BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Miniatures and Terrain => Hobby Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: niall78 on 28 September 2017, 23:00:55
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I'm currently clearing my miniature backlog. In fact I've almost cleared it. My last remaining project is three Battletech starter boxes that have unpainted miniatures.
I'll be doing one set as a Sword of Light Regiment, two as 12th Vegan Rangers - Alpha and Beta.
Now onto my issue. The miniatures themselves are OK after a bit of work with a knife, files and putty and I think they'll come out great with a decent paint job. The bases however are nasty. No problem I thought - I'll just cut the bases off and put the mini on a nice hex base which I'll then dress. This would also bring them into line with all my other battletech minis. So I spent a few days cutting the old bases off (and nearly my thumb) with a Stanley knife.
I then went onto Amazon to order my hex bases and couldn't find any. There was an IWM base pack on sale for £40 with a £30 pound shipping charge on top. Not a good price for four bases when I need seventy-two.
No problem I thought. I'll try all my usual gaming sites. One is sure to have hex bases - but they didn't. I can't find BT size hex bases anywhere in Europe. Even in the US such bases seem to be very hard to come by with eye-watering prices and mad shipping costs - if they ship to Europe at all.
Iron wind Metals themselves have the metal 4 hex base pack on their site for $6.95 not including shipping which is not practical with 72 minis to base.
Can anyone point me to a site that produces or sells Battletech sized hex bases at a reasonable price that ship to Europe?
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I've ordered bases from Sally 4th:
http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/ (http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/)
Even with shipping from the UK to the US, it worked out to about 10 cents per base, which is as good as Chessex plastic bases. Also, you could try Chessex I guess :-P
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Reaper makes hex bases that compare favorably, but I have no idea about European distributors for them.
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I've ordered bases from Sally 4th:
http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/ (http://wargamesbuildings.co.uk/)
Even with shipping from the UK to the US, it worked out to about 10 cents per base, which is as good as Chessex plastic bases. Also, you could try Chessex I guess :-P
Thanks Cranston. Will bookmark that link.
I also didn't think of Ral Partha Europe when conducting my searches. They have cheap plastic BT bases on sale as well.
Here's the link for anyone also looking for bases : http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/battletech-c-1/miniatures-c-1_3/accessories-c-1_3_68/99125-plastic-hex-bases-10-p-1858.html
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Does anyone in the UK have the Chessex plastic hexes? You'd get them in packs of 100. I bought a few of a guy at LotB and am impressed with them
They maybe the best cost way to go for 72 hex bases
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I've been quite happy with Proxie Models' hex bases - I used them extensively to base my micro-machines for BattleTech cross-universe battles. It charges $4.50 for 32 plastic hex bases sized for BattleTech hexes (30 mm) They are U.S. based, however, and shipping to Europe is $22.50. So your total would be $36 for 96 bases. (http://proxiemodels.com/index.html).
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Been using reaper very extensively as of late too. 4.50us for a pack of 100. I recommend then too.
I've been quite happy with Proxie Models' hex bases - I used them extensively to base my micro-machines for BattleTech cross-universe battles. It charges $4.50 for 32 plastic hex bases sized for BattleTech hexes (30 mm) They are U.S. based, however, and shipping to Europe is $22.50. So your total would be $36 for 96 bases. (http://proxiemodels.com/index.html).
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The chessex bases are nearly identical to IWM's recessed(that can't be the right word) bases, but in plastic. Outside of cons I have no idea where you'd find them. Reaper's CAV bases are about the same size, but thinner.
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Thanks Cranston. Will bookmark that link.
I also didn't think of Ral Partha Europe when conducting my searches. They have cheap plastic BT bases on sale as well.
Here's the link for anyone also looking for bases : http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/battletech-c-1/miniatures-c-1_3/accessories-c-1_3_68/99125-plastic-hex-bases-10-p-1858.html
I usually buy a few dozen of the RPE bases at a time, and that keeps me going for a few years. They show up on eBay as well at decent prices
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I used the Litko clear Acrylic hex bases and love them. Also reasonably affordable, but I'm not sure about international shipping.
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I have been using these: http://www.litko.net/categories.php?category=Bases-%26-Base-Bottoms/Hexagons
I get them in 3mm ply. It's laser cut and relatively cheap for 100 count.