"Do You Use Transparent Bases for Soldiers?" Topic

For ground warfare, do you base your figures with transparent bases?

No. Based (no pun intended) on what I have seen on TMP, figures look like they are standing on clear plastic bases as opposed to the table top. They don't do anything for me.

It depends. For figures intended to be used on boards (eg Imperial Assault or Descent), yes. I use the thinnest clear bases from Litko I can get. The thinner bases kind of mitigate the levitation effect. For any others, thin and textured. I hate the pedestal look, and often rebase on thinner material.

No. They get scratched, etc.
Plus, it's too much trouble to cut the feet flush and glue the figures to the bases.

And they are shiny.

Not for figures, but for terrain.

(Grass tufts based on clear plastic are placed over water sections to represent marsh, over green cloth – boggy ground).

No. The only things I put on clear bases are aircraft stands.

Never!!!!

Everything I do is transparent. I have nothing to hide.

Never. For me basing is part of modelling. No matter how good, a base would never perfectly blend the model with the table. Instead I just make impressive bases instead of trying to make them disappear.

I tried for a while but didn't like the look at all.

Depends on the period. Where the figures are going to be in the countryside pretty much all the time I base and texture. Where there is going to be a mixture of outdoor, urban and indoor (mostly modern skirmish/zombie type games) I am using clear bases. To me shiny looks better than a beautifully textured base inn the middle of a tarmac street.

No. I have never seen any at shows fiends etc. That did not look wrong so have not used them myself.

x42

It depends for me as well. I use clear bases for my science fiction miniatures. It just looked wrong for figures to be in a starship corridor or an urban setting with tufts of grass around the feet. Everything else is on textured flocked bases.

A plain dull black base, at least for single-based figures, is not as bad as you would think if you are using the figures in multiple environments like @Vigilant points out.

No.

No. More cost than it's worth.

I mount them on clear bases and then paint the base green and add some flocking. Looks great.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I tried for a while but didn't like the look at all.

Didn't even have to type this for myself. Thought it would be a good idea. Tried to dull coat away the shininess. Scratches and globs of glue gave me fits of frustration. Honestly, I like the flat black "shadow" look best.

Only for my 1/600th aircraft.

Thought about it for figures that are used on varied terrain.

There is non glare glass that sort of disappears when placed next to a print. Ditto for package tape that has a matte finish. I would like to see someone make clear plastic bases made in a similar way so they disappear when placed in the table.

No. They sound good in theory, but for me, the glare makes them far more obtrusive than a conventional base, even when the conventional base does not match the playing surface.

Nope, always paint the base.

I did for a while. I used clear Plexi-Glass material, gluing the figure onto it. Then I hit the whole figure and base with a clear, matte coat, to "frost" the base. It worked, but it was a lot of work. Now I use an opaque base, paint wood glue on it, and swirl it in a mixture of three different colored sands, which gives a nice effect. The clear bases are a nice concept, but they were far more work, as I had to cut the sheet of clear plastic down to base sizes using power tools, and it was too much tedious work. Cheers!

Yes, for 15mm SF minis.

I think you are always better off using plain black as opposed to clear. Clear is too shiny and catches the light but your brain tends to interpret matt black as shadow and it just sort of becomes unnoticeable unless you are looking directly at it.

See this effect full size with black chain link fencing.

That being said I texture and finish my bases.

Yes … mostly for winter figures or to denote civilians

Phil

So far the only transparent bases I've used are flight stands for my starship miniatures. I haven't used these bases for soldiers yet, but I'm thinking about it.