The reason I put mini on top of rocks, when I do it, is basically to raise the mini a bit higher from the base so that it stands out more. It has nothing to do with any imagined setting (other than the terrain in question) where the character actually climbs onto a rock in the middle of a fight. It\'s simply a way to make the painted mini and it\'s base/plinth more pleasing to the eye.
Basing pet peeve
- Thread starter treide
- Start date
No Such Agency
New member
A really good book IMO. It covers everything from tribal skirmishing (often called off if someone dies, but over time the death toll gets quite high) to the phalanx (with every warrior a homeowner, their motivation to hold the line was very high) to, of course, modern warfare. He\'s an excellent writer.
I always figured basing like this was a purely symbolic thing, since it was \"traditionally\" reserved for hero figures who would need to stand out of the battle table. So, visually dramatic but ultimately intended to make play easier.
freakinacage
Well-known member
rofl, too true!!Originally posted by Dragonsreach
Oh and Triede I take it you\'ve never been hiking. Everyone stands on a rock at some point, even if we do look like a right dick.
i agree with you treide. it does seem a little silly although sometimes it looks good
Originally posted by Dragonsreach
Oh and Triede I take it you\'ve never been hiking. Everyone stands on a rock at some point, even if we do look like a right dick.
Actually, I am an avid hiker, and cannot resist the temptation to do the \"photo on a rock\" pic, so I grant you that one. Cases in point (I guess I do look like a right dick
):
These are pics of me and a buddy on Emory Peak (Big Bend National Park in West Texas) in 1993.
freakinacage
Well-known member
oh dear, i seem to have lost all respect for you!
S
Shadzar
Guest
to be honest i don\'t really like every mini standing on a rock. but every mini carries it terain with it when its based. is a rock any better than a field of tulips? is it better than a river bed?
i like the wetlands bases, don\'t get me wrong, but seeing them in interior rooms sometimes look funny.
it jsut seems that more people are breaking free from the idea of structured minis and accepting each mini to have its own personal identity, and each a piece of art.
maybe that will grow and trickle over to gaming.
so whether rock, grass, etc. after seeing them for a while each one loses its granduer.
is cork used because it is stronger or lighter than foam or something?
i like the wetlands bases, don\'t get me wrong, but seeing them in interior rooms sometimes look funny.
it jsut seems that more people are breaking free from the idea of structured minis and accepting each mini to have its own personal identity, and each a piece of art.
maybe that will grow and trickle over to gaming.
so whether rock, grass, etc. after seeing them for a while each one loses its granduer.
is cork used because it is stronger or lighter than foam or something?
Originally posted by treide
Actually, I am an avid hiker, and cannot resist the temptation to do the \"photo on a rock\" pic, so I grant you that one. Cases in point (I guess I do look like a right dick
LOL Jazzhands!
Actually, the basing that gets my goat is all the pristine grass. Seriously, who mows all this stuff?
My 40k army is a desert army, so I use sand... exclusively... I wandered into a GW once (big mistake) and the guy working there said I had to paint my bases. ???
I told him to sod off and left.
MPJ
New member
I must agree that it is visually appealing.
Dang, and to think every time I came back to Nova Scotia when I lived in Houston I was excited to see hills again when there was such terrain in Western Texas somewhere all along. Of course West Texas can be quite a drive from East Texas.
Oh come on - I was in college at the time. It is OK to act like an idiot at that age!
@MPJ - Yep, West Texas has some great rugged terrain, though it would be about a 14 hour drive from Houston.
@rextalon - Jazzhands? If you are referring to my gloves, yeah - they look kinda silly, but it was really cold that day!
Nicely put.
In a nutshell Yes.
Cork does have a stronger structure than (polystrene) Foam and is flexible enough to withstand some movement without exceeding it\'s stress limits.
It has added advantages in that it doesn\'t melt with superglue, will absorb paint far easier than the pooling on foam, Is possibly easier to get in bulk (Cork Tiles from Home Depot etc..) its (IMO) easier to work with as you can cut or tear it to various effects and makes a lot less mess than the cells of polystrene foam. (Alledgedly. I still make a bleedin mess using cork).
