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I'm getting my army ready to go to a GT and was just wondering whether or not an elaborate display board is necessary to be competitive. I'm not holding any illusions that i'll be in the running for best painted, but I don't want to walk in with my arm tied behind my back either. Thanks Dakka!

The top spots are often separated by a few points, so the bonus points from the display board can mean the difference between winning and not. I recommend one if it isn't too much of a PITA.

Yes. They are convenient and eye-catching, if done right.

In other news, the search feature turned up this recent gem:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/303263.page

Thanks, I read that but Reecius gave me the answer I was looking for.

Besides the obvious score implications, I find that they are mandatory at large events from a simple logistics point of view.

There just isn't time or room to be constantly stuffing your models in and out of figure cases. Having a board allows you to take them directly from casualty to being ready for the next game.

Makes events much more enjoyable. They are super easy to make too.

Speaking from the perspective of a TO. I recommend not going overboard with it if you decide to do one. The reason being is that a lot of tournaments are short on non gaming table space and having to walk around, and trying to manage somewhere to keep display boards can be a pain. Something flat that can slide under a table, or be propped against a wall would be ideal I've seen a few players have their display kicked, or stepped on and that's a sad thing to have happen.

I myself just use a bordered cork board I found at Wal Mart for 5 or 6 bucks.

derek wrote:Speaking from the perspective of a TO. I recommend not going overboard with it if you decide to do one. The reason being is that a lot of tournaments are short on non gaming table space and having to walk around, and trying to manage somewhere to keep display boards can be a pain. Something flat that can slide under a table, or be propped against a wall would be ideal I've seen a few players have their display kicked, or stepped on and that's a sad thing to have happen.

Yeah, I just bought one of those cork boards!

I was going to glue some static grass to it, but I axed the idea of putting buildings and stuff on it for just the reasons you cited.

nkelsch wrote:Besides the obvious score implications, I find that they are mandatory at large events from a simple logistics point of view.

There just isn't time or room to be constantly stuffing your models in and out of figure cases. Having a board allows you to take them directly from casualty to being ready for the next game.

Makes events much more enjoyable. They are super easy to make too.

agreed

But you need to make sure your board has tall edges so models dont fall off.

I've been meaning to make one for ages, but it'd need to be big enough to hold my 1850 IG army, which has:

3 Five man squads
6 Ten man squads
Valkyrie
2 LR Executioners
medusa
6 Chimeras

any advice on what materials to start with? I've got plenty of DIY, craft, and hobby shops in my area.

You can make a nice one with a piece of hard board for the base, which is cheap as hell, and then just texture it with basing and flock in the same way you text your models. Or, just a piece of plywood with the same treatment. That's probably the cheapest and fastest way to do it.

I know a lot of guys who use a cheap picture frame to put around a base to give it a little artistic flare.

Like derek said, don't overdo it. It's annoying when someone has a giant display board that takes up all the table space.

Hmm, i'll need to either find my jigsaw (and then an extension cord that reaches to my apt balcony) or hope that Home Depot can cut hard board to size. I'll also need to lay out my army to see how big I need.

B&Q, the UK equivalent, will normally make up to 3 cuts into any piece of MDF / etc for free.

Beautiful themed display boards can help win best painted, but other than that we dont have points for boards as a rule in the UK. Seems an odd concept.

I've always thought that having a picture frame filled with a bit of Polystyrene would work, as you get a nice frame around the base.

Personally I haven't seen anybody use any in the UK for either 40K or Fantasy

nkelsch wrote:Besides the obvious score implications, I find that they are mandatory at large events from a simple logistics point of view.

There just isn't time or room to be constantly stuffing your models in and out of figure cases. Having a board allows you to take them directly from casualty to being ready for the next game.

Makes events much more enjoyable. They are super easy to make too.

Eh....

I have two big cookie sheets. My "display board" is an painted, flocked X-Board Travel Display that I won at a GT. I'd much rather use my two cookie sheets because they can fit on chairs since space *is* a premium.

Dashofpepper wrote:

Eh....

I have two big cookie sheets. My "display board" is an painted, flocked X-Board Travel Display that I won at a GT. I'd much rather use my two cookie sheets because they can fit on chairs since space *is* a premium.

