tallghost Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Looking around at the various message boards and web site and contests, I see a lot of people oohing and awing over bases and I admit, some of them are downright impressive. But my question is this...how important is a decorated base to you, personally? How much did the bases influence your voting in the recent Total Testosterone contest? Most of the minis that I paint are going to be used in tabletop combat at some point, and I just can't bring myself to base them. For some reason, when you decorate the base, I see it as adding just a bit more to the static pose of the mini..kind of locking it in place and time, and when you move it across the terrain, it will always be stuck there, as if your army or warband or whatever were dragging a statue with them. For some reason, soldiers standing on black circular plinths don't give me this wierd feeling. Or are at least generic enough to be overlooked. I realize that this is my hang-up, and the obvious solution for me is to: 1) keep my game minis un-based, because it makes me happy. 2) buy and paint some minis for display only, so I can frolic in the world of crafting bases. But I'm just wondering if I'm alone in my way of thinking, so I thought I would bring it up here, and see if anyone has any thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritual Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I don't play with my minis... so for me the base is every bit as important as the miniature itself. Putting a nicely painted minis on a plain, non-descript base, for me, is equivalent of putting a beautiful painting on the wall without frame, blue-tacked to the wall. The base gives the miniature an extra dimension. It can help explain the colour choices used on the miniature and the piece becomes something more than just a painted miniature. In competitions, for instance, I'd say the base can pretty much make or break an entry. So, if you enter a mini on a plain base I'd not count on getting any awards. Sounds harsh, perhaps, but it's the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gi6ers Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I'd agree with Ritual, even a simple base with a bit of gravel and some static grass adds to a paintjob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hinton Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 The first minis I ever did had pretty plain bases and, frankly, they really bring the rest of the mini down. It's entirely up to you as to whether you doing something with the bases or just leave them plain. But, as Ritual said, don't expect to win any competitions, either. If you want to paint for contests and competitions, then you'll have to do something with the base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green stuff Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Why not try to take the best of both worlds? I think it's possible to make playable bases that add something to the mini. They won't be as extravagant as minis on a big wooden plinth, but sometimes less is better. This one got me into first cut last year at GD UK. There is little sculpting, most of it is just plastic piece taken from the dwarf battalion box. The canon was over the top, but the rocks and snow are just enough to suggest the dwarf's natural habitat. The mouse gives a skaven atmosphere so you can imagine that something bigger is happening around. These pieces by Allan are even better examples : Beastman Genestealer Patriarche OK, the sculpts help a lot here, but the bases fit perfectly the fluff of the minis. The beastman's is as simple as it comes, but everybody understands that he's coming out of his dark forest. The Patriarche is clearly in an imperial setting, but one small detail makes it clear that his brood is about to take over the planet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callumrice Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Agree with everything said above, bases strongly influence decisions in painting contests. I too at first did not see the advantage of having a cool base but now I do. My recent entry, the harlequin in the TT contest, I spent a hell of a time getting that base just right. Even now its not perfect. Also agree that it locks minis in a certain place and time but thats what display minis are all about, right? I can understand you not wanting to make any specific bases for your gaming minis but believe me it greatly adds to your paint job. Even if you have based all your minis on snow bases and your playing on a lush grass board, your minis would STILL look better than not being based at all. Try it, give it a shot and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EldinTux Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I have to agree. For years I refused to base my mini's. Claiming they looked tacky & detracted from the look of the mini. But a good (but simple) base makes the figure stand out much better when on a gaming table. As has been said just a simple flocking or dry brushed sand shows the figure actually belongs somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 This forum probably slants more to the painter side than the gamer side. There are several people, myself included, who like Ritual, do not play at all and only paint, and there are others who play but still take a strong painterly interest in things. So the personal opinions you get here might be a little different than if you ask the question on a board dominated by players. I'd say at this point bases are pretty much expected from the painting side of things. Rackham's studio paint jobs for Confrontation minis are about the only examples I can think of where people don't seem to downgrade their opinions of the paint jobs because of a plain base. And I'm willing to bet that if those minis were entered in online contests, there would be a lot of comments about the lack of base, and some people wouldn't vote for them regardless of the paint job. I think most people want to see even a simple base for the same reason you don't - it puts the miniature in context. For me personally, I absolutely would expect to see some kind of base on any miniature submitted in a contest. I don't think I'd refuse to vote for one with just a plain base, but any miniatures of comparable quality with well done bases would get the vote before one without. (So a plain based mini would have to be at least one clear step ahead of all its competition in quality to get a vote from me.) I do understand your argument from a play point of view, and you are not the first person I've heard express that feeling, so I don't think it's a strange opinion or anything. I couldn't say whether judges of best painted army at gaming events expect bases or judge purely on the paint job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritual Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 @Wren Rackham only use plain bases on the promotional pictures (the same that are on the cards...). Whenever they publish photos of minis used in games they use bases with stone and green flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Caroland Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 Great points above and as Wren said, you'll find most of the folks here biased towards bases due to being painters first and gamers second (there are exceptions obviously). Will sort of interesting to see if that opinion ever changes when the game comes out for Wyrd (still a bit down the road though so don't get excited). Anyhow, back on subject, I give you a prime example actually on whether to base something or not. Ringsnake (not picking on you bro, just a great example) ran out of time and submitted his miniature without being full based. Won still due to a great paint job, but he took some heat for it as well and I would hypothesis that if the Monsters Ball had as many entries as Fantasy, it might have worked against him. You'll get the gist from the comments, etc. http://wyrd-games.