Ten Thunders Basing - Ideas Needed

[Valtyr]

So I've been playing Malifaux for a month or so now and my Misaki crew is nearing completion, but I am at a complete loss on how to base the crew. I have stuck with the original yellow and black palette as I think it looks amazing, but am really struggling to come up with a complementary scheme for the bases.

Originally I thought of purchasing these:

http://wyrd-games.net/shop/30mm-Asian-Zen-Bases.html

...but there's something about them that just doesn't appeal to me. Does anyone have any ideas?

- Valtyr

[Usiel]

These are good bamboo-style bases:

http://www.warcaststudios.com/home?page=shop.browse&category_id=25

You could also make your own; some craft dowels and a little model sand makes a small Zen garden...

Edited January 31, 2013 by Usiel
Link not working...so removed

[moody628]

Basing is one of my current dilemna as well. I have 2 sets of the Wyrd bases that should arrive this next week, and I recently saw the warcast stuff, which is neat, but not as inspiring for me with the bamboo bases. I'm looking forward to what you settle on, as I'm always on the lookout for cool ideas.

[Omenbringer]

Based on what I have seen in my collection of classic king ku movies (I might have a problem as I have more than I care to mention) a gray stone floor with some leaves blown acroos it or highly polished wooden floor with woven mats would be rather fitting.

[Bruglyother]

I'm a huge fan of making my own. I think custom bases are often better than bought because you can really make them your own. That being said, I have struggled with asian base ideas as well. I'm currently doing around 25 bases in asian theme for various projects. Keeping them original for that many is a challenge.

The current batch is being done as a garden path. Large path stones surrounded by gravel. Stone lining the edges of the path. Garden scape beyond the edge. The occasional small foot bridge. I even added a fair sized bonsai to a 50mm base, and a garden wall to a 30mm. Probably going to continue on this trend with some added water elements thrown in. I use mostly greenstuff and plasticard for my work.

If you are really at a loss, go watch some movies. I just watched Last Samurai to give me some ideas, both for painting and basing. Probably going to do Crouching Tiger next for a Chinese influence. There are plenty more (I just haven't watched those two in a while, so they drew my eye first.)

Hope this helps. I'll try and get pictures of my work up in the near future.

[i_was_like_you]

These are good bamboo-style bases:

http://www.warcaststudios.com/home?page=shop.browse&category_id=25

You could also make your own; some craft dowels and a little model sand makes a small Zen garden...

Or toothpicks...

[theJudge]

There is loads of inspiration for making your own bases when you search google images for "japanese gardens"

[Saighdear]

If you don't want to make your own and buy resin bases instead, Secret Weapon Miniatures does a range called Asian Garden which is based off a Japanese rock garden:

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=79_33_88

The neutral colours of dried bamboo and the sand won't detract attention from the miniatures.

[Kaine]

I like these

http://www.valiantwargames.co.uk/index.php/secret-weapon/gaming-bases/asian-garden.html

[moody628]

I'm a huge fan of making my own. I think custom bases are often better than bought because you can really make them your own. That being said, I have struggled with asian base ideas as well. I'm currently doing around 25 bases in asian theme for various projects. Keeping them original for that many is a challenge.

Which suddenly gives me the idea of doing a zen rock garden thing for bases.

(And after posting this, I see a few links to similar ideas that others have posted. Ha!)

Edited February 1, 2013 by moody628

[Stonedog-7]

Trolls Den do some awesome options including a nicely different bamboo style

http://trollsdenterrain.com/

Also Fenris games do some reasonable different types of stone floor bases with different designs and types

[theJudge]

I use a guy on ebay in the uk called startledhedgehog

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/startledhedgehog&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSX:SELLERID&_trksid=p3984.m1543.l2533

He doesnt have a great selection but he is cheap. I use the Rivenstone range for a lot of my basing. You cannot argue with £2.50 + P&P for 10 30mm bases.

[EnternalVoid]

I would sit down and think how many bases you will want and what you think your abilities are. As several have thrown out there are several different options if you are willing go online and purchase. I will throw out making your own can be rewarding, and depending on the method quite cheap. But can go wrong if you make a mistake *I keep plenty of extra bases in stock in case of this*.

Here are example of two of my '10T' themed bases I am doing. One is a press mold I made from a series of woven shields arranged. It is not bad but I plan to replace it some day here as the rubber mold I used is kind of soft and such it sometimes loses details in me pressing it. Next time I get some material I am going to upgrade to a stiffer, stouter option so that I can make press molds easier. The second one is much as "I_was_like_you" said, made with Toothpicks, some putty for the rocks, some sand stuff for the sand, and paint and clear resin for the water. It is for Yan Lo and his Soul Porter. The undead spearmen are just on toothpick made bamboo flooring, as if they are further inside or along the walk, while I plan to put Izumi out in a rock garden.

Which is my next experiment I am working on right now, how to make a raked rock garden, almost got it worked out on my test piece of plasticard.

Edited February 2, 2013 by EnternalVoid

[Chucklemonkey]

I have been chopping up something like these to make my bases.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Traditional-Thai-Elephant-handmade-reed-dinner-place-mats-and-coasters-quality-/170895797457?pt=UK_HG_Crockery_RL&var=&hash=item27ca2eecd1

(Because I'm too lazy to do work on something original and too tight to spend money on base inserts)

Edited February 2, 2013 by Chucklemonkey

[i_was_like_you]

It seems like forever since I did a quick mockup of what an all toothpick bamboo floor would look like, just attaching the pieces to tape to see how well it might look. As I hadn't picked up Kirai, and 10T were still two years away, I hadn't put any serious effort into it. EnternalVoid certainly shows how well it can look.

Extra bases in a theme are always a nice option.

I'd been casting plaster for brick molds to build a castle and a fort (which I've yet to start building, but I digress), and I messed around with casting some of my other molds in plaster. Got quite a few different rocky outcroppings. So when I decided to put the master version of Misaki on the same rock that mercenary Misaki stands on, I also decided to base the rest of the crew as rock ninjas (which reminds me, I have to find a suitable rock for Yamaziko now).

[They look even better primed up and properly attached to their bases now, but I haven't taken a fresh group shot. Maybe after I get Yamaziko assembled and based. My gf wants to paint them, but she's so busy with college now that I may have to add them to my ever-growing list of things to paint.]