Yes theyt should have had bases but does it really matter in this respect, did it scar your psychologically to go through your base box and find some?
Sorry if I'm sounding pissy (tired bed late etc...) but there are more important things in the world to worry about than whether you needed to find your own bases or not!!!
It's a fact that these guys aren't new on the market, but I don't really think that's important. There are darn few reviews out there, and my goal is to have writeups available on my site for all the different lines I can get examples of with the objective of helping people decide what to buy.
As for the bases issue, obviously I was able to solve it, and no it didn't scar me or anything, but I think it's a perfectly valid objection to raise. EVERY other mini I've ever purchased in 20+ years in the hobby came with whatever base it might have required. By not including any (and not mentioning it anywhere I might add), Griffin is adding several dollars in hidden cost to the final consumer price of this set.
That's not a deal-breaker for me, and I said as much in the review, but it does seem a bit shoddy to me, and I stand by that. As always, your mileage may vary.