possible to make neutral bases?

[jerrys]

I play space wolves. I haven't based my models yet (just black...).

 

It always bothers me, when I see models based with snow running around on a volcanic plain or a green felt grassland, or models based with grass standing on the second floor of a ruin, etc. I sort of have been putting it off, since I don't know how to solve this.

 

I had a thought that I might be able to make "neutral" bases that wouldn't look terribly out of place in any of those surroundings -- maybe a sort of dark, mottled grey-green-brown, maybe a little bit of rubble in there, etc. I don't know exactly what it would look like.

 

Have you guys seen anything like that? Or, do you have any other advice about this issue?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Jukkiz]

Some use clear plastic bases that create illusion of "nothingness" under model

[Shinespider]

Clear plastic is your best bet.

 

If you can find a "neutral" combination of colors and textures that blends with any environment, give the military a call, because you've just invented perfect camouflage. 

[PeteySödes]

You likely couldnt go wrong with grey rubble. That said though I would encourage you to base for the model both thematically and color wise. Most times when its well done it doesnt matter what board your on, it'll look good.

 

If you make them super generic I would worry all the work on you minis would be just that, generic. Also clear plastic will always catch light and look cheap IMO.

[Aarik]

I personally don't think that clear plastic looks good/does what its supporters say it does.  I think the best bet for neutral base is to do what GW does for most of their bases.  Sort of a gray-brown dirt with patches of grass on them, and a gray-brown rim.  Those tend to blend in decently well with most tables.

[Vykes]

In my admittedly limited experience, clear bases are a lot like Snow bases: they always start out looking pretty great but after a while they get stained, scratched, coloured, dust covered, and start to look really dreary.  I like the concept, but that's about it. 

The more thematic and bold you get with bases and colours, the more keyed they become to certain types of terrain. Neutral bases for me: I still like my simple Sons of Horus bases, some of which are as simple as painted plastic 32's.  Black rim, a bit of grey with grey bases, with some light sepia and earthtone washes, garnished with weathering pigments.  The earth tones blend into most battlefields while the lighter grey main colour helps with keeping the urban and light coloured deserts. It's by no means perfect, but I'm pleased with how they tend to 'fit' into most things, so far.   

[Kizzdougs]

If the army is purely for gaming purposes then you could try clear basing. Personally I think clear bases look tacky/lazy, but if your only concern is that your bases don't clash with the table, then they might work for you.

 

If you don't want to go with clear bases a dusty desert base might be the way to go. Agrellan Earth with some small tufts of grass could work. Another good option would be generic rubble/urban bases. Something with a little bit of rubble and some darker greys and browns.

 

 

 

Now for my personal opinion on bases...

 

Personally I think bases are a really important part of any miniature/army that lends them some character and tells a story. The colour that choose for the bases can really help to make your minis look fantastic. A complimentary colour can really make the miniatures stand out and can even make the colours that you use on their armour look richer. For example I'm using desert bases on my Sons of Horus and I'm re-basing my Alpha Legion in the same style because the 'orange' bases really compliment green and blue of the two armies.

 

 

 

The other important aspect of basing is story telling. Is you Great Company fighting on Fenris or in the Fang against the Thousand Sons? Are they fighting the hordes of Ghazghkull on Armageddon? Are they standing against the Arch Enemy on the shattered walls of Cadia? The Space Wolves have so many legendary battles and engagements to take inspiration from. You can tell a story with the bases of your minis that (in my opinion) will be far more rewarding and interesting than simply having the most neutral bases possible.

 

I originally based my Alpha Legion on industrial/naval/ZM bases to represent the strike force that boarded the Hrafnkel in the Alaxxes Nebula.

 

 

 

An army with characterful and interesting bases will look much better than an army with neutral or generic bases when on display (in a cabinet or a display board).

[PeteySödes]

In my admittedly limited experience, clear bases are a lot like Snow bases: they always start out looking pretty great but after a while they get stained, scratched, coloured, dust covered, and start to look really dreary. I like the concept, but that's about it.

