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.
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
- 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 expensive cases 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 displays 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 an acrylic case, a cracked panel ruins the entire expensive 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 freshly painted army, an acrylic case is a nightmare. Open displays have no front panel, meaning zero reflections, zero glare, and perfect conditions for snapping photos of your models.
- 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 a stadium layout so every single model, from the front-line grunts to the back-line heavy support, is highly visible.
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Cost and Scalability: Open stands are significantly more cost-effective. You can add modular stands as your army grows without taking up massive amounts of vertical space. Expanding an acrylic setup usually requires buying another bulky, high-cost enclosure that dominates your room.
The Premium Alternative to Bulky Acrylic
Many hobbyists start by searching for expensive premium acrylic cases 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, ensuring your squads look uniform, and avoiding the trap of bulky, frosty acrylic, an open modular stand system is the ultimate solution.
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.
Our modular range is precision-sized for 32mm and 40mm bases (compatible with systems like Warhammer 40,000™), allowing you to scale your display exactly as your collection grows:
- WarSplay Classic: Holds 17 miniatures up to 32mm. The perfect scalable solution for standard infantry, giving you mass ranks without the bulky case.
- WarSplay Classic Mini: Holds 8 x 32mm miniatures. A compact footprint for skirmish games and tight desks.
- WarSplay Hero: Holds up to 9 miniatures (seven 32mm, one 80mm, and one 75x42mm). Built for your centrepiece monsters, vehicles, and cavalry.
- WarSplay Hero Mini: Holds four 32mm and one 75x42mm cavalry base. Ideal for showcasing leaders and outriders in a small space.
For the ultimate hybrid setup, we recommend placing your modular WarSplay™ stands inside a standard glass cabinet (like an 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 that obscures your paint jobs. 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.
What is the best way to display a growing wargaming army like Warhammer 40k?
Scalable, tiered open stands are ideal for expanding collections. Instead of buying another expensive, bulky acrylic case every time you paint a new squad, you simply add another modular stand. The WarSplay system is designed for compatibility with Warhammer 40,000™ miniatures (not affiliated) and scales effortlessly with your units.
How do I stop miniatures gathering dust on an open stand?
While open stands don't block dust entirely, you can minimise it by keeping them away from direct airflow. Use a soft, anti-static makeup brush for a quick weekly sweep. For the best of both worlds, place your tiered stands inside a glass cabinet to achieve maximum visibility with full dust protection.