Review: Back 2 Base-ix Flight Stands

Anyone who owns a model based atop a Games Workshop flying stand knows that they suck. When that little plastic pin snaps off it not only leaves you with a useless flying stand, it also blocks the damn pinhole so that you need to drill it out before another stand will work. And these bloody things break all the time!

Did you know that you no longer need to suffer needlessly from this ailment? There is a product that will solve all your problems... Back 2 Base-ix flying stands are the answer my friend. These little babies use laser-cut transparent acrylic and magnets to deliver a basing solution that really works. I am in the process of converting my Tau army over, and am loving the results. It really is a different world, free of stress and frustration :)

The flying stands come in three flavours: "Small 30mm", "Small 60mm" and "Large 60mm". Not the most evocative names eh? In a minute I'll go into detail about what you get with each, and what they are best used for, but let's start by running through the common features.

All the flying stands are assembled using the following components:

• a square-edged acrylic disk with a rectangular centre hole that forms the base of the stand;
• a square-edged, acrylic hourglass shaped stem that fits snugly into to base - these come in two lengths in each pack;
• square magnets that fit snugly into the top of the stem;
• 3mm x 2mm disk magnets that need to be attached to the base of your model.

In addition, the Large 60mm model comes with an additional acrylic piece that sits at right angles to the top to provide additional stability.

To assemble the stands you need to be an experienced supergluer - and previous usage of rare earth magnets won't hurt. The stem needs to be glued to the base, and the square magnets need to be glued to the stem. Small amounts need to be applied, but mistakes might discolour the plastic and look less than perfect. Take it slow and be careful.

You need to drill a 3mm hole in the model base and secure the round magnet provided inside the hole (you could always use other magnet sizes if you have them handy). I like to secure the magnets by wrapping them in a thin coat of green stuff, so that they stick as you push them into the drilled hole.

OK, so what is the contents and purpose of each type of stand?

Small 30mm: These are the equivalent of the GW small flying stand. You get 8 stands in a pack, along with 8 disk and 8 cube rare-earth magnets. They stand mounts a single magnet that can be used to mount Tau drones, jump-pack units and other infantry-sized models.

Small 60mm: Apart from their larger base size, these are identical to the Small 30mm. Use them to mount Eldar jetbikes, Piranhas etc.

Large 60mm: These heavy-duty stands are the business. They come with an additional magnet to ensure a strong bond with the model, and a perpendicular support to prevent the model from wobbling in four directions. It makes all the difference. These beauties are all you need to base  your Devilfish chasis, Wave Serpents and Raiders.

At the last tourney I attended I had precisely zero flying stand incidents and broke no drones, now that my army is fully based with these. Hooray!

If you can't get these at your FLGS, complain! Then order them online.