Data Sphere

So hey, apparently we have a separate section for that, why not use it

One of my pet peeves in Infinity is the status markers. I'm OK with camo, mines, E/Maulers and everything that has to be base-sized. But why the hell do I have to mark each wound with a big, unwieldy disc? What's worse, most third-party makers replicate the mistake.

As soon as I can get hold of a CNC router/laser cutter/engraver I'm going to make something like these:



They are classic "base hugger" markers, designed so I have 4 of them on one base if needed (I hope not, that's unwieldy any way you see it), and to be easily recognized as status markers and not separate bases.

The inner circle looks a bit weird because I made them attachable to 40mm bases as well, it should also mark their border when there's more than one.

I assume it'll be much cheaper to have them done all on a single sheet, so I'll just etch and color the lettering and symbols (if any).

I may add a small symbol to each token, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. What say you?

Yes, I realize the font alignment needs some tweaking. This is only a concept.

Any comments/recommendations/suggestions?

I like the idea. Also it would be nice to be able to attach them somehow to the base, so when the miniature moves, you don't need to rearrange every single token separately

What if you make a base, a 40mm disc with a 30mm hole in the center. The figure base slides into the 30mm hole and then you have a 10mm rim around the figure, which will hold the markers.

Not going to happen because:
- the point is to have smaller markers, not larger, I don't want to carry the discs
- it might increase the base's height (another pet peeve of mine)
- I don't want to put effort into making something I wouldn't use

samurai wrote:I like the idea. Also it would be nice to be able to attach them somehow to the base, so when the miniature moves, you don't need to rearrange every single token separately

Either a place for a magnet or slot for paperclip would be great on these.

Really cool idea, a bunch of those other tokens on the field gets really confusing when multiple models are on top of them.

Salty_Otter wrote:Either a place for a magnet or slot for paperclip would be great on these.

Please explain, how would you do that?

I agree with your peeve entirely. I hate large markers - they keep getting in the way and take lots of storage space.
I'm not however sure that basehugger markers are hugely practical, as they're a bit fiddly to keep moving around with a model.

My personal preference for most games with markers is to substitute in miniature D6s (7mm, which are visually distinct enough from the 12mm or 16mm used in most D6 games to avoid people picking them up and rolling them), usually using the colour to mark the effect (white is generally used as "misc, see notes") and sometimes the number to mark the duration/level of effect.

This usually means a little stack of them can be placed near the model, without actually having to be slotted into place next to the base, and are thus less precise in how they're moved around. The whole thing works quite well for me. (Not everyone I play against necessarily likes my method, but the dice are still quite effective as simply memory joggers - "Oh, that's got a die next to it, what do I need to remember?")

Basehugger tokens shouldn't be more fiddly than normal tokens, while being smaller and more visually distinct.
I know the dice method and it has failed.

Pierzasty wrote:Basehugger tokens shouldn't be more fiddly than normal tokens, while being smaller and more visually distinct.

My problem is more that basehugger tokens, as the name implies, are intended to be slotted up against the base. This design does make for fairly small, irregularly shaped* pieces that are intended to be placed quite precisely (with a certain orientation, right up against the base)- I'd definitely call that on the more fiddly side than bigger tokens.
*A dice cube or round token has a fairly fixed diameter, but these do not, they're very narrow in one direction, but longer in the other).

If I were doing it, I'd probably use a shape more like this:


A circle about 10-12mm across, with a cut-out to nestle up against the base. This would give an easier to handle shape, still be a lot smaller than the official tokens, stack flat (and less likely to flip over) in a little compartment case a LOT more easily, have some space for a marker design and it'd still keep some of the base-hugging quality.

I know the dice method and it has failed.

How so? I've never had a problem with it. Worst case scenario is sometimes dice get knocked over the place, but that's usually not terminal. (Particularly because I am also of the habit of annotating my army lists mid-game).

By fiddly I meant the storage - I have a neat box that fits lots of markers sideways, very much unsuited for a "miscellaneous bases" category. I keep looking for the appropriate base far longer than appropriate. Still, I realize is't a matter of personal taste, your design is precisely something I seek to liberate myself from.

Dice problems: They fall constantly, I'd have to make a table of what side is what, they stack flat (not an advantage for me), and probably something else I'm forgetting. In short, I don't want to use dice for counters anymore.

Totally agree, really cool idea. Do you mind if I tinker with your idea and pretty it up a lil?

Right now I use smaller self designed counters for wounds etc, but I very much like the idea of them jiving with the base somehow. Hmmm.

Maybe with magnets?

You'll have to consider terrain when placing the markers. Which means you'll need all around the base placement. Possibly by gluing a washer under the base so the magnets can attach anywhere around the base edge.

Levitas wrote:Totally agree, really cool idea. Do you mind if I tinker with your idea and pretty it up a lil?

Sure, go ahead. And post your self-designed markers

Pierzasty wrote:Please explain, how would you do that?

