"Down in the Valley Where the Green Grass Grows" Topic

Underdone looks worse (just painted bases) aesthetically to me.

Can the OP show an example of what he deems is an overdone one?

Every base – no, a few here and there help to break up the uniformity – this is especially true with figures that are in some form of a uniform.

You can save the worst paint jobs with a decent base, and it is the bases which provide uniformity for the units.

I actually prefer simple, painted flat black bases. Then again, I rarely play on homogeneous terrain, so the bases look silly to me when there's a patch of low green grass growing up around one guy in the middle of a road, a patch of mud, some gravel, a different style/color grass, wood planking, water, snow, brown leaves, a scorched building, or a roof. While I would love to have figures for all the terrain types, transitions (half/half, quarter/three quarters), and azimuths (snow front/slush mud road back, slush mud road front/snow back), I don't have the time or budget.

All of my figs are based individually, and intended to be game pieces. Given that, my approach to bases is that they are invasive. They should be finished such that they create the least intrusion on the tabletop, blending with the terrain and becoming invisible. While I can and do appreciate the quality of work that goes into detailed bases, and stands that result in being mini-dioramas, I do not like gaming with them.

For skirmish games, especially sci-fi, it is flat black bases for me. The figures will walk in different environments. A figure on grass looks just silly inside a space station.

For massed combat games, it is a brown base with a layer of flock. No quite old school but not so modern either. They look better on my GW terrain mat which is also evenly colored.

I think a bit of colour is nice but all things in moderation

Most of my gaming is grand tactical, and I certainly don't pt tall grass/flowers on all those mass infantry and cavalry bases – but I do tend to customize the bases for the leaders with a flower or two and some tall grass/tufts; it does make them stand out a bit from the forest of bayonets

I agree that some grass can be overdone.

I disagree with telling people how to do their bases.

I disagree with telling people how to do their bases.

I don't think the OP was trying tell people what to do.

My painting is terrible, so my bases are covered in tall grass / heavy foliage so as to hide the figures.

I agree the OP was voicing a preference and not directing anyone as to how to do their own.

JJ

Well, some folks base tanks (I don't) and wrt flowers:

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Tim

Really to me the whole point in flocking a base is to make it blend in with the terrain on the table, camouflage them, make them hard to see, and have them NOT stand out on the table.

(over done bases might as well be painted hot pink) :)

just my out look on the art of base camouflage :)

I agree, less is more.

Depends on the setting. Just one example, for gaming Vietnam it would seem odd to to have every base as flat as a bowling green with nicely trimmed grass.