Basing Collection vs. Crews vs. Faction

[Gobbos]

I'm still relatively new to Malifaux, playing just Ressurectionists currently.  I'm about done with my McMourning crew box (in addition to Nicodem & Seamus), and because of Nicodem's vast summoning pool as well as being able to take any non-Leader models from that faction with any Master, they are all based the same, kinda like an autumn graveyard.  I'm looking into doing Jack Daw at some point, as well as some other Outcast masters.  Since Jack (and Zoraida, Leveticus, Marcus, etc., etc.) can take Resurrectionist models like you see with so many crews in this game, do you base all your miniatures the same or what?

 

If I decide to do Gremlins I'd want to do swamp bases, as well as Zoraida, but then would I have to do all my non-Swampfiend Neverborn as swamp bases?  It seems like a potentially endless debate.  How do you guys reconcile all this stuff?

[enderwiggin]

I see it thusly, your models, your choice.

 

If it makes you happy then that's good enough justification in my book.

[Entrac]

I normaly base my models on a crew-level and just buy multiple copys of a model if i use them in more than one crew

[mythicFOX]

What I do is base all my models similarly but with a variation on the theme for each crew.  I use the same colours / scatter / tufts on each one but change the embellishments;

 

M&SU: Cogs and Gears,

Beasts: Rune stones, long grass, skulls

Decembers Cult: Tombstones and Snow  

Showgirls: Ruined paving

 

There are some examples in this post on my blog, and in the photos on my twitter feed (see my sig).

 

This way they look coherent on the table but hold true to their own identity. Hope this helps! 

[Rob Lo]

Whatever you feel works well for the crews you're making, go with it. You'll be playing them on all different types of boards, so on the table they'll rarely fit in with the terrain. My goal was, eventually I'll be taking pictures of each theme-y group of miniatures, and I want those groups to look good together. In game, I'll pull models from multiple themes, so I don't worry much about having a nurse on a tile base standing next to a Student in a sewer, because they're both standing on a frozen tundra, anyway.

[Insidiously Mad]

I currently am basing all my Neverborn the same (pretty flowers and the outdoors) but am struggling to decide what to do with Mercenary models that I might use in neverborn or outcasts/ten thunders (the other factions im interested in). 

[jonahmaul]

Ironically my Ressers are also based on autumn themed bases!  I'm just starting to paint some non-Resser stuff (namely Outcasts and Guild) and am planning to base by faction (snow for Guild and I have no idea what for Outcasts!) so that there is some consistency but if there are models that end up getting hired out of faction then I'm just going to deal with it!

[SpectreEliteGaming]

I had the same problem when I was deciding what to do with Malifaux minis as well. I found that if you just base and paint your models on an individual basis (per model) and keep your decisions consistent it will just work itself out and look great.

Example, all the "kid" type characters and a few others like daydreams and teddy ended up on orphanage bases because it seemed appropriate while I was making them individually and in the end it just happens to work.

So if in doubt just do what seems right for the particular model and don't worry too much. After all I've seen a lot of Seamus crews with all different colors of dresses all over each models and it still looks great.

I suppose it also helps if you have a somewhat limited pallette - I dislike light colors especially blues, greens, yellows and like dark colors and metals so everything looks relatively consistent anyway.

[Gobbos]

I paint the models themselves as individuals, but my McMourning/Sebastian/Nurses and eventually Rafkin will have the same scrub colors.  Consistent basing is my big thing so it looks cohesive on the table.

 

I may just end up painting them all in general faction basing, and get multiple (maybe) of models.  It won't be that big of a deal for my Yan Lo crew as I really don't care for Ten Thunders models save the Ancestors currently.

[lusciousmccabe]

I'd go with MythicFox's suggestion. I had a similar issue for my dual faction Lucius crew and dealt with it by basing the Guild parts on sand with ruined boardwalks and adding vegetation and muck for the Neverborn elements.

 

I still ended up with issues when I branched into further faction (like Candy also working with Hamelin who I based on sewers) but it's a lot better having 2-3 types of bases with variations on themes than the 9-10 I'd have if I'd done it on a crew basis.

 

EDIT if you're really planing ahead you make your bases so they look like different parts of the same board. Like adding some cobbling to your graveyard and using the same patter for street bases with autumn leaves scattered across them. Just a thought.

[LordZombie]

Personally, I base all my models by their faction. Even if the model can dual faction into another one, I look at it as the model is just visiting. I also never look at a model's secondary faction, I just focus on the main faction. 

[cursingbulldog]

I'm still in the process of getting most of my stuff bassed but I plan on having my models based by keyword so my swamp fiends have watery swamp bases, brilliance will have a more brick paver, or wood floor look, woes I'm thinking a sorta foggy look. Puppets nightmares and the like I'm still coming up with. After that I'll stripe the bases and cards with faction colors to help differentiate similar models or those that have generic artwork on the cards like my gupps.