Necromunda Re-Basing Project

Never say "Never!"

I have learned this all too well, so many times over.

I've never really been overly fond of plastic slotta bases - at least with metal figures. They were too light and I felt they made the over all model top heavy. I also thought they were a bit plinth-like - making scale creeping models even TALLER than older smaller models I had based on... well... other, thinner materials I've used throughout the years.

I've absolutely HATED black sides on bases. I especially hated them on plastic bases. Why, when one spent so much time making the top surface of the base so beautiful with a grassy scene or desert with scrub, would you paint the sides of a plastic base BLACK (instead of green or brown - to match the top of the base or your table terrain)!? As most plastic bases are black, it just looked to me like you forgot or couldn't be bothered to paint them. It looked unfinished and lazy. I also found the contrast jarring when looking at them on a finely manicured tabletop - especially in close-up photos.

So, this past week I decided to rebase all my Necromunda stuff (and a bunch of other skirmishy-rpg-sci-fi minis) on to plinth-like, plastic bases with black sides...

(Go on, laugh. I'll give you a moment...)

I think it all started when I decided the Genestealers and Terminators for Finnegan's Space Hulk game should be on bases - I mean they sort of had integral bases... but they were odd-shaped and in most cases not nearly large and stable enough to keep the dynamic miniatures upright under most conditions. So I picked up some 32mm Nectomunda bases to stick them all to. This required some considerable carving for most of the Terminators, and, in some cases, a bit of converting with green stuff. In the end I was pretty happy with the results.

Actually, now that I think about it... It may have been John's Stormcast Eternals that I painted for his Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire game that were the first cast, scenic bases I painted - that inspired me to try out the Necromunda bases for the Space Hulk figures (I also later painted some Sepulchral Guard and Ironskullsz Boyz for him.... and I'm STILL working on the Dwarf and Skaven lots... I should just NEVER say I'll paint stuff for other people... that IS a Never I really SHOULD learn to say!!!)

Last year I assembled and painted Drukhari Kill Team for Amanda. I wanted to make a dedicated Kill Team that stood out and looked a little different from the rest of the Drukhari. I also was starting to feel like my standard dirt bases with scrub or grass tufts would look more odd and out of place in an urban setting than an urban base would in and not-so-urban setting Kill Team might be played in (as there would likely, with the exception of the Death World Forest, still be structures of one kind or another). I had liked how the Terminators and Genestealers turned out and I just don't like putting plastic figures on metal washers (like I have, until now, done with all of my individually-mounted metal figures). So, I thought I'd try them on Necromunda bases. I was rather pleased with that result and, as an added bonus, because the bases ARE so tall, I could paint the names of each of the warriors on the back sides of the base, which I knew would help out Amanda immensely in identifying which model was which Wych.

I liked how they turned out so much, I did my own Adeptus Mechanicus Kill Team on necromunda bases. When I got to doing the Sicarian Ruststalkers and the Tech Priest Dominus commander, they didn't have 40mm necromunda bases (they do now!) so I broke down and picked up a set of sector mechanicus bases - which were even more detailed!

I've also helped paint a lot of Finnegan's Genestealer cultists (and the Magos)...

And so, along the way, I've gone from despising to grudgingly accepting to rather liking... and looking over my collection of Necromunda miniatures, all on their rather boring, generic dirt bases... well.. I decided they needed some "sprucing up" and I went out and bought some more Sector Mechanicus bases and some more Sector Imperialis bases and some more Necromunda bases - for a bit of diversity - and over the last week or so have been busy re-basing the lot of them... I tried to spend a bit more time on these to really make them "pop".

Is this all in accordance with The Plan...? Oh, HELL NO! But, then again, I DID include four weeks to "finish up" some Necromunda stuff... and I AM working on Necromunda stuff... so I'm not TOO far off. I just won't likely finish up the Van Saar and Orlock gangs as I'd originally hoped to (or the additional Escher gangers) - they can just be shifted to the Q1 plan for 2020!



Here are some of the ones I've finished up so far...



Okay, I also redid the entire Delaque gang...



...including two completely new gangers (well... new to me!)

I'll probably do a separate post with more detailed pictures of the Delaque Gangers - with some more background fluff...



I will point out that I made use of the thicker bases to add names to the backs of all my Delaque Gangers. I will likely do the same for all of my gangs.



A pair of Redemptionists. The Deacon is on a larger base because I just decided that all my champions would be on the larger bases.



Cawdor Gangers



Three mechanic/technician types from the Astopolis 2 Kickstarter.



A pair of Imperial Adepts.

 

An assortment of hive Scum

 

Old School, Rogue Trader Era Marine

 

Necromundan Guardsman (deserter now working as a Rogue Doc in the under hive).



Two more from the Astropolis Kickstarter - I'd use them as a Navigator and Guilder, respectively.

The ground detail on all of them is a bit exaggerated. In reality, those floors would be a workplace safety officers worst nightmare...

That's it for now. I have LOADS more in the works - some completed minis just being re-based. Some other gangers and scum and hangers-on that I hadn't finished but are getting new bases... that I might hopefully finish before I have to start in on the Hellboy part of The Plan...


Coming soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

A brief look at October's games. (There weren't that many....)

The complete Delaque Gang in detail.

Other stuff...