The question comes up quite frequently in various forums here. What size bases do my metal terminators go on? What bases come with killa-cans? Does a daemon prince get a 40mm or 60mm base? Whether you are a new player with random eBay models, an older RT era player getting back into the game and wondering why everyone else's terminators look "different" or a scratch builder who doesn't want to buy a metal killa-kan to know how big to make your scratch builds, sooner or later you want to know for certain how big the base is. Since GW, for their part, refuses to define a base size in the codex entry for each model, instead telling us we must use the base included with the model to be assured legality, and then packages the models with different sized bases, I am personally left a tad confused. I have thus decided that this is exactly the kind of nail that needs beaten to death with the hammer of wiki! (Or the Wiki of Hammer, what have you.)
I want to divide this up by army, unit entry (ie. Tactical Marines, Dreadnought, etc.) and the list what size base it takes.
Bases
Terminator by RAFF
Solid Bases
25mm Round (~1") - Standard base for 40k, the round that comes with marines, guardsmen, etc.
32mm Round (~1 1/4") - the "new" infantry base size.
40mm Round (~1.5") - What I think of as a Terminator base. Used mostly for larger infantry.
50mm Round (~2") - Relatively new base size, seems to be intended for very large infantry, most notable example are Space Marine Centurions.
60mm Round - Monstrous critter base, also used for dread's.
100mm Round - Base for even Monstrousier things.
25mm x 70mm Long Round end - Biker or Beast or Cavalry Base
120mm x 92mm Large Oval - With or without flying stem for Valkyrie, Vendetta, Stormraven etc ie large flyers
170mm x 105mm Huge Oval - Knight sized units
Clear Bases
30mm Clear Round - Small Flight Base (Often clear plastic)
55mm Clear Round - Large Flight Base (Often clear plastic)
Legend for below:
R - Round
CR - Clear Round
LR - Long Round
LO - Large Oval
HO - Huge Oval
If you want to correct an error, or want to put in the size of the new offical bike/cav please do so!
[EDITs by: Cryptek of Awesome - checked GW website, added 100mm, and Knight oval base]
Armies
Chaos Daemons
25mm R: Bloodletters, Daemonettes, Plaguebearers, Blue Horrors, Brimstone Horrors, Heralds on Foot, Furies of Chaos
32mm R: Pink Horrors, Herald of Tzeentch on Foot, Flamers of Tzeentch
40mm R: Fiends of Slaanesh, Nurglings, Daemon Prince of Chaos
60mm R: Greater Daemons, Epidemius, Bloodcrushers of Khorne, Beasts of Nurgle, Daemon Prince of Nurgle, Daemon Prince of Chaos
Small Flying base CR: Screamers of Tzeentch
Cavalry Base LR: Flesh Hounds of Khorne, Seekers of Slaanesh,
[EDITs by: Darkelf - checked GW website]
Chaos Space Marines
25mm R: Cultists, Raptors
32mm R: Chaos Space Marines, Cult Marines, Havocs (old), Chosen, Possessed, IC's without bikes or terminator armour.
40mm R: Havocs (new), Greater Possessed, IC's with terminator armour, Terminators, Obliterators (Old), IC's with Steed of Slaanesh, Chaos Spawn, Mutilators
50mm R: Obliterators (Shadowspear box)
60mm R: IC's on Juggernaut of Khorne, or Palanquin of Nurgle, Helbrutes, Daemon Princes, Nurgle Daemon Prince or any model with Monstrous Creature rule
100mm R: Venomcrawler
LO: Lord Discordant, Forgefiend, Maulerfiend, Heldrake
Small Flying Base CR: IC's with Disc of Tzeentch
Bike Base LR: IC's with Bikes, Bikers
[EDITs by: Cryptek of Awesome - added Shadowspear units with new base size for Oblits, Medium Oval, and new 100mm R Venomcrawler]
Eldar
25mm R: All Guardians, Rangers, Aspect Warriors, Wraithguard, Farseer, Warlock, Autarch
40mm R: Avatar, Guardian Defender Support Weapon Platform
[EDIT BY Guest: I have noticed Wraithguard on terminator bases as well as standard infantry.]
