Two different things share this section. One is stands – supports that lift a model off the shelf and hold it at an angle. The other is plastic bases for figures and for wargaming, in round and square game dimensions and usually in larger packs.
Alongside them sit moulded panels with the texture of airfield matting and landing mat, surfaces built up tile by tile directly beneath the model. Below we go through choosing a size and, just as important, how to prepare bare plastic so that paint actually stays on it.
The group is broader than the name suggests. The first part is universal stands that raise a model and hold it tilted, used for aircraft models caught in flight and wherever the underside is worth showing. The second is plastic bases for figures: round and square, in dimensions that follow game systems, typically in multi-packs. The third is moulded sheets with the relief of grating and landing matting, which assemble like tiles into an area of any size.
A stand has to hold the model even at an angle, so watch the ratio between the mass of the build and the footprint of the support. Clear versions stay discreet and let the underside show; black and white ones contrast instead and define an area. With heavier models it pays to glue the stand to a board or weight it.
The dimension is set by the game system, not by looks. Buy whole packs in one size so a unit stays consistent. Plastic bases often have a raised rim that makes scatter easy to pour in; smooth ones are easier to cover with a texture layer. The wider selection for play is in wargame bases.
Moulded grating and landing matting are produced in specific scales, so pick them for the model. They butt together to make any area you need, and the joins are worth filling so they do not show. Once painted the relief takes weathering readily, because it traps both pigment and wash.
With plastic, degreasing and a thin primer coat before painting make all the difference; without them paint sits weakly on a smooth base and chips at the first handling. Other kinds of plinth are in display bases.
