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Epicast Battle Bases
5/31/04 - After seeing in person more of Epicast's range of bases, I am pleased to report that my original hypothesis seems to be correct. With exception of some of the earlier production bases, the quality of a majority of the line is very good. I picked up some of their recent Warmachine bases and except for the need of some sanding on the bottom, they are perfect straight out of the package.
There are two different methods typically used for painting miniature bases. First is the easy route; Brush on some white glue, dip in some flock, and your done. Simple, yet not exciting. The second method, for those wanting something a bit more visual appealing, is to use assorted gravel, rocks, cat litter, static grass, assorted bits, green stuff, and whatever else you can think of to stick on and paint. Much more interesting, but more time consuming. The middle ground between the two is pre-fabricated textured bases. Clip the tab off the bottom of the miniature, drill some pin holes, glue and paint, and you're ready to go! One of the leaders in such bases is Epicast, who've been in the resin business for as long as I can remember.
I remember Epicast back when they made official licensed resin vehicles for Games Workshop, which shows my age, but for the past few years they have turned their attention to terrain and bases. Epicast offers nearly fifty different "Battle Bases", as they call them. This review goes over just a few of the fifty bases they offer.
The first thing that struck me was the color of the bases, a dark brown. I was expecting a more typical white or off white resin color. The strange color comes from the bases being cast out of Plastisteel™. This makes them ferrous, so they are magnetic. Well, at least they are suppose to be. I did some tests with a few of the bases and some sheet magnet, and I could not get the bases to stick! I even double checked the Epicast website, just to make sure I read right. After a while I figured out that the bases are indeed ferrous, but the amount of metal in the base is so minute, that their magnetic properties are negligible. I stuck a few different sized bases onto the sheet magnetic and slowly turned them over. The larger bases simply fell off, because their weight was greater than the strength of their magnetic properties. Some of the smaller bases did stick, even when flipped over, but fell off with the slightest tap. With the additional weight of a miniature, no would stick. While Epicast markets their bases as being ferrous, in realistic terms, they are not.
The first bases I examined were their 25mm Round Urban Rubble bases. There was a bit of flash around the edges, nothing major, but it would need to be sanded down. The other problem I noticed was the amount of "texture" on these particular bases. There was so much rubble piled onto the bases, there would be no room for the miniature! Well, perhaps they'll make good markers, or tiny terrain pieces for 6mm games, but they certainly won't work for their intended purpose.
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"Nice base. Uh, where do I put the miniature???" |
The next pack to come under scrutiny was their 25mm Round Skull Bases. I'll put in simple; they suck. Sorry Epicast, that's the best word I can use to describe these. Each base in the pack had gouges all around the bottom of the sides, which would need to be filled and filed before painting. Too much work for your money. What was worse is they are lopsided!!! Holding the base on it's side it is clear that the degree of slope differs. This may not bother everyone, but I noticed it right away, and along with the gouging on the sides, makes these guys go into the waste basket.
| Look at the left and right edges of the base and you can see the difference. The right side is at a more shallow degree of slope than the left side. |  |
Now don't think I have nothing but bad things to say about these bases, because it does get better. The last two bases for review are Epicast's 40mm Square Rubble Base, and 40mm Round Crystal Base. These two are much better than the previous two. No air bubbles, no warping, no flash, or other defects. There's also plenty of room for mounting a wide variety of miniatures. It is a good balance of empty space and texture. Other than one needing a small amount of sanding on the bottom, they are ready to go straight out of the box. In one word, perfect.
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Quick and easy to paint, and ready for your favorite miniature. This is what you want for your money. |
All in all, I can recommend Epicast bases, but not without some reservation. Their small rubble bases would not be useful with most miniatures on the market, but that does not mean their are totally useless, just not suited for use as miniature bases. The small skull bases are, to be blunt, horrible. However, since their product code is "01", I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume this was their first attempt at a pre-fab base. Looking at the rest of the line, they have improved a great deal. Remember this review was based on only four of their available fifty bases. I honestly believe if they sent a different or larger selection of bases, this review would be nothing but glowing.
The only item I cannot give Epicast any leeway on is their use of Plastisteel™ in the casting. It is not a good selling point, plain and simple. The bases are not ferrous, or at least not enough for it to matter. I would be happier to see them use standard resin, and give up on a magnetic gimmick.
If you want your miniature on some nice bases, but want it quick and easy, take a look at Epicast. Just stay away from the first few in the line, and you'll be fine! Yes, it rhymes.