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I was wondering how all of you visually differentiate your squads, so when your squads get close together you don't end up combining them and dividing them.

In a perfect world, we'd all have enough magnetized models (or enough models to have every possible loadout covered) to have bases or shoulder pads painted, but this world isn't perfect, and the bulk of my army is built from two DV sets (and a third set of DV tacs). I was thinking something like Alea Tools (or DungeonWerks -- the cheaper alternative), but Dungeonworks doesn't cover 60mm bases, and neither covers dreads, bikes, or flyers. I could also go the DIY route with some plasticard, vinyl dye, and magnets (the route I'm leaning), but I was wondering how the rest of Dakka does it.

Color the edge of the base a different color per squad. Or just keep the two squads slightly apart so you can tell there's a visible difference between the two.

It really depends on your preference, but there are usually three different methods:

1. In-flavor painting
Squad marking on shoulder pads (great for marines), varying camo patterns (for guard, tau, tyranids, etc). You can also pick out minor details in varying colors. I do this with my eldar (gems in different colors per squad) and my tau (the small divided disc in the end of the gun barrel). So one squad might have blue gems, one has red gems, one has yellow gems, etc. It's subtle, but easily spotted if you look.

If you are using the Dark Angels from the DV box, mark one of their shoulder pads with a squad designation (usually a gothic-styled number). Squad 1, Squad 2, etc.

2. Out-of-flavor painting
A small colored dot/line on the vertical part of the plastic base works. Usually you should have that mark on the rear of the models base so you can see it when you look at your army, but your opponent doesn't have to.

This is really easy, even with DV models. Just make your dots for each squad. Red dot, Blue dot, Green dot, etc.

3. Modelling
This is the most complex option. Once you get into the customizable kits, you can make small differences between the options you put on the models. One squad has bolt pistols on their hips, one squad has purity seals on their backpacks, one squad has Mark VI helmets, etc.

You can't really do this with the DV models, but it's an idea for the future.

Hope some of this helps!

My Orks are base-ringed in clan colours.

Eventually this will be unnecessary, as they will be painted.

My units will be split by Klan, which will allow me to tell them apart easily.

Also, hats. You can tell which unit is which by the heads i used.


With marines it's harder, as they all look alike Base rings or shoulderpad markings are probably your best bet.

In my Ultramarine company, I have 6 tac squads.

1st squad are RT beakie marines
2nd are 3rd ed plastics, with a large "U" transfer, and purity seals painted white
3rd are 2nd ed plastics. No chapter badges (I'm lazy, and they almost never see the table)
4th are more RT marines. No good way to distinguish them from the 1st.
5th squad are more 3rd ed. Small "U" beige purity seals
6th is another squad of 2nd ed monopose. Circled "U" chapter insignia.

In addition to the era/paint/badges to tell them apart, every mini has had their squad number written on the underside of their base with a sharpie. While this won't help with special/heavy swaps, it does keep the rank and file separate. Most of my lists are formed around the 1st and 5th squad, who are ML/F and MM/M respectively. With the exception of the 5th, every squad has a ML/F as it's "shelf" wargear. Other weapons are swapped as battle dictates, and I just need to keep track.

Dev squads do a lot more swapping, but tend to be more static, so there is less confusion of who's who on the table. There is a nominal shelf outfit (one of each weapon, barring MM) but they never see the table that way. But the stock, shelf, miniatures have their squad number sharpied on the bottom of their base, just like the rest of the company.

A few have guns, the rest have chainswords and axes. Easy for me

Shoulder pads for me.

My Space Marines (when i get round to squad markings..) will have different numbers/symbols on the shoulder pads.

My Imperial Guard have both different colours and different markings on their shoulders. (because there are a lot of squads to differentiate between).

My Tyranids-now they have a problem with that. It's probably going to be slightly different carapace colours/shadings.

My guardsmen are divvied up by their kit. Melta squads have bayonets, plasma doesnt. Slightly different camo on a unit by unit basis helps differentiate further.

Each and every guardsman in my army has a number on his shoulder armour. Numbers 1-10 are squad 1, 11-20 squad 2, etc. the veterans are random numbers, with a logo on their right shoulder to identify them as vets.

I have this problem sometimes with my Termagants. After several rounds of spawning, shooting, and movement if the units are bunched up it can be a real mess to remember who is in what unit. If I know the squads are going to be bunched up I will use my gants that are modeled with different guns. Most of the time I don't use anything but the basic gant so I wont get their abilities confused and can see which gant belongs to which squad.

