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I've seen people use clear Bases lately.

What're thoughts on these? They look nifty, but really different from typical 40k basing techniques.

 Quixote wrote:
I've seen people use clear Bases lately.

What're thoughts on these? They look nifty, but really different from typical 40k basing techniques.

I’ve seen them before. I get where they are coming from. You will never have an issue where your models’ bases don’t match the table. But IMHO they always look a little off. You don’t get a sense that the minis are grounded.

Different strokes for different folks. Not a fan, but i get that people like them.

The only transparent bases I have are the ones for jetbikes and such. And some days I think about putting them on solid bases so they fit better with the rest of the army.

I think they're pretty cool. I appreciate that they can be set up on a good game mat and terrain set and belong regardless of what the board theme is.

There's some practical issues. The ability to magnetize them for transport can be limited, and posing is also somewhat more difficult than what you can do on scenic bases. They also don't tend to sit as nicely on uneven surfaces since there's no lips to catch on. Also, the correct basing color can often really help paint jobs stand out, which can be lost on clear bases.

Overall, if they are your thing, I totally get it and say go for it. I've certainly been tempted but haven't started an army where it would make sense.

The reason I was even looking, was I was trying to find bases that looked cohesive across my entire army, and stumbled across these.

My only gripe is that they make the army look like they are floating above the board.

Also, I'm not sure how legit they are in tournaments or GW events.

As long as the size is right most people should not care.

They are non-GW, so depending how fussy a store is about 3rd party stuff, you might run into trouble. But I think bases are the least offensive when it comes to that. If you plan on playing in an official GW store, might be worth checking with the staff.

It’s probably a non-issue, but it’s a big world, and who knows what you might run into.

I don't think I've seen them in Knight scale, plus I think the base to base measurements might be a little tough on your opponent.


EDIT: in ≠ on.

My only critique about these would be that you'd have a hard time using this sort of bases on my Realm Of Battle 3D boards. No lip, no room under the base for any sort of 3D textured board..

I use them for Battletech. It lets the mechs blend in with the board and makes it easy to see the terrain in the hex under the mini.

Be aware that lot of people have strong feelings about basing that ultimately come down to familiarity and conventions. It used to be that painting your bases Goblin Green + flock was standard, so that they blended into a flocked table, and painting base rims black was seen as distracting and separated the minis from the battlefield. Nowadays people like the black rims and dislike how colored bases blend in.

I say this because to some people, basing is such an essential part of the experience that they consider a model on a clear base to be incomplete. So it may ultimately come down to what the folks you actually play with- or organizers at any event you plan to attend- consider appropriate.

It's the first I hear of this trend, and I can say clear bases are not for me (except for flying models that come with them). I think bases are an important part of an army's color scheme and theming. They help create a cohesive appearance, especially for armies with more than one color scheme for thematic reasons—such as my Drukhari army, an alliance of a kabal and a witch cult that each have their own colors but are tied together by their snowy bases. For centerpiece models, larger bases also offer a chance to go above and beyond with more complex scenery, adding to the "wow factor".

Personally I have zero problem with base theme not matching the table theme. I do know it irks some players... I've even met one who had very nicely painted models but kept his bases all black rather than having decorated bases that might look out of place. I pointed out that black bases would always look out of place anyway, but he still preferred it that way. In general though, a ruined cityscape would be the theme that fits the largest number of 40k tables.

From a practical standpoint, clear plastic tends to be more breakable.

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-Guardsman- wrote:

From a practical standpoint, clear plastic tends to be more breakable.

It would be interesting to know how think you can go with clear bases. They certainly tend to be thicker to compensate to the point where I consider black bases significantly easier snap in half.

 LunarSol wrote:
They certainly tend to be thicker to compensate to the point where I consider black bases significantly easier snap in half.

I don't recall ever having a black base snap. Also, a damaged clear base will show very visible cracks.

