Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MrSpaceman]

I've got a burning question about what bases are suitable for the different Kryomek miniatures.  I've been wondering about this for a while, on and off.  Mainly because I was thinking of starting a Kryomek collection again and get some games going down at one of the clubs here in Cambridge.  I had a decent collection once, but it got lost (it got left in the drama cupboard at school and 'disappeared' ... so many years ago!..).  Back then I didn't really base my minis, but I think I would like to. I'm highly impressed with what Bagpuss has done.

So the rulebooks depict Helions on hex bases.  What hex bases are 'compatible' with these minis?.. i.e. without much alteration, if any at all.  I'm thinking these 30mm hex bases might be pretty good: http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/MINIAATURES_BASES.html  ... but what's the max. length of the Helion mini bases?

Also, Warriors I guess would be good on large-ish circular bases (and Talos) and Warmasters on even larger circular bases.  Maybe the 40mm and 50mm bases from the same page.

This is all theoretical, so it'd be nice to hear from someone with a practical perspective.

[Seba]

I you would base them on round bases, I think I got some hex bases, so I can check it for you.

Cheers
Seba

[katie]

Hey another player in Cambridge!!!

I play at http://cambridgecitygames.proboards.com/ -- we're in Chesterton on Mondays.

[MrSpaceman]

Another club in Cambridge.  My wife's not going to think that's funny.  Do you ever play Kryomek?

[MrSpaceman]

I you would base them on round bases, I think I got some hex bases, so I can check it for you.

Cheers
Seba

Just to make clear my motivation for the hex bases: from the core rulebook here's an image...(attached)

The Helions would best do with 25mm hex bases, the Warriors could have larger ones.  Warriors might be better (practically) on round bases, but Kryomek should be hexes, it's Kryomek chic!

[katie]

We don't play Kryomek yet.. I'm still painting figures. Got nearly 4000pts of the Kryos done. Slowly working through SWAT and Marines to match them. I've got a load of TALOS still to do[1]. The HELCATs were easier.

Some of the Kryomek alien figures were old enough that I originally bought them from actual Fantasy Forge along with the rules. Still have the catalogue pages from the 80s somewhere... sadly something I'm missing is the A2 poster of the cover art which came with the rules. No idea where that's gone.

[1] They're amazingly fiddly with all the machinery parts to pick out.

[katie]

On the subject of bases; Only some of the helions really work on 25mm ones. I've used 25mm rounds, 30mm and 40mm for the helions. (Some of them are top-heavy, some of the snakey ones are just too big to sensibly fit).

Warriors are on 30, 40 or 50mm rounds (the one running with the acid jet[1] needs a big base.) and Warmasters on 50mm -- although they're a tight fit.

Warbases do a range of hexagon laser-cut bases -- they're listed as face-to-face diameters (x by 1.15ish to get the p-p size) whereas the plastic ones are 25mm point-to-point. At 3mm deep they're a pretty reasonable match for slottas, especially if you paint the sides of your bases anyway.

Figures in Comfort have very recently laid their hands on a range of bases which include a huge oval size which would look brill for Warmasters but they're not on the website yet.





[1] Although actually I've swapped those arms with some of the others to vary them up a bit; it works as long as you're up for GSing the hoses.

[MrSpaceman]

Well this is all very exciting, in many ways!  Bases!  And an active collector/painter in the area! 

I admit, I'm dormant on the Kryomek front, apart from the dreams (feverish dreams in manifold space) and the recent re-reading of the rules. 

I've got other wargames projects to get done first (oh, so many), but I'd be all over a game or two of Kryomek.  I think the playing the game again after all these years will be refreshing.  They read pretty well.

Bases:  I reckon the 25mm point-to-point are going to be the truest fit for my purposes.  Maybe the metal beasties need a little work to get them to fit. 

I'm really tempted to say sod it and buy a bunch with some bases and do a unit or two.

[MrSpaceman]

Actually, the face-to-faceon the War-Bases.co.uk site is the same measurement as given in the helion cohesion diagram from the Kryomek book.  It's just measured from the middle of each base in the diagram

I guess the advantage of the laser cut bases is that you can use up to the edge of the hexagon.  In my head I was thinking of a base with a lip, but that gives you less real estate to plug the helion.

Here's a blog which compares several other bases: http://wargameguru.weebly.com/review---having-good-hex-hex-bases-101.html  I think I found this before and being 2010 it might not be up to date?

[MrSpaceman]

Heh. I nearly bought 60 hex bases from war-bases   They would have been < a fiver, but that's probably my games budget for the month.  I have 6.5 week old daughter now, I must tread lightly.

It might be quite easy to buy a few packs of helions to put on them.  I like the little ones with legs plus tails (KKO-001 Helions Alpha Type) and given what Katie is saying, maybe these are good for stability on little lightweight bases.  Maybe the Helions V and VI seem to have a low centre-of-mass.

[MrSpaceman]

I just found that the Dreadball hex bases (I have a few) are 25mm. Pretty lightweight, but might be OK for the Alpha Helions. Mantic do 24 for £3: http://www.manticgames.com/mantic-shop/dreadball/accessories/product/mantic-hex-bases-bundle-24.html

Still tempted to do this with the Helions on hex bases... Perhaps this year!? 

[katie]

Have to say, having played this and also needing to get a ton more of the Helions (to build out enough Kryomek points to allow the Humans to have interesting forces), individually basing them is a pain.

One of the authors of "Pikeman's Lament" bases his 17th century figures in groups (units are 6 or 12) of 3s 2s and singles, so casualties can be taken out while not making the movement phases take ages. I'm starting to think something similar would work better for Helion groups; a 3, 2 and a single base cuts the movement time in half and the actual figures are interchangeable anyway.

[MrSpaceman]

That is a great idea. I guess a selection of configurations. Some in twos:
(assuming hex bases, with faces at 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 o'clock)

• 2 o'clock/8 o'clock
• 3 o'clock/9 o'clock
• 10 o'clock/4 o'clock

But what about the threes? I'll have to give this a bit of thought...

[MrSpaceman]

The coils are aligning and the diman is opening....

... I've got a set of custom cut 25mm hex bases in 1s, 2s and [3 varieties of] 3s and I've started prepping some of the alpha helions for mounting.  I've mounted the first helion of 3 helion groups.  I would share the WIP photos, but they're on my phone (which I've left at home).  I was too excited not to post something on the internet somewhere about this.

I've also got some 40mm hexes for warrior and 50mm hexes for warmasters.  Hopefully, I should have some kryomek based and ready for paint very soon.