Paper Miniature and Figure Basing

Basing or Mounting methods for Paper Miniatures

When you have a completed assembling your figures it is time to select how you want to base or mount your figure. This will be the item that holds the figure upright and gives it some stability from falling over.

You can choose to mount your figures permanently or create bases that allow you to swap figures in and out.

Game part manufacturers produce bases made specifically for paper figures and card stock cutouts that are available in a wide range of colors. There are a variety of premade bases that were designed for use with plastic and metal figures that could be used as well. You can also design and make your own type of base that suits your specific gaming needs.

They can be made from contracting insulation foam board, clean styrofoam food packing material, school project posterboard, heavy cardstock or even cardboard.

Before you can make your base though, you must decide if you want to mount your figures to the base Permanently or make them Swapable.

Permanent vs Swapable Basing

You should consider the following Pro's and Cons of the two versions before you decide.

Permanent Base Pro's - The base can be better decorating because the figure does not have to constantly be removed. Which would make the base more visually appealing. It takes less time to prepare and set up a game since the bases are always on. Information specific to the figure can be place on the base.

Permanent Base Con's - The figure cannot be removed. If you want to use the figure in different terrain types and have the base match, then you must create multiples of figures each with it's own base style. If purchasing rather than making your bases there will be extra cost. The figure can be damaged while being transported or stored since it must be stored upright on it's base. You must make a new base for every figure you ever make.

Swapable Base Con's - The base will look more basic and utilitarian since the figure will constantly be removed. Which would make the base less visually appealing. When done gaming you must take the time to remove the figures from the base for storing. It takes more time to prepare and set up a game since the bases are never on. Information specific to the figure cannot be placed on the base.

Swapable Base Pro's - The figure can be removed. So you don't need to make a base for each and every type of figure. You can make different terrain type bases and not have to make additional figures for them. If purchasing rather than making your bases there will be less cost. The figure will have less chance of be damaged while being transported or stored since it would be stored flat without it's base.

Once you have decided how you want your bases to be made, it is then time to select a type.

Premade card stand bases.

Premade plastic slotted bases.

Homemade Do It Yourself bases out of foam or posterboard.

You need a good work surface, a hard protected surface to cut and work on. You can use a cutting matt, a piece of plywood or a couple layers of dense cardstock. Never cut directly on a marble, wooden or formica table or counter tops. Equipment - basing material, hobby knife, metal edged ruler or cutting guide, superglue (plastics) or woodglue (foam and wood), a pencil or pen, latex caulk, a toothpick, hobby sticks (wooden clean/unused popsicle stick or tongue depresser), clear thin semi-rigid plastic from blister packs or merchandise packing (must be flat), a model paint brush, a variety of paints, sand or flocking material.

Determine the shape and size of the base you want to use. They can be square, rectangular, circular or hexagonal.

Using your pencil/pen and ruler lay out the base size/shapes on your material.

Using your hobby knife and the metal edged cutting guide, cut the bases from the material.

When cutting keep the blade upright if you want straight sides or angle the blade slightly if you want sloped sides.

Cut out as many bases as you need for either permanent or swapable mounting.

Circular are the most difficult to cut accurately. I recommend you make a cutout die rather than try to hand cut it. This is a thin metal pipe (copper or brass) that you have sharpened (filed or ground down) on one end. This will work on foam but not on foam core, as the paper is to dense.

Twist the pipe on the foam material while pressing down evenly. Once cut, use your pencil eraser to push out the cut piece from inside the pipe. Use you hobby knife to clean the edges.

Slot, Slit or Sleeve

There are three ways you can connect the figure to the base.

Slot - A large slot in the base that a thick figure (made out of heavy cardstock or with a filler) is inserted into the slot. The figure must have a thick tab to connect it.

Slit - A thin slit in the base that a thin figure is inserted into the slit. The figure must have a thin tab to connect it.

Sleeve - A clear plastic sleeve that pinches the figure between the layers. The figure cannot have a tab.

