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Hi All,

I've been using this free program for a while to build lists for a range of wargames, as it works very well. I was surprised recently when most of one of my groups of friends hadn't even heard of it, so I have put up a review & screenshots on my website to spread the word:

http://gravengames.co.uk/battlescribe-roster-editor-review/

Is anyone else already using this?

I've never seen it used, but as long as the final list result looks nothing like the horrid abomination that armybuilder uses, then it should be fine.

Personally though, I'm a fine of good old calculator and a nice word document laid out nicely. My lists are clean, clear, and easily understood. Most of these programs are unnecessarily confusing and hard to read when the person building the list could just as easily do some basic math and write out an easily understood list.

Blacksails wrote:I've never seen it used, but as long as the final list result looks nothing like the horrid abomination that armybuilder uses, then it should be fine.

Personally though, I'm a fine of good old calculator and a nice word document laid out nicely. My lists are clean, clear, and easily understood. Most of these programs are unnecessarily confusing and hard to read when the person building the list could just as easily do some basic math and write out an easily understood list.

That's actually what I like about this sofware, its clear and simple, & generates clear easy to read lists, while remaining relatively powerful.

I use it all the time, as it's Java based and thus works on my Mac.

Plus, of course, it's free and it automatically checks and downloads the current army lists from remote servers.

And it's quite easy to write files for - I've made a couple for mini-dexes and old Citadel Journal lists that are now part of the list download....

Use it all the time and personally write and maintain the Mantic lists.

Excellent software, highly recommended!

I'm not sure why people are still paying for Army Builder subscriptions at this point, especially after that whole debacle where they sent out legal threats to a variety of wargaming forums.

Where would I find 40k list repositories for it?

^ http://catalogue.randomhit.org/

Alternatively, you can find pretty much anything you want just by typing "[name of whatever] battlescribe files" into google.

For example, someone had the Empire list for fantasy made within 2 days of the book being released.

Hmmm I tried searching but apparently I am not smarter than google cause I can't seem to find the 40k files :( I guess GW went after them for posting the free rules or something???

Benamint wrote:Hmmm I tried searching but apparently I am not smarter than google cause I can't seem to find the 40k files :( I guess GW went after them for posting the free rules or something???

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=warhammer+40k+battlescribe+data+files

I've only ever tried free list-builders, so I can't compare it to Army Builder, but BattleScribe wins, hands down, out of the freebies I've played around with. The interface is reasonably clean and straightforward, as are the lists it produces.

The only complaints I've ever heard about it, barring the occasional bug in downloading from repositories, are from people who couldn't find the army list/game system files, to begin with. It only took me a few minutes with Google to find the repository, which gave me everything I could need, except the new edition VC list for WFB, which appears to be rather hush-hush (Google only turns up requests for links on other forums - so, if anybody has a link they want to PM me, I'd be grateful ).

I just downloaded Battlescribe two days ago. Even for someone as computer-knowledge-average as myself it was easy to setup and find the necessary files.

Yesterday I was able to quickly and easily make a 3000 point army for a game of Warpath and with a few notes added for my own convenience, the printed roster was great for in-game reference.

Highly recommended!

I have always been a big fan of army builder. Is there an App for Battlescribe. I recently got an Ipad 3 for my birthday and no nothing of mac products. All I have ever used is an Ipod. I can't put Army Builder on my Ipad (dont know or if it is even possible) but this Battlescribe looks like a good alternate. Any help for the computer illiterate would be greatly appreciated.

Bikeninja wrote:I have always been a big fan of army builder. Is there an App for Battlescribe. I recently got an Ipad 3 for my birthday and no nothing of mac products. All I have ever used is an Ipod. I can't put Army Builder on my Ipad (dont know or if it is even possible) but this Battlescribe looks like a good alternate. Any help for the computer illiterate would be greatly appreciated.

There isn't a good solution to using an ipad for list building - aside from a calculator app and notepad.

I've used Army Builder since 2000. Back then it was kinda the only thing around. 2 years ago I got the newest edition of it, but once my 1 year of updates was done, I just bookmarked the updates page and checked it weekly on my own. I don't know why anyone would pay $40 just to save them a few clicks a week.

I'll have to check out BattleScribe, especially since AB doesn't work on Mac OS.

Consider me a convert.

I gave up on Army Builder when they wanted me to pay every year for the priveledge of using their software, even though the content I wanted wasn't actually gerated by them.

Tjis has finally become available for the Kindle Fire, bit now I am perplexed as to how to find the $%&&&%$%**ing data files. Do I have to become a member of these sites, or is it simply a link?

