Some bases you just can't buy off the shelf. A conversion that doesn't fit any base in the box. An old rank-and-file army that needs a new square standard. A ruleset that calls for a 40×20mm element no manufacturer stocks. 15mm figures in a game written for 28mm footprints. When the size, shape, or material you need isn't a catalog product, you have it cut to spec — and that's what LITKO BaseMaker does.
This guide is about getting custom bases made: what BaseMaker can produce, how ordering works, and the situations where a custom order is the right call. (Just need the standard size a specific game uses? That's our base-size guides. New to basing technique? Start with the historical basing guide.)
| If you need… | BaseMaker is the answer when… |
|---|---|
| A size nobody stocks | A conversion, kitbash, or third-party model needs a footprint that isn't a catalog size. |
| A whole army rebased | An edition, scale, or game change moves your force to new base sizes — at volume. |
| An exact decimal size | Your ruleset (or homebrew) specs a size between the few a publisher sells. |
| A specific material | Clear acrylic, a color match, or magnetic/steel bottoms for travel — cut to your size. |
What BaseMaker Can Make
BaseMaker shapes the geometry and material of a base. You choose:
- Shape — circular, oval, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or pill. Rectangles and hexes can have rounded corners.
- Size — any dimension from 5mm to 601.6mm, to the exact decimal, in mm, cm, or inches. You're not limited to the few sizes a publisher sells.
- Material — warp-resistant plywood (0.8–6mm), clear or colored acrylic, or magnetic / flexible-steel bottoms (see choosing a material).
- Flight-peg hole — add a centered 3mm or 4.5mm hole to make any base a flight base (pegs sold separately).
It also cuts blank acrylic discs and shapes in custom sizes (token blanks, marker blanks). For a base size we already stock, browse stocked bases & base bottoms first — often cheaper and faster than custom.
How Ordering & Pricing Works
- 1. Spec it. In BaseMaker, pick your shape, material, units, and exact dimensions.
- 2. Get your quote. Submitting builds a ready-to-order custom product with four volume tiers — 10, 25, 50, and 100. The per-piece price drops as quantity goes up, so army-scale jobs are the most economical.
- 3. Add to cart & check out. Most orders ship in 5–10 business days (about one to two weeks), laser-cut in Valparaiso, Indiana.
When Hobbyists Order Custom Bases
A size the catalog doesn't stock
One model — a conversion, a kitbash, a third-party miniature, an old metal figure — with a footprint that isn't a stocked size. Measure it at its widest points, add a little clearance, and spec it.
Rebasing an army (edition, scale, or game change)
The classic volume job. Bringing an old rank-and-file army up to a current square standard (for Warhammer: The Old World, infantry moved to 25mm square and cavalry to 30×60mm), moving round-based models to a square-base system, or standardizing a second-hand force. Order the 50- or 100-pack tier and the per-base cost drops. (Rather not pry every figure off? Adapter / sabot trays drop old bases into a new footprint — no rebasing. And based units usually want matching movement trays.) For the basing conventions of a given historical system, see the historical basing guide.
One-off rulesets & off-scale play
Niche or homebrew rulesets with their own base conventions, or running a game at a scale it wasn't written for (15mm figures on 28mm footprints, 6mm on 15mm). Enter the size the table actually needs.
Naval & ship bases
A popular BaseMaker job. Pill shapes and rounded-corner rectangles fit long ship hulls, and gamers reach for the blues for a water look — Opaque Blue, Transparent Light Blue, and especially Translucent Blue. Want a wake on the base? We can UV-print or laser-engrave one — that's a decoration step beyond the tool, so contact our design team to set it up. (Not sure which blue? The 28-color acrylic sample ring lets you compare them in hand.)
Flight bases
Add a centered 3mm or 4.5mm flight-peg hole to make any base a flight base for flyers and aircraft; spec clear acrylic for the "floating model" look. (For stocked flight bases, see Flight Bases.)
Magnetic & steel bottoms for travel
Spec peel-and-stick magnetic or flexible-steel base bottoms, cut to match your sizes — no slicing your own from sheet stock — then line your case with a magnetic sheet or flexible steel sheet. (Magnetizing is its own system; the products linked here are the place to start.)
The label-edge trick
A move from historical and naval gamers: make one edge — usually the depth — a few millimeters longer, leaving room for a unit label or a ship's name and class along the back. Just enter the slightly-deeper dimension. (Want us to print those labels instead? That's a custom job — see below.)
