"New Bow Wave Tokens from Litko" Topic

Sometimes these Likto markers work, sometimes they don't. This one doesn't. The ship looks like it just rammed a strange iceberg.

I would suggest a good way to determine which direction the ship is moving in is to look at its bow.

Yes. The pointy end usually goes first.

I agree, this is definitely one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but in the light of day (or perhaps after sobering up) kind of makes one cringe. Besides, I have bow waves and wakes already painted on my bases, so this would look rather silly.

I don't play naval games but understand they frequently are very high on detail to improve the simulation.

So I have to ask because I have no idea, is determining the bow wave of a ship an important aspect of naval warfare? I never heard any naval gamers mentioning it before, but what do I know.

I suspect that, particularly in smaller scales and larger games taking more space, they'd help players remember / see at a glance which ships are moving and in which diretion. What I don't get is why they're jagged, instead of twin curves. Production limitations?

The OP nailed it.

I like the clear base the ship is on. Anyone know who makes those?

I think it's a stock base, comes with the model attached (War at Sea).

I use Figurehead 1:6000 and their bases already have bow waves.

"the pointy end usually goes first"

So the fact that the depicted model is sharp at both ends is not a concern, then?

I think I'd make markers like this a bit lower visibility and/or shorter in scale, but otherwise I rather like the idea.

So the fact that the depicted model is sharp at both ends is not a concern, then?

My suggestion would be that the naval wargamer who cannot look at a ship from the period he games and figure out which is the bow and which is the stern should consider either a) using better miniatures or b) switching to WWII aircraft gaming, where the spinning thing in front tends to give one a clearer clue.

b) switching to WWII aircraft gaming, where the spinning thing in front tends to give one a clearer clue.

Not necessarily so! The Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden has the spinning thing to the back:

And the Dornier Do 335 Pfeil has the spinning thing in both front AND back!

link

You forgot the more obvious example, the ME-262.

What was it that Cicero said about the exception…?

How about the marker being used when the ship in under way at "flank" speed or a "special order" of a similar nature?

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

Or cut it in half and use a bunch of them to build an ice palisade for your Hyperboreans!

I think they probably look better from table height. There are only two guys in our group who do WWII naval, so this might be helpful when they inflict it on the rest of us who are more indifferent.

Rich

Not a concept that worked.

With 1/1250 you can tell which is the pointy end (bow) even from 10 or 15 feet.

Had a gamer several years ago who used bits of cotton to show both the bow wave and the wake quite nicely.

He left eventually and no one wanted to bother keeping the cotton in place with dozens of ship. Wasn't too much fun cleaning up after either…

Sure did look nice though.

It looks a bit poop :-(

WHY?

Not a concept that worked.

WHY?

Must be why it is in Jim's Lab and not in the main catalog. As it say on Jim's page:

Prospectve items will remain in Jim's Lab for a period of 30 days. After that time frame the items that receive enough positive reaction from customers become full products. The others go to the archive file in case they emerged before their time (Available as custom order products) – while others, well they just don't make the cut.

And now you have the rest of the story.

Dale

Good idea for cover. Not enough of that at sea.

The other problem being that the angle should be ~19º from centerline…

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks it looks horrible.

If I did not already play WWII naval and am aware of what can be done, the plain grey formless blob passing as a ship, lozenge of clear plastic and white mustache would combine to put me right off.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks it looks horrible.

I agree: big turn off. But – sometimes – you swing, you miss.

I could brobably hack something in clear acrylic (or a pal blue tint) but the shape just looks a bit crude, even if the colour is wrong (which it is IMO)

John T

Far better to paint the bow wave on the base of the ship.. I agree with the general consensus that the marker looks naff

it would be a handy marker to show the ship has executed the turn's move. Or to show it is moving at Flank speed (For those rules that it makes a difference)