There was a plan devised in my skull when I first got my toes wet in the game of Space Hulk so many months ago at BoLSCon. I was for sure going to see what I could do to get these amazing models out and on the gaming table for a game of 40k. I didn't want to make it so I couldn't use the pieces in their parent game though, so I had to do some work to make that a reality. After a lot of delay, I've finally gotten around to working on the models, and in today's tip, I'll go over how I went about basing my Space Hulk Terminators.
Getting started you'll need a few things, namely .060" plasticard, a pencil some glue a spare 40mm base, a pin vice and a bunch of round magnets. To help things along, I use a set of clippers and have a hobby knife handy for good measure. I also use plastic glue to help keep things pliable as I work on positioning things. Extra bits and bobbins are all up to you and your basing style!
Snag your pencil and find a good placement for your model. I tried to avoid having a big open channel along the middle where possible by enclosing one end of the base like above. Overhang isn't a huge issue you need to be concerned with, a slight overhang will actually give a nice asymmetric look and add to the environment of the model.
I started off every base by blocking out the areas with plasticard. I used bigger chunks at this stage to get larger looking plates in that I would then cut down later. It's also helpful along smaller edges like to the right of this base, instead of having to cut a small sliver the right size before placing, I just threw a large chunk on and let it dry before cutting it down to size.
Using my clippers I trimmed everything down, made use of the cut offs where I could to fill gaps or help detail the base and it's now that you'll want to add any additional bits and detailing. In the base above I made use of some sculpting mesh I picked up from a hobby shop, gluing it down with super glue and trimming it to fit the floor plate. On other bases I used some plastic tubing bent by hand into shape and glued down to add even more detail. I found myself getting more adventurous with each base adding a little more and more as I went along.
I used a pin vice and a bit roughly the size of my magnets to punch a hole into the base. Through my own experience, placing the magnets more centered seems to be the way to go here. Don't worry about punching through the top side, you can always cover up any big gaps with a bit of plasticard that will only help to meld the bases more. A glob of super glue over the top and bottom of the magnet left to dry should hold tight enough. You'll need it completely dry before moving on though, so make sure to wait it out!
You'll likely have to clip away the round bits from the bottom of the base and clean it up a bit for a good surface to set the bases magnet. To place the second magnet, hold the model in it's slot on the top and drop the magnet onto the underside, it'll instantly right itself and hold fast if the magnet strength is good enough. Once it's in place just slather it with glue and let it dry. Don't set it right side up yet unless you'd like to rip up or ruin whatever you place it on.
There you have it! A model ready for the battlefield of Warhammer 40,000 or a corridor full of nightmares in Space Hulk! This little trick has sparked what will likely end up being a full scale army and right on the heels of the Blood Angels Codex release. I have hopes to do much the same basing for the genestealers in the set as well, but only time will tell when/if I get to that or not.
Be sure to check out our wide array of basing articles and should you have any questions, concerns or ideas, feel free to comment here or drop us a line at ThePaintingCorps@gmail.com or even on our Facebook or Twitter pages!
