This brings me back to a point where I have been before, as I already had experimented with single based figures years ago - then with metal-singlebases and multibases with inlayed magnets. It had not worked and resulted in some really nasty accidents with miniatures falling down and all that, so I went ahead and have based everything the DBx-way since then. Now I'm willing to give the thought it another try.
The thing I have changed now is that the (quite strong) magnet is not in the multibase, but in the base of the figure itself. And suddenly it works like a charm! So I'm now able to use this unit of Normans both for SAGA...
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| Crusader Miniatures Normans single based for SAGA |
... and for systems requiring larger units like Impetus or Hail Caesar.
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| The same Crusader Miniatures Normans on Multibases for Hail Caesar or Impetus |
The Multibase has sabots that I make myself with a saddlers stamping-tool. The base can be styrodur or any strong material, it is glued to a metal surface in order to give the magnets in the figure-bases something to hold on to.
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| The Multibase without the figures |
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| A not finished multibase together with the saddlers stamping-tool |
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| The figures blend well into the Multibase |
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| The sabots can only be seen from directly above |
Due to the strong magnet in the base, the figures hold on to the Multibase very well and have not yet fallen off - even when turned around:
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| No miniatures were harmed in the making of this picture - but don't do this without magnets!!! |
They also can be fixed on smaller bases DBx-size - yet since here there is not enough room to make sabots, the visual effect clearly suffers.
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| Admitted - it would look better with color on the base - but only slightly so... |
The same method works for mounted figures. Here I use oval single bases from warbases (with a 5mm magnet in a drilling-hole) amd fitting sabot-bases from warbases as well.
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| Crusader Miniatures Normans charging as a unit for Hail Ceasar or two units for Impetus |
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| The same figures as they would be used in a SAGA-game |
I'm quite happy with the result. The making of the Multibase takes some time, but much less then the painting of another unit for a new gaming systems would require. The same goes for the price: The Multibases and the magnets are not for free, but they are way cheaper then new figures would be.
Now I'm going to give the same treatment to all my figures that I would like to use for several systems, especially my Dark-Age figures for Dux Britanniarum and my Perry Samurai and Koreans (I have not yet found a suitable skirmish system for them, but Samurai skirmish is much to tempting to glue them all onto one large base...).
But I'll certainly draw the line at the year 400 AD - my Ancients collection before that date is all neatly based on DBx-bases and much to extensive to be rebased. Also I don't see the point of skirmish gaming in an era that really relied very much upon large bodies of troops, and since DBx-basing is compatible to all non-skirmish systems anyway, there really is no point changing it.
Best regards and have a nice evening,
Tobi