60mm R: Wraithlord, War Walker, Heavy Support Weapon Platform
Small Flying Base CR: Jetbikes, Shining Spears, Vyper
Large Flying Base CR: Falcon, Wave Serpent, Fire Prism
[EDIT BY XEN: For the past year or so, jetbikes have been coming with the large flying base as standard]
Imperial Guard
25mm R: Nearly all human models, ratlings
40mm R: Ogryn, Nork Deddog
60mm R: Heavy Weapon Teams, Both Sentinels
Bike Base LR: Rough Riders, that one prone Catachan sniper
Oval LO: Vendetta, Valkyrie
Space Marines
The boys in blue (or whatever color) are remarkably consistent, and so have a slightly different organization than I want to go with. Great to go with an exception first…
HQ
32mm R: All models in power armor (Basic Chapter Master, Captain, Chaplain, Librarian, Master of the Forge)
40mm R: All models in Terminator armor (Primaris - Captain, Chaplain, Librarian, Apothecary, DA Lieutenant, BA Lieutenant)
Bike Base LR:All models on a bike
Elite
60mm R: Dreadnought (Normal, Venerable, Ironclad)
32mm R: All models in power armor (Techmarine, Servitor, Sternguard)
40mm R: All models in Terminator armor
50mm R: Centurion Assault Squad
Troops
25mm R: Scouts
32mm R: Tactical Marines and Primaris troops
Fast Attack
32mm R: Assault Marines/Vanguard Vets
Bike Base LR: Bikes
Large Flight Base CR: Landspeeder
Heavy Support
32mm R: Devastators
50mm R: Centurion Devastators
Large Oval LO: Stormraven Gunship
Space Wolves
32mm R: Ulrik the Slayer, Iron Priest
40mm R: Fenrisian Wolves, Cyberwolf, Space Wolves Wulfen, Wolf Lord Krom, Wolf Guard Terminators
60mm R: Thunder Wolf Cavalry
120mm LO: Logan Grimnar on Stormrider
Orks
HQ
40mm R: Boss, Big Mech, Weird Boy (Megaarmor or no)
Bike Base LR: Boss/Mech on Bike
25mm or 32 mm R: Mad Dok Grotsnik
Elite
25mm or 32 mm R: Nobs, Lootas, Kommandos, Burnas, Tankbustas
40mm R: Mega Nobs
Bike Base LR: Bikers
40mm R: Snikrot
Troops
25mm or 32 mm R: Shoota/Slugga Boyz (Including nob)
25mm R: Gretchin
25mm or 32 mm R: Runtherd
Fast Attack
Large Flight Base CR: Deffkopta
Bike Base LR: Bikers
25mm or 32 mm R: Storm Boyz (Including Nob)
40mm R: Zagstruk
Heavy Support
60mm R: Deff Dreads
60mm R: Killa Kans [2010 release]
No base: No bases for Big Gunz however, Grots are still on 25mm R
40mm R: Flash Gitz [2014 release]
40mm R: Captain Badrukk
Old Versions
25mm or 32 mm R: Flash Gitz
40mm R: Kill Kans [1999 release / metal]
Tyranids
25mm R: Termagants, Hormagaunts, Genestealers, Spore Mine
40mm R: Tyranid Warrior*, Broodlord (Old)*, Lictor, Deathleaper, Ripper Swarm, Zoanthrope, Venomthrope, Ravener, Mucolid Spore, Red Terror
50mm R: Tyrant Guard, Hive Guard, Tyranid Warrior*
60mm R: Hive Tyrant, Swarmlord, Carnifex*, Old One Eye, Pyrovore, Biovore,
100mm R: Sporocyst, Tyrannocyte
Small Flying Base CR: Gargoyles
75x42mm O: Broodlord (New)*
105x70mm O: Carnifex*
120x92mm LO: Haruspex, Exocrine, Toxicrene, Maleceptor, Trygon, Trygon Prime, Mawloc, Tyrannofex, Tervigon
120x92mm LO w/ flying stem: Harpy, Hive Crone
Forgeworld
40mm R: Mieotic Spore
60mm R: Malanthrope
127mm R: Hierodule (imprecise, as the sculpted base isn't perfectly round, but it's very close to 5")
120x92mm LO: Dimachaeron
Irregular shaped sculpted base, approximately 2.5"x3.5": Harridan
No base: Hierophant Bio-titan
No models/rules (7th)
Doom of Malan'tai
Parasite of Mortrex
> * Both accepted
[EDITs by Opu, 09/02/2017]
Genestealer Cults
25mm R: Neophyte Hybrids (with normal weapons), Familiars, Brood Brother Infantry Squads, Purestrain Genestealers*1, Biophagus
32mm R: Magus, Primus, Acolyte Iconward, Acolyte Hybrids, Neophyte Hybrids (with heavy mining weapons), Hybrid Metamorphs, Aberrants, Purestrain Genestealers*1, Clamavus, Locus, Sanctus, Kelermorph
40mm R: Patriarch*2, Abominant, Nexos
50mm R: Patriarch*2
60mm R: Brood Brother Heavy Weapon Teams, Atalan Wolfquad, Cult Sentinels
60x35mm O: Jackal Alphus, Atalan Jackals
120x92mm O: Achilles Ridgerunners
>*1 Both accepted - Genestealers come on 25mm in the normal genestealer box set. However the newer purestrain genestealer models provided in the Deathwatch: Overkill board game came on 32mm bases.