I suppose on the inside you would cut a small channel to glue paper clip into. Alternatively flip them over and drill holes for magnets.

Not sure this would work well with a slanted base or not, however.

Pierzasty wrote:

Levitas wrote:Totally agree, really cool idea. Do you mind if I tinker with your idea and pretty it up a lil?

Sure, go ahead. And post your self-designed markers

Levitas has self-designed markers? Better post them soon, before I send in my spies to... "collect" them from you.

I glued rare earth magnets on the hollow undersides of my bases so they stick to steel washers I've glued in egg cartons -- very inexpensive transport/storage solution.

I was running out of bases for counters very fast. So I shrunk the status marker counters to half size and I've now glued them to 5/8" diameter steel washers. Since my fig bases are already magnetized with rare earth magnets, when I place the washers on top of the base they stick. Currently I'm using Wound, 2 Wound, 3 Wound (for my Charontid), Unconscious (that neat combo wound and prone counter someone came up with), Prone, Impersonation 1, Impersonation 2, Immobilized and Burnt as status markers in this manner. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

SgtHulka wrote:I glued rare earth magnets on the hollow undersides of my bases so they stick to steel washers I've glued in egg cartons -- very inexpensive transport/storage solution.

I was running out of bases for counters very fast. So I shrunk the status marker counters to half size and I've now glued them to 5/8" diameter steel washers. Since my fig bases are already magnetized with rare earth magnets, when I place the washers on top of the base they stick. Currently I'm using Wound, 2 Wound, 3 Wound (for my Charontid), Unconscious (that neat combo wound and prone counter someone came up with), Prone, Impersonation 1, Impersonation 2, Immobilized and Burnt as status markers in this manner. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.

Pictures would be nice.

I promise to post better pictures when I have a moment to take them, but in the meantime I did notice that one of the pictures of the battle report I posted as a condition marker in it:



The marker on the Bashi Bazouk is an "Unconscious" marker, that combination of prone and wounded I mentioned. You can't tell in the picture, but it sticks to the base, so if I were to pick up the Bashi Bazouk and turn it upside down the marker would still be on it.

So its magnetized?

The Bashi Bazouk's base is magnetized. Since the marker is a steel washer, it sticks to the magnetized base.

An even smaller washer would probably be better; I have a lot of the 5/8" diameter washers on hand because I use them as bases for my 1/72 scale historical miniatures, so that's what I used.

I'll show pictures later of where I put the magnets under the base and the egg cartons with glued washers I use for storage.

As promised, here are some pictures of the way I've magnetized my bases and status counters.

First, here's a couple of Keisatsu Butai with rare earth magnets glued in the hollow space under their bases:



Next, here's the reason I originally did it -- so I could store them in egg cartons. You can see that I've glued 5/8" diameter steel washers at the bottom of the egg carton compartments. The magnets on the underside of the Keisatsu bases stick to the steel washers:



When I was running out of 1" circular bases on which to glue my counters, I decided to try gluing reduced-size status counters onto the 5/8" steel washers. Here they are on top of the bases of two Keisatsu Butai. The Combi Rifle Butai is "prone", the Heavy Machinegun Butai is "unconscious":



And then, finally, here's an image of the two figures lying on their backs, to show that the counters are still stuck to them:

I'm gonna get sooo many bad jokes for transporting my Shasvastii in egg cartons...
...which is precisely the reason why I'm gonna do it.

Pierzasty wrote:I'm gonna get sooo many bad jokes for transporting my Shasvastii in egg cartons...
...which is precisely the reason why I'm gonna do it.

A Shrouded hacker? Who uses a Shrouded hacker?
Also, what's the mini in the lower-left corner?

Pierzasty wrote:A Shrouded hacker? Who uses a Shrouded hacker?

That's not a hacking device. It's a mine

Although now that you point it out, it does look like a hacking device, maybe I should magnetize a hologram on it. A shrouded might make a less expensive infiltrating repeater for my Charontid hacker than the Malignos I usually use. And that way I can field my Malignos as a monomine. But I kind of like maxing out my shrouded availability with mine layers.

Pierzasty wrote:Also, what's the mini in the lower-left corner?

That's an old Legions of Steel figure I use as an Ikadron batroid proxy. It's called a "Nightmare with Negasphere Generator". The mine I used for the shrouded also came off of an old Legions of Steel figure.

The tokens on washers are cool. I use biscuit tins to transport my magnetized troops.

Great minds think alike.

I'm just on hold with mine but I've made detailed 25mm circles for mines and the such and 15mm wide base hugging markers. I've got an A3 sheet full of them in inkscape for laser cutting but some of the layers and colouring is out of whack and I need to fix it =/

Myself and my laser cutting friend have been too busy to finalise it. I'll try get some pictures up once I work it out.

If anyone is competent with inkscape or other vector graphics program and super keen to help out that would be cool too!

Edit: Pictures of some of the markers I made (these were an earlier WiP but give you an idea). I've had the burnt ones printed out and they look good

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trial markers