32mm on guard

[Pavement Artist]

Morning folks.

 

I'm sure this is a stupid question and given my gaming circle, certainly redundant.

 

I was just wondering if there was anything suggesting guard shouldn't be based on 32mm bases?

 

I'm currently working on my decade old tallarn and fancied a slightly larger base for purely aesthetic purposes. I don't play in competitive circles and my local store is warhammer world, so i like to think they don't care. I wonder if anyone has A: Based their guard on 32s B: Can i see  C:have you experienced any pushback for doing so.

 

Kind regards

[Mitchverr]

I mean, you could do it I guess? However personally I'm more concerned with aura bubbles being affected, larger base = larger bubble, gaming for advantage etc etc, an extra 7mm doesnt sound much on its own, but on the edge of say, 6 inch radius, thats a fairly significant extra area covered.

 

I wouldnt be fussed fighting against it though I am sure some would be.

 

So a difference of 7-10 inches of ground covered in a full circle? Which isnt much when you think on it and that ALL models have the new base so it scales in how many can fit in the aura, but I would make sure to remember that its 32mm bases if you went to tournies and to make sure they know prior.

 

The other problem is "larger bases = harder to deep strike against".

 

I would be fine, but there will be people who look at it funny i think.

 

edit, for denial It wouldnt be much more on an individual model, but its still something some people would consider as "power gaming" due to the significant number of models guard bring.

Edited November 2, 2017 by Mitchverr

[WarriorFish]

They come on 25mm so that's the standard and probably for good reason as I think they'd look a bit lost on 32mm. That aside, it will drastically increase table space required for your many troopers which sounds like a nightmare for deployment and also has game play implications so I wouldn't recommend it, as an opponent could easily think it's for advantage against deep striking etc.

[Charlo]

Guard will look ridiculous on 32mm

 

I think people would also call you a bit power-gamey as having numerous cheap troops on bigger bases takes up more of the board...

[CoffeeGrunt]

Some people exist to be petty in this game. To be fair, I find that Guardsmen are dwarfed by their bases at 32mm+ size. People might argue it gives you an advantage on spreading out units and thus denying deep strike/screening your armour better, but conversely fitting into cover is trickier.

[Halandaar]

If you think they look better on 32s, I say go for it; your army, your models. If you aren't playing competitively then above concerns about deep strike denial aren't really that relevant. In any case, it works the other way too; you're going to have more trouble fitting your guys in cover and getting more models within 3" of objectives.

[Pavement Artist]

Guard will look ridiculous on 32mm

 

I think people would also call you a bit power-gamey as having numerous cheap troops on bigger bases takes up more of the board...

 

I imagine my natural incompetence will counter that.

[Major_Gilbear]

I agree with Halandaar; if you like it, and you're not playing in a tournament with very strict rules, then whatever sensibly* looks good to you is fine.

 

I have been toying with going 30mm for my metal Catachans recently as they are quite heavy models which barely fit on 25s (and a couple of sculpts are somewhat tippy too). For me, 30mm represents a modest compromise between 25mm and 32mm bases that GW make.

 

For heavy weapons I was also debating on having the gun and operating crewman on a 40/50mm base and the loader on his own separate 25/30mm base. It makes it easy to mark wounds on HWTs that way (just remove the loader), and it's a little easier to get them into terrain than the official 63mm bases. However, I do rather like the mini-diorama look of the two crewman and weapon all on one base, and it makes transport easier...

 

Finally, one last thing to consider: GW bases are bevelled, which makes the tops smaller than the bottoms. If you buy 25mm straight-edge or laser-cut bases, then these are still the "correct" diameter overall for strict gaming purposes, but the models have more room for placement on the top. If you only need a little more space for the model, this may be the most sensible and rules-compliant option of all.

 

 

 

*(In other words, Wheaton's Law applies).

[Captain_Krash]

Should really just use what is standard for Guard they will I mean for a display cabinet hell yeah! But on the battlefield it's just plain to big.

 

Krash

[Pavement Artist]

Just ordered a job lot of 25mm. Wasn't quite feeling it as much as yesterday. No issues about powergaming among my circle but they do look a tad lost.

 

Thank you all for the input!

[Toomanyprojects]

Your army, you get to do what you want with them.

 

I always measure all auras, weapons and abilities from the centre of the figure standing on the base - I find this to be a good compromise if people begin to whine about aura sizes being increased because I happen to like the look of models on larger bases (these people have invariably forgotten that this hobby is just that, a hobby, which should be enjoyed with a bit of humour and decency on all sides rather than squeezing crazily for the last drop of competitiveness).

 

I've based some scions on 32mm bases because I think they look so much better than the 25mm ones. I haven't yet been asked to clarify rules about them, and I'm not sure I'd want to continue playing with someone who cared about such minutiae 

[Pavement Artist]

Agreed. I certainly wouldn't be swayed by someone who had those sort of objections. My gaming group is wonderfully relaxed about these matters.

