Flexibility with base sizes?

[Ggom]

Hey all, I’m curious how flexible people are with base sizes when gaming. I don’t game much (ever?) but hope to play more in the future. 
 

Here’s my dilemma:

• I want to kitbash my own Chaos Marauders
• Chaos Marauders come on 25mm bases
• I suspect if they put out a new kit (the Marauder kit is really old and derpy) they will use 32mm bases
  • Similar infantry (Kairic acolytes, the Khorne basic dudes I can’t name) come on 32mm bases
  • Orks in 40k got rebased to 32mm in the past, and they didn’t even get new models
• Also, the size of my kitbashed guys are a bit big for 25mm bases
• Incidentally, I also made a bunch of greenstuff press molded bases at 32mm and would prefer to use them instead of making a bunch more bases for 25mm - but this is really a short term factor

My question - is this likely to be legal for matched play? Is there any advantage to having a larger base that vould lead this to be concieved of as cheating?

I could probably base my guys on 25mm bases and be fine with that, but it will be especially painful if they go and change base sizes on me in a year lol

Edited July 26, 2020 by Ggom

[Vasshpit]

Some pick up matched play opponents may choose not to play against you as it's kind of a rule of the game to have models on their designated sizes. But as long as you gave a brief explanation as to why you are using different ones I'd play against ya. 🙂

I'd imagine an actual tournament scene would not allow it though. 

So most friendly pick up games =👍

Tournament practice/play = 👎

Also I understand your reasoning. Others may feel differently. 

 

 

Lets see those sweet custom models!!! 😀

Edited July 26, 2020 by Vasshpit

[Mutton]

Putting them on 32's would actually give YOU a disadvantage since a marauder's 1" attack can go over 25mm bases, but not 32's. For friendly, casual games, you'll likely find a mix of people who will or will not care too much about base size. In tournaments it's expected that everything is on its proper legal base.

It might be more of a pain, but I'd just go with what GW recommends and save yourself the trouble and having to explain yourself every time you go for a match. There's always the chance base sizes change in the future, but who can say when?

Edited July 27, 2020 by Mutton

[Ggom]

Yea, i figured why would anyone complain if I’m disadvantaging myself?

The conversion is nothing fancy. I’m chopping up the Corvus Cabal and arming them with shields. Many of them look fine as is, although I’m looking forward to squeezing out more mileage from the kit and turning some of the monopose big models into believable marauders as well.

Here’s the first buddy I put together. He’ll certainly fit on 25mm, but some of his buddies are less compact.

 

[123lac]

This thread reminded me that I have my Khorne Bloodsecrator on a 40mm and my Bloodstoker on a 32mm. Turns out they are meant to be the other way around, i.e. to be correct I need to swap their bases around.

Problem is I've already painted each model and glued them firmly to their bases. Snapping them off is going to be a big pain and might result in me damaging either the models, the paint jobs or the scenic bases.

How big of an issue is this if I want to play some matched play games in the future? So far I've only been collecting and painting.

[Evangelist of Cinders]

2 hours ago, 123lac said:

 

Problem is I've already painted each model and glued them firmly to their bases. Snapping them off is going to be a big pain and might result in me damaging either the models, the paint jobs or the scenic bases.

 

A trick from the rebasing off square is to drill into the legs from below the base and put a pin in, its easier to remove without damging as the mini is more braced

 

[Kramer]

4 hours ago, Ggom said:

 

Yea, i figured why would anyone complain if I’m disadvantaging myself

 

But what if you screen an objective with them? There is always a argument to think off why a different base size might be an advantage in specific situations. 

personally conversions trump base sizes, so I’d be up for it. But I think it might be awhile before the redo the models and therefore the base sizes. with updating the chaos warriors, that would have been the perfect size. 

conversion looks really good though! 

[dekay]

Sadly, bases are important.

As others mentioned, it seems like you're disadvantaging yourself because with 32mm base marauders can't fight in two ranks. But on the other hand, if you want to use them as a screen and, say, stretch them into a line, this line will be 7cm wider for each 10 guys. That's more than 10 inches longer screen for a full unit. Is this better than fighting in 2 ranks? Honestly, who knows. Because it depends on how are you planning to use them.

Important thing is, you're turning a unit better at fighting and worse at securing ground into a unit worse at fighting but better at securing ground. In some way a different unit. Can your opponent be certain you'll be using them identically to how you'd be using regular marauders despite their slightly different profile? Or even, can you be sure their different profile won't affect how YOU think about using them?

In friendly games it should be okay, but the more you think about it, the more it's because people will let you play your own homebrew unit. Unit very similar to an existing unit, of course, but still a new one. I'd advise using 25mm base to avoid any confusion. Marauders haven't been updated for StD tome and it's highly unlikely they will get update for next few years at least.

And, coincidentally, I have some ghur-freeguild guys converted from corvus cabal and they fit onto a smaller bases just fine, you should manage ; )

[Eevika]

Base size is really important when playing more seriously. Large horde units going from 25mm to 32mm gives them a way larger footprint on the table for screening and blocking opponents from getting places. 

[Deadkitten]

There is a LOT to be said about base sizes.  

Basically, it's OK to disadvantage yourself, but not gain an advantage.  Having aid that:

http://www.mengelminiatures.com/2020/05/the-myth-of-modeling-for-advantage.html

Basically, as with everything else:

Rule #1 Rule of Cool;

Rule #2 Wheaton's Law

[Ggom]

Hmm... after some chopping and posing I think some of the larger Corvus Cabalists are too big for 25mm. I think I will have to run them as Darkoath heroes instead.

Matched play allows for conversions right? Like, if I put a shield on a big Barbarian lady and base her appropriately I can call her a Darkoath Warqueen? (We’ll say she is otherwise equipped appropriately, with the exception that she’s carrying a rough double edged blade instead of a real axe?)

EDIT: also, from a cost perspective this is getting steeeeeeeep. At this rate I’m getting 5 or 6 marauders for every Corvus Cabal set lol, which comes of to 6 USD a Marauder. Adding the 3rd party shield bits brings that up to a little over 8 USD each.

The things one must do to avoid having to use derpy sculpts that need updates...

Edited July 28, 2020 by Ggom