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.