"Of tokens and left overs" Topic

Many of the current rule sets are requiring some type of token or markers placed on units to denote either strength, status, or orders. I'm not a big fan of having these tokens laying around on the table. There had to be some way (other than bookkeeping) to mark the units.

Recently I was reading a posting on TMP where a gamer commented that he had extra command figures, left over from his current project. This got me thinking, I too has extra command figures, how could I used them. Maybe this second problem could be used to solve the first.

For years the folks I game with have used casualty figures to represent disorder or disruption with their units. So why not use the extra command figures to replace the tokens? But, how do you identify what the figure represents? Flags.

Going through my leftovers I pulled out the standard bears, officers, or any figure that looks like it could hold a color. I then drilled out the hands so a wire flag staff could slip through them. I then made up a set of flags that could be switched off for the figures to hold. The flags I made in two groups, one in solid colors and the other set has numbers on them. The solid colors, represent specific action (these were just cut from gift tissue). The numbered flags are use if you need to keep track of hits or such (I never like placing a die behind the unit).

I painted my token standard bearers in generic period uniforms so they could be placed behind any unit in any army. If I would do this again, I think I may just include a figure within a unit. Another thing I would do differently is with the numbered flags. I made white flags with gold roman numerals. This color combination is not all that visible, so the next batch just maybe white with black dots.

Hope some of you find this useful.
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Might be easier to use different rules. I do share your hatred of clutter on the table but sometimes it is very hard to avoid. I use prone figures to represent when a unit goes prone.

Interesting idea, thanks for sharing this concept.

For my ACW rules I use the following. Single figures officer normally placed in front of the unit. When a charge is declared the officer is moved to the maximum end point of the change and a figure with a flag is placed at the point of contact for the charge. if the office is facing the unit and a drummer is included it is considered rallying. I also have an unarmed running figure to show a unit is routing off the table. I have an ammo box to show low ammo. I also have quite a few wounded figures that are placed on the table at points where major casualties have occurred. The last is just to show where the fighting was the most intense.

Drummer / Officer Figs pretty good for Casualty markers.
Many 'packs' in various scales… provide far more than you want! Bit of 'flattening'… and 'Status' marker!

Col. Durnford – I like the idea of different figures means different actions.

As to casualty figures, if I can get large quantity at an affordable price, I just use them. If the aren't available, I've taken a surplus figure reworked into a casualty and then using Blue Stuff make a mold and make my own from epoxy putty.

I am a big fan of using puffs of smoke in different colours. White = disrupted, black = spent, brown = low ammo, a red wisp = reduced artillery unit. I make these from wool roving. Very easy to do, and I think they enhance the aesthetic – you get a real sense of the battle intensifying as the clouds of smoke billow across the table! Plenty of images of this in action with 6mm or 10mm figures on the BBBBlog:
bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com

Many interesting ideas!

I have been playing Congo: Adventures in the Heart of Africa, by Studio Tomahawk. This game calls for tokens to be used to represent various forms of stress. There are tokens to reduce shooting, melee, movement plus terror and panic. Each token has a symbol. They tend to clutter the battlefield. Can some one suggest how to better represent these with less cluttering items? I like the rules and will not be changing :) Here is an example of a game from the net with tokens.
link

My Hessians include sergeants with halbards. They are mounted a singles and put behind a unit if it is shaken or uneasy or disordered. Perry's nervous militia serve the same purpose for Americans.

Dead horses (I picked up two bags of Custer's Last Stand from Old Glory) are useful too.

My objection to tokens is that they can get left behind when a unit moves. To prevent this I have two options, for counting e.g. casualties use a small [cocktail] stick in from the right of the unit, those on the right of the stick are casualties. Otherwise I use small rings which sit over a figures head/upraised arm. This has its limitations although different colours are available if you need different purposes. As I only need one in the rules I use I prefer clear plastic as if you step back a couple of feet they virtually disappear.

A few years ago, when I converted all my AWI units to Flag Dude flags, I cut off the staffs on the old ones, so just the flags were left. I now use those flags to reflect disordered units in FNF games. I don't consider them to be clutter since they are period specific anyway and are appropriate for all nationalities.