any cheap/free army building programs out there?

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**Rented Tritium**

Army builder is very good, but it's just a simple database with a visual frontend. If you have any skill at all, you can make your own that suits your information needs much better.

Unfortunately, since you probably include codex info in it, you have to keep it to yourself once you're done.

**Irdiumstern**

I've pretty much always used excel/open office. At one point, I did try army builder, but the completely irrelevant information everywhere made me go back to excel.

**Rented Tritium**

There's a free spreadsheet floating around that makes a blood bowl team that works just like army builder. I started my list by reverse engineering it and adapting the database scheme to 40k. It only took a few weeks to get it working, but much longer to enter the data from codexes.

**Arschbombe**

Ailaros wrote:

If there was a way where you could tell army builder not to print off every single stat for every single model (yes, devestators have the same statline as a tac marine, I don't need to see them again), or to print off every single stupid upgrade (yes, ALL of my power-armored models come with frag and krak grenades), and special rule (yes, ALL of my marines come with ATSKNF), and just simplify it to the pertinent information, like how statlines are actually different, or special rules that just that squad has, or specific upgrades, then I'd be more in favor of army builder.

Army Builder's output is completely customizable. The default roster includes lots of stuff that's not needed and that's what you tend to see at tourneys. There is a very minimalist tournament format that some people seem to like. It doesn't include anything apart from unit names, options and costs; not even the basic statline is part of it.

**lord of corn**

The really nice thing about army builder is that you can export your list as an .htm file which allows me to access the list on my ipad or iphone and each entry is collapsable with clickable wargear entries.

like the above poster said the output is completely customizable and can include as much or little extra data as you want.

with regards to errors in the data files, they do crop up especially in a brand new codex datafile but tend to get fixed fairly quickly. and I've found the errors really aren't a problem.

having said that i have just downloaded battlescribe and its brilliant. now I can edit lists on my mac

**Commander Jimbob**

DeathReaper wrote:
Commander Jimbob wrote:I use Battlescribe but have no idea how to save the documents... I save it and it is 0kb in size and does nothing.

Have you tried uninstall and re-installing it?

barring that, try saving the list to a different location.

I've reinstalled it, and saved it to several places. It seems I need CSS or something as a template for it. I think...

P.S. I know this post was made a little while ago, sorry

**DeathReaper**

Then I am not sure what is going on.

Try the Help for Battle Scribe:

http://www.battlescribe.net/help-overview.html

**Maelstrom808**

Commander Jimbob wrote:
DeathReaper wrote:
Commander Jimbob wrote:I use Battlescribe but have no idea how to save the documents... I save it and it is 0kb in size and does nothing.

Have you tried uninstall and re-installing it?

barring that, try saving the list to a different location.

I've reinstalled it, and saved it to several places. It seems I need CSS or something as a template for it. I think...

P.S. I know this post was made a little while ago, sorry

Do you have the latest version of Java?

**AtariAssasin**

Was wondering this myself. Thanks for the links.

**Cheex**

I use AB on my PC and laptop, it works a treat. I've been using it for the past 3+ years, no complaints from me - its outputs are highly customisable, so I've trimmed a lot of the "excess fat" that people often complain about with AB, and have formatted a lot of things to be clearer. It takes some patience to figure out, but it's a great program.

I also use BattleScribe on my Android phone, it's an amazingly lightweight program for on-the-go roster editing. The output is nice and simple, too, but I wish it was more customisable.

For my iPad, I downloaded a program called Quartermaster, but there don't seem to be many files out there for it - you have to input it all manually. The program itself works quite well, but datafile creation is a bit of a headache. Very much looking forward to a version of BattleScribe for iOS...

**Commander Jimbob**

Maelstrom808 wrote:Do you have the latest version of Java?

Yup, I'm pretty sure

DeathReaper wrote:Then I am not sure what is going on.

Try the Help for Battle Scribe:

http://www.battlescribe.net/help-overview.html

Thanks, had a look and found this quote:
'Finally, the copy HTML button copies the HTML markup (including CSS) for your roster to the clipboard'
So I'll just paste the HTML into notepad or something and save that, then I can just paste it into some HTML editor and print it off whenever I need. Not too much hassle

**tauxnimrod**

My Army Builder lol

**Frankenberry**

Why do you use a ruler?

Just dled BS, pretty nifty.

**Jonskichov**

@Commander Jimbob

I'm a bit concerned if you're not able to properly save your lists :S I wonder if it's permission related? Have you tried saving to different places, eg just to your desktop? (I assume you're running on Windows?)

I would recommend making sure you're up to date with BattleScribe Itself and the data files. Perhaps there is a bug in your version or an issue with the data file you're using?

1) delete (or backup) your old BattleScribe folder
2) download and install the latest version from the website (1.12.03b)
3) go to file->data repositories and add the randomhit repo URL (http://www.randomhit.org/battlescribe_data/index.xml) and click update to get the latest data files

Hope that helps

**tauxnimrod**

Frankenberry wrote:Why do you use a ruler?

To make boxes

**Commander Jimbob**

Jonskichov wrote:@Commander Jimbob

I'm a bit concerned if you're not able to properly save your lists :S I wonder if it's permission related? Have you tried saving to different places, eg just to your desktop? (I assume you're running on Windows?)

I would recommend making sure you're up to date with BattleScribe Itself and the data files. Perhaps there is a bug in your version or an issue with the data file you're using?

1) delete (or backup) your old BattleScribe folder
2) download and install the latest version from the website (1.12.03b)
3) go to file->data repositories and add the randomhit repo URL (http://www.randomhit.org/battlescribe_data/index.xml) and click update to get the latest data files

Hope that helps

Thank you, I will check that out!
Am I right in thinking I need only to 'Save As' or whatever it's called, nothing else?

**ObliviousBlueCaboose**

Pen. Paper. Pocket Calculator. Extremely cheap. And you should know your codex anyway.

**Mahtamori**

I find myself mistrusting pen and paper, simply because the errors aren't predictable the way they may be in a computer program - and additionally some of the errors may even be intentional (and from my experience most people just don't know how to cheat a computer program).

**Vice_Grip**

My dad found a copy of army builder for free.

Not sure were he got it, but I haven't even used it yet.

**Happygrunt**

Word, as I hate AB and have yet to really try battle scribe.

Although I also use extra space in my notebooks for points calculation. No names, just numbers.

**AtariAssasin**

Does any of this stuff work for Macs?

**Emerett**

Battlscribe is totally free, is the best program and is on every platform including smartphones.

**Lobokai**

AB can also give you a mobile interactive list

**Far Seer**

I've only ever tried the demo version of AB but I'd have to say, I really like Battlescribe. Before I was just using an Excel spreadsheet template to build my army lists, but thanks to this thread, Battlescribe has another devotee.
I just love how I don't have to constantly flip through my codex, add up points costs on my calculator, add entries into excel, etc.