Minis and Grids, do you use them?

[Shadowdancer]

Somewhere between answer No. 1 and No. 3. We use them pretty much all the time for combats and for some complex rooms/dungeon areas/traps/dangerous situations. But there are some sessions we don't use them at all.

 

[Steve Jung]

I use them for fights with more than a couple opponents. My battle mat takes up most of the table, otherwise I'd use it more often. I like my minis.

 

[Galethorn]

As GM, I typically keep track of stuff on a piece of graph paper, but resort to the battle mat for large, complex areas/battles that I can't adequately describe to the players...or that I don't want to repeat the description of every round.

 

[Tiberius]

I <3 the battlemap. I find that it neatly removes nearly all ambiguity as to who is where and can be affected by what, as well as assisting with issues of cover, AoO, flanking, etc. My group seems to prefer to run battles as more tactical simulations than cinematic events, which suits me just fine.

 

[BWP]

Who among us here actually uses minis/grids and in what capacity? Always? At player request? Etc.

Always use a grid for combats (unless it's such a simple situation that it's not required -- e.g., one big slow critter being ganged up on by the PCs).

Much as I love figures, though, they have caused hassles in the past with people fussing about finding one that suits their character etc., not to mention some of the guys I play with seem to think that miniatures are made of indestructible titanium and treat them accordingly. So nowadays we use counters and chits. Currently we just muck about with counters cribbed from other games (the old Traveller boardgames such as Snapshot, and the 1st edition DragonQuest counters being particularly useful) but I want to upgrade to the "Fiery Dragon" style of counter, with squares cut to fit the grid (for large creatures), etc.

 

[pogre]

I would prefer the choice my imagination is fired up by the use of minis

Honestly we do not use a battle mat very often - we use scenery. Mastermaze and Hirst Arts pieces conveniently have one inch squares and when we are outdoors one inch equals five feet of course.

Modelling and painting are part of the hobby I love - so I recognize I'm at one extreme.

 

[Li Shenron]

If I can get away without them, I don't use minis & maps. That happens about 1/3 of combats, especially against single big monsters.

In any case, I use self-drawn maps or photocopies, and any available objects instead of minis, and I've never spent a dime so far on such "tewls".

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I came into the hobby with metal and mats in 1977, and will use them up until I cannot- (blind, dead, paralyzed, etc.)

 

[Thanee]

Only for bigger fights.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Sammael]

Yup. Not for every fight, certainly, but every time there is a murky tactical situation, the mat and minis prove to be invaluable tools.

To those who chose option #2, how do you allow tactical warrior-type characters to use their abilities? Imagination is nice and all, but it sure seems to me that many character options would be wasted in a campaign that doesn't allow the use of a tactical map.