++How I Organize for Battle++

[Valerian]

I thought this might be helpful for some of y'all. The pics that will follow were taken from a distance, so nobody gets any "free rules," but I think the pictures are necessary to help with the explanation of how I build my binders.

I'll go photo by photo to explain what's in the binder, and why.

First is the cover, obviously. I've labeled it for the army, since I've got three binders like this, one for each of the three factions that I have collected:

The back cover of the binder has my Stratagem "cheat sheet." I recently shared a blank copy of the format for this from my Google drive. I keep the stratagems that I frequently use sorted by "Timing" so you can quickly scan to find the available stratagems, by Phase.

In the front inside pocket of the binder is the most recent Codex Errata and FAQ document, that you can print from the Warhammer Community website. The first sheet in the document protectors is the Army List summary, as provided by the Buttscribe web tool.

The next three pages are the Space Wolves special ability descriptions. I don't really need ready access to these anymore, but they were really handy when first getting used to the army in 8th edition, and then again when we got access to new rules/abilities, like Bolter Discipline and the Combat Doctrines.

Next up is a page with the correct version of our Warlord Traits, since the version in the actual Codex was already out of date upon printing:

Next up are the data sheets that make up the bulk of the binder. There is a sheet for each type of unit, for ready access throughout a battle. These were also printed off using the Buttscribe web tool, that takes your Battlescribe .ros file, and translates it into a much more user-friendly output for printing and use. I can describe how you do this later, if anybody needs help with that.

After all of the data sheets, I've got copies of the Stratagems, from the Codex and Saga of the Beast. I keep these here in case I need the full language of the stratagem; otherwise, I just refer to the "cheat sheet" in the back cover of the binder.

After the stratagems, I keep some random pages, like a copy of the Relics, the Psychic powers, and the new Wolf Priest Litanies (seen here, below). In the back binder pocket, I keep my spare data sheets, for the units that I have in my collection, but am not currently including in the army list. That way, if I decide to change the army list around, I've already got the sheet printed, and don't have to reprint every time I want to make an adjustment to the army.

Using these Army Binders has been extremely convenient for me. I keep the ePub version of these source materials on my iPad, which I can just keep in my backpack, in case I need to look anything up, but for the most part, everything is right here in the Binder. I have all of the "crunch" that I need ready access to, but none of the "fluff" that just gets in the way, when you're trying to play a game.

Hopefully y'all find this stuff helpful. Feel free to share any techniques that you use to organize for battle in the comments below.

Val

[Wolf Guard Dan]

Slow down Valerian, I am only allowed so many likes in a day.

 

Thank you for sharing this. This is a great tool for competitive play, or really any level of the game. When the tournament scene returns everyone's going to be surprised at all the Space Wolves players taking top honors at the events. When they ask how we did it we will have to reply "Valerian."

[TiguriusX]

Slow down Valerian, I am only allowed so many likes in a day.

 

Thank you for sharing this. This is a great tool for competitive play, or really any level of the game. When the tournament scene returns everyone's going to be surprised at all the Space Wolves players taking top honors at the events. When they ask how we did it we will have to reply "Valerian."

Everyone outside the chapter knows the chaplain/wolf priest buffs helped SW

 

Nobody outside the chapter knows Loremaster Valerian was included as part of that buff

[BadgersinHills]

Thanks, Valerian. Once again, you've presented an excellent way to avoid letting organisation (or lack thereof) to ruin the fun of a game.

[Debauchery101]

When I got back into 40k last July and jumped straight into an ITC tournament my friends were running i ran into a guy my 1st game like this. He seen my Deathwatch/Astra force...flipped through his binder and pulled out a few pages. Each page had a different turn number on it and he laid them face down. Except for one which was stratagems and my units T/W/save and weapons.

 

To call it a binder would be an injustice...it was like the Codex Astartes but for his Orks. He wrecked me with VPs. He even swapped a page out on turn 3 because I guess I either screwed up his plan or effed myself over lol. He even had cross graphs he could look at for quickly calculating hits/w/saves depending on how many guys he and I had left in a unit. Dude was locked and cocked.

 

I'm extra tired of carrying books around after 30 yrs of playing and mostly.because of 7th edition so I use my tablet for rules but have laminated cards for units I have in the army. But I definitely took notes from this guy and others super organized like Steven from vanguard tactics.

 

I've learned to streamline my options and work around the combos I can almost always line up. Having some flash cards helps remind you when you have those opponents that purposefully field wierd lists or try to use tactics no one else does.

 

Another thing I have found helpful that some other might as well...

 

Set a timer on your phone with some text to remind you to check on something or to make a move in a certain way. Sometimes you line stuff up on your turn and in the opponents turn he does some stuff that distracts you from a follow up move or using a stratagem to lock in that plan somewhere else on the board

 

Also would warn to make sure have the current eratta/FAQ for your army on hand. I've witnessed players have to forfeit matches or VPs for using old rules.

 

Most people including myself sometimes just miss updates. There's also players that know those updates and will gladly let you hang yourself

Edited May 16, 2020 by Debauchery101

[Valerian]

I recently noticed that the links to the pictures that I included in the original post up at the top had all been broken, so I've just gone back in to fix all of them.  Hopefully, these all stay in place permanently this time around.

 

Val