I put squad markings on them... and their squad number on the back of their base's edge

I also paint the bases in a different colour, so if they are all piled in a corner, anyone (short of the colour blind) can tell'em apart.

I do not have the time nor skill to paint tiny numbers on each shoudler pad to differenciate the squads; easier to go "blue squad, green squad, red squad"

Every soldiers has his/her squad number painted on the shoulder pads, normal guardsmen also have their platoon number marked.

I model all my Tactical squads differently, one has pistols out, guns on slings, another will all have scopes when I get enough spare, the third are AoBR marines.
In addition to this, I also give everyone a squad number (I-X) over their tactical marking, so I find it quite easy to differentiate between my squads, even though most are still unpainted.

This is what squad markings are for.

I've taken a shine to painting the bottom of the base for each squad in addition to a small matching colored dot/line on the back of the base. Real simple to flip the model over.

Squad numbers and markings.

I play Space Marines, and not only are my Squads identified by number, they are further identified by combat squad. (Half of them have the squad number in Roman numerals and half have them in gothic lettering.) Furthermore, they have subtle differences in the basing elements, which enables me to tell them apart at a glance.

My friend who plays Necrons does the whole crystal bases scheme, and he uses that to differentiate his warriors squads. (The first squad has one crystal, the second squad has two, etc.)

I'm a fan of the good ol' squad markings on the shoulder method. I've also started to do some base markings on my orks, because when you get into horde armies, its even harder to keep track.

On my GKs, I use two different heraldry shields for each squad, with each squad sporting a different edging on their bases. The shields are used to denote combat squads, while the base color denotes the 10man squad. Yes, that does limit me a bit in tactics as I wouldn’t be able to mix and match squad composition for a given situation, but I wouldn’t normally do that anyway.

All of my ICs have unique edging on their bases as well, such as my Librarian is edged in blue, while Mordrak is edged in a light gray (as are the 8 Ghost Knight models he can potentially have in his squad)

Makes it easy for me to keep tract of, and I've had only complements from my opponents.

SJ

I like some of the ideas presented here, esp the idea of using basing details like the number of crystals to mark out squads. for my space marines, each marine gets his squad number painted onto his knee in gothic lettering. takes a steady hand, but looks great. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle this for my chaos marines. squad size is a bit more flexible for them and I may switch it up from game to game. maybe I can mark them out based on how many skulls are on each base

Matney X wrote:
I was wondering how all of you visually differentiate your squads, so when your squads get close together you don't end up combining them and dividing them.

In a perfect world, we'd all have enough magnetized models (or enough models to have every possible loadout covered) to have bases or shoulder pads painted, but this world isn't perfect, and the bulk of my army is built from two DV sets (and a third set of DV tacs). I was thinking something like Alea Tools (or DungeonWerks -- the cheaper alternative), but Dungeonworks doesn't cover 60mm bases, and neither covers dreads, bikes, or flyers. I could also go the DIY route with some plasticard, vinyl dye, and magnets (the route I'm leaning), but I was wondering how the rest of Dakka does it.

Multiple ways you can do this. I use a silver paint pen to write roman numerals on the back of my unit bases in silver. Makes it easy for me to keep track of. There are multiple other options too that other folks have pointed out like clear unit markings, painting the sides of the bases different colors for each unit and so on. It can get very confusing on those big pile in moves to keep track of everyone when they were into the perfect ranks of WFB units.

Some of these methods are easier than others to use. With the numbers on the backs of the mini bases I can easily tell from my perspective on my side of the table which models are in which unit. Meanwhile if you paint small unit markings on model kneepads, you are going to be picking up your models often to look at kneepads to see who is who. Meanwhile unit markings/numbering on shoulder pads or helmets is also simple to see from your position at the side of the table.

Skriker

I like coloring the edge of the base with different colors that stand out, like red, blue and white. It doesn't do any good to have two different greens for squad colors....

Well on my marines I paint squad markings on the other shoulder pad and company markings on the other.

With my catachan I have a "code" on the edges of the bases that nominate their squad just to give an example of the most complex ones P1IS1 = Platoon 1 Infantry Squad 1.

With Dark Eldar I don't have anything so far and my chaos army has just been started and I have not thought of anything yet as I am still in the process of thinking of the color scheme.

For my Dark Eldar wyches, one squad has blue hair and the other has purple hair.

If I have squads that are close enough together that I might have trouble telling which is which, I just turn them away from each other... Might not make for good pictures but it works...