Counters for combat grids

[johnsemlak]

I'm a player/DM who has never used miniatures or a combat grid for combat; Always managed before without it, but would like to start using something.

I've heard about counters being available that work as miniatures from companies like Fiery Dragon. Is there a good single cheap (<--important) set of counters that will do for most situations? A set that includes PC counters and the main monster counters. Perhaps such sets even come with good
grids?

I'm looking for the cheap way to do this here. I don't want to waste money on this that could go to modules or sourcebooks

Much obliged

 

[Buttercup]

I use the counters by Claudio Pozas. They were released by Firey Dragon, but published by S&S studios. If your local gaming store still has a copy of #2, grab it. It is now out of print, and has tons of useful pictures for PCs.

You can purchase a tablet of graph paper at most office supply stores, which is a reasonably cheap route to take.

Another source of counters and of a clear plastic grid would be Dragon Scale Counters. I don't like the art as well as Claudio's, but since these counters are plastic, they're very durable.

Edited because I screwed up.

 

[Klaus]

<Thanks, Buttercup!>

johnsemlak:

Fiery Dragon released two Counter Collections and two Counter Packs so far (the Collections have more counters, the Packs are more focused "thematically"). In order to help you, here's a list of what is featured in each product:

Counter Collection 1: The Usual Suspects - This one has multiples of all the basic creatures/races you'll need.
Dwarf, Male (x15); Dwarf, Female (x5); Elf, Male (x15); Elf, Female (x10); Gnome, Male (x10); Gnome, Female (x5); Halfling, Male (x10); Halfling, Female (x5); Half-Elf, Male (x15); Half-Elf, Female (x10); Half-Orc, Male (x10); Half-Orc, Female (x5); Drow, Male (x15); Drow, Female (x10); Human, Warrior (Male x5, Female x2); Human, Priest (Male x5, Female x2); Human, Mage (Male x5, Female x2); Human, Rogue (Male x5, Female x2); Minotaur (x5); Kobold (x20); Goblin (x20); Hobgoblin (x15); Orc (x20); Bugbear (x13); Ogre (x5); Troll (x10); Medusa (x5); Lizardman (x15); Gnoll (x15); Mind Flayer (x5); Beholder (x5); Gargoyle (x5); Owlbear (x5); Doppleganger (x5); Ghoul (x10); Skeleton (x20); Zombie (x15); Shadow (x10); Vampire (Male x2, Female x2); Wight (x10); Wraith (x8); Mummy (x5); Lich (x2); Spectre (x5); Ghost (x5); Dragons (2 Huge of each: Black, Brass, White, Gold, Red); Horse (x16); Cart (x2)

Counter Collection 2: More Characters Creatures and Monsters - This one tries to cover as much monsters as possible, and offers counters for almost every race/class/gender combination possible in the PHB.

75 unique PC counters (37 humans, 14 elves, 8 dwarves, 4 gnomes, 4 half-elves, 4 halflings and 4 half-orcs).

Creatures: Ankheg (x3); Ape (x4); Aranea (x4); Badger (x4); Basilisk (x4); Blink Dog (x4); Bulette (x2); Carrion Crawler (x3); Cat (x8); Centaur (x3); Chimera (x2); Couatl (x3); Cockatrice (x3); Demon (1 Balor, 3 Marilith, 2 Sucubbus, 5 Vrock); Devil (5 Lemure, 6 Osyluth); Displacer Beast (x4); Dog (x7); Dragon (2 Large of each : Black, Brass, Gold, Red, White; 2 Large and 2 Huge of each: Blue, Bronze, Copper, Green, Silver); Dragonne (x3); Eagle (x2); Elemental (3 each: Air, Fire, Earth, Water); Ettin (x4); Genie (3 Djinni, 3 Efreeti); Giant (4 Fire, 4 Frost, 4 Hill, 4 Stone, 2 Storm, 2 Cloud); Golem (3 Flesh, 3 Iron, 3 Stone); Griffon (x3); Hawk (x8); Hag (3 Annis, 3 Green, 3 Night); Hell Hound (x9); Hippogriff (x2); Kuo-Toa (x5); Manticore (x2); Naga, Dark (x3); Nightmare (x3); Nymph (x5); Ooze (2 Gelatinous Cube, 24 Grey Ooze); Owl (x8); Pegasus (x4); Rakshasa (x2); Rat (x12); Raven (x8); Roper (x5); Rust Monster (x5); Slaad (2 each: Red, Blue, Green, Gray, Death); Snake (12 Tiny); Sphinx (x2); Sprite (10 Pixies); Treant (x2); Troglodyte (x5); Unicorn (x4); Weasel (x4); Wolf (x6); Wolverine (x2); Worg (x4); Wyvern (x2); Yuan-Ti (x3 Abomination, 4 Halfblood).

