This is something that has happened to most of us: we have just painted a beautiful miniature and are ready to transport it to a game. We are in a rush, so we just rap it in something soft and get out the door. Upon arrival, the model is broken or the paint has been chipped. Bummer!
So we think: okay, what transport solution could be great for my miniatures?
The answer is that there are a bunch of products that are trying to solve this problem. In this article, I will go through the best miniature transport case for
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Best Miniature Transport Case for most people: DIY Magnetic Transport Solution
In the olden days a lot of people transported their armies in a foam solution. This was a good solution back when models were firmly anyfirm and did not have a lot of motion and bits all over the place. Back then models were also much smaller.
With modern miniatures, you have a ton of different sizes and a lot of the time you will have thin bits flowing about the miniature. Laying such a miniature down into a foam case is not a good solution. The weight of the miniatures will put pressure on the bits and something will snap sooner rather than later.
To remedy this problem hobbyist started magnetizing the bottom of the bases on their miniatures and putting them on some kind of metal plate to move them around. Manufacturers saw this and produced premium carry cases.
So overall you have two great solutions if you want to transport your armies via magnetics: a simple DIY solution or buying a good case.
Making a carry case is insanely easy. What you want to do is make sure the bottom of your bases are magnetic. If there is air underneath the base (think GW bases) you can glue a rare-earth magnet up in the hole. If you the base is flat at the bottom with no hole, you can buy a magnetic sheet and cut it out in the shape of the base.
Now you need some kind of case. That can be anything really with a flat bottom, so just go to a local store and pick something up. If you can find something that has a metal bottom that is good, but you can also just buy a metal sheet and glue it down. Do not glue down a magnetic sheet in your case. You want the magnetic part on your miniatures and the metal part in the box (magnet against magnet can get weird).
The important thing to remember is to have a thin gap between the magnet and the metal, as this will give you the best chance that the models will stay in place. If you are using a small box for skirmish, make sure it is a sturdy box and that it can fit in whatever bag you want to carry it in.
If it is a big box for an army, think about whether you want it to be of clear plastic. While it is great to look at a glance if some model has fallen over, it can also be a bit weird to carry around in public (believe me, people will stare at you in the train when lugging around an army).
The great thing about the DIY solution is that it is very cheap, easy to make, and can certainly compete with the premium solution. The DIY way is what I use for Dungeons and Dragons and small skirmish games most of the time. It is simply a box to carry stuff in safely, with no bells and whistles.
There are two premium carry case solutions that I think you should consider.
Magna Rack from Battle Foam
I invested in the magnetic “Magna Rack” cases from Battle Foam once they made their product because they were one of the first premium solutions to market. Those have been great for me, but I would actually not pick them as the best option out there right now.
I certainly like that I can customize the height, as it gives me some flexibility on what to bring. However a crucial mistake was made when designing the metal plates, as they all have a small lip around the edge.
The way I do my magnets is a method where it is insanely strong and it can be hard to rip off the mini without cuasing any damage. On some other cases you can slide the mini off the plate, but that is not possible with the Magna Racks. This makes it cumbersome to get the minis in and out fast, making them less than ideal for a tournament setting where you have to move around a lot.
There is a newer version than what I have where the frames can slide in and out. That is a bit better, as it will be easier to get to models and also makes it easier for storage. But the lip is still a problem for getting the minis off the actual plate.
Another small gripe I have had is with the carry solution they went with. It is not great to handle and carrying it further than just from the car in inside is not great. It is not a backpack, but something you can “sling” over the shoulder. Ergonomically super bad.
All that said, the big “P.A.C.K 720” can carry a monstrous amount of miniatures and I have had no problem fitting my greenskin and horde armies in it. The metal frames really hold strong to the magnets and the modules fit together in a construction that is sturdy.
The small version is still a pretty big box and can hold most 2000 points armies.
A-Case
A-Case have gone with a much simpler solution that I tink in the end works better. While the first launch of their products had some issues, they have certainly worked those kinks out and now what I would recommend people get.
In essence the A-Case is a metal frame with small selves that can slide in and out. There is no lip on the selves, so the miniatures can more easily “slide off” the edge of the plates. The metal frame can go into the bag that it comes with and is very easy to carry around. You can get it in a version where it actually is a bag you can carry on your back, so it is better for moving long distances or in public than my Magna Rack solution.
Just as with the Battle Foam solution you have a lot of extra pockets and stuff around, which is one of the ways these solutions are different from the DIY method.
Another thing that is great with these is for general storage. You can have your army or miniatures ready to go in the bag and they will not collect dust this way.
Another smart thing you can do is buy extra selves and store all your miniatures on them. You can then have one bag that can carry whatever army or set of minis you fancy that day, without having to remove them from their storage solution. You pop in the selves you need for this game or that tournament. Simply brilliant!
A-Case has the “The Kane” which is the most common one I see in the wild at tournaments and stuff. They have smaller versions and their website is pretty good at giving you the sizes of each.
As far as I am aware you can only get the A-case stuff directly from their website. So while you are there, you can also see if you want their painting handle that I really liked in my A-case painting handle review.
While I think transporting your miniatures in foam should be a thing of the best, some people certainly disagree. If you are looking for a premium foam solution, I think you should nowhere else than Battle Foam. They have been doing this for ages and have precise cutouts of a ton of different miniatures and games. You can basicly get everything just as you want it, if that is your fancy.
In some regions, Battle Foam can be hard to get a hold of. Look for Feldherr foam in those cases.
You can read a lot more about how to transport miniatures and armies in my how-to guide here.