Guide to Basing WFB Miniatures

Guide to Basing Warhammer Fantasy Battles Miniatures

This page is not meant to tell you what to do - it's my opinion along with a little research and a lot of peeking into blister packs. Games Workshop never really set a standard for bases so you're free to use whatever you want, as long as you and your opponent can agree on how the various models match up. Presented here are some general catagories for your entertainment and edification, but keep in mind that people often make their own bases to meet the needs of a specific model.

Base Size Description Examples

Troops: Most models use a square base, but skirmishers that are not allowed to form into blocks may be mounted on round bases for easy identification.

20mm x 20mm Most humanoids and small critters.
Dwarves (standard, Chaos, Norse)
Elves (standard, Dark, High, Sea, Wood)
Giant Rats
Gnomes
Goblins (standard & Chaos)
Halflings
Half-Orcs
Humans (standard, Chaos Cultists, Evil Warriors, Evil Sorcerers)
Lizardmen (Skinks)
Pygmies
Skaven
Troglodytes (includes Wynn)
Undead (includes Ghosts, Ghouls, Liches, Mummies, Skeletons, Spectres, Wights, Wraiths & Zombies)
Vampires in human form
Werecreatures in human or wolfman form

Small fliers
Dark Elf Harpies
Giant Bats
Vampires in Giant Bat form

25mm x 25mm Large humanoids and medium-sized beasties.
Bears
Beastmen
Daemons (all Infantry, Familiars & Servants)
Demons, Lesser
Dryads
Fimir (Finn, Shearl)
Giant Frogs
Gor (standard, Bestigor, Ungor)
Gorgons
Harpies
Hobgoblins
Humans (Chaos Marauders, Chaos Sorcerers, Chaos Warriors, Norse)
Lizardmen (standard & Saurus)
Orcs (standard, Black, Savage)
Slann

Large fliers
Ravening Hordes Beastmen Harpies
Hordes of Chaos Furies

25mm x 50mm Mounted cavalry units and other large quadrupeds.
Boars
Cats (only the big ones: Sabre-Toothed Tigers, Wild Cat, etc.)
Centaurs (standard, Boar, Bull, Chaos)
Cold Ones
Dogs (Chaos Hounds, Dire Wolves, Giant Wolves, Hobhounds, Temple Dogs, Warhounds, Wolf-Rats)
Horses (standard, Chaos Steeds, Undead Horsemen, Warhorses)
Ki-rin
Pegasuses (Pegasi?)
Unicorns
Vampires and Werecreatures in Giant Wolf form
Zoats

Big 'Uns:

40mm x 40mm Giant humanoids, monsters (as defined on pages 103-105 of the Warhammer rulebook) and monstrous characters.
Chimera
Cockatrice
Elementals
Fimir (characters)
Giants
Giant Animals (Leeches, Scorpions, Spiders, etc.)
Demons, Greater
Griffons
Hippogriffs
Hydras
Jabberwocks (and Snarks, but only if they are also Boojums)
Kroxigors
Manticores
Minotaurs
Ogres (standard, Dragon, Rat)
Swarms (Bats, Rats, Snakes, Snotlings)
Treemen
Trolls

Flying Monsters
Carrion
Coatl
Eagles

50mm x 50mm Creatures that are classified as large targets.
The Chaos Hordes infantry and cavalry all use bases which are multiples of 25mm, so it's recommended that all Chaos Hordes Monster Mounts and Monstrous Characters are based on 50mm square bases (regardless of whether or not they are a large target) to avoid difficulties in ranking up characters with units.

Things: You generally don't have to base these, but the crew should be mounted on their appripriate bases. If you decide to put the model on a base, use multiples of 20mm or 25mm so that it's easier to match them up with their crew.

40mm x 40mm War engines & machines - use 40mm square bases for crews that use 20mm bases, 50mm square for crews that use 25mm bases.
Ballistae
Bolt Throwers
Catapult: 40mm x 60mm bases usually work
Tripod-Mount Plasma Autocannon: sorry - wrong game.

50mm x 60mm These are suggested sizes - make the base as wide and as long as necessary to accommodate the model.
Light chariots: use 40mm wide bases if you don't need the space, 50mm if you do.
The Screaming Bell: 40mm x 60mm
Heavy & Scythed chariots
War Elephants

Unique Just make something that looks right, using multiples of 20 or 25.
Dragons
The Slaan Lord: 50mm x 75mm

One final note: in a tournament setting the directors may impose a standard base size. In this case case it is easy enough to make a movement tray (a good idea anyway) for the figures at the size they "should" occupy.

