"How Often Do You Use a Measuring Stick?" Topic

In your miniature wargaming, how often do you use a measuring stick to determine distances?

* all the time
* most of the time
* sometimes
* rarely
* never
* what's a measuring stick?

Constantly unless tape measure or ruler doesn't count.

I don't presently play any games where we use a dedicated measuring stick, although I am tempted to make some, assuming they might be easier than tape measures/rulers.

I almost always use a little tape measure but an acrylic measuring stick would probably be easier and less likely to catch on to the edges of my mini's.

Almost always use a tape measure.

All the time.

Yardsticks and rulers are easier to use than tape measures. Tape measures are easier to pack and carry.

I've almost never used dedicated pre-cut sticks.

I always bring at least 1 tape measure to a miniatures game, and will use all the time.

I will bring a yardstick and/or ruler if I think it's going to be useful, like where I expect lines of sight of 1-3 feet. I have used them when just about every time I've brought them, but I probably only bring them to 25% of the games I run or play.

Made a range finder for small arms and cannister stick but movement use tape

When playing SAGA and DBA all the time. Most other games a tape measure or ruler.

For DBA and Song of… otherwise either tape measure or grids.

Rarely, many years ago.

Stick, almost never.

Tape, most of the time.

Analogy, the rest of the time.

Sticks aren't good for our games. Movement is not restricted to straight line, and given terrain, a curved path (going around an obstacle or turning a corner on a street) is a frequent type of maneuver. Also, we have small boards, with mostly small movement (lots of infantry, but a few vehicles that have longer move rates), so a stick would be difficult to use in the terrain without bumping stuff. And elevation.

We can have maximum effective ranges that are 30" (or rarely longer), but those are rare, and mostly the operational/terrain situation means you don't engage often at that range.

Analogy or logic works for a lot of moves. Also, throw in obvious estimation. If a retreating unit came up a few inches short of leaving the board, we don't measure the next move as it will obviously be within the move distance. If someone else just measured something (their move in a chase, a short range shot) and you want to move, you may not need to measure because you know the move is within the move distance. Also, we use the "point man" system. One person's move is measured and the rest are inferred. For something like spreading a tight formation into a wide line, we might measure the two "end points" and just place the rest in between.

Here's a typical board:

(Paper tape measures in the lower right of the pic.)

Yard/meter stick, not going to work. Ruler, still inconvenient.

I carry a ruler and a tape to every game. Straight line distances like a horse & musket advance and short firing ranges work best with rulers, but they don't work as well when someone wheels.

Where the ground scale doesn't come out to an easy value in mm or inches a custom ruler makes life easier and in games such as DBA all the moving QRS can be on the ruler too.

Also good for checking LOS, tape measures are not as easy to use for that.

No sticks, just tapes and the odd ruler… though my friend has some for Galleys and Galleons.

One of our group who hosts naval uses them for range. Custom made ranges are marked on them for ease of use.

All the rest of the times we use tape measures or rulers

Tape all the time. I always bring a fabric tape and a metal tape. Metal used most since it extends straight, like a stick without the hassle of lugging a stick.

It depends on the rules we're using. Grant's SYW rules require one for artillery shot, while marked up sticks come in handy for musketry as well. We use sticks marked with base widths for DBA. For others- eg NMTBH and Battlegroup- tape measures are more convenient.

If I were to use measuring sticks, I would have to measure the sticks with my tape measure every time, to find the right one to use …

I own many Yard Sticks, but I find that I rarely use them. I use rulers, occasionally. I most often use a tape measure because of its compactness, versatility, and because they're fun to fidget with, during the minis games I play. Cheers!

Quite regularly — DBA, DBN, Blitzkrieg Commander.

Never

Very often. Both Carnage & Glory and Might and Reason both use measuring sticks for me. Otherwise, I use a tape measure.

Hmm. It appears we don't know what a "measuring stick" is--or at least we don't agree on the definition, which may be worse.

Care to spell out what you mean by it, Bill?

Good question, Robert. A " measuring stick" to me is a dowl rod that is dived into range, or movement, and/or colored band.

Every time the rules call for it.

Yes to measuring stick as a dowel.

I mostly used tape measures. However, in my zombie game, I use a specially painted dowel with three range bands (Commotion at 6 inches, line of sight at 12 inches, and loud noise out to 18 inches).

I use movement markers to determine movement distances so no measuring. I use a stick to measure ranges as the table may be more than 6 feet long. The stick is also good for running games to point out actions and units and to occasionally knock a cell phone out of a player's hand.

Wolfhag