Counter Pack 1: Demons and Devils - This one has all the demons and devils from the MM, plus several from Green Ronin's Books of Fiends.

Counter Pack 2: Tribes, Clans and Cults - This one features several complete organizations:

Mogor's Fist - Orc Elite Force
Cult of Bakaal - Demon Worshippers
Pax Hobgoblinica - Hobgoblin Army
Bertram's Guild - A Thieve's Guild
Knight of Solorien - A knighly order
The Vampire's Legion - Dozens of Undead
The Prince's Worgriders - A complete goblin tribe
The Jirokk Clan - A Fire Giant tribe
Residents of the Mattadin - Inhabitants of a fey valley.

Upcoming Counter Pack 3: Denizens of Darkness and Dungeons will feature dozens of drow (plus all other counters needed to play FDP's Queen of Lies) and several counters from Necromancer Games' Rappan Athuk (Yay!), so if your campaign involves lots of Underdark shenanigans, this is a good bet.

Whew!

 

[maddman75]

I just got some of the Dragon Scale counters and like what I see.

They are very durable, made of plastic. This also means that you can make notes as to which orc is which. They are to scale with the creatures in the MM. Well, SRD anyway .

They also sell combat mats. They are made of the same plastic. They are small, 8x11, but you can get a six pack for $10. The counters themselves cost $.25 for 5x5 creatures up to $1.20 for a huge dragon. They also have several value packs available for around $5 each.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Here is something even cheaper than using counters - and just as good (OK, it will not look quite as visually appealing, but it gets the job done - and then some):

We usually draw any plans on 5mm square grids (easily available here in
Germany, though I can say from personal experience that things are different in the UK). The length of one square usually represents one to three meters in the game (yes, that "metric" thingie that some Americans on this board might have heard about... ). This allows us to draw some really huge maps without needing really huge tables...

Then we put the map on a styrofoam block and stick pins, which can be bought anywhere where office supplies are sold, into it to mark
the position of the characters. PCs get pins with flags to show facing, while
nameless NPC mooks get standard ones. It all works like a charm.

Well, what do you think? Can you do it cheaper?

 

[Sir Edgar]

Fiery Dragon released two Counter Collections and two Counter Packs so far (the Collections have more counters, the Packs are more focused "thematically"). In order to help you, here's a list of what is featured in each product:

Upcoming Counter Pack 3: Denizens of Darkness and Dungeons will feature dozens of drow (plus all other counters needed to play FDP's Queen of Lies) and several counters from Necromancer Games' Rappan Athuk (Yay!), so if your campaign involves lots of Underdark shenanigans, this is a good bet.

I have to say, Claudio, you did an excellent job here with Counter Collections I and II! Buying those two items saved me a lot of money, time, and space instead of buying miniatures. The drawings are fantastic, especially for the individual NPC's! It's hard to imagine how you can put so much detail into such small counters.

I am also considering buying the two Counter Packs as well, but do you plan to add any large snakes? I don't think I recall any serpent counters in the two collections I bought or the new packs. I'd also like to see more individual NPC's, particularly humans. How about some plain-looking ones like for peasants or farmers and such?

Anyhow, thanks again for a great job!

 

[Klaus]

Thanks you, Sir Edgar!