References

As much as I'd like to take credit for this, it is by no means my own work - I compiled information from several sources to create this page. My thanks to the folks and places below.
Ray from Jersey's Cards and Comics provided most of the examples.
The Southeast Michigan Warhammer League for their Recommended Base Size Chart.
Don Effinger's article on Basing.

Base Size	Description	Examples
Troops: Most models use a square base, but skirmishers that are not allowed to form into blocks may be mounted on round bases for easy identification.
20mm x 20mm	Most humanoids and small critters.	Dwarves (standard, Chaos, Norse) Elves (standard, Dark, High, Sea, Wood) Giant Rats Gnomes Goblins (standard & Chaos) Halflings Half-Orcs Humans (standard, Chaos Cultists, Evil Warriors, Evil Sorcerers) Lizardmen (Skinks) Pygmies Skaven Troglodytes (includes Wynn) Undead (includes Ghosts, Ghouls, Liches, Mummies, Skeletons, Spectres, Wights, Wraiths & Zombies) Vampires in human form Werecreatures in human or wolfman form
20mm x 20mm	Small fliers	Dark Elf Harpies Giant Bats Vampires in Giant Bat form
25mm x 25mm	Large humanoids and medium-sized beasties.	Bears Beastmen Daemons (all Infantry, Familiars & Servants) Demons, Lesser Dryads Fimir (Finn, Shearl) Giant Frogs Gor (standard, Bestigor, Ungor) Gorgons Harpies Hobgoblins Humans (Chaos Marauders, Chaos Sorcerers, Chaos Warriors, Norse) Lizardmen (standard & Saurus) Orcs (standard, Black, Savage) Slann
25mm x 25mm	Large fliers	Ravening Hordes Beastmen Harpies Hordes of Chaos Furies
25mm x 50mm	Mounted cavalry units and other large quadrupeds.	Boars Cats (only the big ones: Sabre-Toothed Tigers, Wild Cat, etc.) Centaurs (standard, Boar, Bull, Chaos) Cold Ones Dogs (Chaos Hounds, Dire Wolves, Giant Wolves, Hobhounds, Temple Dogs, Warhounds, Wolf-Rats) Horses (standard, Chaos Steeds, Undead Horsemen, Warhorses) Ki-rin Pegasuses (Pegasi?) Unicorns Vampires and Werecreatures in Giant Wolf form Zoats

Big 'Uns:
40mm x 40mm	Giant humanoids, monsters (as defined on pages 103-105 of the Warhammer rulebook) and monstrous characters.	Chimera Cockatrice Elementals Fimir (characters) Giants Giant Animals (Leeches, Scorpions, Spiders, etc.) Demons, Greater Griffons Hippogriffs Hydras Jabberwocks (and Snarks, but only if they are also Boojums) Kroxigors Manticores Minotaurs Ogres (standard, Dragon, Rat) Swarms (Bats, Rats, Snakes, Snotlings) Treemen Trolls
40mm x 40mm	Flying Monsters	Carrion Coatl Eagles
50mm x 50mm	Creatures that are classified as large targets.	The Chaos Hordes infantry and cavalry all use bases which are multiples of 25mm, so it's recommended that all Chaos Hordes Monster Mounts and Monstrous Characters are based on 50mm square bases (regardless of whether or not they are a large target) to avoid difficulties in ranking up characters with units.

Things: You generally don't have to base these, but the crew should be mounted on their appripriate bases. If you decide to put the model on a base, use multiples of 20mm or 25mm so that it's easier to match them up with their crew.
40mm x 40mm	War engines & machines - use 40mm square bases for crews that use 20mm bases, 50mm square for crews that use 25mm bases.	Ballistae Bolt Throwers Catapult: 40mm x 60mm bases usually work Tripod-Mount Plasma Autocannon: sorry - wrong game.
50mm x 60mm	These are suggested sizes - make the base as wide and as long as necessary to accommodate the model.	Light chariots: use 40mm wide bases if you don't need the space, 50mm if you do. The Screaming Bell: 40mm x 60mm Heavy & Scythed chariots War Elephants
Unique	Just make something that looks right, using multiples of 20 or 25.	Dragons The Slaan Lord: 50mm x 75mm

One final note: in a tournament setting the directors may impose a standard base size. In this case case it is easy enough to make a movement tray (a good idea anyway) for the figures at the size they "should" occupy.

References
As much as I'd like to take credit for this, it is by no means my own work - I compiled information from several sources to create this page. My thanks to the folks and places below. Ray from Jersey's Cards and Comics provided most of the examples. The Southeast Michigan Warhammer League for their Recommended Base Size Chart. Don Effinger's article on Basing.