There's the bottom plate, there's the top plate, and if one chooses, there's the mounting plate, but even with all of these, the Clueboard, as it is, would be very, very thin. It would not have much of a presence. The middle section of the case gives room to the board, preventing it from being a flat mech. So, while not strictly needed, this part is important to give some size to your Clueboard.