Basing is the final step that ties your miniatures together and makes them look like they belong in a cohesive army. A well-based model looks finished and professional. An unbased model looks incomplete no matter how well the miniature itself is painted. The good news is that basing does not need to be time-consuming — with the right techniques, you can base an entire army in a single evening.
This guide focuses on speed and efficiency. Every technique here is designed to produce great-looking results with minimal time investment, because the reality is that most hobbyists would rather spend their limited painting time on the miniatures themselves than on the things they stand on.
What Is the Fastest Way to Base Miniatures?
Texture paints are the fastest basing method available. Products like Citadel’s Astrogranite, Stirland Mud, and Agrellan Earth provide a textured, coloured surface in a single application. Apply a thick layer of texture paint to the base with an old brush or spatula, let it dry completely (usually 2 to 4 hours or overnight for thick applications), and you have a finished base.
The cracking texture paints (Agrellan Earth, Agrellan Badland) are particularly effective for speed basing because the cracking pattern creates visual interest automatically. Apply a thick coat — the thicker the application, the larger and more dramatic the cracks. A thin coat produces fine, subtle cracking, while a very thick coat creates large, dramatic desert cracks. No additional painting is needed, though a quick drybrush of a lighter colour dramatically enhances the effect.
For the absolute fastest results, apply texture paint to all your bases in a batch. Line up every model in the army, apply texture paint to all bases in sequence, let them all dry overnight, then drybrush and rim them all at once. Batch processing removes the per-model overhead that makes basing feel tedious.
PVA glue and sand is the classic basing technique and remains one of the fastest. Apply PVA glue to the base, dip it in fine sand (play sand from a hardware store works perfectly), shake off the excess, and let it dry. Once dry, apply a basecoat of your chosen earth colour, wash with Agrax Earthshade, and drybrush with a lighter tone. Total active time per model is under two minutes.
How Do You Batch Base an Entire Army?
Batch basing is the key to efficiency. Instead of basing each model individually as you finish painting it, accumulate unpainted bases and process them all together. The repetitive steps — applying texture, drybrushing, rimming — become much faster when you do them in production-line fashion.
The optimal batch basing workflow is: Step 1, apply texture paint or PVA and sand to all bases. Step 2, let everything dry completely (overnight is safest). Step 3, basecoat all bases if needed (texture paints may not need this). Step 4, wash all bases with a shade paint. Step 5, drybrush all bases with a highlight colour. Step 6, paint all base rims. Step 7, apply static grass, tufts, or other finishing touches.
Each step takes only a few seconds per model when done in batch. A 50-model infantry army can be fully based in about 2 to 3 hours using this workflow, compared to 5 or more hours if each model were based individually. The time savings come from not cleaning your brush between models, not switching between techniques, and building muscle memory through repetition.
Keep your basing supplies organised in a dedicated station. A tray containing your texture paint, PVA glue, sand, tufts, base rim paint, and a designated basing brush means you can jump into a basing session without any setup time. When everything is at hand, there is no excuse to leave bases unfinished.
What Are the Best Texture Paints for Quick Basing?
Citadel texture paints are the most widely available and come in a range of colours and textures. Astrogranite (grey rubble) and Astrogranite Debris (coarser grey rubble) are excellent for urban and industrial bases. Stirland Mud (dark brown earth) and Stirland Battlemire (thicker brown mud) work perfectly for natural ground. Armageddon Dust (tan sand) is ideal for desert themes. Agrellan Earth and Agrellan Badland create cracked, arid surfaces.
Vallejo has an extensive range of texture pastes that offer more variety and better value per volume. Their Earth Texture, Dark Earth, and Sandy Paste products are thicker than Citadel equivalents, which makes them easier to apply in thick layers for more dramatic texture. Vallejo textures also come in larger pots, making them more economical for basing entire armies.
AK Interactive and Ammo by Mig produce terrain-specific texture products that include realistic ground effects — wet mud, dry earth, snow, gravel, and more. These products are slightly more expensive but produce very realistic results with minimal additional painting. Their snow textures in particular are far more convincing than most DIY alternatives.
For budget options, premixed tile grout (available at hardware stores) tinted with acrylic paint provides a cheap, effective texture paste that works identically to commercial products at a fraction of the cost. Mix grout with PVA glue and paint to your desired consistency and colour, and you have a virtually unlimited supply of custom texture paint.
How Do You Add Quick Details to Bases?
Static grass tufts are the single fastest way to add visual interest to a finished base. Self-adhesive tufts from Army Painter, Gamers Grass, or Games Workshop can be placed on a base in seconds — peel and stick. Two or three tufts per base transform a plain textured surface into a believable piece of ground. Vary the placement and density across your army to avoid a uniform, artificial look.
Rocks and debris add height variation that makes bases more visually interesting. Small pieces of cork board, broken bits of sprue, or actual small stones glued to the base before applying texture paint create natural-looking rocky terrain. Paint them dark grey, wash, and drybrush light grey — the whole process takes about 30 seconds per base.
