Basing ideas needed

[Deadite]

Hey all,
I\'m starting up a new army (or two or three) for WH40k, and I\'m looking for complimentary basing ideas.

Although I\'m looking for ideas for my army specifically, I\'m very open-minded to all ideas and would welcome suggestions for any kind of basing tips, tricks, methods and discussion to keep this thread going for others who might be seeking similar advice.

Now, as I said, I\'m looking for a basing idea for my entire army. One-off scenic bases look great on characters, but I want an entire army to look good, so please keep that in mind.

My new army will be Salamanders marines in the typical green hues and fiery details. I\'m running into problems coming up with eye-catching, stray-from-the-norm bases that would compliment the greens. Was considering reds (like Martian planet or volcanic), but felt that might draw away from the fiery details on the minis themselves. I thought of doing an Urban theme, but I\'m not getting the look I wanted (any tips here appreciated). Browns seem to have a similar dulling effect as the reds. Any help you could provide would be beneficial.

I\'m also planning an Emperors Children (Slaanesh) Chaos marine army with plenty of pinks, purples and other outlandish colors. I was considering \"frozen Tundra\" bases as I felt the patches of white-ish snow on dormant earth would really compliment the Pinks and purples and make them pop. Any thoughts or tips on this?

Oh, one thing I should note, I frequent local tournaments and Movement trays (that you can display your entire army on and move about) are a must in my opinion. For army movement convenience and to help set the \"atmosphere\" of your army, there\'s nothing better than a decorative movement tray. My movement trays are also magnetic and are not fixed to one specific army design, so the tray has to incorporate a lot of the elements on the bases of the minitures. So, whatever I do to the bases of my armies, I have to replicate (at least in part) on a movement tray. I don\'t mind complex ideas, but simpler is usually better.

Again, any and all tips and tricks are welcomed for basing an entire army. Please share!

 

[LouisCypher]

About Salamanders

I\'d go with a black/grey stone terrain, as they come from a vulcanic world: in addition, you could have some bases with lava streams that would provide another colour addition...

I think that an obsydian based terrain would work...

cheers =)
Luca

 

[Trevor]

I think the urban base can look very good if you are willing to put the effort in.

Try the following.

Use a variety of different types, all linked by a common colour theme. Bases would range from uncluttered open bases representing roads and interior floors, here you can use slightly different materials to represent the different floorings, tie together with small piles of rubble painted in a common colour. More complex bases involve putting in craters, small wall sections, larger rubble piles etc. Finally for larger models, or character models you can really go to town making small dioramas of the bases. So a dread might be smashing through a wall, heavy weapons might be behind large walls, sandbags or even in small bunkers; characters can be standing on floors, behind pillars, on wrecked machinery, vehicles or equipment etc etc.

This can create an army that when put togther almost looks like a diorama on its own.

 

[dauber22]

Either luca\'s or trevor\'s ideas sound great. Especially Trevor\'s but it would be an awful lot of work. The results would be stunning though if carried off well.

My only suggestion would be a negative one. Anything but flock and static grass please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am
so tired of seeing exotic futuristic armies warring it up on what appears to be a golf course

 

[Deadite]

Originally posted by dauber22
Anything but flock and static grass please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am
so tired of seeing exotic futuristic armies warring it up on what appears to be a golf course

lol lol lol

As am I dauber, as am I. I have made a personal vow to never war on a golf course... and if so, there had better be a theme to go with it (like bent clubs, kilts, at least nine holes, divits, sand traps, water hazards and random tees or crocodiles... )

Far from a negative suggestion. I\'d say that\'s a constructive suggestion.

 

[Cerridwyn1st]

Try Renaissance Ink

Renaissance Ink carries a wide variety of bases, some magnetized. They also carry transport trays. They have Flocking gels that are supposed to be a paint-on flocking medium. Can\'t really say if it is good or not, I\'ve never used it.

http://www.renaissanceink.net/paint_supplies.htm

I like the grey/rock idea. It can set of pieces very nicely. You probably don\'t want to go whole-hog and sculpt stone floors with green stuff on a couple hundred troups, but there are other things to do.

One thing I\'d suggest is to paint your base in GW Codex Grey. Might even leave it a little thick, so there are brush-stroke ridges in the paint. Then mix black with some kind of covering medium and glaze your base with that. I use Plaid Gloss Varnish mixed with black.

Once you hit it with Dull Coat, it cuts the shine. And it gives your minis a VERY resilliant coating on the base, where they tend to take the most abuse.

I\'m making a point of putting some form of varnish on the bases of all my minis, specifically so they will take a beating and still look pretty nice.

 

[Deadite]

Originally posted by Cerridwyn1st
Renaissance Ink carries a wide variety of bases, some magnetized. They also carry transport trays. They have Flocking gels that are supposed to be a paint-on flocking medium. Can\'t really say if it is good or not, I\'ve never used it.

http://www.renaissanceink.net/paint_supplies.htm

Checked out the site. Thanks. Looks like a decent company.
Though, from glancing through and reading tidbits about the sizes of the Movement trays and the Magnetic features, it\'s not quite what I do.
I create a display tray (like a modified cookie sheet or TV tray) from whatever materials strike my fancy, then add sheet steel to the area where the army will stand. I then decorate/paint the entire piece with paint, flock, sculptures, whatever. I then attach Rare Earth (or stronger) Magnets to the bases of all my mini\'s. They have to be Rare Earth (or stronger) magnets to hold through the paint/flock/sand/glue I\'ve decorated the sheet steel with. Common hobbyist magnets and magnetic sheets don\'t have the same pull for my projects, thought they\'re great for setting mini\'s in a toolbox case and such.