I don't see the difference between a Cookie sheet and a display board... Are you saying you use the cookie sheet for magnetic purposes? I magnetize all my models because I like flat-bottom bases instead of open bottom, so that does make it easier to move stuff because it helps resist things from falling off.

A tray is a tray... A Display board is usually just a tray with sand and paint on it.

Aluminum cookie sheets; they're not magnetic.

But they're big enough to carry my Orks. THe difference between my cookie sheets and a display board is that when tournaments have a display board point requirement, it comes out.

At the Nova Open for example, I had cookie sheets and my display board. The display board got broken out for displaying my models for painting. When painting was done, I broke down the display board and put it away, and used my cookie sheets, which are utilitarian.

Sound dumb? Probably. If there weren't points for a display board, I wouldn't be using them. =p

A "display" board is certainly not required unless you feel you're in the running for top painting honors.
A "army movement" baord IS almost mandatory at large (and small, IMO) events.

As has been said, room at events is at a premium, as is time. If you're wasting 10 minutes of every game round popping models out of a case or foam tray, you're not going to make many friends. Even something as simple as a box top or sheet of thick cardboard is better than picking the models for an IG Blob force out of their army tray every round.

I made my display board by cutting a piece of Eucaboard (thin MDF) to the size I wanted, and then making wheat amounts to a picture frame out of poplar. Sand, flock, paint the hardboard. Paint and seal the frame. Attach the two with brads and staples. Done, sir, done!

If you're not a carpenter (and don't have access to a miter box, which is pretty muchr equired for proper angle cuts), stop by your local flea market, Goodwill, or junk shop. Buy an old picture frame for a dollar. Bring it home, remove the glass and the backer. Buy your MDF, and have the guy at Home Depot cut it to size for you. Buy a can of spraypaint that matches your army. Bring it home, sand, flock, seal the board. Spray the old frame your desired color. Attach one to the other, and done!

Dashofpepper wrote:Aluminum cookie sheets; they're not magnetic.

But they're big enough to carry my Orks. THe difference between my cookie sheets and a display board is that when tournaments have a display board point requirement, it comes out.

At the Nova Open for example, I had cookie sheets and my display board. The display board got broken out for displaying my models for painting. When painting was done, I broke down the display board and put it away, and used my cookie sheets, which are utilitarian.

Sound dumb? Probably. If there weren't points for a display board, I wouldn't be using them. =p

Not dumb, prefect. If you have ahoardy force, your display board has to be quite large, obnoxiously large. This is not conducive to actual tournament play. Something like cookie trays are more handy. When I played guard, I had a plastic linen storage box. The box contained the vehicles. Flipping the top allowed me to carry the troop trays on top. Life was good, at least until the game starts. Not the face! Oh my beautiful face!

If you are local to a Blick's art supplier they have a great canvas system I utilize. Basically they have hard back boards with a hard canvas front, these sell in packs between 6-10, then there is a frame you can drop them in. I use the same frame for every event, i'm spraying it black to make it look better. Then I have a insert to match the base work on my competitive armies. It weigh's maybe a pound, is durable, and its easy to swap the inserts in and out. Total cost maybe $20 for the base materials then some time building whatever you want on your display base. It relatively fits 2250 of skaven They have a variety of sizes...

Store:
http://www.dickblick.com/stores/

Boards:
http://www.dickblick.com/categories/woodpanels/

Polonius wrote:I've been meaning to make one for ages, but it'd need to be big enough to hold my 1850 IG army, which has:

3 Five man squads
6 Ten man squads
Valkyrie
2 LR Executioners
medusa
6 Chimeras

any advice on what materials to start with? I've got plenty of DIY, craft, and hobby shops in my area.

To make IG fit in a reasonable space, consider multi-story display. Multistory buildings, for example, let 3 squads fit in a space where only 1 would on a 2d board.

Plus, you know, ruins! And Guardsmen!

I have an upside down box lid. Its painted OD green and is flocked with a Tau symbol inside the grass, more to prevent model slippage then anything else and only really needed to provide simple easy transport. Works for up to about 1500-1750 and it is crowded then. Need a bigger one for higher point tourneys.