Wednesday, 20 December 2023

Buttons replace playing cards

In my recent WW2 games I have been using playing cards to determine the sequence of units shooting. they are first placed face down during the movement phase, then flipped over later in the shooting phase. While effective, they do add a level of clutter to the tabletop and spoil the general appearance. I was considering buying some smaller playing cards, but then I recalled reading in John Sandars' book "An Introduction to Wargaming," where he used buttons with numbers for his wargame activations.

My original approach of using playing cards to determine the order units shoot.

Buttons, featuring a raised edge, allow for identification by touch when drawing them unseen from a bag, ensuring they are placed with the numbered side facedown. After sifting through my wife's button collection, I found sufficient identical and suitably coloured buttons, onto which I glued bits of circular cut paper on the raised side before numbering them.

I was able to find 12 identical grey-green buttons to be used as counters.

All the buttons have a raised edge, allowed for identification by touch when pulling them from the bag, ensuring they are placed with the numbered side facedown.

A piece of paper is cut and stuck to the side of the button with the raised edge. Once dry these are numbered.

The buttons are significantly smaller than the playing cards and are far less obvious when placed on the tabletop. Their grey-green colour is unobtrusive until they're flipped over to indicate the shooting order of units.

Buttons placed by units that are able to shoot.

The buttons are revealed to show the order of unit shooting.

As an alternative to using a bag from which to draw buttons, I place the buttons facedown and gently swirl them on a flat surface to shuffle and randomise their order. Then, I pick them as needed during the game.

24 comments:

  1. Great idea, so long as your trousers don't fall down... ;o)

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    1. Safe on that side, I am a belt and braces man.

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  2. I like the idea. Are each of your units numbered such that when you pull a numbered button from the bag that button corresponds to a particular unit on the table?

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    1. The buttons are numbered 1 through to 12 as I am currently only having a maximum of 6 units per side. They are randomly placed by a unit.

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  3. A simple, yet brilliant solution! I might have to steal this. Even with my mini deck of playing cards, I find cards just take up way too much real-estate - and I'm already playing on a small surface as it is.

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    1. I hope the button approach works out for you.

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  4. A clever use of buttons indeed!

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    1. And quick to do, all made in an evening.

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  5. Hi Peter,

    You have some really good ideas here. The buttons look great and randomised shooting has a lot of possibilities.

    Happy Christmas

    Cheers

    Jay

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    1. Happy Christmas Jay. The randomised shooting approach is working out well for my solo WW2 games.

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  6. Small counters could be equally useful, though they don't have the raised edges, of course.

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    1. I did think of card cut out, but as you said the deciding factor is the raised edges.

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  7. A neat idea. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. There are some useful ideas from the book on markers and making them.

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  8. Hmm. Did my earlier comment fall into SPAM?

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  9. A simple solution well executed Peter.

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    1. Thanks. The buttons had come off an old shirt, so no costs.

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  10. Excellent solution Peter!
    Plus you have done your wife a favour by reducing her button pile 😂

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  11. Love the idea of using buttons for activation!

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    1. They are working out very well in the recent games played. Buttons removed from old unwanted business shirts work well.

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