It's All About The Base...

Not a Modelling Tips Post,

More like a little musing.... 

This week, on one of the Facebook Groups to which I still contribute, a member posted some very nice pics of the rather fine bases he was preparing for some 6mm WW2 North African models - specifically for the campaign in N.E. Tunisia. 

Now, he had chosen, quite reasonably, to go for that "spotted dick" look you get in the areas of scrubby vegetation (i.e light-coloured sand/stones, interspersed with scrubby dark green bushes; see pic) - the classic "Western Desert" look you see on a lot of gaming tables, of which there is a great deal along the North African coast (and, indeed, elsewhere; I've seen a LOT of it...). 

There then followed a brief discussion about;

1) the huge variation in terrain, vegetation and land-use in Tunisia alone (let alone across North Africa as a whole).

2) the dramatic different the seasons/weather can make within differing regions.

It was agreed that while one might say "this base model is for this terrain type during this season" - and be right - it was near impossible to have a base "right" for every terrain/vegetation type found in a country, and, in some cases, even in a relatively small geographical area. 

Tunisian Terrain

Pics of WW2 Operations in Tunisia

Tunisian Winter Wonderland

Which got me thinking about my own bases, how this subject seems to come up a lot of fora, and how some folk seem to fret over this (as they seem to over base sizes).

Having had the luck to have worked and travelled reasonably widely (47 counties at the last count - and widely within most of those countries) I'm very well aware of how quickly terrain can vary, the effect of weather/seasons and "micro-climates" and that therefore our figure-basing is nearly always going to have to be a compromise.

That's why I try to keep a sensible head, not to stress too much, and keep mine simple - as the various pics on the Blog indicate......

Except when I don't, of course.. (DOH!).....

NOT a Figure Review...

Well, mid Jacobite campaign I bit the bullet and did something I'd told myself I wouldn't do; bought a load of flats...

Back in my distant childhood there were little shops in a kind of arcade (Google suggests "Brady's Arcade" - pic)in Kingston-Upon-Thames (a good hour away by train and bus, so part of a family day trip*) which sold militaria and associated odds and ends, including painted toy soldiers. I remember looking, fascinated at 30mm (or bigger?), beautifully painted lead/tin "flats" (mainly German-made and 18thC troops and Egyptian court figures I seem to recall) and a small Waterloo diorama.

 

(*Later I discovered a nearby wargames shop in Kingston - where I bought my first GDW, SPI & AH board games; all of which still come out to play and seen now to go for silly sums on Ebay..)

Saving up my pennies, I eventually bought a West German police cap (long gone), a huge Korean War vintage US Army raincoat (a glorious thing with which one could smuggle some 12 bottles of wine into youth hostels etc. I eventually, foolishly, gave that away to one of our labourers in Iran) and a Kriegsmarine eagle, still around the house somewhere. But no flats, or any of the other painted beauties...

Now....... I've wanted a Wars of The Roses army for a long while (heck, I've been reenacting it for twenty years or so), but the lead n' plastic mountain here is so high I couldn't face even buying and painting up a 6mm bunch (even though I only "need" several hundred), let alone the 20mm ones I have squirrelled way......

However....

Several years ago I noticed the Peter Dennis card "flats" in book form (I THINK the Jacobite ones, ironically enough - though I think he was also involved in the very jolly Armada Anniversary  "Battlegame Armada" of 1988, which I still have and have a play with from time to time), but me & scissors don't see eye to eye these days; and the idea of all that snipping - or, even worse, scalpel work - left me shuddering...

Then Wofun came to my attention - with their WOR bods at "18mm"... 

I have my 15-20mm "MAKE THIS VILLAGE!!" (or else..?) Usborne houses..

Other terrain bits I have near enough to scale....

So, as they had a special offer on, I had a punt and....

I LIKE them...

Three games thus far (two made-up ones and a re-run of the Battle of Tewkesbury) - and NO painting !!! A bit of assembly (simple) and off you go.

I find them pleasing. I had wondered whether the flat aspect might be jarring, and if the shiny plastic edges would need work dulling down (and for later periods they might, depending on taste) but for periods where bright helms and spear points etc. are "a thing" the shine actually enhances things I think (gleaming helmets & whatnot). They look nice en mass, have some nice detailing.. AND you can use modelling paints and permanent Sharpies on the printed images to do a bit of customisation if you want to add a bit of variety in clothing colour, to add bends, play with livery colours and heraldry etc...

I can see them working very well on less terrain-fussy tables than mine tend to be. I also see a use for them as board game tokens.

Ordering and delivery (even using DHS - shudder) has been swift, simple and reliable (four orders thus far) and they are nicely, safely packaged. You can even download free rules...

You have to be a wee bit careful pressing out delicate parts (I snapped off two flag staffs -  easily glued back on - but out of several hundred figures that's, for me, a very acceptable casualty rate). The (MDF) guns are a bit fiddly to start with, but you soon get the hang of things. All in all very satisfactory.

Anyhoo, very nice toys, nice price currently - though if you're in UK watch out for the "Brexit Dividend" (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha... Laugh to fade...), which will mean a hit of +25% in Duty and VAT (sigh), so best keep orders (inc. P&P) under the levy threshold where possible... 

All in all I'm a happy bunny.