The Evolution: From Ethereum L1 to the Base Dimension
In September 2022, the journey began on Ethereum L1 with Mystic Knights Genesis—a tight circle of 21 unique 1/1s. By 2023, this universe grew with the Expansion collection, deepening the lore across 111 pieces.
Now, the knights have crossed into a new realm. Based Knights is the definitive sequel: a collection of 333 unique 1/1s minted on Base. This is a total visual awakening inspired by Anime, Japanese culture, and the “Circular Surrealism” style that defines my work and has now concluded into a body of work which I’m proud to share.
The Forge: A Millimetric Process
I don’t just “prompt” art; I build it. Since 2022, my workflow has evolved into a “Surgical Refinement” process where I am millimetric in every detail—almost like digital surgery, but first comes the blueprint.
Before any pixel touches the canvas, I craft the prompt. This isn’t quick typing; it’s writing a full visual manifesto.
I spend hours, sometimes days, perfecting a single prompt until it’s dense, precise, and alive. Every word matters: subject first, then details, context, mood, style, and technical hints.
In Midjourney, prompts follow a smart hierarchy—early words hit harder—so I lead with the character and layer everything exactly in an structured order to maintain cohesiveness and minimize errors, just like this:
“an illustration of a zoomed in Metallic shiny Knight flying in the sky, knight has levitating spherical cloud energy in his hands, Ecstatic marbles levitating on the air, in the style of unique yokai illustrations, rough-edged 2d animation, cloud core tones and pastel colors, layered imagery with legendary views, sky view, colorful moebius, golden age illustrations” + background atmosphere prompt, then finish with the exact parameters I need (–niji 6/ V7.0/ V8.0, –ar 15:19, –s, –v, etc.); here is where I also add my sref personalized styles that I have been feeding and nurturing since they first became available on MJ on November 2025.
It’s like scripting a movie scene before filming. Once the prompt generates something formidable —after dozens of rolls—I lock the seed and move to surgery.
Surgical Inpainting (MJ 8.1, 8.2 & Niji 6)
That’s where I turn it into sculpture. Using Midjourney’s “Pan/Vary Region” tools, I apply realism logic to character anatomy and facial features—like chiseling marble. I cycle through hundreds of variations, inpainting pixel-by-pixel, detail-by-detail: fix a jawline, sharpen an eye glint, smooth armor edges. It’s digital sculpting—slow, obsessive. One piece? Three days. Another? Five months. Depends on the soul I’m chasing.
The 8K Standard (Upscaling Pipeline)
To ensure these pieces are ready for 8K displays, I take Midjourney’s own upscaled output straight into Adobe Lightroom and run Super Resolution 4×. More texture, more defined detail, clearer tones — and I don’t have to downsize the file first so the machine doesn’t crash.
The Artist’s Hand (Procreate & Lightroom)
The soul of the piece is added manually. In Procreate, I fix minor details and apply the “slowfreeze” seal — my signature and a seal of authenticity. I used a noise texture here since 2023 for that grainy feeling; for newer Based Knights, especially Glitched and Psychedelic, V8.1 and V8.2 already carry the surface, so the extra grain comes off and Lightroom is asked to enhance what’s there. Finally, I use Adobe Lightroom to activate HDR and do the full post: contrast, dehaze, clarity, shadows, brightness, whites, blacks, exposure. On a high-end phone or a large display the HDR lifts the knight so it literally glows.
The Awakening: 4K Animated Realms (10–15s Each)
After the full static 1/1 is perfected through the entire Surgical Refinement process above, I bring each Knight to life in motion.
I create one custom 4K animated video per Based Knight—10 to 15 seconds long—using AI video models Seedance 2.5 and Seedance 2.0 through Dreamina AI. I generate multiple variations until the animation perfectly captures the essence of the Knight.
Every time I drop a new Based Knight 1/1, I will also release its corresponding animated video alongside it.
Collector Experience & Separate Animated Collection
The primary collectible you buy is the ultra-high-fidelity still 1/1 image (minted on sovereign Transient Labs smart contracts on Base). As a powerful bonus, every collector automatically unlocks the exclusive 4K animated version of their Knight—created with Seedance 2.5 and 2.0 on Dreamina AI.
To keep everything clean, fast-loading, and perfectly organized, the animations live in a completely separate collection and contract on the same Base blockchain, also minted via Transient Labs. This way the still images remain lightning-fast for collectors while the motion versions stay easily accessible in their own dedicated space.
Own the glowing static Knight. Watch it breathe, move, and come alive in 4K.
This is the full Based Knights experience—static perfection + dynamic life.
The utility is the art
The Hierarchy: 38 Clans on the Base Dimension
The world has expanded significantly. We have moved from the 17 legacy clans of the past to 38 unique clans, including 21 entirely new lineages awakened specifically for Base.
🧿 Rare Tier (0.0111 ETH) 10 Pieces each: Obsidian, Iridescent, Fire, Water, Emerald, Ivory, Sapphire. ~9 Pieces each: Iron, Quantum, Venusian, Martian, Dragon, Leaf, Aurora.
🧿 Ultra Rare Tier (0.0333 ETH) 9 Pieces each: Arctic, Orchid, Diamond, Lotus, Rose. ~8 Pieces each: Vintage, Wind, Earth, Andromeda, Saturnian.
🧿 Special Tier (0.0411 ETH) 9 Pieces each: Indigo, Solar, Holographic. ~8 Pieces each: Lunar, Chrome, Amphibian, Glitched, Astral.
🧿 Legendary Tier (0.0593 ETH) 8 Pieces each: Galactic, Psychedelic. ~8 Pieces each: Oneiric, Etheric.
🧿 Mystic Tier (0.0777 ETH) 8 Pieces each: Golden, Celestial.
The Blueprint: A Weekly Ritual
We are building a legacy, not a moment of hype. To ensure every piece is given the spotlight it deserves, we follow a strict cadence:
Release: 5 new Based Knights every week. Tech: ERC-721TL sovereign smart contracts on Base via Transient Labs. Provenance: Immutable on Base (L2 Ethereum).
Meaning behind the collection: Each knight carries forward the spirit of unity, while embracing even greater diversity, philosophies, emotional depth, and love for human nature. Every piece is a portal: a celebration of individuality within the collective, of strength rooted in empathy, and of beauty found in our shared humanity.
Welcome to the next chapter. The journey continues. ⚔️🪐🧿
Sincerely, slowfreeze
Transient Labs to get the 1/1s:
www.transient.xyz/nfts/base/0xdd62c4070562b38d101117ded925d7a85dad156e
OpenSea to view the collection:
opensea.io/collection/based-knights
Based Knights • Animations
www.transient.xyz/nfts/base/0x9dc92e993f3c9fa58f6ae8ddd251ff93d5cea01b
opensea.io/collection/based-knights-animations