How many of you base your vehicles? I realise that unbased vehicles have an aesthetic advantage on a variety of terrain, but I feel that basing my vehicles:

a) Ties them in with the rest of the force
b) Negates the height advantage given to the infantry by their bases, making everything a bit more proportional.

Thoughts?

I voted "yes". Why? Well, you answered it yourself.

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Sgt. Screams 28mm/20mm/15mm Wargaming Blog (Modern, Sci-Fi)

Well,
I don¥t. I want to have them looking pretty good on every given terrain. Unbased they are fine on muddy ground or on concrete roads...

Imagine a tank on a nice earth base standing in the middle of the road to Bagdad...

I was strongly against basing vehicles until I saw Sgt. Screams blog. And the points raised here make that point final.

What materials do people use to base vehicles? 3mm MDF? 1mm plastic card?

I use the GW regiment base, just because I have it spare from making Black Powder bases. Also, it means I can cut them accurately. It's a good trade off in price v ease of use too, since they're scored.

Voted "no"...but I use 28mm stuff...so I think that they're sturdy enough without a base.

Granted, the bases that "Sgt Scream" does are top notch. However, I'm a bit put off by "sand bases" on asphalt. It's bad enough with infantry.

Plus, the bases for 1/50 scale stuff would be HUGE and would probably be a mess in a game (i.e. wouldn't fit in tight spaces).

The only reason why I'd base them...is to negate the height "advantage" that my infantry get b/c of bases.

- Jim

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I could agree with you...but then we'd BOTH be wrong.

Voted no for my 20mm stuff

But do base my 10mm stuff.

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chris

Ok folks our first song is a sing along but the song has no lyrics, so good luck - Steve Martin

I don't base any of my sturdy 20mm vehicles, I however will base a fragile kit if it is likely to get damaged. My 28mm stuff is always unbased.

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Yes for 20mm (usually) and no for 28mm.

I use 1,5mm thick plastic card.

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Sgt. Screams 28mm/20mm/15mm Wargaming Blog (Modern, Sci-Fi)

Same reasons as Scream and same plasticcard for me.

I always chuckle when people comment they don't like dragging little meadows on their figures or vehicles through a town. Sometimes I think people forget they are simulating war with small painted figures and vehicles and rolling dice to see what happens. Not very realistic either, is it?

But to each his own, and both points have their validations, and Googling this questions alone shows you plenty of topics on all forums.

As a side not, I keep my bases pretty small most of the time so you don't notice them that much, maybe 5-6mm around the vehicle.

I base most of my vehicles as it's easier to transport them (they all have magnets under the bases) and allows you to lift by the base, not the vehicle.

I've broken/damaged a few vehicles over the years with my big mitts.

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100% All Natural Urban Bunny

I voted "No, but I might now" which is as close as I could get to 'sometimes'.
Most of my finished 15mm modern vehicles are based partly because they are primarily HMMWVs which need the height advantage and have somewhat fragile axles and wheels which makes transportation and storage difficult without them. The ones that aren't based are mostly either unfinished or which have mounting issues due to their construction (Strykers have very heavy bodies raised high above their wheels which have fairly small contact patches in this scale).
My 20mm moderns and 15mm sci-fi vehicles aren't based; largely because they have the opposite qualities to my 15mm moderns, large and sturdy construction which negate height disparities and which basing would actually probably make more difficult to transport.

I don't base my vehicles. Aircraft have a dowel on a base, so that it looks okay, flying at height over terrain.

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An American military veteran is someone who once wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

i am planning to base them all, at first for same reasons as Elohim.
But also because i use them on conventions and it is really strange how wheeled vehicles could attract young childs ! They allways try to make them roll on the board, argh ! So with basing we'll all be safe (minis and my heart).

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"17 days? Hey man, I don't want to rain on your parade, but we're not gonna last 17 hours..."