Basic Basing

Having reduced the honey-do list by several projects, I decided to pull out one of my long delayed projects; namely getting my fantasy miniatures on more permanent bases than the painted cardboard that I had been using for the Chipco FR rules. So first a shot of what I have been using to this time. Here are 2 units, front and back showing the info bar at the back of the bases, balsa wood bases on the figures, collected over the last 35 years or so. The Info strip at the back is due to playing so many pick up battles here and there, and it makes it so much easier to play through without so many "looks it up to be sure" time consuming references to the rule book. But that's another topic for later.




So Xacto blade in hand, stripped off the bases from cardboard, then removed the old balsa but left the grassing on the actual metal bases of the figures: This saves a lot of time in not having to re grass the area in and around the feet of the figures, though a few of them did not have grassing, overall it was a huge time saver on the bases that I have redone so far, hmmm about 30 to date. Which is not much of a dent in the following armies: Undead, Elven, Dwarven, 2 different Ork, 4 Chaos, Medieval to name a few. Each has nearly 80 bases or so each, though the Chaos share the beastmen for playing different versions of the same. Still the Medieval army is moving along with out to much breakage of some of the 30 year old figures from their metal bases, I'm just tossing those into the Bits Box for parts.




Here's a bases of peasants for Militia uses in the rules. Six figures of no armor, with a shield or 2 amongst them and assorted pitch forks, spears, clubs and swords. The new metal bases were primed then painted with a gloss Green spray can paint. White glue holds the figures on, making it easier to remove them later if they find a new role in some other game. Some randomness of spacing and placing on the base to make them appear less regimented. A few I put a chain mailed man at arms in the front right position to lend a bit of apparent command to their appearance! No banners for them, being peasants after all. I left them overnight to dry so reducing surprise time of "where did that guy go??" when I slide and move the base around in the grass material box mixture of grass, and chopped brush from Woodland scenic's.

Here is a re based Knights Cavalry Unit. The Info Strip was reapplied first, then pva glue spread about the bases and up to the edge of the Strip. When I get the army bases completely converted I will be then lining them up and start placing bits of rock, brush, small branches and scattered battlefield debris about on the bases to fill in the "depth" of base covering. Arrows sticking int the ground, shattered shield, a helmet here or there add a bit of Diorama to them as well.
And there you have it.