Basing fighters...

[GhostRecon]

...and a cost-efficient, time-efficient way to do it...

Anyone have one?

I have a -ton- of Star Furies and T-bolts to base (384 total, or 64 bases worth). I'd like to base them with the stems sticking up, like the Badgers in this pic: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/product_images/full_size/ctaeabadger.jpg

However, I can't think of an efficient way to do it. The best I have is using green stuff or some sort of putty (Even plaster) to fill in the holes on the bases (Because the original drilled holes in the ACTA Fighter Bases are too big for the fighter stems) but I keep thinking there might be a better way.

How was it done for the Badgers, if anyone knows, and does anybody have suggestions on how to more effectively/efficiently base fighters? Thanks.

 

[nekomata fuyu]

It may not be the quickest method, but I seem to be getting ok results with brass tubing and a hacksaw.
If you get the right size of tubing, it'll just about slide into the holes on the base, yet be wide enough for the fighter tabs to slide inside the tubing. With this method you can also alternate the heights of the individual fighters, which gives each flight more of a swarm look rather than them all flying in a disk formation.

 

[wkehrman]

Not a quick method either, but I've been experimenting with wooden nickels (wood disks about 1-1/4" in diameter and 1/8" thick). I'm only putting three to a stand, but one could easily do six, it's just a lot of holes to drill. I have more fighters than bases as it is, so I wanted to come up with a replacement that cost less than 60 cents a piece plus shipping and handling. A bag of nickles will create eleven stands and costs US$3. Each base runs me about 30 cents. I'm sure somewhere there's a dealer in bulk wooden nickels.

Take one nickel and drill holes. I drilled three in a straight line along the center of the nickel. This gives me the option of mounting them line abreast, line astern or eschelon left/right. BTW, drill a template nickel.

Glue the drilled nickel to an undrilled nickel. This gives some height to the stand and closes the holes. A relatively long stem on a fighter will hit the undrilled nickel before the fighter hits the base.

Epoxy a metal movement stand, washer or other magnetic, weighty object to add stability and ease of storage.

As I said, it is an experiment but I like the way they look. Fewer fighters to a stand means more stands of fighters (an issue around here) and I have room to make identifying marks (squadron numbers, ship names, whatever) on the bases.

If David Anla'Shok is reading this, I'd ask him to bring his camera to the game tonight. I've almost completed two Aurora and two T-bolt stands for gaming tonight. We could take pix and post.

 

[Shadow Queen]

thats how I do it or put greenstuff in the holes and you can choose the hight you want em at

 

[lastbesthope]

...and a cost-efficient, time-efficient way to do it...

Anyone have one?

I have a -ton- of Star Furies and T-bolts to base (384 total, or 64 bases worth)

Blimey that's as many as I have.

LBH

 

[DaBogmu]

I bought a bunch of 1" round wooden disks from hobby lobby 12 for $1.49 I think and they are working great.

 

[Scuzzlebutt142]

You can buy plasticard tubing which fits perfectly in the holes in the bases, so you then only have to glue the stems to that.

 

[GhostRecon]

I found a reasonably effective way to do it...

I took some electrical wire (14 or 16 gauge, don't remember, though fairly sure its 16 gauge -- It fits perfectly into the hole for the base, and is large enough to fit snugly around the stem of the Starfury model itself) and used my wire strippers to take out the copper wires inside (Which, I found, make for -great- spacers to fill in extra space if you have a bad fit for your base because you drilled wrong >.>) and use the coating. Drop a dab of glue into it, stick the Furies' stem in, and bam, there you go. Then just stick the other end into the base, glue it in, and its ready to go.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, gave me the inspiration I needed to adapt my solution!

 

[Iain McGhee]

The Badgers have extra-long stems to start with. I use a mixture of 1" round (SST spares) and plywood 1" square bases myself, 2 or 3 fighters per base.

 

[darknight]

me, i like just putting 1 one a single small ship base, just mounted on the base itself, it looks ok and is far easier to move around,
and the timeslip bases to add dimension

 

[Shadow Queen]

My thunder bolts add dimention too a bit more work.

 

[GhostRecon]

Speaking of Thunderbolts, I'd like some opinions as to how I should base them.

Here are my two current preferences, with a completed (But unpainted) flight of Aurora's next to them for comparison.

My choices are Four Thunderbolts to a base (Pairs of two):

or Six Thunderbolts to a base (Standard):

I'm of the personal opinion that the six T-bolts to a base is too 'busy' but I've had differing opinions from my friends; what's your take?

 

[Shadow Queen]

to be honist whatever makes you happy and what you like.

 

[Taran]

It's EA. They're always shown with SWARMS of fighters.
6 to a base looks just right.

I wouldn't put Nials/WSFs/Frazis 6 to a base, because they're never shown that clumped, but Auroras of various kinds? Oh yeah.

 

[Shadow Queen]

what about Vree etc?

 

[Taran]

I don't recall ever seeing Vree or the others, and since I will probably never get around to playing anyopne but those I listed + Centauri + a little Gaim (as allies), I'm not worrying about it...

 

[arbaily]

I was wondering if everyone puts all six fighters on the base or puts something like 3 per base and therefore gets double the number of flights per pack.

 

[Omnipotent]

Well I put all six of my Darts, but they are not "on a pole", I have 4 flights of Torpedofighters which I intend to lift up on poles, and yes, I plan to stick all six up...

However as I also agree that EA should have six flighters on a base, my friends see the cost of buying enough as to high compared to making own bases(of wood) and sticking only 3 fighters per base...works fine for them, works well for me :roll:

 

[Banichi]

That's pretty much what I do. I like getting double the amount of fighter stands out of a packet.

 

[Omnipotent]

and since I only play Dilgars... :twisted: ...I don´t need a million flights, although I tend to need around 12 flights on the table on the first rounds, usually the number goes down from that at 5 point raid after a few turns :lol: