This guide can be used for any figure scale, but really is aimed at the 15mm or 20mm figure. Eschewing such exotica as wood and metallic materials, I've always based my figs on cardboard and have not had any problems. I personally would avoid wood [however hard I try I always end up with splinters from even the softest and least lethal looking wood!] especially if I were considering experimenting with new techniques. The main problem with card is the threat of warping, [but read on and I'll explain how to avoid this] but the advantages are it's light, cheap and easy to cut. You can try magnetic storage ideas by buying the metallic and magnetic tapes on the market and sticking them to your existing bases. You are best using the most expensive card you can afford, of the "mounting board" variety. Try asking at frame/print shops as they usually have offcuts which end up in the bin, and they'll often give you them for nothing. Even if you have to [gasp! horror!] buy some, a sheet will do a lot of bases. Look for the sort which is white at the edges, a convenient rule of thumb is the whiter the edge, the better the quality. Avoid grey and brown card, as this is usually pulp as oppose to layers sandwiched together. I have used coins in the past, but unless you use in circulation domestic currency, supply can be erratic [personally I prefer US troops on cents, Germans on pfennigs etc.!]. In the UK, it is actually a criminal offence to deface the Queen's head on coins...Coins strangely are cheaper than using washers.. Affix Once you have chosen your basing material [it's really down to personal preference despite what I've just said], affix your figures to the base with a 2-part epoxy glue [the type you mix such as Araldite], despite what others have written about using just the filler to adhere the figs, I'd advise against this. However, be assured that while your figs will not fall off during transport or a game, should you ever want to re-base them you'll have problems getting them off. I stick my figs down after having varnished them, but you could do it after this stage but before proceeding any further. After this, it's sometimes best to paint the figures actual base if you haven't already done it. Next stage is to add the basing material. I use a brand called Tetrion here in the UK, but what you need is a powder plaster material, designed for filling in cracks in walls etc. You may have to shop around, but what you want is a type that is hard wearing [sometimes the "external" varieties are better, but check it's mixed up using water]. A lot of the fillers claim not to shrink, but most do to a certain degree. The more water you add, the greater the amount of shrinking due to the water evaporating. Card tends to curl if the shrinkage is marked, but you can minimise this by pre-coating the card with a dilute mix of water and PVA [woodworking type] glue, bending it back to shape when dry. I don't bother myself, but find Tetrion doesn't shrink too much anyway. Mix the plaster with a small amount of water, some PVA glue [this makes it tougher and more flexible]. I add sand to this mix, but fine grit, flock or sawdust will do. If you apply it "neat" it is too smooth [good for snow though!]. I add waterbased paint to this mix, as it cuts out a stage in painting, and also stops glaring white from showing through if it ever gets chipped. You need to remember that the plaster will lighten the paint considerably, so it needs to be darker than you imagine. I would advise either using either a dark ready mixed paint or noting down the proportions of any colours you use. Look out for DIY/home improvement "test pots" of emulsion paint. You can find some interesting sand/yellow shades. For browns try tubes of acrylics from art shops, expensive but they tend to be "concentrated" so go a long way. Or look out for "burnt umber" or "burnt sienna" poster paint. This brings me on to colours, Whatever colour you pick will effect the colours you have painted your model. I have tried various shades, and have found that you are best to avoid bases that are either too light or too dark in shade. Be aware that modern uniforms are designed to blend in with the landscape, so a base colour too close to your troops uniform colour, will literally make them disappear. This is fine if you are fighting a real war [or prefer your toys to blend in] but a bit frustrating if you want to show off your painting skills. It is helpful if you pick a "generic" shade, as your infantry could be in a cold climate one week, hot the next. A light to mid brown works best. Aim, on the side of lightness, as it's easier to darken than lighten bases. I'm presently experimenting with a lighter grey-sand base colour, but a brown shade gives maximum geographical flexibility. You can probably get away with a "European" and a "Desert" colour for most troops. Once you have mixed your base material [aim for the consistency of thickish porridge] apply to your base, building it up to the figures base without actually covering it. You can taper it away to the edges. Avoid any big lumps. You can add stones at this stage, just put a blob of PVA on them and press them into the mix, gluing them to the base itself. When this is dry, you may find it has shrunk. If it warps your card, carefully bend it back into shape. It shouldn't flake off. If it does either a) change your plaster or b) use less water and more PVA [PVA will make it smoother though]. If you use metal, wood or plastic card this will probably not occur. If you have large cracks appear, you can either cover with more filler or rationalise as drought conditions.. Next, I usually apply a darker wash of paint, the same colour as I've painted the figure's base. I then drybrush when dry with a light brown-grey, followed by an off white. On sandy coloured bases just an off white is enough. When the base is dry, I add clumps of artificial grass material from model railway shops. For "European" bases I use a grass material by Heki, this comes in 3 shades, light and dark green and a mixture shade called "bunt" [nr 3354]. Put small blobs of PVA glue at random, and stick a clump of "grass" with tweezers. Try model railway shops as you can get all sorts of useful materials [I've got some sandy and brown grasses for "desert" bases discovered in my local shop]. If you can't get this or similar, you can make your own from sisal string dipped in paint, allowed to dry and then cut up. The process is not that lengthy when your used to it, and the final effect is worth it. As others have said, a nice base improves the figs enormously. I would add, that a nice base can make poorly painted figs look much better and poor bases make nice figs look tatty. Like most aspects of the hobby it's all down to personal taste. If you don't fancy mixing your own basing material, there's a commercial product available called "Basetex" from Colour party paints. I find it's too expensive, and you need a few jars to do even a moderate number of bases. However, for the timid or novice it's a useful start. I'd advise buying a few jars, or basing your whole army at once, as it's best if all your figs in an army have the same base colour. I also recommend use of Heki loose grass material, it's the same as the stuff on the model railway sheets. The advantage is you can stick it on with most glues [I use PVA onto plaster filler], with the possible exception of the type for making model kits that melts plastic. If you've found a glue that works for you [and doesn't melt your bases] I would use that. PVA woodworking glue will not melt plastic but may not adhere well to plastic either. You can cover the whole base, but I just put on clumps here and there, with some ground effect showing through in between. If you thought the effect was stunning with the grass mat, try this! Most people when seeing my figs, ask how I did the bases. To see this style [and be inspired!] look in the glossy wargames mags, where the likes of Kevin Dallymore of Special Forces painting services etc. use it. Back to Frontline Vol. 1 Iss. 1 Table of Contents Back to Frontline List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Rolfe Hedges This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com