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1648 Myself, I've always based mine as I usually have a story in my head when I'm painting a miniature, though as you say, it does tend to 'freeze frame' them in time with their story/situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supervike Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 To me, bases are essential, even if I were more of a gamer. They complete the scene, are important for mood, and they are just so damn fun to do! In fact, I have noticed on alot of my more recent minis, people compliment me on the base....Which may be akin to saying 'nice tires' when you see someones new car, but I take what I can get.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highbulp Billy Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I feel that the base is very much part of the mini rather than something extra. If you're going to go to the trouble of painting the mini why leave the job half done? Even if you're gaming with it rather than displaying it, it will still look much better on the battlefield with a base than without. It doesn't need to be elaborate but even painted sand and flock are better than a bare black base. If you're worried about it sticking out too much on the gaming table, stick to something simple that matches the terain you play on. Save the fancy stuff for the special characters as a way of making them easy for you to identify on the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiccanpony Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I’m also in the school of painting not gaming and I believe a good base just adds to the figure. For example I entered two minis in the TT one with a very simple base, just different size gravel and a bit of grass for my Monster ball, this kind of base would work well with gaming figures. Then I went elaborate with my Fantasy incubus, the figure is in a landing position and I thought he need to be landing on something that told a story so I picked the broken column. http://wyrd-games.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1612 http://wyrd-games.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1613 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallghost Posted July 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 O.K. so if I understand what you are all telling me, I should never evr base things because cool looking bases are a waste of time, and no one cares about them....:bounce: Seriously, thaks for your input. I'm definitely going to try and figure out some kind of base now for my entry in the gencon contest. I have no hopes of placing, but I don't want anyone to say "Wyrd minis...yeah that guy with the lame unbased entry used one of those..." I may not be a good player, but I am a team player. plus, I think I may at least flock a unit of my army, and see how they look in play. The stuff you all do is relly nice (wiccanpony' pillar and callumrice's defeated destryer struck me as being really cool looking when I was votting for TT) but too elaborate for me on the table-top. but maybe I could find a middle ground with just some light flocking or gravel or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wren Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 I don't know what Nathan's expectations will be in judging the Wyrd manufacturer's category, but based on comments in classes and online forums, I'm confident that the main GenCon judges absolutely expect at minimum a basic rock, wood floor or gravel and flock base for entries. If you don't have time or don't feel comfortable getting too wild with basing, there are some pretty cool pre-made bases of all kinds of terrain made by various companies you could try. I don't have links off-hand but I know there are people on here who will. :-> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty1001 Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 For tabletop simply just a layer of sand, then drybrush in a suitable colour. If your minis are a city fight style, drybrush greys, for sand, drybrush browns etc.. Really simple and it does help alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizcam Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 An example of what everyone is talking about would be my TT entry. IT was my 1st time doing an elaborite base and I made the mistake of going with those stupid pretzel sticks. I think if I had left them off I might have scored higher. The base can make or break a mini for competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizcam Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 A cool way to base an amry for play is to put a lot of white glue on the base, cover that with gravel and while it's still wet go over the gravel with static grass. Not much grass gets left but it's enought to break up the gravel and give it a motre natural look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklord Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 in my mind bases are essential to finishing off the model. yeah you wouldnt want a whole army sat on 4 inch high fancy bases but from a purely asthetic point of view one off characters benefit from that final touch. its like the cherry on the top of the knicker bocker glory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeafNala Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Hey Tallghost, I think you answered your own question. If unadorned bases make you happy that's the way you should go. I would imagine you paint for your own enjoyment &, of course, for your games; you're the guy that is going to be see your minis all the time. If you like what you see, you've succeeded. I was a gamer; I don't game anymore for a variety of reasons that I won't bore you with; & I have a fairly substantial Night Goblin army that is based on heavily themed mushroom bases, big, honking, mother grabbing mushrooms. The Goblins are perched on them, walking under them, use them for cover. The missile support units have their mushrooms stuck with arrows from their neighboring units of archers. I've gotten some very nice comments on the effect, but I did it because I think it looks cool & I enjoy looking at the little buggers. Doing up minis on really cool bases is my thing. "When does it hurt? When you do that; don't do that anymore." Groucho Marx as Dr. Quakenbush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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