Telling Squads apart.

[Jackstorm76]

As i'm starting out in 8th ed. which is going to be more infantry based for me then normal, 

I was wondering how you all keep track in the heat of battle (on the battlefield) of which squad each figure belongs to.

Do you have coloured shoulder pads, squad icons, or just remember where one squad ends and another start on the gun line.

once the las shots start flying.

I've thought about colour coding the shoulder pads but then what do you do with Special weapons and Heavy weapons. other than have spares for each option.

I'm interested in hearing how you find this issue?

[robofish7591]

So far (since I am still working on painting my units!) I have just tried to keep space between them so that I can tell which models go with what unit.  Once I get around to painting them I plan on numbering either a shoulder on each model or the bases if I don't like how the former looks.

[Henimann]

For my squads I usually color code their bases. I have different colored hashes on the back of their bases, keeps them looking the same but I can tell them apart when they're in front of me on the table.

[duz_]

Welcome to 8th and the guard! :D
Its a great place to be :tu:

 

Personally I go the simple, but effective route:

I paint a single coloured vertical line on each of my squads so I can tell which is which.

Means if I want to mix up squads I don't have to worry about messing up any paint schemes or the likes.

Its also very quick to see from the edge of the board.

 

So what regiment and list do you have in mind?
Do I see a WiP thread in the near future? ;)

[Inso]

I have coloured shapes on my Catachan.

 

The shapes are two colours, divided vertically.

 

The left colour is the company colour, the right is the platoon colour.

 

Each platoon has four shapes:

 

circle: Command Squad

Square: 1st Squad

Triangle (point up): 2nd Squad

Triangle (point down): 3rd Squad

 

I gave a single HW Squad to each platoon, which also had a divided circle (like the command squad).

 

Company command just has the company colour in a circle.

 

The easiest way to differentiate squads is the Cadian way... give each squad a unique number.

[spafe]

I use the old school transfers, the ones with 1,2 or 3 in a circle (and C for command), then it jsut follows, the officer for Red platoon has a red stripe with the C transfer in it on his shoulder, squad one have a red stripe and a 1 and so on. Then platoon 2 is the same but with a blue stripe. Since I'm using the old metal cadians and my squads are pretty set in weapons throughout the editions I don;t stress over exact weapons being the most effective, I jsut take what the models have in each squad.

 

I might for example, take yellow 2 if I want a squad with a plasma gun in though, rather than Red 1 who have a flamer, in that particular game. But I get this is a lot more restrictive if you have limited models/still chopping and changing squads.

[NatBrannigan]

Figuring this out myself... I'm tempted by a stripe on the base at the rear as well so I can mix up weapons. I use movement trays to keep my Praetorians in ranks which makes it pretty obvious to start with, but when that mass bayonet charge happens (bring it Mortarian! [spoiler, he killed all the Guardsmen...] and I move the models off the trays it can get a bit messy. I ended up combing two squads with a Strategem just to solve the issue in the end.

[Halfpint100]

I just remember usually. My guard die so quickly that there are often gaps between the squad anyway

[Tallarn Commander]

I use a system similar to Inso's, a circle with company color on the left half of the circle, platoon color on the right half of the circle, and the squad color is decaled or painted on top of these 2 colors. The markings go on shoulder pads. By the way, this is the method recommended by the 3rd Edition IG Codex (2000, page 40).

 

Since all 18 of my squads are with Purple Company, they all have purple on the left. Then, on the right half of the circle is the platoon color (red, blue, jade, gold, etc.).

 

I move my heavy and special weapons troopers between platoons. In one game Red Platoon might be a more aggressive heavy bolter/meltagun platoon whereas in the next game they might ne a more defensive las/plas platoon. Consequently, I just paint the shoulder pads of special and heavy weapons troopers purple. This rarely causes confusion since I can usually remember the squad to which a given special or heavy weapon belongs.

 

I hope this helps.

[Kinstryfe]

I have yet to come up with an idea that would work for me besides a mark on the base rim (renegades are not big on uniform markings it turns out), and I really wish I could. The thought of random colored strips on the bases just doesn't sit well with me for some reason. I have tons of guard infantry so tend to use tons, and they get all bunched up on the table. I may need to bite the bullet and paint one shoulder pad on each model black or brass to differentiate units (currently they're both Khorne red). Maybe having 5 variants (red pads, left or right pad black, left or right pad brass) will be enough as long as I'm careful in big games not to deploy things by other similar colored things, but removes the (kind of pointless now) option to run lasgun troops as conscripts...

 

I'm curious to see if anyone has any creative ideas also.

[spafe]

Slightly different shades of dyed fatigues? so this clan has dark red, next mob has brighter red, 3rd crew runs with a orangey hue, 4th gang runs with black clothes, 5th platoon has old grey rags (black and greys can use armour in reds to tie them back into the army), and so on. Then if you need to combine into bigger outfits, all dark and bring red are a force, all grey and black are a force etc etc.

