Basing dilema

[Silent Invader]

Round bases are so much more pleasing on the (my!) eye.

I like the footprint of 1p coins and they are also thinner.  For larger bases i have used thin perspex rounds from some chap called Jimbibbly.....

[OSHIROmodels]

For larger bases i have used thin perspex rounds from some chap called Jimbibbly.....

Who's that then   

cheers

James

[dijit]

I'm in a similiar situation. I like the look of flat bases, but have loads of minis mounted on slottas. I've considered changing, but myself well enough that I'd never get my act together and go and change all the others, essentially making two sets of minis (as they look daft together), also as I game with other people, who mostly have slottas, and not liking mixing them I've decided to stick with slottas. A tough call, but had to be done for the greater aesthetics.
Duncan

[Connectamabob]

I prefer round bases, but I do have a couple squares. Most of my stuff is more character/party than army related, so keeping things uniform is not an issue. I've come to like using found objects instead of plastic bases or coins- a stone souvenir ring*, a watch bezel, a cameo setting, a disc cut from a deer's antler, a bored-out decorative drawer pull... whatever "fits" the figure aesthetically and is suitably base-like in shape & size.

I find it's a nice way to finish off a character fig. Gives em a bit of class, like they're on a wee tiny museum display base. I don't understand how someone can spend hours painting and/or modding a figure, only to stick it on a cheap looking generic base.

*Hematite rings are the closest I get to uniformity. They're the easiest to source, and black goes with everything.

[Delaney]

Round.

I am just switching over to totally round bases myself, -rather than your usual 25mm have gone for 30mm laser cut- so its the same size as a 'modern lipped base' but without the border.
That means I can get things in base to base contact without overhangs being an issue and damaging my paint jobs.

For 15mm I am using 20mm plastic bases so I can pick the figure up by the base.  I used coins for a while but am finding I knock bits of my conversions at that size.

[DeafNala]

The answer is a definite "yes"...while I have changing preferences, I use them all. With minis I know are going to go to someone else, I stick with the bases the manufacturer supplied; anything else is by whim. I do, however, prefer the solid top bases for their ease in weighting the minis, square/rectangular if I'm going to have them sunk/but removable in a display base, & round for painting on names...my names tend to be too long to fit on one side of a square/rectangle.

[janner]

Who's that then   

cheers

James

Some chubster in a kimono

[OSHIROmodels]

Some chubster in a kimono

You are a scream   

cheers

James

[thebinmann]

Well I'm going for round from now on and will (try) to rebase my old slottas (perhaps not the round ones and not the hexes).

Is there a tip thread for rebasing?

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Is there a tip thread for rebasing?

Nothing special. Be very careful while removing the old base.

[white knight]

Is there a tip thread for rebasing?

If you're going to be removing slotta bases, don't try to save the plastic base as that means more chance to damage your paintjob. What I do when removing them is hold the base on one side of the slot and put my pliers to the other side and then basically use the pliers to bend the base and it will split along the line of the slot. It cracks open easily and then you can usually remove the figure without problem.

[Garanhir]

White knight speaks great wisdom.  Bases are cheap and readily available, so there's no use endangering a well-loved figure for its sake.

For myself, I'm not too fussy with bases.  Slotta-style figures will get a slotta base and integrally-based figures will get a shiny penny for to stand upon, with a bit of milliput to bring the base up to height.  I'm not a big fan of large bases, though, so I stick with 20mm squares/pennies for human-sized figures.  Old halflings can usually do very well on a fivepence, and folks with overly extravagant stances will usually sit quite comfortably on a tuppence or 10p if I'm feeling generous.

[thebinmann]

Thanks guys, any tips on the tabs? Saw or clip?

[Agent Brown]

Two pairs of pliers, grip either side of the slotta base and twist. No problems. And I clip off the tab and file the feet flat. Very quick if you use a big file rather than a modelling file. I always use 1p coins (20mm diameter) for 28mm minis. Haven't had a human sized figure need a bigger base yet, even GW stuff.

[Argonor]

If you're going to be removing slotta bases, don't try to save the plastic base as that means more chance to damage your paintjob. What I do when removing them is hold the base on one side of the slot and put my pliers to the other side and then basically use the pliers to bend the base and it will split along the line of the slot. It cracks open easily and then you can usually remove the figure without problem.

^ What he said. I have been rebasing a lot of minis with 'built-in' bases onto washers after I started abolishing slottas for that kind of minis.

I exclusively use round bases for everything (oblongue for cattle and other animals that have to be able to stampede in tight formations - can be obtained by using 2 washers instead of 1 large), but I still use slottas for minis that are 'born' for those.

I don't find slottas too repulsive or 'different' as long as the finishing/colour of the washers and the slottas is similar, but I DO prefer the look of the washer-based minis. Thing is, though, that slotta-based and washer-based minis get almost exactly the same level of elevation (as long as the 'built-in' base is not excessivly thick). But every man his cake (or bases).