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So, with the release of the new Genestealer Cults codex, I decided to go ahead and at least assemble, paint over time, and play a small Genestealer allied force or army using some or all of the models that came with Deathwatch Overkill. That said, some of the Genestealers come with 25mm bases while others come with 32mm bases. And, just to make everything more uniform, I'd rather use 32mm bases on all of them (except the familiars). Is that legal or against the rules?

Thanks

SG

Well, the introduction of the rulebook has a side note called "Models and Base Sizes". It states that the rules assume that models are mounted on the base they are supplied with.

As in your case, and in the case of many Space Marine and Necron collections, some are supplied with 25mm and some with 32mm. Most tournaments won't have too much of a problem if they are mixed as such, but some players and tournaments will get a little tight about inconsistency and prefer all the bases to match.

As Charistoph said, the rules assume that the models are mounted on the base they are supplied with. That said, there shouldn't be any problem putting all the genestealers on 32 mm bases to make the bases consistent between them.

Since there is no way to prove what bases your particular models came with, it is generally accepted that you can base them on which ever bases you want, so long as they are bases that GW has provided for the kit in question at some point.

In you case, it would be perfectly acceptable (and usually appreciated) to base all of them on 32mms since that is a size that Genestealers have been supplied with at some point.
The same goes for Marines, which are now pretty much all 32mms, but have been supplied in the past with 25mm. It comes down to owners choice between the 2 sizes.

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 Galef wrote:
Since there is no way to prove what bases your particular models came with, it is generally accepted that you can base them on which ever bases you want, so long as the are bases that GW has provided for the kit in question at some point.

In you case, it would be perfectly acceptable (and usually appreciated) to base all of them on 32mms since that is a size that Genestealers have been supplied with at some point.

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Probably the latest one that Genestealers have been provided with. 32mm bases are only a couple years old at this point, while the average Infantry model has been on 25mm for a very long time.

We need to sticky a thread about base sizes.

 Galef wrote:
Since there is no way to prove what bases your particular models came with, it is generally accepted that you can base them on which ever bases you want, so long as they are bases that GW has provided for the kit in question at some point.

In you case, it would be perfectly acceptable (and usually appreciated) to base all of them on 32mms since that is a size that Genestealers have been supplied with at some point.
The same goes for Marines, which are now pretty much all 32mms, but have been supplied in the past with 25mm. It comes down to owners choice between the 2 sizes.

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What about something like the Retribution Phalanx from the Getting Started with Necrons box?

If someone is running that, must all their Warriors and their Overlord model be on a 32mm base because, by definition, those are bases supplied with those models, or can you run any existing overlord and warrior models you have in your collection - including ones on 25mm bases?

Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

 Galef wrote:
Since there is no way to prove what bases your particular models came with, it is generally accepted that you can base them on which ever bases you want, so long as they are bases that GW has provided for the kit in question at some point.

In you case, it would be perfectly acceptable (and usually appreciated) to base all of them on 32mms since that is a size that Genestealers have been supplied with at some point.
The same goes for Marines, which are now pretty much all 32mms, but have been supplied in the past with 25mm. It comes down to owners choice between the 2 sizes.

-

What about something like the Retribution Phalanx from the Getting Started with Necrons box?

If someone is running that, must all their Warriors and their Overlord model be on a 32mm base because, by definition, those are bases supplied with those models, or can you run any existing overlord and warrior models you have in your collection - including ones on 25mm bases?

No, you can run with the models in your collection with the bases they were provided with.

The BRB gives you basic guide lines and provides that there are exceptions. There is no hard fast rule. In general, you should use the bases provided. But, you are free to use the base you feel works best for the model. Many models have multiple poses and they encourage you to kitbash, convert, and do all kinds of other things to make your models unique. If the base provided is no longer the one that fits best, get another.

Your opponents expect certain things. General sizes and shapes for specific units. Be courteous to those you play with or expect to have nobody to play with.

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 doctortom wrote:

Spoiler:

Cryptek of Awesome wrote:

 Galef wrote:
Since there is no way to prove what bases your particular models came with, it is generally accepted that you can base them on which ever bases you want, so long as they are bases that GW has provided for the kit in question at some point.

