A ranger standing among roots tells a different story from the same figure on a bare stone floor. The miniature hasn't changed, but its surroundings have. A scenic base is a small space where you can give a character a home.
The best choice also needs to work on your table. Before picking the most dramatic design, check the size, the figure's stance, and how you plan to use it.
Start with the base size your game needs
Check your game's basing requirements, your group's conventions, and any event rules before changing a model's footprint. If you mainly play casual roleplaying games, agree with your game master on what fits the map and represents the character clearly.
Keep two measurements separate: the miniature's scale and the base's size. A figure sold at 32mm scale doesn't automatically need a 32mm base. For a round base, the listed diameter tells you how much space it occupies; the figure's pose determines how comfortably it sits on top.
Look for room beneath the feet
Picture the actual contact points of your model. A wide-legged warrior needs a different arrangement from a robed figure with a narrow stance. Raised roots and stones can make a base interesting, but they may land exactly where a foot needs to go.
Before attaching anything, rest the parts together and check the view from several angles. Look for usable contact areas, a stable position, and clearance for equipment that hangs below the figure. If the model includes its own sculpted ground or attached base, check that detail before ordering a separate one.
Pick one setting, then vary the details
A party can look connected without every base being identical. Try choosing a shared landscape and letting each character occupy a different part of it:
- Woodland travelers: roots, stones, and scattered mushrooms, with a consistent earth-and-green palette.
- Ruins explorers: broken paving and dusty colors, with one small clue to each character's story.
- Alien expedition: unfamiliar plants and unusual ground colors, repeated across the group.
Choose a few recurring colors before painting. Keeping the ground and base rims consistent gives you room to vary clothing, armor, and individual scenery. Leave the area around the figure readable so the base supports the character's silhouette.
A forest-base example from the shop
Our Forest Bases by Vae Victis Miniatures include designs with rocks, wood, mushrooms, and forest-floor detail. The listing offers 25mm, 32mm, 60mm, and 100mm options, with individual style choices.
The featured image shows the range of designs. Check the selected size and style for what you're ordering; a group image doesn't mean every pictured base is included. These are supplied as unpainted physical resin pieces.
Think about transport as well as display
Try the planned model-and-base combination in your storage space before committing to a tall arrangement. A branch or weapon extending beyond the base may need extra clearance, and an impressive display pose still needs to sit securely on the table.
For your next project, aim for three things: the right footprint, a comfortable fit for the sculpt, and a setting that suits the character. If dimensions are the missing piece, ask us before ordering. Then give that tiny adventurer somewhere worth standing.
Featured image: Forest Bases product render; sculpts by Vae Victis Miniatures.