How to Arrange Miniatures on a Display Stand (Layouts That Look Good)

October 11, 2026

Painted miniatures arranged on a tiered display stand

Putting painted models on a stand is easy. Making the stand look like a deliberate showcase rather than a car park takes a few minutes of thought. A handful of simple layout rules, the same ones used in shop windows and museum cases, make a big difference to how a collection reads from across the room.

The short answer: put the tallest models on the back tiers and the smallest at the front, place your best-painted model in the centre of the middle or top tier as a focal point, face everything slightly towards the centre, group squads together, balance bright colours across the stand and leave the odd gap rather than cramming every slot.

Common layouts compared

Layout	How it works	Looks best with	Watch out for
Pyramid	Character top centre, troops fanning out below	A single army or warband	Tall leaders blocking the tier behind
Squad rows	One unit per tier, front to back	Rank-and-file armies	Looking flat if every model faces forward
Colour gradient	Light to dark or warm to cool across the stand	Mixed collections	Splitting squads to fit the gradient
Diorama cluster	Models angled towards each other in small groups	Skirmish bands and characters	Clutter if every slot is filled

Should tall models go at the back?

Almost always. A tiered stand already lifts the back rows, but a large model at the front still hides the slots behind it. Put standard bearers, characters with tall weapons and anything on a larger base on the top tiers. Our tier spacing guide shows how much headroom each row gives.

Where should my best model go?

In the centre of the top or second-top tier, where the eye lands first. Leave a small gap either side of it, or surround it with simpler models, so it stands out. On a larger collection, a single hero on its own plinth beside the stand works even better than burying it in the ranks.

Which way should miniatures face?

Turn the outer models slightly inwards, towards the centre of the stand. It draws the eye to the middle and stops the display looking like a parade ground. Keep the front of every model visible though; a painted face turned to the wall is wasted work.

Should I group by squad or by colour?

Group by squad first, because a unit together tells a story. Then balance the stand so bright or contrasting units are spread rather than bunched on one side. If you have a mixed collection, our guide to organising by army and painting stage helps decide what shares a stand.

Is it better to fill every slot?

No. A completely full stand reads as storage, while one or two deliberate gaps let the eye rest and frame your focal point. Leaving space also makes it easy to slot in the next model you finish. When you outgrow the gaps, see how to expand a display as your collection grows.

How do I arrange models with different base sizes?

Keep similar base sizes on the same tier so the rows look even, and give large bases their own stand where possible. WarSplay stands are compatible with Warhammer 40,000® miniatures and most other games on standard bases, with the Classic for 28–32 mm and the Hero for bases up to 80 mm. Our display stand finder matches stand to base size.

Do labels and backdrops help?

A plain, dark backdrop behind the stand makes colours pop and hides a busy wall, while small labels on the tier edges help visitors follow the squads. Our guide to labelling a miniature display covers size and placement. The WarSplay Pro builds a UV-printed scenic backdrop into the stand itself.

How often should I rearrange?

Whenever you finish a new unit or the display starts to feel familiar. Rearranging takes minutes on a pre-assembled stand and often makes older models feel new. Our rotation guide has theme ideas.

WarSplay Classic – £18.95
17 slots across 5 tiers for 28–32 mm bases · pre-assembled and modular · made in our UK workshop · dispatched within 2 business days

Shop the Classic → | Classic Mini £11.95 | Hero £18.95 | All display stands