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What do you use to keep track of what turn you are on?

I generally use the games workshop dice case. You know the square plastic case which is itself a D6. Honestly though, I think there has to be more creative things to use. We usually keep it on the board somewhere. It would be nice if it could be a nice addition to the terrain instead of a cheap looking piece of plastic or a normal die.

I'm looking for creative ideas!

I use the turn tracker that comes with the GW counter set for 40k. It works well enough and includes a bit to show night fight or remind you to roll for it later. Not terribly creative, but effective.

My dice came in a box shaped like a die, with all the numbers. I put that large die somewhere on the table and turn it to the number that corresponds to the turn.

Edit: noticed you wanted more creative than that. Meh, it does it's job, too busy having fun to care about being creative with how the turns are numbered.

I use a giant red die. Works and easy to use. Tried using a different turn counter but found it easier to just use dice.

I just use a big die, make sure it's not a normal one so it doesn't get picked up to get rolled. Or place it somewhere distinctive.

You could make a turn counter as a terrain piece. Something like an 8 pointed chaos star, with a little sacrificial victim that can be placed on different numbered points to let you know which turn it is.

Or an imperial statue on a piller, set so it can spin around and face different numbers carved into it.

You could build a piece of terrain with base sized spots cut into it, like making a display board. But instead of putting troops in those spots, you paint turn numbers at the bottom, and have empty bases with battlefield debris cover them until needed.

Another option would be to make a terrain piece designed to hold the turn counter die. So instead of just placing the turn counter on some hill off to the side of the fighting, there is a statue with it's hand outstretched, holding it.

I'm lazy, I just use a die, but if you want to do something fancy, the sky is the limit...

Love the idea of making a statue to hold it!

We either use the big dice case or just tick on a piece of paper. We often write down the battles for later writing (working on a couple of fun IG vs. Tau stories right now), so keeping track of it isn't that hard for us.

we use a big W8

The games workshop dice case, and put on top of a building or ruin so it's easy to see.

Very simple solution, and it works.

I just keep track in my head. "Turn number" is a tactical consideration, and that's where tactical considerations belong.

If I have to look at a die to see what turn I'm on, then I wasn't properly focused on the game in the first place.



Several of my friends have over sized dice (Larger than the GW dice case, and weighing about 2 lbs.) that they use, and seem to like.

My group uses either a giant stone die (about 3"3 cubic) or a foam die the same side, depending on if we play at my place or someone else's. To see if the game ends we whip the die across the room (only with the foam one, the stone one would kill a man).

I usually use reserves. How long have my opponent's fliers been on the table, etc.

That or I look at my own units and remember where they've moved.

I agree with the sentiment that a person ought to be as aware of time (in this case, turns) as one should be about space, force concentration, etc. Forgetting what turn it is is sort of like forgetting that your opponents brought meltaguns or forgetting where the objectives are.

I have a big orange die from the Sabretooth Games Balrog that I use when I can't find my home-made turn-marker... which is a 40mm base that I modified (inspired by the old Titan bases and more recently Clix) to have a rotating top that has a cut-in showing the turn number.

I originally intended it as a character base, and was going to make a bunch of them for an army, but decided it was too much work and so only ever made the one.

Big, shiny 36mm d6 I got from an Age of Strife (forum) member that celebrated their annual WHW trip - I got it as a thank you for a bits swap.

I giant dice i got from a quarter machine

A huge-ass purple D6.

I've been toying with making a scenery piece with impaled guardsmen, tau, marines etc on DE trophy poles, and just slotting a new pole each turn

Maybe do an orky version too.

We generally use the big D6 that comes with the dice. The actual green template that came out with the ammo case never worked that well. But... I have a whileboard in my dining/gaming kitchen that suffices instead (occasionally forget during beerhammer).

G

I count.

 insaniak wrote:
I have a big orange die from the Sabretooth Games Balrog that I use when I can't find my home-made turn-marker... which is a 40mm base that I modified (inspired by the old Titan bases and more recently Clix) to have a rotating top that has a cut-in showing the turn number.

I originally intended it as a character base, and was going to make a bunch of them for an army, but decided it was too much work and so only ever made the one.

Any chance you could post a pic or pm me a pic? I recently made a less than stellar turn counter out of plasticard but was trying to think how I could use a 40mm base to do it. So I'd love to see this as I think it's an awesome idea haha.

I use either the giant GW dice cube or a turn counter I made that's a bit more easily read and more noticeable.

We use the big dice, or paper. I like to keep explicit (and visual) track to forestall arguments.

I keep meaning to print/assemble this, though:

Chancetragedy wrote:
Any chance you could post a pic or pm me a pic? I recently made a less than stellar turn counter out of plasticard but was trying to think how I could use a 40mm base to do it. So I'd love to see this as I think it's an awesome idea haha.

As requested:


It's basically a disc of plasticard over a regular 40mm base. It's held in place with a small computer case screw directly into the base underneath, with the hole through the plasticard disc being big enough to allow it to spin freely around the screw, while not being too big so it can't move off-centre.

There's another piece of plasticard glued over the screw so that the putty doesn't stick to it. That allows the disc to spin once the putty is added for detail... otherwise the disc would be fused to the screw and wouldn't turn.

I use one of these from Gale Force Nine, only customized with the logo for a gaming store a friend of mine ran.



Other than those, a large oversized d6 or d8 have always been the best inexpensive option. You want something you won't accidentally pick up and roll.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and not to sound like an ad for them, but they have a sweet one for fantasy-themed games, too.

This got me thinking. I think ill make one using bullet cases (empty of course) built into the table. Each turn you either add or subtract a shell...

i like using over sized dice, i've seen MWG (particularly Dave) use the Epic Chaos dice for pre-game rolling and turn counting, and it also is cool to hold a big dice in you hand that you know will intimidate your opponent more than a 500+ point Terminator bomb in a LR

You could make something like a church tower with a clock on it displaying the turn number.

I normally use the green counter that came in the GW counter set a few years ago.

For special occasions, I have 7 mice in individual tiny cages. As each turn ends, I feed one to my snake.

 insaniak wrote:

Chancetragedy wrote:
Any chance you could post a pic or pm me a pic? I recently made a less than stellar turn counter out of plasticard but was trying to think how I could use a 40mm base to do it. So I'd love to see this as I think it's an awesome idea haha.

As requested:


It's basically a disc of plasticard over a regular 40mm base. It's held in place with a small computer case screw directly into the base underneath, with the hole through the plasticard disc being big enough to allow it to spin freely around the screw, while not being too big so it can't move off-centre.

There's another piece of plasticard glued over the screw so that the putty doesn't stick to it. That allows the disc to spin once the putty is added for detail... otherwise the disc would be fused to the screw and wouldn't turn.

Yo, that is awesome thanks man . You just gave me a bunch of unoriginal great ideas haha.

A failing memory. Gotta make some minis with signs or something like that so I can get more brains to the actual dakka...