Friday, September 08, 2006

Basing Figures -- General Format

Individually based figures are a pain to move if playing anything beyond a "skirmish" game. On the other hand, I like the idea of "figure removal"; and leaving the "dead" lying on the table helps the overall look of the tabletop.

My solution (and I'm sure that I'm not the first to think of this) is to use magnets to hold figures onto a base and to remove them as they become casualties.

However, what I will be using is neodymium (also known as "rare earth") magnets. These are very small, yet very strong magnets. I intend to use small disk magnets that are 0.275" in diameter and only 0.04" thick -- tiny little things. While there are many manufacturers, here is the one I intend to use:

http://stores.ebay.com/Rare-Earth-Neodymium-MAGNETS

In future posts, I will get more specific about my basing; but suffice it to say that most infantry is based four to a stand (in two ranks); and cavalry three horses wide on a stand.


-- Jeff

2 comments:

marinergrim said...

Neat idea.

Are you planning to use the round/square GW style bases as well and hide the magnets underneath?

Bluebear Jeff said...

No, actually, but that is one possibility.

My intention is to use small steel plates or washers under the figures and either use balsa with the magnets counter-sunk into the wood or . . .

. . . to use cardstock (and a holepunch) on top of either more cardstock or a steel base.

One of the problems with the neodymium magnets is that they are pretty powerful and will "jump together" as you attempt to glue them unless they are countersunk into the base in some manner.

Hope that these ideas help you. And, by the way, I really like your blog (or should I say "blogs").


-- Jeff