How important do you consider basing?

[Easy E]

Hot Take: Basing is a scam to sell us more stuff.   


I don't worry too much about basing and for a long time didn't even bother to base anything.  They were always fighting on different tabletops with different terrain and colors anyway.  Regular black helped me at least find the minis at the end of the game. 

Now, I do a little bit more work but keep it very basic.  I am usually pretty happy with a simple coat of brown and a black rim now.  I do find basing more important the larger the base is compared to the miniatures presented on the base. 

[Vanvlak]

I do not like over-large, highly elaborate, bases which almost dwarf the model which is balancing precariously and fancily on top; and I hate bases showing victims of the model - especially if said model is engaged fighting a completely different force from the cadavers! Although I guess the fussier chaos types would keep a few space marine corpses handy to decorate the landscape when fighting off an ork horde or tyranids or someone else.

That said, I like a nicely finished base, with some small decorative elements, and would not consider a model finished if the base is not. For most models I prefer a simple base, with the occasional one or two per unit with something a little more noticeable to set the scene.

[Harry Faversham]

I tend to keep the bases relatively simple. In my 'umble opinion, seeing six bloke's advancing through a municipal council's best flower beds, looks daft.
Having said that, I went a bit daft on my Undead Skelly Legions. The ground turning brownish black wherever they march. To highlight this the front of the base was proper grass to provide contrast. So we'll does this work that...
it doesn't show up in the piccys!
 

[CapnJim]

My bases are fairly simple as well.  I paint the rim in a color that ties the individual units together, and paint the bases a shade of green and apply a grassy flock to the wet paint.  I keep the bases simple due to the various mats I use on which to game.  Their neutral looks tend to not look out of place on any of my mats.

[Charlie_]

Basing is very important as most people have said, but they can be done simply.

A base should be simple, look decent, and not upstage the model.  It should also be as a relatively flexible as possible.  I generally dislike GW style diorama bases on almost anything.  There is nothing more I hate than a miniature which is diving off a rock, screaming...

I agree completely.

The magic solution for me is TUFTS! They really are a wonderful invention.

I don't personally like colourful flowers and things, just some good natural looking static grass and tufts.

I have a very simple method - textured with sand (unpainted!), mostly covered with static grass, and then lots of tufts of three colours - green, dry green and brown. Edges painted black.

I feel they don't distract from the unit but help complete it.

[carlos marighela]

Hot tip. If you base at the end, so the the sand remains unpainted, rather than mixed into some slurry of glue and paint you can use the capillary effect of the sand with watered down paint to avoid splashes of paint on boot, legs etc.

As I (mostly) base on washers I will often use cheap superglue to bring the sand to the level of the figure's integral base. This also helps if it's a small base and there' a gap caused by the washer's hole. Generally but not always I'll then coat the base with a PVA and sand. Paint the rim, paint the larger parts of the textured  base and then use a thinned version of the paint to do around the feet of the miniature. Finally dressing it with whatever I've themed that bae with, be it greenery or rubble etc. It all gets matte varnished at this point.

[mweaver]

Fairly important for me.  But I do not do elaborate bases.  Sand base painted and flocked to match the majority of my terrain boards.  I like the bases to match the surface they are fighting on, and since all of my battles occur in my own house with my terrain boards, it isn't hard to manage.

For larger bases (an ogre, for example), I usually throw in a tuft or maybe two.

-Michael

[Silent Invader]

For me the base connects the figure to its environment, so as far as is practicably possible I like my bases to blend with the terrain. Though I will make an effort with bases, I like them to set-off the figure rather than overwhelm it, thus flowers are not for me though I don’t dislike it when other people use them. Though it’s not been raised by the OP, I can find movement trays to be more jarring than bases, so I finish them in much the same way. One of my biggest dislikes is clear movement trays, even more so than clear bases.

Some examples of my basing:















Figures that will cover multiple terrain types, such as rural and urban, usually get a bit of both, such as these FPW Bavarians who have grass and cobbles:

[Dubbya]

I've had the same two schemes for about 15 years now. Marshland for fantasy, urban grey for sci-fi. I'm fairly happy with both, but I've wasted time and miniatures changing my mind a couple of times and going back to the usual styles!

Truth be told, I'm never quite happy with my bases. It became almost an obsession with my 10mm models, almost souring the whole project!

Oddly, I'm really digging plain colour bases, especially old school models. I'm thinking for my next fantasy project I'll keep it really simple. A big part of it is seeing the armies in Battlesystem 2nd Ed rulebook. Part of me used to hate this look, now I "unironically" like it!

[hubbabubba]

I think the bases need doing, and I like seeing elaborate bases on minis, but for my own stuff, I always try to make the base simple and neutral, so that it'll fit in with as many different terrain boards as possible.

As a result, I stick to a grey/tan/brown mix over a lightly textured sand base, maybe with a rock or too or a bit of nondescript rubble on the bigger bases, across every thing I paint, be it fantasy, scifi, old west or modern.

I hate seeing figures on grassy bases fighing in starship corridors, or figures with flagstone bases fighting in a desert. As such I generally avoid grass tufts or bits of obvious tech, unless I'm pretty sure that figure is only going to get used in one particular theatre.

It's a compromise, but it's one I've come to terms with. I did toy with the idea of clear bases, but they generally give off shine, which I find worse than all the other drawbacks.

As for rims, black all the way, pretty much for all the reasons stated above. Plus, you're never going to completely hide the fact that the figure is standing on a  4mm bin lid, so the black base is just a recogntiton of the fact.

[Deedles]

The best way to off set a brilliant paint job is to base it poorly .

Consistent basing colour/style / foliage etc , tidy edges , really enhance the finished collective . Time spent on basing is never wasted . Not a fan of flower beds as someone else has said - though appreciate it can have a use to identify units .


Oh and a good face (don’t necessarily need eyes etc) and a smart flag …

[Basementboy]

Thanks for all the responses so far! Always very interesting to get a sense of the community’s opinions
Personally I find basing very important, since I think it’s necessary to unify a project, and just to stop them looking like crap
I also do agree that huge diorama bases for less huge miniatures look a little silly when used for gaming though, and rather upstage the mini, which should obviously be the focus.

[Charlie_]

Slightly off topic, but I consider good consistent matt varnishing important in the same way.
When I finish painting  a batch of 6-8 figures, they always look unpleasant to my eyes - messy and glossy. Then the matt varnish goes on and... Voila! It all gets tied together, and the rabbit is pulled out of the hat. Then they get based up as a unit, and all doubts are vanquished.

Painting is like making a pie. Good consistent varnishing and basing is putting it in the oven. You don't want it under or overcooked, but if done right, you will end up with a fantastic final product!

Perhaps the third essential finishing touch is good and suitable photography,  assuming you're sharing pics of online.

[Silent Invader]

Great points Charlie

[Hammers]

Very important. Bad basing can break anotherwise decent model.