Ideally though, I think GW should make bases of the same plastic they make minis (as they do for some special bases). It would make them more compatible with the plastic glue.

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I use them for some other games like Gaslands. I've seen people use them for various games and I like them. My buddy has his Blood and Plunder force on clear bases and they look good. I've seen them used for scatter terrain and it is hit or miss.

My only real concern for myself is gluing and pinning. I always seem to get a little too much glue and it gets smokey. And I am afraid some pins might be visible for some minis.

But if your bases are the right size you should not have any issues using them, IMO. I usually am willing to give TOs some leniency, but if they bar clear bases then they can just eat dirt. Same with any GW stores. But I also have plenty of places to play that are not GW stores around here so...

Whenever I'm starting a new army I'm thinking about using clear bases because basing is the one thing in the hobby I dislike and for some armies it has literally taken me 10+ years in the past until the bases where finished. I'm pretty sure I have some 18 year old painted goblins with unfinished bases...
What's holding me back in getting clear bases is actually the "hover" look and problems when positioning them on terrain.
I've bought modelled bases in the past which I can just paint like the minis and where I don’t have to mess around with flock and other stuff.

I think they would look good on hovering Tau units like Gundrones and the like.

Or maybe on hover tanks for the Astartes...


But I can see the flaws inherent to clear bases too.

I think they are near essential for boardgames. You want the square/whatever base shape, as thin as you can get away with, and you are away. For wargames its trickier, and the floating aspect is more noticeable.

I have found a lot of hate for them online, not everyone might like playing against them and concern about size being accurate could be a pain as well. I adore them for the obvious benefits and my Necron mod for tabletop simulator has clear bases.

I think I could do clear bases in real life if I did a 3d printed army, since it wouldn't be tournament legal anyway and the alternative would just be 3d-printed bases.

A problem you might have with flying stands on clear bases is the glue between one and the other making it not see-through. Consider a flying stand that is the right size, like for Lokhust Destroyers the base is the flying stand.

I don't see how being transparent makes it any harder to determine base size over being black. You can just hold the base up to whatever base you have and viola, instant size check. I'm pretty sure that that's the way most of us check to make sure bases are the proper size.

I dont like the clear bases because the fs[ace between the table and the mini and they are prone to scratces and then they look bad.
I even paint up and put basing matrial on top of my cleare bases for my drones and jetbikes.

Those bases would look great under my Eldar super-heavy tanks for Epic. Maybe even the normal grav-tanks. Although a normal GW flying base without a stand does the same thing.

In 40k? Personal preference, but I love the normal bases with paint, texture, features on them, etc. It doesn't matter if it matches the board you're playing on, because it probably matches your army's theme, and if you made a carrying tray for them, the terrain on that. Cool.

Would I fault someone for using those though? Nope. It's interesting, if nothing else.

The place my mind goes is why? You'd be spending extra money to buy those and replace the bases the (already crazy-expensive) minis came with, you obviously have paint, and can base an entire army well with a small bottle of Elmer's and sand/gravel from your neighborhood. Maybe even a twig or rock or three.

I guess I missed the point?

I like clear bases, and they've shown up in 40k for flyers/skimmers and jump pack troops, but I just can't figure out how people manage to attach minis to them without causing clouding on the base from the superglue or poly cement

There are superglues intended for gluing clear plastic without fogging up. If you do get a bit of haze, you can usually clean it up with delicate application of an isopropyl-soaked paper towel.

Also, glue in a well ventilated area. Don’t let the fumes linger around to do their fogging thing.

I've used these for a wargame set in feudal Japan where heavy visual emphasis is placed on the board itself. They do work just as intended but individual models will look a lot less spectacular without an elaborate base. Whether or not you find them useful depends on your approach to the hobby.

agree with the problem of "floating" above the table,
But I also dislike the shiny aspect... if there were a flat/dull version it could work better for me, as the shiny ones distract too much for me...