Friday, July 29, 2016

A Season for All Things

And this sure as heck ain't the season for wargaming in my non-AC semi-attic room, not until the humid 30C temperatures subside.

Still, one can often manage something in the early morning or evening, in between chores.
The Minnow does her Cat Goddess Statue thing while waiting for me to regain my senses.
Almost a decade ago, in the days when I was convinced multifigure stands were the answer to almost everything, I decided that movement trays were the next best thing for Charge! and bought some sticky backed magnetic sheets and plastic metal bases. Since I only played Charge! something like one weekend every other year, I never quite got as far as making the trays though.

Later, about 6 years ago, I decided to breakdown and conform to WHAB norms and use singles on movement trays for my new units. Didn't bother with magnets since they weren't planning to travel. That plan didn't last. I got pissed off when small but important rules changes weren't made legally available free or even cheap  and appeared to invalidate existing unit structures. I decided changing rules made more sense.

Today, I took five of those movement trays, some of that magnetic sheeting and some green paint then started putting PA figures on trays. The sheet needed some glue to reinforce the aging  sticky back and the trays are too small to hold a whole Charge! company but they will hold a MacDuff company and make it easier shuffling troops to and from the table with fewer dropped figures while retaining Charge! compatibility.

I guess it was finally their season.

10 comments:

  1. Movement Trays?- yes Ross they certainly do come in handy- about 24 years ago I made trays for my all singular based Dwarf Army - all 200 of them...yes movement trays are certainly less stressful! Regards. KEV.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still prefer fixed multi figure stands but it is a useful compromise for a group effort.

      Delete
  2. It seems to be the time of year for sorting out projects that needed to be finished, completed, or otherwise resolved. With me it has been my ancient Minifig 'S' range Prussians and for you your magnetic movement trays.

    Almost all my figures are now on multi figure bases, and I am looking at putting my 20mm figures on to multi figure bases as well. (At present they are about half-and-half single and multi figure bases.)

    Good luck with you project ... and it should certainly make moving the figures around you room and table easier.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are only a small number of units to be given trays so I am almost done. For now at least.

      Delete
  3. I use movement trays for all of my 40mm semi-flats, allowing them to be used for single figure removal (not that we ever do).

    https://lacewarsintin.blogspot.co.uk/

    For those of you on UK I can recommend the bases from Products for Wargamers, good quality and very reasonably priced (the ones for my 16 man units are £0.90

    http://www.productsforwargamers.com/


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They can be a pragmatic compromise for linear warfare.

      Delete
  4. Mt figures are pretty much all singly based, but that's mostly due to indecisiveness. I like the look and idea of multi-figure bases, just never seem to get around to trying it out. Movement trays seem a good compromise; or even just plain good if done well. I like some of the ones I've see where the trays have slots for the individual minis and are landscaped all around so the figures look more integrated with the tray/base.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have played with figures based that way. Not bad for the AWI where files were kept loose and any period where troops were extended but you can't really manage shoulder to shoulder like fixed multifigure bases. For me it is a typical compromise, it can't match the best features of either single figures or elements but it is flexible.

      Delete
  5. p.s. Minnow looks the epitome of serene yet watchful goddess-ness

    ReplyDelete
  6. She likes to think so, I won't repeat any of the calumnies about lack of brain activity.

    ReplyDelete