[Mileposter]

While my army is far from finished, I do have several models of one squad completed - this is what I've been working with as far as my squads go:

 

I wanted the squads to have all of their markings be 'fluffy'. The model's right shoulder bears the Regiment number (So 144 in my case) while the model's left shoulder bears the company badge (represented by the Imperial skull and wings in my case) with a Roman Numeral just above it for the Squad Number. The squad leader bears a leadership badge instead of the Company Badge (represented by a symbol I stole off one of the Legion's transfer sheets). I have one squad that will be getting a unique badge instead of the Company Badge (another symbol I stole from a Legion transfer sheet) to represent a more 'famed' squad (Like Gaunts Ghosts or some such).

 

This worked for me, hope it helps spark some ideas!

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

I have a silver micro-pen that I use to put a Roman Numeral on the back of each base identifying which squad each mini belongs to.

 

Works for me and it's very little effort.

[Withershadow]

I have yet to come up with an idea that would work for me besides a mark on the base rim (renegades are not big on uniform markings it turns out), and I really wish I could. The thought of random colored strips on the bases just doesn't sit well with me for some reason. I have tons of guard infantry so tend to use tons, and they get all bunched up on the table. I may need to bite the bullet and paint one shoulder pad on each model black or brass to differentiate units (currently they're both Khorne red). Maybe having 5 variants (red pads, left or right pad black, left or right pad brass) will be enough as long as I'm careful in big games not to deploy things by other similar colored things, but removes the (kind of pointless now) option to run lasgun troops as conscripts...

 

I'm curious to see if anyone has any creative ideas also.

Why does that remove the option of conscripts? They WOULD have a variety of surplus gear, so no issues mixing them up.

[Colonel Cross]

I built my squads either with all bayonets or no bayonets. If you alternate them in deployment it's usually enough to keep them separated enough to quickly identify different squads.

[Kinstryfe]

 

I have yet to come up with an idea that would work for me besides a mark on the base rim (renegades are not big on uniform markings it turns out), and I really wish I could. The thought of random colored strips on the bases just doesn't sit well with me for some reason. I have tons of guard infantry so tend to use tons, and they get all bunched up on the table. I may need to bite the bullet and paint one shoulder pad on each model black or brass to differentiate units (currently they're both Khorne red). Maybe having 5 variants (red pads, left or right pad black, left or right pad brass) will be enough as long as I'm careful in big games not to deploy things by other similar colored things, but removes the (kind of pointless now) option to run lasgun troops as conscripts...

I'm curious to see if anyone has any creative ideas also.

Why does that remove the option of conscripts? They WOULD have a variety of surplus gear, so no issues mixing them up.

It's not so much that it removes the option, but I'd end up with a big blob made up of all of those different painting identifiers, which goes back to square 1 of trying to keep units straight on the battlefield. :)

[patchestheclown]

I run catachan so I'm trying to find someway to put "Sailor Jerry" style tattoos on their arms for each squad. Trying to do custom transfers since the roman numerals or even numbering seemed a little too holocaust-y for me. I do like the idea of using a sharpie on the rim of the base... that sounds a whole lot easier

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

I regularly run 3x20 Daemonettes and I numbered every base and edited my spreadsheet in less time than it took for a cup of coffee to brew.

 

Literally less than five minutes to do all 60.

[Mileposter]

I regularly run 3x20 Daemonettes and I numbered every base and edited my spreadsheet in less time than it took for a cup of coffee to brew.

 

Literally less than five minutes to do all 60.

 

Some people just don't like anything messy on their bases!

 

Or maybe it's just me >.>;

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

It's not messy, it's a single numeral and it's on the back of the base.

 

It's literally just I, II, III etc. etc.

[duz_]

 

I regularly run 3x20 Daemonettes and I numbered every base and edited my spreadsheet in less time than it took for a cup of coffee to brew.

 

Literally less than five minutes to do all 60.

 

Some people just don't like anything messy on their bases!

 

Or maybe it's just me >.>;

 

 

 

It's not messy, it's a single numeral and it's on the back of the base.

 

It's literally just I, II, III etc. etc.

 

I initially tried numbered, but I wasn't a fan of painting them on.

Which is why I switched to colour bands.

Quicker "cleaner" and can be as thick or thin as you like

Also very visual so you can see at a glance and didn't have to decipher the numerals :D :tu:

[Mileposter]

I was mostly being humorous - but I'm suuuuuper picky about my bases. Must be clean, crisp, and uniform across the entire army. The little things like the numerals and the color bands would be quite irksome to me. XD

 

Don't look at me with that tone of voice!

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

If you're opposed to painting them on, there's also decals.

 

A single Cadian transfer sheet will give you enough to do even a maxed Brigade.

[Jackstorm76]

Thank you for all your comments,

A small admission, I like the old style circle (i even remember it) from when i started collecting Guard.

As I go all the way back to metal bodies and plastic arms, The circle with C,1, 2, 3 is something i liked.

just wander how everyone else dealt with it.

 

Please note that although i have been collecting for afar to many years, I am only just starting to get a painted force together. 

It have taken me this long to get painting, (so much so that a gaming colleague believe it may be a sign of the apocalypse, If i have a fully painted army)

[The Mad Hermit]

Coming late to the party, but for my squads, I did a vertical stripe of a specific color for each platoon.

 

AS I started making my army back when platoons were still a thing and I've decided to keep the look. Too much effort to change it all up, now, anyway.

 

But I do something similar to Res Ipsa Loquitur with the numbering.

 

With a few of the squads, they all have the gas mask/hazard gear on so that keeps them easier to identify, as well.