Bases, integral, Slotter and other.

[Ray Rivers]

This is a very longstanding and oft repeated debate here.

Generally (but not exclusively) people who grew up with historical wargames figures prefer integral bases (like me), people who grew up with GW prefer slottas. It's just what you're used to.

When I started wargaming, figures had wafer thin bases which when mounted on a good quality illustration board (cardboard) could be easily disguised with a good coating of white glue covered in flock.

Nowadays you have to use mounting board, and it is inferior in quality and warps quite easily.  Which drives you to plastic, which can also warp depending on how large the base is.

To mount a number of figures on a single base requires, IMO, a thickness of at least 2mm or you get warping, no matter what material you use.  Except of course, a fine illustration board, which is no longer readily available.

For individual miniatures, I use both individual slotta bases and metal washers.  I default to slotta bases because some manufactures produce quite large figures (Copplestone) and I can "even them all out" by using metal washers.

Metal washers, however, do have a draw back and that is extra weight.  Drop a mini with a metal washer and you are much more likely to sustain damage to the mini.

As for the metal bases that come attached to the figures themselves... Damn, why do manufactures put some much metal there?  If you mount them as is, you end up with the mini looking like it's standing on a small mound.  I hate that.  To avoid that look I almost always file down the metal base to around 1.5mm in thickness and then place milliput around the figure base to give it a flat appearance.

Personally, I am not very concerned about basing.  I want it to look okay, but I'm just not into making mini dioramas for each individual figure.  I guess that goes back to my 70's mentality of producing lots of figures to put on the gaming table.

In the end, to each his own...

[bandit86]

I am going to stand pretty much on my own here I guess.  I like the display bases. the round lipped ones.  They take slotta based figure and most integral bases fit in the void and can be coverd with my white pumice paste.  The only ones I have had really bad dealings with are the integral bases on the Bronzeage figures they are the worst fo me. They are so big and thick (almost as much metal in the base as in the figure) and dang near impossible to cut off Those of you who want an integral base with heft thats the way to go. ( I did hear from bronzeage games that they were going to cut down on the base size thanks God)
http://bandit86.blogspot.com/

[Cosmotiger]

I base historical figures on washers, fantasy and sci-fi on slottabases.  I find that life's too short to try to grind/file/cut off integral bases, so I just stick them on the slotta and blend with putty or spackle. 

Apparently I'm in the minority, I've never been particularly enraged by either type of base.

[kidterminal]

I bought the Warmachine slotta bases with the lip for my weird war 2 figures. I did this because I'm using miniatures from various manufacturers, some with cast bases and others with slot tags. I simply guled the base to the plasitc base and filled it with squadron putty. I wanted uniform bases and this has worked well. The only "problem" base I've had so far has been a huge chunk of a base for the Reaper classic Frankenstien.

[Curryman]

Interesting to see so much pro-integral sentiment. I wasn't expecting that. I personally am firmly in the pro-slottabase camp for the simple reason that I have almost never seen an integral base big or heavy enough to keep a figure from constantly falling over. Also many of the integral bases I've run into are not properly flat on the bottom and require extensive filing and sometimes some putty just to sit straight on the table. When I see an integral based mini I just assume that I'm going to have to mount it on another, bigger base, which (as Renfield said at the beginning of the thread) usually looks like hell. To each his own, I suppose.

[Captain Blood]

...I have almost never seen an integral base big or heavy enough to keep a figure from constantly falling over. Also many of the integral bases I've run into are not properly flat on the bottom and require extensive filing and sometimes some putty just to sit straight on the table.

But that's because figures with integral bases are designed to be glued onto other bases - not to stand unassisted.
You might as well say that a figure with a tab doesn't stand up very well unless you glue it into its slotta plinth.

Cutting to the chase here, I think this is just another manifestation of the age-old historicals vs fantasy / sci-fi schism.
Basically, sculptors and producers with a background in historical (or pseudo historical) genres produce figures with integral bases because the assumption is that in most cases - and usually almost exclusively for things like Napoleonics, Ancients etc - the figures will be multiple-mounted on 'unit' multiple bases of various shapes and sizes.
What on earth would the point of a slotta base be?

On the other hand, those who have come up through the GW and GW-alike fantasy / sci-fi universe, with its much higher proportion of individual character figures and game systems which call for the regular removal of single figures, even where you do have massed units, tend to be firmly wedded to the slotta.