As a snow enthusiast (lol) as long as you stay away from baking soda and other cheapo materials it’s not really an issue like it was even 5 years ago.

[Kinstryfe]

I'm not sure you could make a truly neutral base idea, but I'd say that rubble/stones/mud in a mostly grayscale could maybe do it. Maybe a tiny bit of snow or foliage. That way it'll look more like run down and worn terrain, which should blend in ok with most environments.

[Aramis K]

I'd just go full grey-brown to blend into most things. Stirland Mud with wash and rim in Skavenblight Dinge. Pretty much how GW did the bases for Soul Wars.

[jerrys]

Thank all of you guys for your responses -- this is great.

 

Clear bases had not occurred to me, and would seem to be what I was looking for, but for some reason I'm not feeling it. I'm glad you brought that up, though -- I didn't even know that was an option.

 

Kizz, you are almost talking me into it. But I am just not that good a painter -- I don't think there's anything I can do to the bases that would make the models look good enough to put on a display board. I will think about it.

[Arkhanist]

Thank all of you guys for your responses -- this is great.

 

Clear bases had not occurred to me, and would seem to be what I was looking for, but for some reason I'm not feeling it. I'm glad you brought that up, though -- I didn't even know that was an option.

 

Kizz, you are almost talking me into it. But I am just not that good a painter -- I don't think there's anything I can do to the bases that would make the models look good enough to put on a display board. I will think about it.

 

 I can't even come close to what is high quality work these days, the standard has improved so much. But even average minis look better with an appropriately chosen base I think, and fully agree with Kizzdougs that the base can help tell the story of where and what your army is, without distracting from the mini itself.

 

I can fully understand not wanting to use snow or summer grass bases etc to try and blend in with a variety of gaming boards which is why I tend to avoid the more extreme types, but even neutral bases will look a bit odd sometimes; Silver Tower minis with the usual GW grey/brown dirt and tufts on those colourful boards, and similarly on an industrial/necromunda type board. That's why I use black rims mainly, to help separate the basing scheme from the gaming board.

 

I use this approach for picking basing schemes colours, and bear in mind where they'd be fighting. So my BA are on pale desert bases, while genecult are on grimy industrial ones.

 

When it comes to improving your overall painting though, there's a few things other than practise that help. Probably the best things that helped me improve was thinning my paint with a wet palette and taking the time to do more, thinner layers. A little bit of dilute flow aid, mostly with chalky or clumpy colours, helps wrangle paint that doesn't want to go on smoothly. And decent quality kolinsky sable brushes that have good points, with kitchen roll to blot my brush, so I don't put too much of the thinner paint on the mini at once. And for edge highlighting, which I hate, getting a model holder with a brace so I have less problems with hand-shake.

[Xenith]

Check the GW paint app for a bunch of ideas.

 

All my bases are a fairly neutral brown tdesigned to be an Armageddon style desert/wasteland. You can see them here:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/269697-xba-back-to-base-ics/page-24

 

It's stirland battlemire -> agrax -> mournfang brown DB -> XV88 DB -> Karak Stone DB

[Charlo]

I use clear bases on my Custodes, as I think for something so OTT as giant gold men, having no proper base makes them *pop*.

 

[Fajita Fan]

Not gonna lie, those clear bases look pretty amazing.

[Xenith]

I use clear bases on my Custodes, as I think for something so OTT as giant gold men, having no proper base makes them *pop*.

 

 

They look good - my concern is the fogging from the superglue which detracts from the effect - can you put a thin layer of PVA on the base before you glue them down, then peel off after? Or pin them through the base?

[Grotsmasha]

Yep, pinning through the base and making sure that the glue is only on the pin should eliminate the fogging from around the feet.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[MithrilForge]

or if you do have to superglue em...then it would be best to point a desk fan at them on low to medium and blow the vapour away from the bases,that will stop a huge amount of ghosting on the base.

 

Mithril

[Vykes]

-ponders- you could also use a clear two part epoxy instead of superglue.  

[PeteySödes]

Getting after it with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol usually does the trick for me. Stupid flyer bases.