Help!

adamsouza wrote:Consider me a convert.

I gave up on Army Builder when they wanted me to pay every year for the priveledge of using their software, even though the content I wanted wasn't actually gerated by them.

People are seriously misinformed about what the subscription is. You don't pay to use the software. Once you buy it, it's yours forever. What you pay for after the first year is automatic updates, which are optional. I don't pay a subscription and I update manually just fine. It's all of 3 clicks a month.

Just about anything is better than Army Builder, so I'll check it out. Thanks for the info!

I will say, whenever I check lists for a tournament, I prefer battlescribe's list output to AB's, handsdown. Battlescribe outputs what you want, no more, unlike army-builder's mini codex packet of doom. That, and running it on a Kindle Fire makes it supremely easy to list-build for pick-up games in no time flat.

I use it on my PC and on my phone (it's available on the android market for free) And find it's pure awesome-sauce!

I especially love that it's on the phone, I can build lists during the commute to work and use them at games night without having to carry pens, paper, calculators, etc with me at all times.

Can't fault the program enough.

Only gripe I have is that the catalogues are community maintained, so sometimes you get errors that you have to work around (for example, the ork codex has an error where the painboy only costs 30pts, instead of 55 (nob+painboy upgrade)).

Amazing program. Makes it really easy to build lists accurately.
I think the best use is to manage lists easily, dropping upgrades and adding some while still maintaining accuracy and easy to see points total. I love making a list and then spending a few hours finagling it just right.

The only issues I have seen are that you sometimes encounter incorrect points values for upgrades. So I HIGHLY recommend checking the points by hand after you make a list the first time you use a codex in battlescribe, so you can catch the errors. It is really easy to fix them though, with the built in file editor, which is very easy to use as long as you can work a dropbox.

The mobile version doesn't have the same file editor though, so I haven't figured out how to correct the mistakes on my phone. But then again, I don't Know much about data files and the like.

Aerethan wrote:

adamsouza wrote:Consider me a convert.

I gave up on Army Builder when they wanted me to pay every year for the priveledge of using their software, even though the content I wanted wasn't actually gerated by them.

People are seriously misinformed about what the subscription is. You don't pay to use the software. Once you buy it, it's yours forever. What you pay for after the first year is automatic updates, which are optional. I don't pay a subscription and I update manually just fine. It's all of 3 clicks a month.

Actually you don't own it. I had 3.0 & 3.1 and once 3.2 came out, it broke compatibility with previous versions (i.e. 3.1 could not read 3.2 data files). Ok, so I go to update and LW says I need to pay the 4-5 years IN ARREARS that I did not pay support for to be able to upgrade. This 4-5 years there was no support or updates to the AB software since they were pimping Hero and CardLab. Now they got this deal where you pay $30 and it covers you back. No thanks since I'd still be paying for support and updates that aren't provided.

I've used Battlescribe for a couple years now and it's great. Works on my PC and my Android phone.

Blacksails wrote:I've never seen it used, but as long as the final list result looks nothing like the horrid abomination that armybuilder uses, then it should be fine.

Personally though, I'm a fine of good old calculator and a nice word document laid out nicely. My lists are clean, clear, and easily understood. Most of these programs are unnecessarily confusing and hard to read when the person building the list could just as easily do some basic math and write out an easily understood list.

This^ Word+ calculator are fine and it also doesn't have the army limitations of the dedicated programes.

Can anyone who does use this for Android forward me a URL to upload the libraries?

I use it on my Kindle Fire, the URL for the 40k files is: http://www.randomhit.org/battlescribe_data/index40k.xml

Thank you! It finally works!

Considering I have heard about some errors in the files, should we start a thread concerning these errors and how to correct them?

I've just been having a play trying to recreate my normal Ork army, and have already found a couple of problems :(

I am using it all the time - BS rocks. It also has data for Flames of War and several other games.

Battlescribe is awesome. The fact that they have Android apps and run on all major desktop platforms are super pluses.

Unfrotunately due to GW IP, getting a cohesive and constantly updated repo is kindda hard. I have many changes (Stormtalon, ...) that I made to my own repo that never see the day into the main one by randomhit. But it is a good start.

Slinky wrote:I've just been having a play trying to recreate my normal Ork army, and have already found a couple of problems :(

Send me a PM of your issues and I will see about editing the file and placing it in a downloadable location.. I have been adding the profiles to the different units for orks on my end.. So they will print on the roster.