Tuesday 14 March 2017

Chain of Command Platoon Boards

I often find players new to Chain of Command have a little trouble getting to grips with the force composition of a platoon when first learning the game. To help them I've worked up a set of boards that will allow the figures to be grouped into their various weapons teams and sections in a way that's easy to visualise. If nothing else it helps to speed up a game when everything is neatly arranged like this. I also have a longer and more detailed post on Force Lists and Supports if you are having trouble working out how best to build a force for Chain of Command.


These boards are designed around my basing method. First up, I play in 20mm. Individual soldiers like riflemen are based on 20mm round bases. Weapons teams are generally on 40mmx40mm bases and include two core crew members. Where a third or more crew member are required these are single figures on 20mm round bases. This is a bit of a compromise that allows for some casualty figures to be removed and yet the larger base means the weapons teams are easier to distinguish from individuals like riflemen. Junior Leaders are on 25mm diameter round bases and Senior Leaders on 20mmx40mm rectangles (you can read more about by basing and other markers in the post Getting Started with Chain of Command).


Since first creating these my basing conventions have changed slightly, although this makes no difference to how I'd go about making the boards. I found certain bases too large and taking up too big a footprint on the table and so I went about changing how I base leaders and weapons teams. 


I wrote a longer post about that journey which you can read here.


The platoon boards are made of two A4 pieces of 5mm foam core board. The top piece has holes cut into it to accomodate the various figures on their bases. This is then stuck onto a bottom piece that has a sheet of paper stuck to it with text related to the figures that will be placed there. There is a similar printed sheet for the top piece. I designed these in PowerPoint. The picture below shows the top sheet for the standard German platoon in Chain of Command. I have used spray adhesive to stick the printed paper to the foam core and then cut holes using a sharp blade.


I definitely need a better blade for doing this and/or improve my cutting skills. Nonetheless I'll soldier on to explain how it comes together. So next is the bottom half with the printed sheet attached.


Then, not rocket science to see we stick one on top of the other to get this:


And then populated with the full platoon to look like this:



So my cutting skills aside, I'm pretty happy with the way this has worked out. In preparation for the Kampfgruppe Von Luck pint sized campaign I created a board for the British Airborne Platoon. I was a little more creative here, using a pale cream paper and including the Pegasus emblem of the Paras, which you can see below. 


I've created one of these for all my platoons and they obviously vary in design according to the unit structure but also the way the figures are based. For example the one below needed to accomodate quite a few prone figures on bases larger than the 20mm rounds for the standing figures. 


Generally these work perfectly for a platoon of three squads or sections but it does make it a bit of a squash when you have to fit in a fourth squad, as I had to do with the Russian Guards platoon of 1943.


I have used these when introducing new players and they work very well on two fronts. The most important being players can quickly see their force composition and how it relates to Chain of Command's unit activation and deployment. Secondly it keeps all the figures tidily organised.

You can see more of the various forces I've put together for Chain of Command on this page Second World War in 20mm.


48 comments:

  1. This is a great idea. I will purloin it for the games I put on at conventions where many players haven't a clue. I tried something like this - no cutouts, just a sheet with places for the troops and details on their weapon capability but this is MUCH better.. Thanks for sharing.
    Dick Bryant

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    1. Glad you like them. I think they are well worth the effort and I'm finding I'm using them for all my games, not just with new players.

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  2. Excellent idea! Don't be surprised to see it popping up on a great many other blogs - mine included. Cheers

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    1. Copy away! Nice to know this is a concept people want to use.

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  3. Great idea and seems like a good way to store the minis, too. I use your same scale and a similar basing method. I could see putting a magnet sheet on your second board, putting the paper printout on that and storing the whole platoon ready to lift out and play. Nice idea and thanks for sharing.

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  4. Good idea! It reminds me om a DBA competition board.
    The time saving to start a game looks to be well worth the effort needed to make the Platoon boards.
    I shall have to get to work, but first I must choose a base size for 28mm. figures.

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  5. Any chance you could e-mail your Power point files for this? Those of us with Power Point could then expand on your framework for their own units.
    Thanks
    Dick Bryant

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    Replies
    1. Hi Dick, no problem, I've sent this to you via email to your aol address.

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    2. This is great! Many thanks

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  6. What a great idea – so helpful!

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  7. I’d love to get my hands on these. Could you send them to me via email?

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  8. Any chance you could e-mail your Power point files for this? Those of us with Power Point could then expand on your framework for their own units. I saw from a previous post that you did.
    Thanks
    Lou DiGirolamo
    Ovalrunner@aol.com

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  9. Any chance you could e-mail your Power point files for this? As previously mentioned by another.
    Thanks
    Ovalrunner@aol.com

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    Replies
    1. HI Louis, I've sent you a PM with the files attached.

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  10. Hi we have just started CoC i would be grateful if i could have a copy of the files please. pjf101@btinternet.com

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  11. Magnificent idea and will make start on this myself tomorrow.