The issue, such as it is, is really only one for deviants like me who like to play skirmish (or large skirmish) games with individually mounted historical / pseudo-historical figures which tend to come with integral bases. The widely adopted solution of sticking the figure to a metal washer or coin for weight, stability, and scenic basing, seems a perfectly workable and elegant solution, and in the eyes of some, is a lot better than having the figure on a ruddy great plastic plinth 

To each his own, I suppose.

I think that's the only real point to be taken from this oft-repeated argument 

[kidterminal]

But that's because figures with integral bases are designed to be glued onto other bases - not to stand unassisted.

Yes most of the historical figures are designed that way. I find that they look just a good glued onto a slotta base as they do on a washer.

[Wirelizard]

But that's because figures with integral bases are designed to be glued onto other bases - not to stand unassisted.

Not always. Many Reaper figures are perfectly stable on their own; as are most of the Ground Zero Games (GZG) 15mm & 25mm I own.

It does seem to be more true of friend's historical figures - most 15mm Napoleonics have minimal bases because unit basing of some sort is standard in Nap gaming.

I've got a batch of MegaMinis 25mm SF on the painting desk right now that won't need additional bases - they've got integral round bases about 17mm across that're more than stable enough to work as-is.

[Heldrak]

I am going to stand pretty much on my own here I guess.  I like the display bases. the round lipped ones.  They take slotta based figure and most integral bases fit in the void and can be coverd with my white pumice paste.  The only ones I have had really bad dealings with are the integral bases on the Bronzeage figures they are the worst fo me. They are so big and thick (almost as much metal in the base as in the figure) and dang near impossible to cut off Those of you who want an integral base with heft thats the way to go. ( I did hear from bronzeage games that they were going to cut down on the base size thanks God)
http://bandit86.blogspot.com/

You're not alone, Bandito...

I made a very conscious decision when I got into Pulp gaming to use the Privateer Press-style dished display bases as a way to help unify my various pulp-themed figures from different lines on the tabletop. Because the display base has a recessed area, it will take a small/thin integral base without raising the figure up too high or making it seem like they're standing on a hummock. Conversely, slottabased figures can use the slot provided, or be clipped from their tabs and pinned to the base as needed. Now that Fenris, etc. are making high-quality textured resin bases in the same style, the variety of choice is only increased. You can see the "unifying" effect in this scale comparison photo here:



Even though the figures shown are all from different companies, it wouldn't be jarring to see them together on the tabletop (in the appropriate genre-bending scenario ).

In the photo shown, the two outside figures (WSD & Artizan) have texture built up over their integral bases, the Bronze Age figure has had his huge ungainly integral base removed, and the Copplestone Detective has had his slotta tab removed and he has been mounted on a textured inset plate.

[Orctrader]

...integral, Slotter and other...

I love 'em all 




I just use what I think will look "right" with each paintjob.

[Plynkes]

I'm not particular. The main reason I stopped using slottas and started using small coins was that my figures were taking up too much space and sometimes you couldn't fit them into trench sections, canoes, gunboats, etc. For me the switch was entirely about the practicalities of gaming, and nothing to do with aesthetic appeal.

I still occasionally will base with slottas if the mood takes me. The only ones I'm not keen on are the rounded display ones as described above. If figures come with those I usually swap them for a GW-style slotta.

[Renfield286]

See, its not just base sizes for me either, its the shape too. i would only really use the display bases for magi-tech based games (like warmachine)

i do get a bit odd about basing fantasy/historical on round bases.

[Heldrak]

I'm not particular. The main reason I stopped using slottas and started using small coins was that my figures were taking up too much space and sometimes you couldn't fit them into trench sections, canoes, gunboats, etc. For me the switch was entirely about the practicalities of gaming, and nothing to do with aesthetic appeal.

I still occasionally will base with slottas if the mood takes me. The only ones I'm not keen on are the rounded display ones as described above. If figures come with those I usually swap them for a GW-style slotta.

That's a good point- The slottabase (particularly the display-type) does tend to increase the footprint of the model. This can be problematic for those that need to place their models onboard vehicles, or on stairways, catwalks, etc.

[Froggy the Great]

I'm not fond of slotted or integral bases, myself.  I always remove the slot or the integral base and re-base my figures on pennies.  They're low to the ground, constant size, can't beat the price with plastic bases, and I'm not going to suddenly run out of them any time soon.

[rob_the_robgoblin]

I tend to use Slotta bases.

Simply because they are more like display bases and I am of the GW generation.

The metal bases that Alternative Armies put out were quite good, a little expensive though. Really good for top heavy models though.

I see what a lot of you mean about the height thing though. I just think it looks neater. Coins are okay though.