Bring me a base line

The first bass propelled motor vehicle

For this post I have decided to give the penetrating questions and tactica a miss and instead will be brining some more pics of my WIP Scourge, most specifically their bases (hence the incredibly a

amusing title to this post...). My Shaltari were my first army, and as such my first real crack at painting 10mm models. I am very happy with the way they have turned out but feel that their bases lack a little (even with painted roads on a few). As I don't have a time scale I need to stick to (as I have a full army to play with already) I thought that I would take a little more time on the painting, modelling and basing of my Scourge.

First things first, I needed to figure out how I was going to make my Hunters and Reapers float on a base, but yet still be able to be removed so I can indulgently fly them around in their Marauder on the first turn (complete with alien whooshy flying sounds – anyone who tells you your models are not toys and that they shouldn't be played with need to wake up and smell the super glue). The easiest answer to this was the buzz word on every ones lips at the moment – Magnets!

Magnet based indulgence

The base is made from some .5 mm plasticard and the 'stump' to lift the tank of the ground a bit of sprue I had knocking about. I had 2mm magnets in my work station so used a pin vice and a 2mm drill bit to make a hole in the sprue and the tank, and then glued the sprue to the base (I measured out where I wanted the stump to be before gluing it so it is uniform between the models). Next I had to glue the magnets in the holes (which can be a real ball ache if you do it the wrong way round. On numerous occasions filthy words escaped my lips whilst doing this) and then voilà! Floaty tanks!

Now the problem with magnets is that they are a little addictive, almost like a gateway drug to the realm of changeable and movable models. So, following the bases I also magnetised the Reapers turret to the model so they will fit nicely in the Marauder.

Float my pretties!

Once the magnetising shenanigans were done with it was time to move onto the bases. In my minds eye I have pictured electric blue Scourge screaming across a snowy city backdrop. In order to really create a city feeling the base had to show as such. Using plasticard I went about measuring pavement slabs and adornments for them, and then finished of the bases with sand and bits of concrete (available in pots from modelling shops). I need to go over the slabs with either some PVA and sand or texture paint, but I am very happy with the way they have turned out.

Next time I will be showing how a little bit of patience and planning for a base can really make it come alive!

Toodles!