Post by mako on Oct 26, 2020 15:42:35 GMT
I'm just starting out with prepping to create a DBA army, or armies, and am not sure which basing material(s) to use for the minis.
I generally prefer the bases to melt away into the tabletop scenery, when/if at all possible, so some time ago I purchased a number of the thin, sheet-steel bases, which if I had to guess, are probably about 1/32nd of an inch thick. They certainly fit the bill for low-observability, and since I suspect clear bases are probably impractical, may be the best option for displaying the minis.
However, through experience, and from what I've read, it appears that these can also be difficult to pick up, slide, and/or move when playing DBA. I don't have enough experience to really know, having only played a few DBA games, but can see where that could be the case. Perhaps for aesthetics sake, it is a minor concern, and I should just learn to live with it.
I've also seen people use 1/8" or 3mm thick bases, which clearly are very functional, and easy to pick up and move, but I find they distract from the overall appearance of the minis on the tabletop, especially if/when the edges are not painted to match the terrain mat(s) in use - frequently green for European battles. Those with nicely varnished, wooden sides do look like nice display pieces, though.
I suppose using 1mm, 1.5mm, or 2mm thick bases would be another option also, which might make the minis easier to pick up, but would be less intrusive looking on the tabletop, during battle.
Then, trying to think out of the box, perhaps I should consider using the thin 1/32nd inch metal bases for display, and if I were to magnetize another base to fit underneath, that is slightly thicker, that might be the best all round option to help aid game play. Sure, it's more complex to make, but the armies aren't too large, so that might work, say with a bottom layer made of sheet styrene or other material, then a thin magnetic sheet glued to that, and the metal bases the minis are attached to, on top of that - say perhaps 2mms thick, in total. I don't really know for sure, since I don't know how thick the sheet magnet material is.
Maybe I'm over thinking this, too, but I'd like to eliminate the need to rebase in the future, if I can avoid it.
Just curious to see what the general consensus is on the above, especially if my concerns about just using the thin metal sheets for bases are overblown.
I don't know if it makes a difference, but I'm primarily interested in medieval and early renaissance armies, with a mix of foot and heavy cavalry/knights.
Thoughts?
I generally prefer the bases to melt away into the tabletop scenery, when/if at all possible, so some time ago I purchased a number of the thin, sheet-steel bases, which if I had to guess, are probably about 1/32nd of an inch thick. They certainly fit the bill for low-observability, and since I suspect clear bases are probably impractical, may be the best option for displaying the minis.
However, through experience, and from what I've read, it appears that these can also be difficult to pick up, slide, and/or move when playing DBA. I don't have enough experience to really know, having only played a few DBA games, but can see where that could be the case. Perhaps for aesthetics sake, it is a minor concern, and I should just learn to live with it.
I've also seen people use 1/8" or 3mm thick bases, which clearly are very functional, and easy to pick up and move, but I find they distract from the overall appearance of the minis on the tabletop, especially if/when the edges are not painted to match the terrain mat(s) in use - frequently green for European battles. Those with nicely varnished, wooden sides do look like nice display pieces, though.
I suppose using 1mm, 1.5mm, or 2mm thick bases would be another option also, which might make the minis easier to pick up, but would be less intrusive looking on the tabletop, during battle.
Then, trying to think out of the box, perhaps I should consider using the thin 1/32nd inch metal bases for display, and if I were to magnetize another base to fit underneath, that is slightly thicker, that might be the best all round option to help aid game play. Sure, it's more complex to make, but the armies aren't too large, so that might work, say with a bottom layer made of sheet styrene or other material, then a thin magnetic sheet glued to that, and the metal bases the minis are attached to, on top of that - say perhaps 2mms thick, in total. I don't really know for sure, since I don't know how thick the sheet magnet material is.
Maybe I'm over thinking this, too, but I'd like to eliminate the need to rebase in the future, if I can avoid it.
Just curious to see what the general consensus is on the above, especially if my concerns about just using the thin metal sheets for bases are overblown.
I don't know if it makes a difference, but I'm primarily interested in medieval and early renaissance armies, with a mix of foot and heavy cavalry/knights.
Thoughts?