One of the ideas we've been toying with, specially based on feedback at GenCon, is a Counter Pack featuring all creatures you can summon with Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally, plus some counters for Animal Companions and Special Mounts. Snakes would definitely be included in that one. But right now, having just finished CP3, I am starting work on Counter Collection 3: MODERN. No snakes there yet.

There are several NPCs in CP2. Here's a rundown of NPCs by organization:

The Prince's Worgriders: Goblin Prince, Barbarian, Rogue, Adept, Cleric and two different Blues.

Mogor's Fist: Mogor (high-level half-orc wearing Silver Dragonhide Breastplate), plus loads of orcs and half-orcs, including the elite Himrak.

Cult of Bakaal: All Human: Cult Leader (female), Male Blackguard, High Priest, plus some other NPCs (Necromancer, Wizards and Barbarian), plus brand-new Cultist NPCs.

Jirokk Clan: Fire Giant King, Queen, Monk, Sorceror, 4 males, 4 females, 2 fire giant boys, plus salamanders, thoqqua, other giants and a nasty unique villain.

Residents of the Mattadin: Athach, a new Yuan-ti abomination, plus yuan-ti halfbreed and purebloods.

Vampire's Legion: new Vampire Ranger, two new Vampire Spawn, plus several undead (including three nightmares for the vampires to ride).

Pax Hobgoblinica: All brand-new! Hobgoblin General, Chaplain, Battlemage, two lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 14 legionnaires, plus a kobold emissary, two kobold knights and two kobold assassins.

Knights of Solorien: Human NPCs galore! High Knights, Archers, Priests, Paladins. 20 total!

Bertram's Guild: two new halfling rogues, human smuggler, three human "street toughs", a human "streetwalker", 4 new city watch guards, plus mid- and high-level assassins.

So, NPC-wise, Counter Pack 2 delivers in spades!

Of course, if you're looking for drow NPCs, CP3 (out in a couple of weeks) is a drem come true.

 

[Greybar]

I have both Dragon Scale counters and Counter Collection counters. Both are good in my opinion. I have "The Usual Suspects" Counter Collection, and a hand-selected set from Dragon Scale. I may have ended up getting a Dragon Scale "Pack", but since I bought it at the same time as a bunch of singles it is hard to remember.

I like the fact that the Dragon Scale counters are tougher and more durable looking, and I can draw on them with grease pencil or the same overhead marker I use on my map. Since I bought them individually, I got exactly the counters I was interested in.

I like the fact that the Counter Collection was a cheap way to get a lot of a wide variety. I'd say that Claudio's artwork is superior. It's brighter, easier to see, and just appears more "professional" to me. There is a slight annoyance that in buying a pack I am guaranteed to get lots of counters I don't see any use for.

I recently swarmed heroes with a buncha-buncha undead, and I did really like using the counters with numbers marked on them. Made everything clearer. In the past it would have been 6 red d6 turned to each different number, plus 6 blue d6, plus 6 white d6, plus a scattering of d8s, etc.

John

 

[Fiery James]

"A Murder of Drows"???

Of course, if you're looking for drow NPCs, CP3 (out in a couple of weeks) is a dream come true.

In fact, Vince put up a preview page of some Queen of Lies counters here!

I understand that he's hoping to have a second page with a preview of some of the counters inspired by Rappan Athuk up this weekend (depending on how his holiday plays out!)

- James

____________________
T Minus 4 weeks and counting for New Baby!

 

[Voadam]

Fiery Dragons look good and are cheap for the numbers you get. I think they do both MM critters and Legions of Hell.

www.dragonscalecounters.com allows you to get individual ones for 25 cents each for medium sized creatures of your choice. there are a few themed discount packs you can get but they are not as cheap as FD, I think. Dragonscale has square grid sturdy pages you can use markers on for $2 each or 6 for $10, not that economical but you can do a room or 3 ahead of time if you want. I just bought from them recently.

Gurps has a cheap set of fantasy ones as well, designed for standing up on mini bases. Gurps also has dungeon and building hex map floorplans which look really good.

Big Battlemats all I have heard about are Chessex but I don't have any.

There should be a program somewhere for printing out combat grids which would be cheap and disposable so you could draw on them ahead of time and then just throw them out when done.