Pooled water effects can be created quickly using PVA glue or Citadel’s Technical paints like Nurgle’s Rot (toxic green slime) or Blood for the Blood God (realistic blood pools). Apply a small amount into a low point on the base and let it dry clear. These effects add narrative detail — a muddy puddle, a pool of toxic runoff, or battlefield gore — with almost no time investment.
Scattered debris — skulls, spent shell casings, discarded weapons — adds narrative flavour. Games Workshop sells bags of basing skulls that are incredibly useful. Glue two or three skulls to a base before texturing, and suddenly your model is standing on an ancient battlefield. This takes seconds per base but adds significant visual storytelling.
How Do You Match Bases Across an Entire Army?
Consistency is crucial for army-wide basing. Every base in your army should use the same basic technique, colours, and materials. This visual cohesion ties individual models into a unified force and creates a professional, finished appearance on the tabletop.
Document your basing recipe. Write down the exact products and steps you use: “Stirland Mud texture paint, Agrax Earthshade wash, Ushabti Bone drybrush, Rhinox Hide rim, Army Painter Wasteland Tufts.” Having this recipe means you can reproduce the same basing effect months or years later when you add new units to your army. Without documentation, matching older bases becomes guesswork.
Paint your base rims consistently. The rim colour frames the base and has a surprisingly large impact on the overall look. Black rims are the most popular choice — they create a clean, gallery-style frame that works with any basing scheme. Brown rims (Steel Legion Drab, Mournfang Brown) blend more naturally with earth-toned bases. Whatever you choose, use the same rim colour across every model in the army.
Buy materials in bulk. If you are basing a large army with a specific tuft type or texture paint, buy enough to complete the entire project at once. Product lines change, colours shift between batches, and items get discontinued. Having sufficient stock of identical materials prevents the frustrating situation of running out mid-army and being unable to match the original.
What Are Some Theme-Specific Quick Basing Ideas?
Urban rubble bases: Astrogranite Debris, wash with Nuln Oil, drybrush Administratum Grey. Add small pieces of plasticard cut into irregular shapes for concrete chunks. Rim black. Total time per model: 3 minutes plus drying time.
Snow bases: Apply Valhallan Blizzard or AK Interactive snow texture over a basecoated brown base. The white snow over dark earth creates instant contrast. Add a few winter tufts for dead grass poking through the snow. Rim white or light grey. Total time per model: 2 minutes plus drying.
Swamp or marsh bases: Stirland Battlemire applied thickly, washed with Athonian Camoshade. Add a few tufts of tall grass and a small pool of PVA glue tinted green for stagnant water. Rim dark brown. Total time per model: 3 minutes plus drying.
Alien or Chaos wasteland: Martian Ironcrust or Ironearth (cracking red texture), drybrushed with Kindleflame. No tufts needed — the alien red surface tells its own story. Rim dark red or black. Total time per model: 2 minutes plus drying. This is ideal for Chaos or Tyranid armies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you base models before or after painting them?
Base after painting the model but before applying the final varnish. This allows you to clean up any texture paint that gets on the model’s feet while the varnish is still unapplied. Some painters prefer to base before painting so they can paint the entire model and base as a unified piece — either approach works.
How do you fix a bad base without stripping the model?
Apply a new layer of texture paint over the existing base. Most texture paints adhere well over previously textured surfaces. If the old base is very thick, scrape off the worst of it with a hobby knife before applying fresh texture. You can also cover problem bases with a layer of PVA and sand, which sticks to almost anything.
Do you need to seal texture paint?
Not strictly necessary, but a coat of matte varnish over finished bases prevents texture paint from flaking off during handling and gameplay. This is especially important for cracking texture paints, which can chip along the crack edges if handled roughly.
What is the best base rim colour?
Black is the safest and most popular choice — it works with every basing scheme and creates a clean, framed appearance. Earth tones like Mournfang Brown or Steel Legion Drab blend more naturally with organic bases. Some painters match the rim to the table surface they play on for maximum immersion.
How do you paint Necromunda bases?
Go for a grimy underhive look rather than natural ground. Use Astrogranite Debris or bits of plasticard grating and pipes, wash with Nuln Oil, drybrush a light grey, then add rust with a brown wash or a rust texture on the metal parts. Rim the base black. Many gang players keep their bases simple so the fighters stand out on busy industrial terrain.
How do you use Agrellan Badland on a base?
Apply Agrellan Badland thickly straight from the pot with an old brush or spatula and leave it to dry completely, ideally overnight. It cracks as it dries, and thicker coats make bigger cracks. Then drybrush a lighter tone such as Ushabti Bone or Screaming Skull over the top to pick out the cracks, and paint the rim.
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- Best Paints for Warhammer — Complete Comparison Guide — choose the right paints for your models
- How to Paint Lava Bases — Volcanic Basing Tutorial — learn a related painting technique