[holydiver]

FWIW, my LGS is a GW and the man there said it would be OK (LOL).

 

I'm planning on putting all my characters on 32mm for modeling purposes and ease of identification. If everyone were on 32mm I guess I'd have to move up to 40mm for them. I agree that my metal Cadian Plasma gunners are hanging 10 but I think it looks fine, especially compared to some Space Marine sculpts.

 

Originally I wanted my Missile Launcher teams only on separate 25mm bases but I cake around to the above-mentioned viewpoint on dioramas. I'd like to base my tanks as well, having seen the effect, but I don't think the base sizes currently available will work for what I want.

[Vel'Cona]

I don't much care what base size is used as long as it's not smaller than the included.  That being said, I come from a beardier time so mayhaps taking larger bases is a cheesy thing to do in 8th; I suppose it does increase board denial space, but as long as my opponent bases consistently (ie. not mishmashing 25/32s across the same unit) then I probably won't care.

[tvih]

If someone were to play against me with 32mm base Guard... well, I wouldn't decline from the game, certainly, but if that person clearly was then trying to glean every possible advantage to the max from the bigger bases - like area denial - then that'd probably be the last/only game I'd play against that person because that'd just be lame. I mean, a conscript squad on 32mm bases sure covers a lot more area than 25mm, and all that.

 

Personally currently the only infantry I use with 32mm bases are models that came with those - so, some newer marines, pretty much. I might move other power armor marines to 32mm at some point since mixing the two sizes seems messy, and all new releases seem to be 32mm. First in line would be the older marine jump pack units, which due to their higher center of gravity tend to be prone to tipping on 25mm bases if the surface is even slightly uneven.

Actually my Sororitas jump unit would benefit from the bigger base even more from a balance point of view since they're metal and thus even higher center of gravity, but I don't have slotted 32mm bases. But maybe I'll get some at some point, or just use putty to make them tiptoe on a rock instead of on metal rods and put them on regular 32mm bases (which I'll have to buy anyway since I don't have extras)  At any rate while Sisters currently come with 25mm bases I don't have so many jump models nor do I painstakingly maximize coherency generally.

Aaaaand looks like I got sidetracked there, as usual.

[Caillum]

I’m a big fan of the AoS style basing that has started to port over to 40k, ie. Orks/Orcs on 25mm, but their Characters are on 32mm (the next size up). It makes them look a lot more cinematic, and stand out against their generic versions.

 

With AM, putting your CC’s, Commissars, Primaris, etc. on 32mm would look pretty cool I reckon.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I tried that, but it really makes them look tiny rather than big, as their base dwarfs them.

[Caillum]

I tried that, but it really makes them look tiny rather than big, as their base dwarfs them.

Then embrace that aspect! Put them on a massive rock! :) Or try these on for size:

 

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-AU/40k-hero-bases-2016

[CoffeeGrunt]

I mean it makes them look smaller than the Guardsmen, counterintuitively. Plus I don't really have a "main" Character I'd have stand out like that, just a whole load of Company Commanders and the like.

[duz_]

I’m a big fan of the AoS style basing that has started to port over to 40k, ie. Orks/Orcs on 25mm, but their Characters are on 32mm (the next size up). It makes them look a lot more cinematic, and stand out against their generic versions.

 

With AM, putting your CC’s, Commissars, Primaris, etc. on 32mm would look pretty cool I reckon.

I do like that idea! I might do that for my commissars and commanders!

[Kinstryfe]

I've had legit issues deploying my entire army (2/3 infantry by points) at <2k pts with some deployment zones, so the thought of 32mm bases makes me nervous, just from those experiences.

 

However! I have had definite issues with commanders getting lost in the crowd, and I kinda like the idea of a 32mm base to make them immediately stand out, just for purposes of quick ID...

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

I got into this mess (an entire IG army) just trying to build a small kill team for Shadow Wars... my first unit was on 32mm bases, they're DKOK and they actually look right at that size. I've got pics on my blog but on my phone right now.

 

That said, the rest of the army I'm doing on 25mm. I hadn't thought about the perception of cheesing the rules for the sake of area denial but it makes sense.

[klisof]

Go with what you think looks best, i put my Coteaz on a 32mm sector mechanicus base instead of the 25mm he came with. He looks far better on it, plus i use him as a HQ for custodes so he matches the 40mm sector mechanicus i use for them.

No one has complained about him at my local GW.

 

I'm a sucker for matching bases as much as possible. I think people are more forgiving of larger bases if the are fully painted as well as it emphasises the improved aesthetics of the model.

[Guardsman Bob]

I was just at a local gaming store and right there on the shelves were two packages of official GW 32mm bases. Last time I remember that kind of marketing push was when the Heavy Weapon teams went to 65mm bases.

[duz_]

That's probably for all the marine players who are still on 25s! Haha