sockets, even when the model's basing (as opposed to base) extended far above it?

You can smooth the sides of MDF by painting it with pva glue then sanding when it's dry. Repeat as necessary

Wow, I got a lot of great responses for this. Thanks, guys!
My initial thoughts include a 6-9 X 4-5 in. oval base. I will have to see if anyone has anything resembling the size I am looking for, but I would like plenty of space between the two combatants (at least 3-4 inches worth).
The thought of even a semi-decorated one excites me, as it will probably affect my grade (at least a little) more positively!

They sell wooden ovals at Michaels and other bigbox hobby shops.