Keeping track of wounds

[CapnBloodbeard]

Just wondering what everybody uses to keep track of their wounds?  I haven't found a solution that works yet

Previously I put my cards in a card sleeve and used markers on them.  But dry erase markers wipe off at the slightest touch, and permanent markers can be too hard to wipe off for healing.  Also, as the card can move in the sleeve I can lose track of the wounds too easy, so that doesn't work.  I'm not a fan of having cards out of sleeves and writing directly on them, but I might have to do that.  I could laminate, but again dry erase would wipe off too easy with an accidental touch (same problem with cards out of sleeves).

I know some people use dice, glass beads, things like that, but knowing me I could lose track again if I start moving my cards around, pick them up to look at, so on and so forth.

So I was thinking I could attach a bobby pin to the card to represent each wound.  Might take a few minutes at the start of the game, but I figure this fixes all the problems I mentioned.

How does everybody else keep track of wounds?

[Angus Khan]

I just use a small die near the model, or near the stat card.

[rhysmcdo]

I put the beads next to the model instead of by the card.

[Sklertic]

Card sleeve + white board marker is the best solution by far in my experience. Just dont touch the wound area on your card. Using dice is also okay, but clutters the table a bit.

[LordZombie]

Different colored die. One for wounds, poison, and burning. 

[Phinn]

I use dice that I put next to the model. I wish all my opponents were doing the same so I wouldn't have to constantly ask: "So how much wounds does this model have? Uhmmm. OK. And this one?"

[Angus Khan]

I use dice that I put next to the model. I wish all my opponents were doing the same so I wouldn't have to constantly ask: "So how much wounds does this model have? Uhmmm. OK. And this one?"

This.

I also have this problem when I try and keep track of all my summoned steam arachnids. (which is why I prefer the die near the model approach)

[Bengt]

Dice by the cards, got a couple of different colours for conditions as well. I find it much more likely that a die will be left behind or confused if you put them by the model, especially when you get a larger close combat going.

[CapnBloodbeard]

Maybe I'll try the dice, conditions sounds handy too.  Maybe I should go to the effort of making of +1DF, +1ML etc tokens....maybe

I used to 'not-tap-because-that's-copyrighted' the cards to show activations, but even that would be confusing with picking cards up and putting them down.

 

[greenstuff_gav]

i use markers like rhysmcdo; dice get knocked easily

and i turn my cards sideways like capnbloodbeard to show who i've activated as i get confused easily!

 

EDIT: for conditions i use some slick plasticard ontop of a base; this can be scribbled on on; something i came up with for a friends warrior of chaos army

Edited September 2, 2015 by greenstuff_gav

[retnab]

I got a little wood and plastic dice holder from Brush 4 Hire's kickstarter (these ones).  They're pretty handy and let me have multiple dice beside a model (say one for health and one for burning or some effect) without getting confusing or knocking dice over.

[BigHammer]

I use sleeves and a marker pen. Never had any problems with accidental erasure or shifting sleeves, only issue I have is that my pen is a bit strong and I finish every game with a green index finger and thumb.

as for activations, I tend to have my stat cards at my bottom table edge (outside the play area), and push them up to the edge of the play area when that model has activated. This allows me to still read the thing without turning my head sideways, as flooping them forces you to, and at the end of the turn I slide each card down to the table edge again, no fuss.

Edited September 2, 2015 by BigHammer

[solkan]

Disclaimer:  I've been using the cards and dry erase markers so far, but one of these days I'm going to play a game with a dozen summoned mechanical spiders or something...

I have a bunch of laser cut tiny plastic skulls from Litko for 40k/WHFB that I used to just pile on a model's base when it took wounds.  I think that'd still work for a mass summoning game.  What I've been planning on trying out are the dry erase model wound markers that Privateer Press came out with this year--they've got 10 boxes on them, which is enough for most models, and they've got the curve of the base cut out on side so you can put them next to the model and see which model it goes to.

On the other hand, I think Malifaux's one of the few games I could convince myself to just use dice, since there won't be any "I need to roll a handful of dice to hit... and now I've accidentally picked up the wound counter " situations. 

[Ludvig]

I usually use the cards but if I have a lot of multiples of one model I use dice. If I risk getting confused I put them on the base since I have mostly flat bases.

For activations I use flat glass beads next to unactivated models which makes it very clear for both my opponent and me. If I know I'm heading for a particularly weird activation I use a different colour of beads for my ap - this can be models with infinite attack triggers or some model obeying another model to do an attack with a trigger for more etc. It's usually appreciated by my opponents.

[VisionVoid]

I like sleeved cards with wet erase markers. The ink doesn't come off as easily as dry erase.

[AoS]

I use a dice with the number of the remainder of the wounds, in this way you and your opponent can see the wounds at any time.

[Teirdome]

I love icynewyear's approach of putting poker chips next to the model's cards to track wounds.  As damage happens, the chips get taken away.  I think they use chips for soulstones and the turn marker as well.  It's so thematic that I'm willing to look past the downsides.