Storing Zombicide Miniatures Without Breaking Them

Quick answer

Store Zombicide minis upright in a rigid box with a foam tray or magnetized base layer, never loose in a bag. Keep each figure in its own cutout so weapons and limbs cannot press against each other, and store the box flat rather than on its side. That single change prevents most bending, snapped parts, and paint rub.

Why Zombicide minis bend and break in storage

Most Zombicide figures are PVC or soft plastic with thin weapons, capes, and outstretched arms. Those parts hold a pose but not pressure. When figures sit loose in a bag or pile in a box, the weight of the pile slowly bends the thinnest pieces, and a dropped box snaps them at the ankle or wrist.

Paint is the second casualty. Painted minis rubbing against bare plastic or against each other wear at the highest points: faces, shoulders, and weapon tips. A storage system that separates figures solves both problems at once.

Choose the right tray for your collection size

Foam trays work well when you have a fixed set you rarely change. Pick a tray with cutouts close to each figure's footprint, and store figures standing rather than lying down so weapons point up into empty space. If you own several Zombicide boxes, a magnetized base layer is more flexible: glue a small magnet under each base and line a Really Useful Box or similar container with a steel sheet. Figures stay put, you can rearrange them, and there is no foam to cut.

For a small number of special figures, a compartment box with adjustable dividers is enough, but check that the lid closes without pressing on the tallest weapon.

Pack the box so nothing presses on a weapon

Load the heaviest, widest figures first along the bottom or back, then fill gaps with smaller figures. Leave a finger-width of clearance above the tallest weapon before the lid goes on. If the lid bows when you close it, remove a figure rather than forcing it.

Store boxes flat. A box on its side lets figures slide into each other, which is how most bent weapons happen. If you must stack boxes, put the lightest on top and never rest weight on a box holding long weapons.

Fix a bent figure before it becomes a broken one

A bent weapon or limb can often be straightened. Warm the part gently with a hair dryer on low, hold it in the correct position for a few seconds, then cool it under cold water or let it set. Do not use boiling water, which can soften glue joints and distort fine detail.

If a part has already snapped, plastic cement made for PVC works better than super glue because it welds the plastic instead of forming a brittle bead. Test on a hidden area first if the figure is painted.

Keep expansion figures with the core box

Expansions add survivors, abominations, and exclusive sculpts that are easy to lose in a separate bin. Store expansion figures in the same tray system as the core set, grouped by type, so you can pull a full game without hunting through multiple boxes. Label the tray or box with the expansion name; this matters most for Kickstarter-exclusive figures that are hard to replace.

If you use counter bases or tokens, keep them in a small bag inside the same box rather than loose, where they can scratch painted figures.

Step-by-step: store Zombicide minis safely

1. Sort figures by size and fragility: Pull out tall weapons, capes, and thin-limbed figures first. Group the rest by type: survivors, walkers, abominations. Checkpoint: if a figure wobbles when you set it down, it belongs in its own cutout, not a shared compartment.
2. Pick a tray with a cutout per figure: Use foam with cutouts close to each base size, or a magnetized base layer if your collection changes often. Avoid one large open bin. Mistake to avoid: buying a tray with cutouts smaller than the base, which forces you to cram figures and bends weapons.
3. Place figures upright, weapons pointing up: Set each figure so the longest part points into empty space above it, not toward another figure or the lid. Checkpoint: close the empty box once. If the lid touches a weapon, remove or reposition that figure.
4. Add a lid layer or gap above the tallest figure: Leave a finger-width of clearance, or add a thin foam topper so the lid presses foam, not plastic. Mistake to avoid: stacking heavy boxes on top of a box with tall weapons.
5. Store the box flat and label it: Keep boxes horizontal, never on their side, and write the expansion name on the outside so exclusive figures stay with their set. Next step: check the box once a season for bent parts and straighten them before they crack.

Products that fit this storage routine

• Zombicide: White Death Virtues of The Bushido (Kickstarter Special): Zombicide: White Death Virtues of The Bushido is a Kickstarter-exclusive expansion with 7 survivors and survivor ID cards, published in 2025, rated 8.56 on Board Game Geek, for 1 to 6 players. Seven new survivor sculpts means seven more figures to store separately; the exclusive status makes replacing a bent or broken one difficult, so a dedicated tray cutout is worth the effort.
• Zombicide: Invader Counter Base Set (Kickstarter Special): Zombicide: Invader Counter Base Set is a Kickstarter-exclusive accessory with 48 plastic counter bases in gray, black, and white, published in 2019, for 1 to 6 players. Loose bases scratch painted figures in a shared box; bagging the bases separately or storing them in a compartment keeps them from rubbing against minis.
• Zombicide: Black Plague Ultimate Survivors (Kickstarter Special): Zombicide: Black Plague Ultimate Survivors is a Kickstarter-exclusive expansion with 6 ultimate versions of Black Horde survivors, published in 2018, rated 7.02 on Board Game Geek, for 1 to 6 players. These are alternate sculpts of existing survivors, so they are easy to mix up with core figures; grouping them by expansion in your tray prevents misidentification during setup.