3D Printing vs. Buying Laser-Cut Bases
If you own a 3D printer, should you just print your bases? For a flat base, usually not — it's the wrong job for the tool:
| 3D-print your own | Laser-cut (buy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time for an army | Hours per batch; ties up the printer | One order; ships in ~1–2 weeks |
| Flatness & consistency | Layer lines; can warp/cup; varies | Dead flat; identical every time |
| Best use of the machine | A flat disc is among the least efficient prints | Flat sheet is exactly what laser cutting is for |
Save the printer for detailed, three-dimensional parts; for the flat base underneath, laser-cutting is faster, flatter, and more uniform.
Which Material for Your Custom Order
A quick decision guide for the BaseMaker material dropdown (for general basing technique, see the historical basing guide):
| Pick… | When you want… |
|---|---|
| Plywood | To paint, flock, and texture. Warp-resistant micro-plywood (not MDF) — the 3mm holds flat through flock, paint, and putty. |
| Clear acrylic | The "invisible base" look on a gaming mat. (Tip: superglue can frost acrylic — use epoxy or gel CA.) |
| Colored acrylic | A color match with no painting — 28 acrylic colors, including opaque, translucent & transparent options (e.g. the blues popular for naval bases) and fluorescents for sci-fi. |
| Magnetic / steel bottoms | Models that grip a lined case for transport. |
Want to see a color or thickness first? Order the 28-color acrylic sample ring (or a material sample) before a big run.
What BaseMaker Doesn't Do
BaseMaker shapes material — it doesn't decorate, and a few jobs are better handled by a quick conversation. For these, contact our team and our in-house designer, Amer, will take it from there:
- Slotted bases — BaseMaker doesn't cut slots, but we can.
- Printed or decorated bases — bases printed with unit names, or a fleet's ship names and classes (send a spreadsheet). A custom print job.
- Very large one-off bases — a single base beyond the 601.6mm range; we cut large one-offs outside the tool.
- Engraving, or custom tokens with text/numbers/art — see LITKO Custom Services and custom token options.
Why Gamers Order Bases from LITKO
Wargamers have based armies on LITKO bases for over twenty years. What keeps them coming back:
- Every base identical. Laser-cut means no slipped-saw variation — a 60-figure unit ranks up clean, and bases drop into trays without fuss.
- They stay flat, for years. Warp-resistant plywood holds its shape through flock, paint, and putty, and through years of being carried to the table.
- No more cutting your own. The custom size that used to mean a craft knife, a steel rule, and a lot of ruined balsa is now a few clicks and a one-to-two-week wait.
- Travel-ready. Magnetic and steel bottoms cut to match keep an army put in transit.
- Made in the USA. Cut, finished, and shipped from our shop in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I order a custom base size?
Yes — any size from 5mm to 601.6mm, to the decimal, in BaseMaker. It builds a ready-to-order product with volume pricing (10/25/50/100); most orders ship in 5–10 business days. For a single base larger than that range, contact us.
What's the minimum order?
BaseMaker prices in packs starting at 10, with better per-piece pricing at 25, 50, and 100 — so rebasing an army is the most economical use.
Why not just 3D print my own bases?
A flat base is the wrong job for a 3D printer — a bed of flat discs takes hours, ties up the machine, and still isn't as flat or consistent as laser-cut sheet. Use the printer for detailed parts; buy the flat bases.
Can I get magnetic or steel bottoms cut to a custom size?
Yes — choose magnetic or flexible-steel bottoms in BaseMaker and spec your size; they arrive pre-cut and peel-and-stick. Pair them with a magnetic sheet or flexible steel sheet in your case.
Can you engrave or print on the base?
Not through BaseMaker — it cuts shapes and materials only. For engraving, slots, or printed bases, see LITKO Custom Services.
What size base does my model need?
That depends on the game — see our base-size guides (per system) and the size-first reference. For conversions, measure the footprint at its widest points and add a little clearance.
Where to Go Next
- All Base-Size Guides — what size each game uses
- Historical Wargaming Basing Guide — basing technique & conventions by system
- LITKO Custom Services — engraving, slots, printed/decorated work
Spec any shape, size, and material in BaseMaker — one model or a whole army, volume-priced, shipped in about one to two weeks. Laser-cut in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Open LITKO BaseMaker → Browse Stocked Bases