Warhammer Base Magnet Sizes: Clearance and Fit Reference
There is no single magnet size for a Warhammer base. The size that works is the one that fits the space under your base, holds the weight of your model, and grips the material your tray is actually made of — and all three of those change from kit to kit and from model to model, so base diameter on its own does not decide anything. Measure the clearance inside the underside, the flat seat you would glue onto, and the model's weight first. Those numbers pick the magnet.
Quick answer
Three readings decide the magnet. Take them before you buy or glue anything.
Clearance under the base
How much room is there inside the underside for a magnet to sit in? A magnet thicker than that space will sit proud, lift the base off the table, or make the model rock.
Load the magnet must hold
A single plastic infantry model and a heavy centre of mass — a large monster, a vehicle, a metal figure — ask very different things of the same base.
What your tray is made of
A steel sheet, a flexible magnetic sheet, and a foam-lined box each hold a model a different way. The tray decides what goes under the base.
If you have not measured your base yet, go to Measure first. A size chosen before that is a guess, even if someone on a forum swears by it.
Measure first: the three readings
Do this on one model you can afford to redo. Write the readings down.
- 1
Measure the clearance inside the base.
Turn the model over. Find the lowest point of the underside — the rim, or the bottom of the slot or peg — and measure the depth available for a magnet between that low point and the deepest part of the cavity. You are measuring the cavity depth, not the height of the base.
- 2
Measure the flat seat, not the base rim.
Inside that cavity, find the flat area a magnet could actually sit on and measure across it. Measure the seat, not the outer base diameter: two bases of the same nominal diameter from different kits do not have the same inside, and the seat is usually smaller than the rim.
- 3
Weigh the model.
Put the assembled and based model on a kitchen scale and note the reading. A heavier model needs more holding contact, or more than one contact point.
- 4
Test the actual tray with a magnet and a steel washer.
Hold a magnet against the tray surface you will actually use — not a bare sample — and see whether it snaps. Then try a plain steel washer in the same spot. Flexible magnetic sheets vary, so test both rather than assuming which one will hold. Which one holds tells you which family of base hardware that tray wants. Do this before you commit to a magnet.
- 5
Note the base size from your own box.
Base sizes are set by the kit and change between releases, so read the assembly instructions that came with your miniatures and Games Workshop's own site rather than a list copied from a forum.
A magnet wide enough to span a base can still be too thick for the cavity, and a magnet that fills the cavity can still be too small a seat to glue reliably. Both readings matter, and neither is the base diameter.
Match the magnet to your readings
Find the row that matches what you measured, then do the test in the last column on one model.
| What you measured | What it means | What to test next |
|---|---|---|
| Cavity depth is less than the thickness of the magnet you have | That magnet will sit proud and hold the base off the table | Do not glue it. Find a thinner magnet, or seat it deeper if the base allows, then re-measure |
| Cavity depth matches the magnet thickness so the magnet face finishes level with the underside | A flush fit — the magnet face is what meets the tray | Dry-fit it, stand the model on a table and check the base still sits flat with no rock |
| Cavity is deeper than the magnet | The magnet sits recessed, and the gap between magnet and tray costs you holding force | Set the model on the tray and confirm the magnet still reaches the surface. If it does not, that recess is too deep |
| The flat seat is small compared with the magnet | The magnet overhangs the seat, so the glue joint becomes the weak point | Test a smaller diameter or a different seat before buying a set |
| Light plastic model, single infantry | A small, thin magnet is often enough to stop it sliding — but verify, do not assume | Set it on the tray, tip the tray, and tap the edge |
| Heavy model: large monster, vehicle, or metal | One small magnet at the centre is often not enough, and the model can pivot on it | Test more than one contact point, or a wider magnet, and check the model cannot rotate |
| You have not measured the base yet | Every size you could pick now is a guess | Stop and go back to Measure first |
A magnet taller than the cavity pushes the base off the table, and a magnet that overhangs its seat has less glue area than a smaller one that fits it. Fit beats strength.
What the tray material changes
Steel sheet or metal-lined case
A loose magnet under the base holds directly to the metal. Test it: a magnet should snap to the surface on its own.
Flexible magnetic sheet
Flexible magnetic sheets vary, and how one behaves depends on the sheet itself. A sheet may hold a bare magnet, a plain steel washer, or both, and the product description will not tell you which. Test a magnet and a washer on the actual sheet you will be using before you decide what goes under the model.
Foam, plastic, or wood
There is nothing for a magnet to grab. Magnets only work here if you add a ferrous surface to the tray or the case.
Painted, coated, or textured tray surfaces
Whatever sits between the magnet and the metal is a gap, and a gap costs holding force. Test on the tray as you will actually use it, not on a bare sample.
What to check on the magnet, not just its size
- 1. Measured size, not the nominal size. Check the actual thickness and diameter of the magnets you receive against the seat you measured. A stated size is what the supplier lists; your seat is what decides the fit.
- 2. Grade. Magnets are sold by NdFeB grade such as N35, N42, and N52. For the same geometry a higher grade generally has higher remanence, but holding force is not guaranteed by grade alone: magnet dimensions, temperature, air gap, coating and the steel it contacts all change the result. Read the supplier's listing for the exact item and test it on your tray.
- 3. Coating. Nickel and epoxy coatings are common. The coating is part of the finished thickness, and brittle magnets can chip at the edges if they are handled roughly.
