Basing for the Void — Alien Terrain Techniques for VoidHive Models

A great paint job deserves a great base. For VoidHive Forge models, the base isn’t just a platform — it’s the final piece of the narrative. Done well, it grounds your bioform in a world, tells a story, and elevates the whole piece from a painted miniature to a display-worthy scene.

Here are our favourite basing approaches for the VoidHive aesthetic.

1. Blasted Rubble — The Classic

All VoidHive Forge models come with scenic rubble bases already included, and for good reason — broken stone and debris is the universal language of tabletop conflict. To push it further: apply a textured paste, prime black, drybrush in two stages (dark grey then light grey), and finish with a few tufts of dead grass or alien lichen. Simple, effective, timeless.

2. Alien Hive Terrain

For a more immersive look, build up organic hive structures using air-dry clay or cork bark. Sculpt ribbed tendrils, egg sacs, or bioluminescent nodes directly onto the base before priming. Paint in deep purples and greens with OSL glow effects — the result looks like the bioform has emerged directly from the hive itself.

3. Toxic Wasteland

Cracked earth effects (achieved with texture paste applied thick and allowed to crack as it dries) combined with toxic water effects in sickly yellow-green create a post-apocalyptic feel that suits the VoidHive’s destructive nature perfectly. Add a few half-buried skulls or broken weapons for narrative detail.

4. Void Space — The Exhibition Base

For competition and display work, a black gloss base with star-field effects (white stippling, iridescent medium) and floating debris creates the impression of a bioform hunting through deep space. Dramatic, unusual, and guaranteed to draw attention on a display board.

Quick Tips

• Always base before you paint the model — it’s much easier to blend the two together
• Match your base palette to the coolest or darkest tones in your model for visual cohesion
• Seal with a matte varnish last — then gloss only the water effects and OSL nodes