"Minimal basing for skirmish gaming" Topic

re: TMP link

Clear basing aside (though that is an attractive option),
what think you about making the stand/basing of a 1:1 mini as unobtusive as possible (in game mechanic terms) ?

Not from a visual standpoint, but (more importantly, imo) from a gaming standpoint.

Does the ground-scale impact of a figure's physical base (however attractive) make a poor/detrimental impact on gameplay?

I think of the standard 30mm (too high, imo) base for 28mm figs as a good example of pretty models of figs getting in the way of the (ostensibly intended) modeling of the gaming action.

Consider ground scale, especially.

As usual, dunno really…though I admit to feeling uncomfortable when weapon/movement ranges (along with terrain effects) play second fiddle to plinths… ; )

Gorkamorka from GW used minimal basing, which was great until it wasn't big enough to keep metal figs upright…

IMO the base should be big enough to keep the figure from falling over. No more, no less. I also see no need to do mini dioramas on gaming figures. Some of my large fantasy figures (creatures, heros, etc) have large, fancy bases, but most, especially historical figures, are mounted on washers or by units. I will clean out the brush on the bases as I go with an eye to covering the base with splotches of paint. Then afterwards I use the wet in wet method to paint them with brown, green, black, ochre etc. using plenty of water. Sometimes I flock afterwards, sometimes I don't.

I dislike chunky bases, favoring sheet metal (which has the advantage of sticking to magnetic strips in storage boxes). I REALLY wish that clear bases worked well, but they (somewhat counter-intuitively) just do not seem to look good.

Doug

Try 1" washers. They are no more than 1/16" thick. There's a 1/8" hole in the middle perfect for a small magnet, if you like magnetic bases. Get them at Home Depot.

30mm is very big. I tend to use 1p coins (21mm) for most figures, or 2p coins (26mm) for the larger ones.

I much prefer the smaller 1p bases, but it is important that the figure stays upright during a game.

I think that bases are good for determining the amount of space that a miniature occupies and controls when. I agree that the newer crop of 30mm bases (Round edged PP style) are kind of ridiculous for 28mm figures, especially since the actual area for basing is the same as the top of a gw 25mm slotta.

However, I think that the classic 25mm round slotta is a great size for 28mm figures. Some folks don't like the height, but the beneifts of slottas (strong attachment to base, every mini isnt standing on a mound of lead) do exist. The 25mm size seems to me to be close to a perfect balance between keeping the figure upright and defining it's area of control. I wouldn't go smaller as uneven terrain will make it tippy, and larger would be silly in most cases.

Also, my favorite rules (Song of Blades) make the size of the base an aspect of the game with both benefits (longer move) and drawbacks (easier for enemies to pile on) so I've no reason to shrink the bases whenever possible.

I think bases should be as small as possible; it makes the figures easier to store, and thye fit better into buildings and so forth.
20mm squares are good for skirmish gaming (20 x 40 rectangles for mounted; round bases are bad for mounted as they take up way too much room).
A 20mm square allows a lot more room on the diagonal than a 20mm round; as much as a 25mm round base, but takes up much less room.

I use UK pennies and 2p's as these can be easily picked up.

I prefer a plain base and a shadow base for vehicles. Here's some I made earlier:

link