The base group has been replaced by a metapackage of the same name. We advise users to install this package (pacman -Syu base), as it is effectively mandatory from now on.
Users requesting support are expected to be running a system with the base package.
Addendum:
Be aware that base as it stands does not currently contain:
- A kernel
- An editor
... and other software that you might expect. You will have to install these separately on new installations.