Basing

[Flashman14]

On slotta bases do you deliberately glue the figure up higher to allow gravel/sand/ballast to go under the feet? or do you just glue around the feet after the fig is painted.

My problem: (more so with 15\'s) is that I always glue gravel/sand/ballast onto the foot itself. I spose I could continue wipe it away but I wonder if the solution I mention above gets any practice out there? Also if you\'re not careful they can often seem submerged in the earth rather than walking atop it.

Related - for those figs without slotta bases or any base (just feet - like GW stuff) do you base the bases (unpainted) then glue the fig right on top of the gravel/sand/ballast/greenstuff?
or again, do you glue around the feet?

 

[Corvus]

Glueing a mini on a finished base seems also impossible to me... I always glue them to the base first, and then finish the base, being careful not to put any glue on the feet.

When using static grass the effect of the feet sunken in to the vegetation is quite realistic I think, but you\'re right on the gravel and rock... maybe it\'s a good idea to try to raise the feet of the mini by using putty or something like that before attaching gravel, to avoid the mini to be sunken into the soil.

I think it\'s a technique that should be given a try....

 

[vincegamer]

I tried that a couple of times. My problem was I couldn\'t get glue onto the surface under the foot without getting it on the foot. I either had the sand I was using thickened around the feet or a mysterious gap where his feet were. I may try doing the base first then dropping the mini into it just to see how that works.

 

[Chrispy]

I did that a couple of times, Flashman. Especialy on my Mordhiem bases, as I cut thin foamboard into rocks. It\'s really obvious the mini is standing on something 2 inches under the ground and it looks weird. I just stuff some of the same basing material under it until it dries.l

 

[ahrimon]

For me it depends on the type of base I want to do.

For a base that is rock or cobble stone ect, I like to make my base first then glue the mini onto it. This way it avoids the sunken into the ground look that you mention.

If it is a grass or dirt base I will usually glue the mini to the actuall base and build the basing material up around the feet. This give a more natural look, at least in my opinion.

 

[finn17]

Cheat your way out

I suspect that many people will consider this cheating to a certain extent but I am starting to use more and more \'precast\' dioramic bases for my minis. Sometimes this involves removing the tab which you wouldn\'t want to do on a collectible piece but I feel that this is the way a lot of serious modellers/gamers are going to go.
I have also just started buying Dark Age bases as they are so much neater than the standard affair. The circular recess does mean that you need to glue the mini in a slightly elevated position, I would suppose, but I am seriously considering rebasing a number of my \'standard\' minis using these high quality bases.

 

[vincegamer]

Now that you mention it Finn, I did that with my Valkyrie CMON mini. But I was basing her in sand (ginger) and it\'s fine enough to get down under the boots.

 

[finn17]

Good idea...

Originally posted by vincegamer
Now that you mention it Finn, I did that with my Valkyrie CMON mini. But I was basing her in sand (ginger) and it\'s fine enough to get down under the boots.

That sounds like a really sound idea. I suspect that insufficient attention is paid to the scale of the basing material. It has always been my feeling that just a little extra attention in this area can really make or break a mini. I have never used any esoteric basing material but I will be experimenting from now on.

 

[Flashman14]

heh . . the only way to cheat in my book is to either use Photoshop or claim someone elses work is yours!!

I suspect that many people will consider this cheating to a certain extent but I am starting to use more and more \'precast\' dioramic bases for my minis.

 

[Flashman14]

But I have used precast bases in the past . . it is a good idea but you have to really plan carefully for doing a WFB size army with those . . .

Otherwise they are absolutely terrifc for single figs and small faction type skirmish games . . .

I especially love the wood planked ones but there are so few environs where the wooden floors would predominate that I hate condeming figs to it . . .

 

[kkoene]

basing

I have some Ral Partha mini\'s that I am working on and they come with regular metal bases. However the models have these pegs molded on the botom of their feet. Which actually allows you to mark on the unfinished base, (if you use a plastic base with no holes in it) where to drill the holse. You can then drill the holes and complete the base. just glue the material around the holes you drilled. Then when the mini is done put glue or whatever in the holes and insert the mini. It looks as if the mini is walking on top of the base material. However I would think that if the mini is on grass, or some other soft surface, you may want that \"sunken\" affect. But my method here works good for hard surfaces like rock or dungeon floor.