Basing Help

[Aothaine]

Hey everyone!

 

Just curious what you think the best base type/color is to bring more out onto the Black Legions colors. On the GW website they have the standard ground with green grass but it just doesn't look right to me. What do you think would help the models look better?

[Prot]

Well assuming you are like me and want some real depth to the model.... be prepared to forgo a little bit of reality and do a colour that is far lighter than your Black Legion and add some grass.

 

I know you've seen my Black Legion (I appreciate the compliment) but I even found "bright" green just felt a little too crazy so I went with dead grass. The sort of thing you see when water is allowed to collect near a crevace or whatever. 

 

It does help. Healthy sprinkles of cork for brighter rocks helps too. It's very easy to make an 'alien' rock look however you like. I often use 'blues' and 'greens' to varying degrees in shading a rock down from a bright grey. 

 

I've even seen some basing companies doing great stuff with weeds, or wild flower. Very cool stuff you could always add as well.

 

Finally there are some great companies doing resin bases with slate that really add a lot of dynamic poses to your army as well as colour.

[Marshal Loss]

Any kind of basing scheme that contrasts with the dark armour and adds some visual interest works. Even if you want a more realistic base like me (e.g. ruined city) you can add splashes of colour with washes and pigments. In my case I used reddish-brown pigments to add variety to the grey and also added some pale marble using plasticard in places. Aim for a scheme that complements the model but doesn't overpower it.

[MegaVolt87]

Muddy snow base with dead grass would look good.

[Aothaine]

Great ideas for sure! Thank you everyone  I think I'm going to try and paint up WarriorFish's DIY Chapter dude with a flesh themed base. Gonna a little tricky though. I'll share the results. I should be finished with the model this weekend.

 

The reason I posted this here is that I am eventually going to be building my Black Legions force and I like to plan ahead so I was looking for some alternatives to the standard earth brown with grass. :D

Edited January 23, 2020 by Aothaine

[Zeke]

I ran into the same issues with my Night Lords.  I originally had urban bases but because they were dark grey it didn't look great in my eyes.  Then I decided to try the Martian technical basing paints, and I'm impressed.  Gives a nice contrast of a dark colored armor scheme on a bright red bottom.  Add some tufts of dead looking grass and rocks and it looks pretty good.

[Aothaine]

Yeah martian could work. I'm also looking into ways to put them on ice sheets. I think the black and gold will look really nice on pale blue ice.

[Kraken]

Would snow bases work or would the contrast with the black armour be too much?

[Midnightmare]

I would love to do snow based on mine - it’s looks awesome especially with a bit of blood splashed about - but unfortunately I never play on snow tables so I have never bit the bullet!

 

Mine are on pretty basic bases with some debris strewn about, and are painted Steel Legion Drab and highlighted with Ushabti Bone, with a Black rim and some ‘dead’ static grass here and there. Pretty inoffensive, but looks decent enough :tu:

Edited February 14, 2020 by Midnightmare