Slots and Slits should be used for Permanent basing. Although the figure can be taken out and reinserted, repeated use will bend the figure due to having to force it into the Slot/Slit. Continual swapping would also widen and loosen the original Slot/Slit so that the figure will begin to flop and pull out when lifted and moved. To make them permanent you can glue the figure to the base or just never remove or swap the original figure.

For swappable mounting we recommend Sleeve type bases.

Premade plastic slotted bases can be used for slot type figures. Homemade bases could be used as well with larger slots cut into them. Notice the angle of the slots in the two square and the one hexagonal bases. If you use these with the slots as they are, the figures will not be facing a straight side of the base. They will face off at an angle. If figure facing is not important in your gamimg, this may not make much of a difference to your game play. If it will, see how to use Flush Mounted Sleeves (below) to solve this problem.

Homemade bases would be used with a thin slit cut into the base for the figures tab to be inserted into. Premade slotted bases could be used as well if the large slot opening is made thinner.

Sleeve bases require you to cut small pieces of clear packaging plastic. The small strips are then used either flat or folded over. These Sleeves can then be inserted in either Slit/Slotted bases or Flush mounted.

The bases on the left have had two short pieces of plastic placed into the slot on the premade bases. The bases on the right have had a larger piece of plastic folded over, then inserted into the slit on the homemade bases with the open end up.

When the premade bases angle is not correct or if you just prefer this style, you can use Flush Mounted Sleeves. In this case the sleeve is not inserted into the base. Instead, it is folded over and two pieces are flush mounted back to back on the top of the base.

To Tab or not to Tab

The figure on the left shows how a figure with a tab is inserted into a Slot or Slit type base. The figure on the right was designed with a tab but it was removed for level insertion in a sleeve type base.

There you have it! I have placed the figures on a simple base to show you what the completed figures look like. You can see that we used figures with a tab in a card stand base. The figure appears higher than it should, in this case I recommend removing the tab and mounting them level with the base.

Designing Textured Bases

If you really want to spruce up your figures and the gaming experience you may want to try making some custom textured bases.

For this example I am using premade slotted hexagonal bases and flush mounted sleeves. NOTE: I align the 2 piece sleeves with the flat edges of the base.

Trim the excess plastic sleeve corners so they do not overhang the edge of the base.

I used regular latex house caulk as the glue and texturizing material. Spread a very thin layer on the base and press the sleeves into it.

Using a thin wood stick, I then smooth the caulk that squeezed out from under the sleeves so that it smooth with the edges of the sleeves.

Once the caulk starts to set and the sleeves are stable, place more caulk over the sleeves and spread it over the entire base evenly.

Decide what type of base texture you want, rough, stone, wood, brick or plain.

Using a toothpick, trace the patterns you chose into the still wet caulk.

I have done a variety, a stone, a wood plank, a rough (using small gravel, ballast) and one plain to make grass (using train scenery flock).

Shows how the stone texture would look on a WWII figure.

The finished bases after painting or flocking.

Rough type bases would be good for destroyed or desolate areas.

You could also add small green flock patches to make them multipurpose for a variety of outdoor terrain settings.

Stone is good for dungeons or urban ruins settings.

Plain is good for general outdoor settings.

Flock material can be used and plant stems/shoots could be added as well as pebbles for grassland. Sand could also be sprinkling on and painted for desert terrain.

The plain smooth finished bases could also be used for other settings. Rather than flocking them, just simply paint them to match the terrain, green for grass, yellow/beige for desert, grey for stone and brown for rough.

Wood or Brick can be useful for indoor settings and Wood is the best for naval settings. You would use the same staggered pattern just paint the caulk in wood (with darker brown for seams) or brick red colors (with grey for seams).

This document and all paper miniature artwork, photo's, gif's, and jpg's are Copyright © 2006 Patrick Crusiau and Historygamer2. Personal use is granted. Reposting, Redistribution or Commercial use is not authorized!