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About a year ago I think, maybe more, GW made some "textured" movement tray's -- I had gotten some at my FLGS a week before GW put them out.  However, checking out the online store, I notice they had changed sometime back to the old style tray with green plastic--what happened to the textured ones?  

Uh, take a look HERE just to the right of the old style plastic trays.

What the...well, I was in a different section I think...

You'll probably want to skip on them, though, as the new v7 WHFB rules require units to be 5 wide to get ranking bonuses. Check out Gale Force 9 who have a wide range of custom movement trays made out of laser cut plywood. Excellent quality stuff and I highly recommend them.

For cheaper alternatives, I've found that .08" thick (2mm) sheet plastic cut to shape and with either plastic extruded L-beams or old sprue used to make the ridges (and to create a space to texture with a mix of rocks, sand & ballast) is relatively inexpensive, though considerably more labor intensive. If ya got the money, GF9 is the best route, or if your impoverished and/or have lots of spare time, DIY.

Those should allow him to field his models five wide as long as they are on 20 mm bases.

Yes, I have a few of those myself. They allow typical infantry to be placed in 5x5 groups. It's only 4-wide if you're putting ogre-sized bases in there.

Posted By stonefox on 10/16/2006 8:32 PM
Yes, I have a few of those myself. They allow typical infantry to be placed in 5x5 groups. It's only 4-wide if you're putting ogre-sized bases in there.

Uh, they don't fit 4-wide ogre bases, which are 40mm wide. They are 100mm x 100mm, allowing 4x4 formations that use 25mm square bases (Orks & Chaos to name two), 5x5 formations for 20mm square bases (Empire & Vampipre Counts), or 4x2 formations for 25mm x 50mm cavalry.

So, unless you're playing Empire, VC or another army that uses 20mm square bases, you're better off going to GF9 or building your own.

Well, I do play Empire, and Bretonnia, which also fits; but I *should* make my own.

OK, whatever. I don't know which army uses fits the squares in the movement tray. It's printed with 4x4 squares, so guess those are the orks you're talking about. Anyway, drop the issue. 5-wide units fit and he's just confirmed he uses standard man-sized units. I suppose you assumed he meant orcs while I assumed he meant people.

GF9 costs a lot more and you're better off doing simple knife scoring on GW movement trays to make them fit your needs. Typical "to each his own" statement.

Uh, Do you even play WHFB? Chaos Marauders are man sized, but use 25mm bases (and therefore won't fit 5-wide), nor will "knife scoring on GW movement trays" make 125mm wide worth of figs fit into a 100mm wide space. Or is this too much for you to comprehend?

This is a moot point, as Infantryman has stated he uses two armies that have 20mm standard basing for their infantry. Cav are still 25mm wide, however, and if he wants movement trays that fit five wide, he'll either have to make his own or purchase them through GF9 or another company. GF9's trays are $10 each, which while not cheap, you can get exactly what you want and are high quality to boot. I believe Litko and others make movement trays as well.

Because brets and empire have chaos marauders...who are bigger than "man-sized."

I use both the GF9 trays, and the GW textured. I just finished converting a bunch of the GW ones to fit 25 strong blocks of orcs. Score them with a knife and cut in half, then take off the last two squares to make 6x2's. Four of the 6x2's get glued to an apropriate sized piece of thin cardboard, with a piece of cardboard in the middle hole. Cheaper than the GF9, but more work. I did them mainly so all the units or orcs and nightgoblins have similar trays.

For my dwarf army, I'm using all GF9 trays. The 10x1 trays for thunderers and crossbowmen are particularly useful. For plastic figures, I also like the GF9 magnetic bases. Saves a lot of time restacking light plastic figures in the movement trays when they get bumped.

Posted By stonefox on 10/17/2006 8:09 PM
Because brets and empire have chaos marauders...who are bigger than "man-sized."

No...we don't.

Posted By mikhaila on 10/17/2006 8:13:41 PM
For plastic figures, I also like the GF9 magnetic bases. Saves a lot of time restacking light plastic figures in the movement trays when they get bumped.

Oh hey those would be useful! I've access to very thin steel...perhaps I should make my own magnetic bases.
Now just to find magnents that fit; I'd assume GF9 makes them?

Additionally, I just checked using my M@A; the normal troop sized guys DO infact fit five wide in the enclosed 4X4 trays.  They fit quite nicely, too.  

I'm pretty sure Litko and GF9 both make magnets that will fit. In fact, I'm positive GF9 has precut sheets so you can magnetize your bases. You can also go the DIY route and head over to Michaels or a similar arts & craft store which should have sheets of thin flexible magnet which you can cut yourself.

I got a 2' by 1' sheet of magnetic vynyl at a hobby shop for about $8.  It would work great for magnatizing a movement tray and be less expensive than GF 9's product (although GF9's product is pretty and conveinent).

GF9 sells a package that consists of 36 bases at 20mm, or 25 bases at 25mm, and a flexible sheet of metal with a tacky side. The bases come with either a slot,or not slot, and are shaped the same as regular GW bases. When you build the unit, use the GF9 bases instead of GW, then cut the metal sheet with scissors and glue it down to your movement tray. Works insanely nice. They also sell larger bases, number depends on the size. It's always a 120mm x 120mm amount of material, or thereabouts. Cost is 10 dollars a package.