In you case, it would be perfectly acceptable (and usually appreciated) to base all of them on 32mms since that is a size that Genestealers have been supplied with at some point.
The same goes for Marines, which are now pretty much all 32mms, but have been supplied in the past with 25mm. It comes down to owners choice between the 2 sizes.

-

What about something like the Retribution Phalanx from the Getting Started with Necrons box?

If someone is running that, must all their Warriors and their Overlord model be on a 32mm base because, by definition, those are bases supplied with those models, or can you run any existing overlord and warrior models you have in your collection - including ones on 25mm bases?

No, you can run with the models in your collection with the bases they were provided with.

My point is that "Necron Warriors" have been supplied with 25mms AND 32mms at some point in their existence. How do you prove which Warriors in your collection were purchased long ago in their own box set, or from the new Getting Started set?
Answer: You don't. They are literally the same models. So if you want to ALL your warriors on 32mm, go for it since GW has released Warriors on 32mms.
Do you wish to keep them on 25mm? Well that's fine too, since everyone knows they were once supplied with 25mm.
Don't feel like rebasing the old ones, or matching the bases for the new ones? Knock yourself out! It would kill my OCD to have the same units on different bases, but they're your models, not mine.

The only time basing models becomes "iffy" is when you use bases that GW have never supplied them with, but generally even that is viewed as ok, so long as:
~A) It looks good. You'll find most can be forgiven for "rule of cool"
~B) The base is not clearly out of scale. Using the example above, placing Necron Warriors on 60mm or even 50mm bases is just too different from their intended bases. Likewise placing large models on smaller bases (think Riptides on 50mm)
~C) Generally if the bases you are using are GW produced, or the dimensions of the ones GW makes. I have a personally example of this here
Although I found these wood cut-out bases at Hobby lobby, they are the dimensions of the GW oval bases. I don't have my smaller ones pictured yet, but they are exactly 60x35mm, just like the GW small ovals.

From The Tyranid Hive, base sizes:


Patriarch - 50mm
Magus - 32mm
Primus - 32mm
Acolyte Iconward - 32mm
Familiars - 25mm

Acolyte Hybrids - 32mm
Hybrid Metamorphs - 32mm
Neophyte Hybrids - 25mm
Neophyte Heavy Mining weapon models - 32mm
Neophyte special weapon models (Grenade Launcher, Webber, Flamer) - 25mm
Neophyte heavy weapon teams - 60mm

Purestrain Genestealers - 32mm
Aberrants - 32mm

bigger bases are nicer to keep models up and so forth but now you can get flamed and blasted more then again farther coherency

 SebboVonTebbo wrote:
bigger bases are nicer to keep models up and so forth but now you can get flamed and blasted more then again farther coherency

It's easier to hit one model on a larger base with templates and blasts, but it is harder to hit many models on larger bases with templates and blasts. Larger bases means that each one is farther apart from their centers than they would be on smaller bases.

It's also harder to fit more models in combat with larger bases than with smaller bases. Something FB players were very familiar with.

I personally use 25 mm bases. Mainly because i bought roughly $150 worth of custom 25mm bases when i started my Dark Angels 3rd company project about a year before the 32mm bases were rumor. I took the army to ATC this year and other then being told i had nice bases that was it.

Yeah, I wouldn't sweat it too much tbh. The 3rd and 4th gen. hybrids will look pretty daft on 32s though. I'm putting my 1st/2nds on 25s, just cos I reckon they're a bit spindly for 32s. All the special/heavy weapon lads and pure strains are going on 32s though, mainly to stop them falling over.

 Nazrak wrote:
Yeah, I wouldn't sweat it too much tbh. The 3rd and 4th gen. hybrids will look pretty daft on 32s though. I'm putting my 1st/2nds on 25s, just cos I reckon they're a bit spindly for 32s. All the special/heavy weapon lads and pure strains are going on 32s though, mainly to stop them falling over.

Acolytes actually look pretty good on 32s. They take up the majority of it and they look solid there. Now the Magus and Primus I put on 25s, as I just got a ton of bases in my half of DWOK. I ended up missing a few 32s. They still look good on them, and fit with the units better.

All models in the list above that are supposed to have 32mm bases look better with 32 mm bases.

Neophytes are supposed to have 25mm bases and they look better on 25mm bases.