"Advice as to make better 15mm bases please." Topic

Did up my first test New Israeli infantryman, and I think I did alright. Particularly since I haven't done anything but starship minis since about 2010.

I have a question though. I stink at making bases look good. Right now, I am using a steel washer glued to the base, so I can use my storage boxes that have magnetic sheet material on the bottom to hold the minis.

I thought that green would blend into the mini too well, and that a grey would be a good start, but now that I look at the mini, nope, don't like the base at all.

I don't have any materials to glue to the bases yet, so I'd probably have to buy some, but I have zero idea what to use.

Suggestions?

Mini in question:

imgur.com/f0hDHL1

The map I am using so far, though that may change at some point:

imgur.com/PYBizV2

You just need to use a little filler. Wood putty or joint compound are what I've used in the past. Put that on, spread it around, paint, and a little flock make a world of difference. I use the same basing myself and you can't even tell the washer is there.

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As Grizzly says, start with filling between the figure's base and the main base (I use the basic sort of filler used for filling plaster cracks before decorating).

Then decide what you want the base to look like – my usual ones are:
Grass – paint the base green, when dry cover with dilute pva wood glue, sprinkle with fine green flock, when dry varnish (I use matt polyurethane wood varnish)
Desert – paint the base a sand colour, when dry cover with dilute pva, sprinkle with either chinchilla sand (from your local pet shop) or sand coloured flock. If you want add blobs of wood glue to fix clumps of green course flock. When dry varnish.
I've got figures based this way which have lasted over 40 years.

I use these instead of washers:

link

I usually use glue & sand for the top layer, then after it dries, add glue & flock where the sand is a little thin. No need to go crazy doing bases… ;-)

Identify 2 textures you want. Put one on half the base, the other on the other half. Do a whole unit that way. They will look more dynamic than if you just used a single texture for all.

For your next unit, if you like how the first looked, do the same thing. Otherwise, substitute a different texture but keep one the same. Do the same treatment of one on half the base, the other on the other half.

For any texture treatment, use an undercoat that looks natural if the texture breaks off during play. For example, with a grass texture use either green or brown undercoat (I prefer brown) so if some of the grass comes off, what shows underneath looks right.

Print them with features, paint them, matte spray them, add a light dusting of dry materials.

Javelin98 are they magnetic?

Thanks

John

This is how I do mine (alter the colors to suit your game), and it works just fine on washers:

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Hello Billclo:

You are posing an interesting challenge, do to the abstract terrain types you are using.

Typically one bases to match the majority terrain on which one expects to find the figure. For many figures that would be some grassy flock to deploy on a flocked field. But you will see naval deck crew on tan deck boards, or spacemen on a metal grid, desert fighters on sand tone.

Your map is all very light toned, so you gray near white is a reasonable one. But no so visually pleasing.
Of the tones I see, I would suggest the tan/brown of the cardboard floors inside the structure. It is the darkest tone, it is rather neutral, and the color with not hide the figure. Hiding the figure base to washer-top step is still a very good idea. Two ways to go, just a bit of filler and figures is on a little mount, or make the fill the same height as the cast on figure base, more work but the level result will look better for any of your color options. I suggest you find some sheet material to provide the major part of the fill, and just a little filler around the cast-on base, and the edge.

Another option is to use a transparent (or translucent) plastic base. You could use colored ones as the abstract map allows it well, but clear would be a more common pick. But this does void using magnetic storage.

I've decided after watching some videos on Youtube, plus the advice here, to do the following:

Used some drywall spackle to cover the step between the figure base and the magnet, essentially making a rounded base.

I'm then painting the base a light-medium brown, putting some Elmers Glue All on it in a few scattered places with some grass. Essentially generic ground with splotches of grass.

Given that this is for figures to be used in a sci fi universe, the initial infantry figures will be used in an Earth-like setting more or less (Terraformed world, lets call it), but the alien adventures will be handled by a different set of figures – ones that are basically wearing light power armor. Setting it up that way allows me to base the alien world figures a little differently.

@John Leahy: They're steel, so they'll work the same as using washers.

Ok, I have been using these.

link

They are great but not as cheap as the ones you posted.

Thanks

John

I fooled around with some blotches of various colors, to try to blend in decently with my new grasslands map. Did okay, nothing fancy.

Hey Billclo:

To attempt to match that ground cloth, I suggest a sponge painting technique.

I thought I would find a good example, but can up short. But here are some basic intros to the method:

link

link

I would use PVA glue and sand in your case its cheap and textured. This has serrved as a good filler for me. If you use a decent mixture of coloures you get a reasonable sand base with no extra work. If paint is required it takes it or even add water colour paint to the original mix.

I use MDF bases, painting them with yellow PVA Wood Glue, full strength. I paint it on in patterns, on larger bases, applying different mixtures of colored sands, in a two-step process, one color at a time. Example photo. These are 54mm Army Men figures, 54mm Barbed Wire sections, trees and plants, all mounted on MDF bases.

For my 25mm-28mm figures, I typically only use one sand mixture: model RR ballast + Green Sand #1 + Green Sand #2. This gives more of a mottled, inconsistent appearance. Here is the mixture, in a pan. Here it is on a Lion figure's base, ready for the tabletop; here is what it looks like on some old, historical 25mm mini's, comparing a simple green painted base, next to the same base with the sand-ballast mixture applied.

Many, many ways to do bases. I've tried many different styles, over the last 25 years. I prefer (this year) to use decorated bases, no matter the terrain type. I tried clear, translucent bases. Did not like them as much as I like the sand decorated bases. Yes, they look out of place atop a castle tower, but they still look loads better with their mini-diorama bases, to me. Pick your personal preference, and run with it. Cheers!