Carriers for armies

[martin goddard]

You have a 15mm army of 150 figures on bases.
What would you carry it in  during 1980.
What would you carry it in 2024?

Reasons, thoughts and anecdotes?

One of our Weymouth club members would lay his ACW army out in a box file. then turn the box file vertical to put in his backpack for motorcycle travel.  Quelle horreur!


martin

[Sean Clark]

I first used a shoebox with some tissue paper in it.

I then mooved onto box files. I still a few of them. I really liked the box files which were half the depth of normal ones. Not so great for cavalry or pike armed troops though.

Now its Really Useful boxes. However, I always keep them the right way up.

[Stewart 46A]

In the 80's, box files
Now
bags and foam trey's


Stewart

[Nick]

Really useful boxes have become the standard for me.

Nick

[Colonel Kilgore]

It wa various wooden and cardboard boxes for me in the murky past.

But I have settled on the 4 litre Really Useful Boxes now.

I did used to line the boxes with magnetic paper, to stick to thin steel sheet on the figures' bases. I'm now tending towards using the RUB insert trays (handily sized to fit 4 30×30mm bases in each compartment). I use little squares of anti-slip sheet in each, and top off with bubble wrap to stop the little men toddling off to visit one another. For armies with no pointy stick, you can stack two insert trays in the one RUB too.

Simon

[amosfuegel]

The boxes are really useful and that was the early days when I was exposed to it until now. There are changes but it is consistent and better than before.

[martin goddard]

A Bournemouth gamer had a beautiful 5 drawer wooden cabinet for his 25mm ancient army. Very difficult to move.
I used to use a lot of box files. I usually put a wooden pillar in the centre to stop crushing if the lid got pushed in.
Rob Roriston used to keep his armies in biscuit tins, both round and square.
I too now use RUB. Marvellous.

martin

[Leman (Andy)]

In the 80s metal toolboxes. Now, RUBs, although my armies only travel from my painting/storage room to the dining table (only used for Christmas dinner).

[Smoking gun]

Like Sean I used the half depth boxfiles. More recently I have used the wooden boxes art sets come in from shops like 'The Works" etc. I also use some A4 and A5 clear plastic boxes, In both cases I use the antislip matting to keep the models in position.

Best wishes,
Martin, from a small village near Grimsby

[martin goddard]

About 40 years ago one could see where an ancients competition was being held. A trail of men carrying cantilever large steel toolboxes.All either red or blue. My arm hurt after a  4 mile walk with one in 1974 for a WRG 4th edition game. Ouch!

martin

[Flaminpig0]

About 40 years ago one could see where an ancients competition was being held. A trail of men carrying cantilever large steel toolboxes.All either red or blue. My arm hurt after a  4 mile walk with one in 1974 for a WRG 4th edition game. Ouch!

martin

Just out of interest - what army were you carrying?

Ian

[martin goddard]

It was my 25mm Minifigs Selucids.
Then it was my 25mm Hinchliffe Assyrians. Odd proportions, but really nice to paint.


martin

[Colonel Kilgore]

Do you still have either army, Martin?

Simon

[martin goddard]

They both went to my brother when I had to move a lot in the army. I had little space to keep things. I do miss the Hinchliffe assyrians. That might tempt me to make a 15mm Assyrian army one day? Hinchliffe figures were psychologically "better" as they came in nice blue boxes with tissue paper.


martin

[Dex13]

I started out with box files but now it's all Really Useful Boxes with the MDF trays from Warbases.