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  12. i have a slightly different way I use them. i have an a4 plastic box with a magnetic sheet I then print out relevant sheet put on top then place figures. helps with transporting too.

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  13. Just found this after following a recent link on FB. This is a great idea for organizing/planning a force. Thanks!

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  14. Just started in coc, would I be able to get a copy of the files please. deffdog1@yahoo.com

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  15. Awesome work on this! Amazingly helpful to newbs like myself. If it's not too much trouble, could I grab the PP files of the platoon boards? I'd like to make a set. Email is fenian15@hotmail.com Thanks!

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  16. Thanks, that's a good idea. The file is in PowerPoint, happy to send it, just let me know an email address.

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  17. Great idea and love the website as I study the COC Rules....I will probably use some magnetic sheet for the underside of the board...can you send me your Powerpoint? pfcondliffe@gmail.com

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  18. Brilliant, just what I needed could you please send me your PowerPoint file Perkin.rod@googlemail.com Thanks R

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  19. Amazing idea, would you mind sending me the files please? Philip.rawlings@gmail.com

    Thank you.

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  20. Great idea. Could you please also send me the file. gregkallinson@yahoo.co.nz Thanks. G

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  21. Excellent idea. Would you please send me the file also thanks.
    rixonjm@bigpond.net.au
    Cheers
    Jeff

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  22. Excellent idea. Would you please send me the file also thanks.
    rixonjm@bigpond.net.au
    Cheers
    Jeff

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  23. Excellent idea. Would you please send me the file also thanks.
    rixonjm@bigpond.net.au
    Cheers
    Jeff

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  24. Could you please send me the PowerPoint files for this great gaming aid for CoC... as a new player it would be to a great assistant. Thank you in advance! PP-files can be sent to: loke13@gmail.com

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  25. Hi Could I get the files for this if can can you email them to me at
    russell.malham@gmail.com
    Regards Russell

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  26. Thanks, you inspired me to have a go. Mine's foam board on a thin sheet of ply. I'd add a picture but can't see how

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  27. Hi Mark,
    Could you please send me the files too?
    gerryoz1@gmail.com
    Thanks, Gerry

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  28. I'll jump on the bandwagon, too. Please send me the PP files for your platoon boards. Thanks very much.

    Ed
    somboed@gmail.com

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  29. Just started playing COC and can see the benefit in this. Please send me the files if you can.
    I really love when somebody puts in teh extra effort to make games a little easier to play. Just makes it so much more enjoyable.
    darren@djra.com.au

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  30. I too just started playing COC solo (a COVID house rule) and would greatly appreciate a copy of the platoon board files also. Fantastic idea!

    I'll be gaming with German, US Army/US Marines, British/Sikh/Chindit/Indian, Russian, IJA/SNLF and PNG figures in 28mm.

    davbrat@comcast.net

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  31. Late to the game, but I don't suppose I could have a copy of the file? angus_wallace@yahoo.co.uk

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  32. A really great idea. I saw this post a few months back and knocked up some quick versions of my own. Having now played a few games (and considering running a game for my group) I'm going to make a new set of boards much more close to what you have here (like I should have done first time around!).

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    1. Thanks Lee, glad you’ve found them a useful idea. I originally created them when I was introducing my group to CoC and now I use them all the time, it’s just a handy way to organise your platoon before a game. Talking of which I’ve been following some of your progress on your excellent blog and enjoyed watching your CoC force come together.

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  33. I try again; hoping... :)
    Could you please send me the PowerPoint files also, for this great gaming aid for CoC... as a new player it would be to a great assistant. Thank you in advance! PP-files can be sent to: loke13@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I hope i can also get this template. Please send it to hnemeth@gmx.net
    Thanks for your effort.
    Herbie

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  35. Hi, love this idea! Could I get the PowerPoint files at johnleahy55@yahoo.com Thank you.

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  36. Think my message vanished. Thanks for the information, some great ideas here. Could you please send me the file/link for the sheets of both forces?

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    1. Hi Chris, can you let me have an email address, thx.

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  37. Please add these PowerPoint files to your 'aids' on your site if you haven't already.

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  38. Hej,
    very nice idea. Could you please send me the files as well to ilaris@web.de ?
    Thanks in advance!
    Best,
    Philipp

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  39. Hello, could you please send me your powerpoint files ( plasmamate @gmail.com ) or put them in a shared Google drive folder with a link at the end of this article ? Many thanks :)

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  40. I think that your boards are inspired. Could I please ask you to forward the PP files to me at frankslyfox@aol.com? I would really appreciate it. Thank you in anticipation. Kind regards Mick

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    1. Hi Mick, I’m afraid I no longer have those in a single file anymore, I’ve tampered with them over time and modified them for similar boards for other rules. To be honest they are very quick and easy to create yourself.

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