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This seems to change every edition, but I think we need another ruling on whether it is legal to use a non-standard base size for models. My guess would be no, it is not legal, since base sizes are very important in 8th, especially in the Fight phase. One example where it matters: A unit can only activate if it is with 1" of an enemy. 25mm is slightly smaller than 1", so a character can stand behind a line of 25mm bases and still be within 1" (and therefore get to fight), but if those were 32mm bases, they could not fight.

Which leads to the question: Is it still legal for Space Marines to be on 25mm bases? My friend has some old models which are still on 25mm bases, whereas mine are on 32mm. This seems to give him a clear advantage in this case...

Bumping because I too would like an answer to this (thinking of putting models on bigger, more scenic bases).

You can use any base that GW supplies or have supplied with the model.

If you have 28mm marines, you can use them without any problem, or you can replace them for the 32mm ones, your choice. But they can't use a base that is not one of those.

Ask your TO if you are into that sort of thing

or ask your play group

all in all if it looks good then who cares

Likely answer is that both are valid.

You'd better leave a gap to Heroic Intervene through!

commisaro wrote:
This seems to change every edition, but I think we need another ruling on whether it is legal to use a non-standard base size for models. My guess would be no, it is not legal, since base sizes are very important in 8th, especially in the Fight phase. One example where it matters: A unit can only activate if it is with 1" of an enemy. 25mm is slightly smaller than 1", so a character can stand behind a line of 25mm bases and still be within 1" (and therefore get to fight), but if those were 32mm bases, they could not fight.

Which leads to the question: Is it still legal for Space Marines to be on 25mm bases? My friend has some old models which are still on 25mm bases, whereas mine are on 32mm. This seems to give him a clear advantage in this case...

There are no rules granting players the option to convert their models (including their bases), so its left entirely, 100% up to the players involved in the game. Obviously for organized events, each one will need to step up and make their own decision about this.

I missed the days where GW were more hands on with the hobby aspect. I still have an old 6th edition WHFB army book that specified the exact type of base the model should go on and how it's treated with everything else.

But yeah, now it's whatever base the model came with. In laymans terms if it's an old model it's perfectly fine to put them on the smaller base they came with. It's entirely legal to bring certain type of Terminators on 25mm bases.

BTW the rule for piling in states all models within 1" of any model which is in the fight gets to join in, so the base size really doesn't matter, 1" from a base is 1" from a base regardless how big the base is...

Character is X, - is just under 1", o is enemy base, O is friendly base...

X-O-o means Character gets to join the fight between O-o because it is within 1" of O...

Not to come off as harsh, because that's not my point, either buy smaller bases and rebase your models or buy larger bases for your friend and have him rebase. Outside of that it's only going to matter in a tournament if they require a certain base size.

Outside of that it's only going to matter...

... in a few edge cases such as OP presents - namely the annoying fact that: 25mm < 1 inch < 32mm.

Mathematically, if you fit them perfectly you can still get down to < 1 inch* separation, but the enemy needs to be in just the right position (so either unaware or co-operating!)

* 0.92 with 32mm bases?

Really, the biggest abuse is on models that do stuff to things within 1" of themselves. A bigger base means more models effected.