OK, I\'ll take you up on that challenge. I grant you that there are natural landscapes where you might have big boulders or rock formations out on an otherwise relatively flat plain - plains left by retreating glaciers come to mind. I still agree with steelcult that the character who climbs up on such a terrain feature is a sitting duck! Now I would be really impressed if someone use that technique, but also included a swarm of opponents around the base of the boulder, and 5 or 6 arrows/bolts sticking out of the \"hero\'s\" armor/shield. That would be more true to military history.
Lastly, some of the minis I am speaking about take it a bit too far. The rockclimbing skills required for the \"hero\" to get up on top of the rock in question would have to be impressive, not to mention they are doing so in a full suit of armor while carrying their + 3 Two-handed Sword of Carnage! Yeah, right.
airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
Most weren\'t steep rock climbs, but lots of \'leaders\' ran the battle from atop a nearby hill using flags, etc. to signal the squads. And the nearby hill was gererally out of reach of enemy arrows.
@WG, that is some great photo work. Lots of different terrain in one small set of patches of the world. ( and a toast to our friends that didn\'t come home ).
@WG, that is some great photo work. Lots of different terrain in one small set of patches of the world. ( and a toast to our friends that didn\'t come home ).
Amazon warrior
New member
Nope, not in WFB, but it would be a good inclusion in larger battles.
IIRC there are a number of other historical game systems which use messengers between \"wings\" of a battle, but they do have a tendancy to slow game play.
firstly, those are miniatures you are talking about. if you would want them to be slaughtering an enemy army, you\'d need at least 2 models on the base. this would mean a bigger base, making the model illegal for gaming purposes.
secondly, most ancient wars were being fought in a pretty regulated fashion (medieval armies would not fire one arrow until told to) thus, until the battle got actualy underway, you would be pretty save standing on a roch or something (provided you paid attention and got down before the enemy was told to shoot at you)
Finaly, these mini\'s are representations of mighty heroes, some artistic freedom should be allowed, the model would have been depicted in the most heroic way possible, not the most realistic way (most paintings of medieval kings show these king standing triumphant on a battlefield, all of these paintings are made after the battle is over, nine times out of ten, the king was posing in the comfort and safety of his own palace, with the battlescene added later on)
suffice to say, i enjoy building and seeing \"unrealistic\" yet heroic bases.
that said, i consider rider AND horse climbing a steep rock or something a bit much, lets try and keep it at least physicly possible.
please correct me if i get any historical references wrong.
secondly, most ancient wars were being fought in a pretty regulated fashion (medieval armies would not fire one arrow until told to) thus, until the battle got actualy underway, you would be pretty save standing on a roch or something (provided you paid attention and got down before the enemy was told to shoot at you)
Finaly, these mini\'s are representations of mighty heroes, some artistic freedom should be allowed, the model would have been depicted in the most heroic way possible, not the most realistic way (most paintings of medieval kings show these king standing triumphant on a battlefield, all of these paintings are made after the battle is over, nine times out of ten, the king was posing in the comfort and safety of his own palace, with the battlescene added later on)
suffice to say, i enjoy building and seeing \"unrealistic\" yet heroic bases.
that said, i consider rider AND horse climbing a steep rock or something a bit much, lets try and keep it at least physicly possible.
please correct me if i get any historical references wrong.
Sand Rat
New member
For display purposes I will buy the whole looking inspiring on the rock bit.
Until the 20th century most combat was fought in large flat areas with perhaps a small rise to one end or the other of the battlefield - yes there are exceptions but before modern communications, you really could not control an army you could not see. And anything you did to make you stand out drew fire - or Arrows, or Lances. Which is why I hate the whole standing on a rock on the table top bit.
Until the 20th century most combat was fought in large flat areas with perhaps a small rise to one end or the other of the battlefield - yes there are exceptions but before modern communications, you really could not control an army you could not see. And anything you did to make you stand out drew fire - or Arrows, or Lances. Which is why I hate the whole standing on a rock on the table top bit.