Originally posted by Cerridwyn1st
One thing I\'d suggest is to paint your base in GW Codex Grey. Might even leave it a little thick, so there are brush-stroke ridges in the paint. Then mix black with some kind of covering medium and glaze your base with that. I use Plaid Gloss Varnish mixed with black.

What exactly does this do? I\'ve never heard of this method before. Pics?

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by Deadite

Originally posted by dauber22
Anything but flock and static grass please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am
so tired of seeing exotic futuristic armies warring it up on what appears to be a golf course

lol lol lol

As am I dauber, as am I. I have made a personal vow to never war on a golf course... and if so, there had better be a theme to go with it (like bent clubs, kilts, at least nine holes, divits, sand traps, water hazards and random tees or crocodiles... )

Far from a negative suggestion. I\'d say that\'s a constructive suggestion.

You know, from a running a game at a Con or a tourney the whole gaming on a golf course idea doesnt sound to bad. Now I may have to build a couple of holes in either 25mm or 1/385 scale and see what happens.

Hijack over, back on topic. As for me, I would go extremely simple. Sure, the scenic bases look nice, but the first time they get bumped hard on the table they dont look so good. Right now, for example, I\'m busily basing my Battletech Mechs with two different sizes of model railroad ballest. Why? cause its cheap and it looks like rubble of a sort.

 

[dauber22]

Originally posted by steelcult

You know, from a running a game at a Con or a tourney the whole gaming on a golf course idea doesnt sound to bad. Now I may have to build a couple of holes in either 25mm or 1/385 scale and see what happens.

Oh, now that idea I could get behind!!! Having the battle actually take place on a golf course would be okay! lol Perhaps a battle table laid out like \"Amen COrner\" at Augusta lol:bouncy:

 

[Cosmotiger]

Urban Bases

I\'m looking for some urban-themed basing tips. I\'m going to be painting some old Grenadier Future Warrior minis, and I was thinking about the best way to get a pavement or sidewalk effect.

They\'re based on the standard GW-style slottabase, BTW. My quandry is mainly how to get a smooth pavement-like surface, without the slot sticking out like a sore thumb. Is it better to just fill the slot completely with greenstuff and smooth it off without the figure, then cut the tab off the figure?

I much prefer using the slot (to keep the figure stable and on its base securely), but I dread trying to file and sand around the figure\'s feet. I\'m used to rocky or \'wild\' bases where you can just cover the slot with some spackle and sand, and it doesn\'t need to be smooth. They would look pretty weird if they were all standing on pavement, but for some weird reason they all \"just happened\" to have a pile of debris in between their legs, covering up the slot!

 

[Deadite]

I\'d say just fill the gap with putty, then file down and sand the base appropriately for a smoother sidewalk look.
Might require a needle file or two, but should work nicely.

 

[Cerridwyn1st]

Originally posted by Deadite

Originally posted by Cerridwyn1st
Renaissance Ink carries a wide variety of bases, some magnetized. They also carry transport trays. They have Flocking gels that are supposed to be a paint-on flocking medium. Can\'t really say if it is good or not, I\'ve never used it.

http://www.renaissanceink.net/paint_supplies.htm

Checked out the site. Thanks. Looks like a decent company.
Though, from glancing through and reading tidbits about the sizes of the Movement trays and the Magnetic features, it\'s not quite what I do.
I create a display tray (like a modified cookie sheet or TV tray) from whatever materials strike my fancy, then add sheet steel to the area where the army will stand. I then decorate/paint the entire piece with paint, flock, sculptures, whatever. I then attach Rare Earth (or stronger) Magnets to the bases of all my mini\'s. They have to be Rare Earth (or stronger) magnets to hold through the paint/flock/sand/glue I\'ve decorated the sheet steel with. Common hobbyist magnets and magnetic sheets don\'t have the same pull for my projects, thought they\'re great for setting mini\'s in a toolbox case and such.

Originally posted by Cerridwyn1st
One thing I\'d suggest is to paint your base in GW Codex Grey. Might even leave it a little thick, so there are brush-stroke ridges in the paint. Then mix black with some kind of covering medium and glaze your base with that. I use Plaid Gloss Varnish mixed with black.

What exactly does this do? I\'ve never heard of this method before. Pics?

Here\'s a picture of Tox. I took a Reaper Stone Hex Base, filled in with pieces of greenstuff, then painted the primed base the way I suggested above.

Like I said, you probably don\'t want to do that much work on an army\'s worth of bases. But some kind of easy flocking, painted and stained, would look nice.

The reason I do this the way I do? I\'ve noticed that the pieces I do seem to take a lot more wear on the bases. So paint will rub or scrape off. I want to put an extra layer on my figs to protect this paint.

That\'s why I like to have varnish or stain on the base. These materials are protective as well as decorative. The gloss is taken out when the item is covered with Dull Cote, giving a base that will take a beating and still look nice.

It doesn\'t surprise me if I do something that\'s not done by others. I\'m wierd that way. I will also go back to gems (like the ones on Tox here) and re-coat them with gloss varnish after the Dull Cote has dried. lol

 

[Sand Rat]

Originally posted by dauber22
Oh, now that idea I could get behind!!! Having the battle actually take place on a golf course would be okay! lol Perhaps a battle table laid out like \"Amen COrner\" at Augusta lol:bouncy:

Hmm, now my evil little mind is spinnning - I may have to work on this as part of the hex so I can get a job outside the US -