Diesel DM

Completed base

Basing your WARMACHINE models is one of the easiest things you can do to really make your models standout.  It gives a sense of terrain and ties the model in with a bigger scene. As I was completing the last model from my Cygnar Battlegroup box (the Lancer), I thought I’d take time to photograph my process and make a quick “How to” guide for making a battlefield base.  To the right is a photograph of the finished product that we’ll be working our way up to.

Materials

There is a wide variety of basing materials available for purchase.  Gale Force Nine, which refers to these materials as “Hobby Scenics”, has a nice selection of all different materials that arrive in convenient plastic containers. While GF9 is a well-known supplier of basing materials arts and crafts stores like Hobby Lobby may also carry similar products.  Before discussing the needed materials, let’s define some terminology: grit and flock.

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I am new to painting miniatures of any kind.  I just started painting my first WARMACHINE models: a Cygnar Battlebox.  Years and years ago I did paint the occasional model car, mainly muscle cars from the 60’s and early 70’s, especially Mustangs.  But in painting those I painted each part a single color, no blending or shading. WARMACHINE models can be painted in the same way, choose a color for each section, apply and you’re done.  You can search the “What I Modeled/Painted Today” post on the Privateer Press (PP) forums to see excellent examples of this.  It’s a good way to paint a large army quickly and have them all match one another.  It’s also good if you’re more interested in the playing than the painting.

If you want more dynamic models, ones that really catch people’s eye, then you’re going to want to take the next step and do some shading and some highlighting.  For some model parts you will be able to get away with a base coat, a dark wash and some dry brushing.  This works very well on metals and heavily texture areas.  I used it to great effect on my Ironclad’s metal sections, which will be another post.  But once I came to Stryker’s cape, a quick wash and dry brush were not going to get the job done.

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