If you are searching for the best way to display your wargaming miniatures, you will quickly run into two popular options: heavy acrylic display cases and open tiered stands. While both aim to protect and present, they solve entirely different problems for your desk space—and one comes with hidden frustrations that hobbyists rarely talk about until it's too late.
Pro Tip: The Quick Answer
Choose an acrylic case if you want a sealed "museum" presentation and are willing to deal with assembly risks and glare. Choose an open stand if you want maximum visibility (no hidden back rows), zero glare for photography, fast grab-and-play access, and a scalable system without premium case pricing or the fear of cracking plastic.
Side-by-Side Comparison: The Reality of Displaying Miniatures
For many, the default is the "foam case burial"—keeping your hard-painted models tucked away in dark transport bags where they are never seen. When you finally decide to bring them into the light, you face a choice between standard acrylic cases and a stadium seating layout.
- Dust vs. The "Frosty" Effect: Acrylic cases win on raw dust protection because they are enclosed. However, wiping dust off acrylic inevitably causes micro-scratches over time. Within a year, many high-cost acrylic alternatives take on a cloudy, "frosty" look that obscures the crisp details of your paint job. Open stands require light dusting, but your models always remain crystal clear to the eye.
- Durability and the Snapping Hazard: High-cost acrylic alternatives are notoriously brittle. Assembling them often requires forcing fragile plastic tabs into tight slots, which are highly prone to snapping. If you move house or accidentally bump a case, a cracked panel ruins the entire unit. Solid open stands eliminate the anxiety of damaged, snapping acrylic entirely.
- Lighting, Reflections, and Glare: Acrylic panels act like mirrors. They reflect desk lamps, ceiling lights, and window glare. If you want to photograph your painted miniatures with a phone, an acrylic case is a nightmare. Open displays have no front panel, meaning zero reflections and perfect conditions for snapping photos. [cite: 1]
- Visibility (The "Back Row" Problem): Standard deep acrylic shelves often hide miniatures in the back, making them look like a storage closet rather than a display. Tiered open stands use stadium seating so every single model, from the front-line grunts to the back-line heavy support, is highly visible.
The Premium Alternative to Bulky Acrylic
Many hobbyists start by searching for expensive acrylic display options before realising what they actually need is better organisation and visibility for a growing collection. If your main goal is stopping your back row from disappearing and ensuring your squads look uniform, an open modular stand system is the ultimate solution. It allows you to turn your pile of shame into a centrepiece without the trap of bulky, frosty acrylic. [cite: 1]
The WarSplay™ Solution
WarSplay™ is built specifically for visibility and scale. It is a matte black, precision-engineered open display system that completely bypasses the risks of snapping acrylic and ruined photos. The matte finish ensures your paint job remains the focus with zero glare, and the optional magnet-ready setup keeps your squads perfectly aligned. [cite: 1]
Our modular display stands are precision-sized for 32mm and 40mm bases (compatible with Warhammer 40,000®), allowing you to scale your display exactly as your collection grows. [cite: 1] Whether you need the WarSplay Classic for standard infantry or the Hero range for leaders and outriders, you can maximise your shelf space without the premium case pricing.
For the ultimate hybrid setup, we recommend placing your modular WarSplay™ stands inside a glass cabinet (compatible with IKEA DETOLF® or BLÅLIDEN®). You get maximum visibility and stadium-tiering combined with the dust protection of solid glass—completely avoiding the pitfalls of brittle, expensive acrylic enclosures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do acrylic display cases scratch easily?
Yes. Wiping dust from acrylic panels often creates micro-scratches. Over time, this gives the case a cloudy appearance. Solid open stands or glass cabinets maintain their clarity permanently.
How do I photograph miniatures without glare?
The best way to photograph wargaming models is to remove them from reflective cases. Open stands like WarSplay™ have a matte finish with zero glare, making them perfect for desk photography.
How do I stop miniatures gathering dust on an open stand?
While open stands don't block dust entirely, you can keep miniatures clean without a case by using a soft, anti-static brush. [cite: 1] For the best of both worlds, place your tiered stands inside a glass cabinet to achieve maximum visibility with full dust protection.
Disclaimer: WarSplay™ products are independently manufactured. We are not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by Games Workshop Limited or IKEA® AB. Trademarks such as Warhammer 40,000®, Age of Sigmar®, DETOLF®, and BLÅLIDEN® are used solely to indicate compatibility.