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This has come up in the context of GWs Legions Imperialis, where you need to know which unit a model is from, and which formation that unit is from.

which is simplified to "which unit is this from" with a paper record, or by actually having both somehow marked.

this is not the only game that has a need to clearly identify which model is from which unit.

Q: what methods are people using for this?

aware some games have "units must stay "x" away from other units" to try and manage this but curious how people are doing it?

Hmm. The poll won't let me select multiple options.

I do both specific unit markings & markings/color coding on the bases.

I'm a gamer 1st & foremost. So I have no qualms about putting models on the table before they're fully painted.
I'll build & basecoat them, then fully paint them at my leisure.
In the meantime I color code my bases. The WHOLE base, not just the rim.
Red squad, blue squad, pink squad, etc - really whatever distinct colors are nearest on the work table....
(Though as a bit of a joke I coded my 3 Bolt Action US Army infantry squads as Red, White, & Blue)
Vehicles get #s/letters. A1, A2, A3/B1, B2, B3, etc

Once the model is eventually finished paint-wise I do the basing & leave the colors on the rim.
For vehicles the temporary markings are just painted over & propper marking applied.

For my Imperialis infantry, because of how variable it is, I'm considering some sort of colored flag system - at least for the attached support teams.

Some I’ve modeled differently. Like on mk 4 tac squad everyone got combat knives, another pistols. Or intercessors with diferent style rifles. For tyranid ripper swarms I have groups with 3,4, or 5 rippers per base.

Some are also eras of models. Despite being mechanically the same, there is no question which squad the RTB01s vs. the more modern marines are with.

For times where I’m using models that are too similar, I use facing. Normally when playing I face models on the table so they look appropriate. (Assuming the game does not have facing mechanics, like 40k these days) If two squads are close and need to be separated, I’ll obviously turn them in different directions. Like one squad will face backwards, the other forwards. Visually a little immersion breaking, but mechanically usefull.

I'm not a fan of tokens beside models for this because it means more material you have to move around and if two different units end up close together on the table (eg both consolidating into close combat) then you still can easily mix up which model is in which. It's also one more thing you have to move around ontop of everything else.

I'm also not a fan of "just keep the units separate". This can have two big issues
1) It limits you tactically on the tabletop. Sometimes you do want two of the same to be close together; or the way the game plays out ends up with units moving together. Denying yourself this option can put you at a disadvantage or lead you to make poor game choices.

2) It doesn't let you know which unit is which if you're tracking other game information. This could be important if one group has different upgrades than the other, which aren't modelled on the models. Or for tracking objective or other elements that might be linked to specific units in your army.



So I'm a fan of on-model adjustments.

This can be anything really as long as its clear and distinctive enough to stand out.



Painting the base rim different colours is a nice bold and easy way to do it; different shoulderpad insignia can work great too for armies like marines.

Different key detail colours - eg gun colour; shoulderpads etc.... These can be a subtle way to identify different groups. Can be a bit too subtle at times, but overall this can be a good way to have the different groups shown and blend it into the army style itself.

Another one is using a different base detail element. Eg different base materials or colours or styles.

poll should allow multi-select, may have messed up

all good ideas though, agree tokens are a pain and best avoided.

usually use base markings here (for things with bases), easy to mark front and back. trouble I've found with some on model markings is my opponent can see them but I can't

Oh one thing I forgot about tokens - most games use tokens anyway for other things. So you're again cluttering the board with more information.

If you're really organised and the game easily allows it; if you can mark each unit on the model you can have a unit card or similar to the side of the game upon which you can put your game tracking tokens to keep up with the status of that unit. So it an lower the on-board tokens to move around.

leopard wrote:
trouble I've found with some on model markings is my opponent can see them but I can't

That's why I color code my bases.
Yes, once finished each Imperial Guard squad, Bolt action squad, etc has its own squad # on each figure. It's not impossible to see & sort out from a different squad, but it does take a moment/effort. As opposed to looking at a group of figures & instantly seeing red bases, blue bases, white bases....

ccs wrote:

leopard wrote:
trouble I've found with some on model markings is my opponent can see them but I can't

That's why I color code my bases.
Yes, once finished each Imperial Guard squad, Bolt action squad, etc has its own squad # on each figure. It's not impossible to see & sort out from a different squad, but it does take a moment/effort. As opposed to looking at a group of figures & instantly seeing red bases, blue bases, white bases....

my 15mm Flames of War stuff is all marked on the base for sanity, my old imperial guard all had base markings, my marines got on model markings and base markings, marines seem to be perfect for that sort of thing

heck the old IG models had a spot for it on the front and across the shoulders too, nicely thought out design that

found with the flames stuff is became very easy to then expand it a bit, e.g. any model that also has a bright orange square on the base has a flame thrower, a "P" is a pioneer stand, CiC & 2iC the same. Legions gives those lovely banners and tank commander models too

a lot to be said for base colours though, either the whole base or something smaller

I realized that my votes were wrong after I voted.

Over time, I've basically ended up with a combination of two:
* Separate models by edition. "The 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition models are each their own units".
* Paint the base rim different colors for each unit if there isn't enough of a break down.

Recently, I bought a bunch of colored magnetized base adapters (rubberized plastic base hugger with a magnet on the bottom), as both a way of making it easier to store and transport models (without taking the time to glue magnets to a bunch of old bases) and an easy way to quickly change which color group a model belongs to.

I play marines, so I have squads separated by markings on their right shoulder pad.

For 28/32mm scale stuff I like to put markings on the model. For 10mm scale and below, the base is a bit easier to deal with. Larger vehicles can be given individual markings though.

FoW I added a sticker with marker under the base.

Am going to do this for Legions too as I've now grown a collection to the point where there are a few different units, and obviously it's very important for that game.

Bayonettes fitted or not (IG guardsmen),
Backpack scopes on the left or right (Eldar Dire Avengers),

Maybe something on the base, whether a clump of grass on one squad, not the other.