Buying guide · base types
Miniature bases: plastic, resin or magnetic
Base size is almost never your call — your game system already decided it. What you're actually choosing is the material, and that trade-off is real: plain plastic costs the least and gives you full creative control, pre-textured resin saves time at a price, and magnetic backing solves a storage problem most painters don't have yet.
A miniature base is the flat disc a tabletop model stands on, sized in millimetres — 25mm and 32mm cover most modern infantry-scale games. The base itself comes in three material types: plain plastic, pre-sculpted resin, and magnetic-backed, and the choice changes how much time and money a finished model costs, not how it plays.
Default pick: plain plastic. It's the cheapest option, it's what almost every miniature ships with, and it gives you full control over the basing materials in the actual basing technique — sand, static grass, rubble, whatever fits your army's theme.
Time-saver: pre-textured resin, if you want a detailed scene — cobblestone, ice, rubble — without sculpting it yourself, and you don't mind paying more per base.
Skip it unless you need it: magnetic-backed bases. They solve exactly one problem — models sliding around in a foam transport tray — and cost more for no visual difference.
Base size: 25mm vs 32mm
Base size is set by the game system and the model range, not by preference. Most infantry-scale miniatures in modern tabletop games ship on a 32mm round base; older ranges and some skirmish games still use 25mm. Swapping a model onto a different size than its range calls for changes its footprint on the table, which matters for games where unit spacing and movement are measured — check your army list or rulebook before buying bases in bulk, not after.
Vehicles, monsters and larger models use oval or rectangular bases sized specifically for that kit, usually stated on the box or in the model's assembly instructions.
The three base types, compared
None of these change how the model plays. They change how much time the base takes and how much it costs.
| Type | Best for | Cost tier | Creative control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain plasticDefault | Custom, matched-to-army theming | Lowest | High |
| Pre-textured resin | Detailed scenes without sculpting | Higher | Medium |
| Magnetic-backed | Foam-tray transport and storage | Higher | Low (base only) |
"Cost tier" is relative between the three types, not a fixed price — retail cost varies by brand, base size and where you buy. Plain plastic bases are typically sold in bulk packs of 20 or more; pre-textured resin usually comes in smaller runs of 5 to 10.
Plain plastic bases
What most miniatures already ship with, and what most hobby shops sell in bulk packs by size. A flat plastic disc, ready for whatever texture you build on top — see basing techniques and materials for the actual method. The limitation is exactly what makes it flexible: it's a blank slate, so every scene is work you do yourself.
Pre-textured resin bases
Cast with a scene already sculpted in — cobblestone streets, cracked ice, rubble, jungle floor. You prime and paint the texture instead of building it from sand and glue, which saves real time across a full army. The trade-off is cost per base and a fixed theme: a rubble base won't suit a snow-themed army without repainting the whole scene, and you're locked into whatever scale of detail the caster sculpted.
Magnetic-backed bases
A thin steel or magnetic disc bonded to the base underside, paired with a magnetised foam tray or storage case. The model won't slide or tip in transport — genuinely useful if you're driving models to a game store or tournament. It adds cost and a small amount of extra base thickness, and does nothing for how the model looks once it's on the table. Skip it if your models live on a shelf.
How to choose
- Are you matching an existing army's basing theme? Plain plastic with consistent materials keeps every model in the force looking like it belongs together.
- Do you want a detailed scene without sculpting it yourself? Pre-textured resin buys you that detail — decide if the per-base cost is worth the saved time.
- Do your models travel — game store, club night, a convention? Magnetic-backed bases plus a magnetised tray stop them sliding around; skip it if they mostly stay on a shelf.
- Do you know your base size? Check the model range or rulebook before buying in bulk — 25mm and 32mm bases aren't interchangeable once a unit is built around one.
Base the model after it's painted, not before — see basing miniatures for the full sequence. Basing materials (glue, sand, static grass) are messy, and they're much easier to keep off a finished paint job than to clean up around one.
Questions people ask about miniature bases
What base size should I use?
Whatever your game system or model range specifies — check the rulebook or the model's box. 32mm is the most common round size for modern infantry-scale miniatures; 25mm is still used by older ranges and some skirmish games. Don't guess; unit spacing in some games is measured off base size.
Can I put a model on a different size base than it came with?
Physically, yes — but check your game's rules first. Some systems care about a unit's real footprint on the table, and swapping to a larger or smaller base than the range calls for can change that footprint.
Are pre-textured resin bases worth the extra cost?
If matching a specific scene — cobblestone, ice, rubble — saves you sculpting time you'd rather spend painting, yes. If you want full control over the theme or you're basing a large army, plain plastic with your own materials costs less and matches exactly what you want.
Do I need magnetic bases?
Only if you transport models regularly — a game store, a club, a tournament. A magnetised foam tray with magnetic bases stops them sliding and chipping paint in transit. If your models mostly stay on a shelf or display case, it solves a problem you don't have.
Should I base the model before or after painting?
After. Paint and finish the miniature first, then apply basing materials — glue, sand, static grass. Doing it in that order keeps textured, messy basing work away from a finished paint job.
See a scheme rendered on your own miniature
Upload a photo of your primed model and get a painted preview, a step-by-step guide and a printable PDF — base included in the scheme.