>*2 Both accepted - Patriarchs are instructed to be placed on either a 50mm or a 40mm base depending on whether purchased via the Deathwatch: Overkill board game, or via the Broodcoven box. Bear in mind they fit better on the 50mm.
Witch Hunters
Very simple on this one.
25mm R: All infantry (Sisters, Inq. and retinue etc.)
40mm R: St. Celestine (Comes with 25mm and 40mm)
60mm R: Penitent Engines, Grand Inquisitor Karamazov
====================================================================================================
Ok, that’s all I remember off the top of my head. I am still working on exact formatting, but if you know the base sizes of an army, please update this as you can!
[EDITs by Darkelf - Well done on the original article! Great job and very useful]
Necrons
- will be updated as released
25mm R: Overlord, Lord, Imotekh the Stormlord, Orikan the Diviner, Trazyn the Infinite, Vargard Obyron, Anrakyr the Traveller, Nemesor Zahndrekh, Crypteks, warriors, Pariahs,
25mm R: Flayed Ones, Lychguard / Triarch Praetorians, Immortals / Deathmarks,
40mm R: Illuminor Szeras, C'tan, scarabs, Wraiths
Large Flight Base CR: Destroyers, Heavy Destroyers, Destroyer Lord, Monolith, Tomb Spyders, Ghost Ark / Doomsday Ark, Catacomb Command Barge / Annihilation Barge
No Base: Triarch Stalker
Large Oval: Night Scythe/Doom Scythe
Small Flight Base: Tomb Blades
Forgeworld:
Large Oval LO: Tomb Stalker
Taken From GW site
Tau Empire
25mm R: Fire Warriors, Kroot, Pathfinders, Ethereals, honor guards, Darkstrider, Cadre Fireblade, Shadowsun, Kroot hounds, and Vespids
32mm R: Stealth Suits
40mm R: Krootox, Aun'va, and Firesight Marksman
50mm R: Crisis Battlesuit
60mm R: Broadside, Commander/Coldstar Battlesuit
Small Oval: Ghostkeel
Large Oval: Riptide, Razor Shark, and Sun Shark
Small flying base CR: Drones (all types)
Large Flying base CR: Skyray, Devilfish, Hammerhead, and Piranha
Forgeworld:
60mm R: great Knarloc
Dark Eldar
- list in progress (as models are released) (missing: baron sathonyx, kheradruakh, duke sliscus, lady malys, asdrubael)
25mm R: Wych, Warriors, incubi, archon, Urien, Lelith, mandrakes, ur-ghul, medusae, lhamaean, succubus, haemonculus, wracks, scourge, trueborn, bloodbrides, Drazhar
40mm R: Clawed fiend, khymera, razorwing flock, sslyth, grotesques
Small flying CR: Reavers, hellions, beastmaster
Large flying CR: Ravager, raider, venom, talos, cronos, daes of destruction
Large Oval LO : Razorwing jet fighter, voidraven bomber (assume)
Grey Knights
- most are normal space marine basing rules
25mm R: all power and artificer armor, all assassins, most inquisitors, henchmen, daemonhosts
40mm R: all terminator armor
60mm R: all dread models except dreadknight, inquisitor karamazov
Large Oval LO: stormraven gunship and Nemesis Dreadknight
Skitarii
25mm R: Rangers and Vanguard
40mm R: Sicarian Ruststalkers and Infiltrators
105x70mm O: Sydonian Dragoons and Ironstrider Ballistarii
130mm R: Onager Dunecrawlers(unknown if this is Skitarii-specific base or if it's used for Defilers as well)
Cult Mechanicus
32mm R: Cybernetic Datasmith, both Electropriests
50mm R: Tech-Priest Dominus
60mm R: Kataphron Breachers and Destroyers, Kastelan War Robots
