8th Ed. Movement Trays... Does Size Matter?

[Captain Krox]

Hey everyone,

I'm just getting ready to play my first game at 500pts on the weekend. I have a question about movement trays:

If I have one made for 20 Saurus in a 5x4 formation, could I use this same tray for a 15 Saurus unit in a 5x 3 formation? This would leave an entire rank of empty space, and I'm not sure if that is legal or not. Does each formation need it's own movement tray? I could go 16 Saurus on a 4x4 too I suppose, but I really like the option to run 20, and then 40, etc.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[strewart]

Well don't run saurus 4x4 because they won't have rank bonuses...

But in general, no the unit base size doesn't matter at all. All it does is help move your units around, you actually still measure distances and contact area from the model's base not the unit base. I have heard of people using dead CDs as unit bases.

For ease of use in a game though, it is more important for the base to be the right width for the unit rather than the right depth. Models are going to die and leave gaps at the back anyway, thats no problem, but its easier to play if you have the correct width and don't have to worry about overlapping unit bases.

 

[Arli]

I prefer to make my own bases. I used to use balsa wood to make them. A friend of mine started using sheet metal so I tried that. I love it. What I did is bought a sheet of metal from the local Home Depot (about $6 bucks). Then I put my magnatized units on the tray to get the correct frontage for a particular unit. Then I cut out the sheet metal with tin snips (this part sucks and you could easily cut yourself). After that, I break out my handy dremel tool and grind down any burrs that may snag on the table or fingers. Once they are smooth, I spray painted them green.

These trays have no borders (like the GW trays) so they offer a more realistic feel to the unit as it looks to be standing on the table in a rank and file formation. They slide around the table and allow for smaller units as well as the size that the tray was designed for. Because there is no border, when in CC, there is not problem ranking up to other units.

Hehe, probably too much information for the post, but I had some coffee not long ago and I appear to be fairly wired.