- 4. Consistency is a convention, not a physics fix. Decide which face of the magnet points down and keep it the same across the army so every base is built the same way. That convention does not prove adjacent models will never repel: like poles repel and opposite poles attract, and the actual orientation, spacing and steel backing decide what happens. Test finished models together on the real tray.
Gluing it in, and keeping polarity straight
Dry-fit, then test an unglued sample on the tray.
Seat the magnet without adhesive and check the sit. That dry fit tells you about clearance and reach to the tray, not the strength of the glued joint. Keep a separate, unglued magnet of the same size as a witness and press it against the actual tray to feel the hold before you commit the base. The finished joint still has to be proven after curing.
Glue according to the adhesive's own instructions.
A magnet sitting on a thick layer of adhesive sits proud. Use the amount and the method the product's instructions describe, and let it cure for the time stated on the label — testing early tells you nothing about the finished joint.
Keep the same downward face as a build convention, then test the tray.
Decide the downward face once so every base is assembled the same way. That consistency is practical, not a guarantee: like poles repel and opposite poles attract, and two models can still interact through a steel or magnetic sheet depending on orientation, spacing and the tray. Test two complete models side by side on the actual tray, not one.
Cyanoacrylate and two-part adhesives bond skin quickly and give off fumes. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and safety information, work with ventilation, protect your eyes and skin, and keep adhesives away from children and pets. If you are not certain an adhesive suits your model's material, ask the manufacturer before you use it.
Prove it on one model before you do the army
- 1 Pick one model you can afford to redo.
- 2 Take the three readings, dry-fit the magnet that matches your seat, and test a separate unglued sample on the actual tray.
- 3 Glue it and let it cure for the time the adhesive's label states.
- 4 Test it on the tray you actually use: set the model down, tilt the tray, tap the tray edge, and hold the tray over a soft surface.
- 5 Check the small things: does the base still sit flat on a table, can the model pivot on the magnet, does the magnet still grip with the tray at an angle?
- 6 If it passes, do the rest. If it fails, change one variable — magnet thickness, seat, or the number of contact points — and test again.
Magnetising twenty bases before one has been tested turns a single failure into twenty removals, and pulling a cured magnet out of a base is harder than fitting it was.
Common mistakes
- 1. Choosing by base diameter. Two bases of the same diameter can have completely different cavities, seats, and rims.
- 2. Ignoring the thickness. A magnet that is too thick lifts the base off the table, and the model rocks during play.
- 3. Assuming every magnetic sheet behaves the same way. Flexible sheets vary, so one that holds a bare magnet may not hold a steel washer, and the other way round. Test both on the actual sheet before you rely on either.
- 4. Testing the magnet on its own instead of on the tray. A magnet that feels strong in your fingers can still let a model shift on a coated or textured surface.
- 5. Gluing before dry-fitting. You find out about the proud magnet after the adhesive has cured.
- 6. Testing before the adhesive has cured. The joint is still soft, the model moves, and the magnet gets the blame.
- 7. Assuming one polarity convention makes repulsion impossible. Like poles repel. Same downward face is a tidy build convention, but orientation, spacing and the tray still decide whether finished models interact; test them together.
- 8. Expecting magnets to protect paint. Magnets hold the model to the tray; paint wear from transport is a separate problem.
What this page cannot decide for you
This page gives you the method, not a size chart, because there is no honest universal chart: cavities, model weights, and trays differ, and the readings that matter are the ones you take yourself.
- Pull ratings on a product listing are supplier figures measured under ideal conditions. They are not a measurement of your magnet, on your tray, through your coating, with your model on top. Your test is the measurement.
- A magnet size is a fit decision, not a strength guarantee. Nothing here promises a model will stay put in a dropped case or a hard knock.
- If your model is rare, out of production, resin, hollow, or not yours, and the only way to fit the magnet is to cut into the base, stop and get advice before you modify anything.
- If a magnet has failed twice on the same model, do not assume a stronger magnet is the answer. Diagnose first: is the magnet sitting proud or too far from the tray, is the adhesive failing, is the magnet in the right place, is the grade and size right for the load, and is the tray actually ferrous? A stronger magnet in the same bad joint can fail the same way.
FAQ
What size magnet fits a 32 mm Warhammer base?
Base diameter does not determine the magnet size. Two 32 mm bases from different kits can have different cavities inside, and it is the cavity and the flat seat — not the rim — that hold the magnet. Turn the base over, measure the cavity depth and the flat seat inside it, weigh the model, and pick a magnet that fills that seat without sitting proud of the underside. If you have not measured yet, that is the step to do before buying anything.
How strong a magnet do I need for a heavy or metal model?
It depends on the model's measured weight, how many contact points you use, and what the tray surface is — so test it rather than sizing it from a chart. A single small magnet under a heavy centre of mass is the usual failure. Glue one, let it cure, then set the model on the tray, tilt the tray, and tap the edge. If it shifts, add a second contact point or a wider magnet instead of assuming one stronger magnet will do.
Can I use magnets with a magnetic sheet inside a carry case?
Not the same way you would with a steel tray, and not the same for every sheet. Flexible magnetic sheets vary, so do not assume a sheet will hold a bare magnet, and do not assume it will only hold a steel washer — either result is possible, and it depends on the sheet. Test both on the actual sheet inside your case: offer a loose magnet to it, then a plain steel washer. Whichever one holds tells you what that tray wants, and if the sheet holds neither well enough for your models, the tray needs a ferrous surface for magnets to work.
Keep going
This page covers the fit. These are the next places to go.