Aim Counters

**Ken at Sunrise** · 03-21-2017 06:43

I saw in a few AARs that some people use Aim Counters to denote aiming. Are those beneficial? Do they really help in a big game?

I was thinking of two different ones:
Litko Targeting Reticle Tokens
Litko Mini Targeting Reticules

Which size do you think is best, 30mm or 15mm?
I am now using the Jam Counters from the Aerodrome Store and they are red. The 30mm I can get in a different color but they are, obviously, twice the size. The 15mm apparently only come in red, though I'll ask if I can get blue or green.

P.S. now if I could only find acrylic counters for the last move, Straight, Immellman and Stall.

**Oberst Hajj** · 03-21-2017 06:55

Ken,

I could make you up some of Jam counters in different colors if you like... I'm pretty sure I have blue and green acrylic on hand. And what were you thinking about in the way of the last move counters?

**Ken at Sunrise** · 03-21-2017 07:49

Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj

Ken,

I could make you up some of Jam counters in different colors if you like... I'm pretty sure I have blue and green acrylic on hand.

That might work well. One colour would be for a jam and another for an Aim bonus.

Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj

And what were you thinking about in the way of the last move counters?

Really I was just thinking of an inexpensive way to replace the card board tokens. I didn't really have a good idea. It occurs to me that the counters that get used in nearly every game are the Smoke, Flame, Straight, Stall and Immellmen. And these five do not have acrylic counters. Of course you have substitutes for Smoke and Flame attached to the plane, but in a big or quick game the counters help. The only other might be a few guns, aa guns and such, I think Litko has a burst for the AA guns too.

It would be nice to get two sided ones, Flame/Smoke; Straight/Stall; Immellmen/?Immellmen; AA Gun/Upgunned; Rockets/Incendary. Five (5) tokens plus everything you have replaces most all of the cardboard. That leaves skills and we have cards for most of those.

**surfimp** · 03-21-2017 09:43

I'd like to chime in and agree with Ken re: acrylic smoke, flame and last maneuver counters.

I have the ACE smoke & flame markers (the 3 piece kind) and actually strongly prefer the old single piece variety, which took up less space on the table and was far less fiddly (I found that poor fit of the cut pieces on the ACE acrylics left them either too loose, and hence falling off easily, or so tight that you'd nearly break a flight peg trying to remove them). So, from that perspective, smoke/flame tokens on the aircraft's console are preferable.

I'd love a set of nice double-sided acrylic tokens like Ken describes, with smoke indicated on one side, and flame on the other, packaged with one copy each of the one-piece smoke and flame markers. That'd be great!

I also like the idea of aim markers, though that's not too difficult to keep track of in my experience (at least, for smaller games). I would prefer a different design from the jam markers, however, in addition to a different color.

As for the last maneuver marker, they could be similar to the very nice WGS speed tokens, except circular rather than square. Double-sided would be fine, and preferably with superior artwork to that provided on the default cardboard tokens, where the straight and the Immelmann are far too easily confused (in my opinion).

**skyking20** · 03-21-2017 10:03

I agree about chits - I hate them. I will be submitting a how to next week that shows how to build a cockpit that does that Jager told me I should submit it so - who can say no to Karl?

**skyking20** · 03-21-2017 10:04

By the way we call all chits CHADWICKS. Inside joke but if you are a wargamer you might get it.

**Oberst Hajj** · 03-21-2017 14:02

I could do a set of double sided replacement chits.

As for the aim tokens, if you guys prefer a different design, I could give that some thought to see what I come up with. But just wondering, what would a different shape be needed if the colors were different?

**Ken at Sunrise** · 03-21-2017 18:26

Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj

I could do a set of double sided replacement chits.

As for the aim tokens, if you guys prefer a different design, I could give that some thought to see what I come up with. But just wondering, what would a different shape be needed if the colors were different?

The jam token that you currently have is actually great for the aim tokens. I would love to see what ideas you come up with or maybe a different Jam token. Either way I think I should be fine if they are a different color and the shape as the jam tokens.

I'm definitely looking forward to what your new two-sided replacement counters will be.

**Stumptonian** · 03-21-2017 19:13

A green version of your jam would be fine for an aim counter.

**surfimp** · 03-22-2017 08:30

What about something similar to the X-Wing target lock indicator, with two tokens, one for the plane benefitting from the aim bonus, and one for the plane being aimed at? That would also help disambiguate in the event that more than one aircraft had aim bonuses on the same target.

I'd be a little concerned about just making the existing jam token in green, because then it would tend to invoke confusion due to the red & green jam markers on damage cards.

Also, having different shapes for different tokens, in addition to different colors, is more appealing to me. Otherwise, we could just use tiddlywinks and say "red = jam", "green = aim", "blue = pilot injured", etc. While that would work, in a functional sense, it's not very compelling. I'd rather have unique shapes and colors, if I'm going to purchase 3rd party tokens.

**Ken at Sunrise** · 03-22-2017 11:21

Originally Posted by surfimp

While that would work, in a functional sense, it's not very compelling. I'd rather have unique shapes and colors, if I'm going to purchase 3rd party tokens.

Perhaps and it may be a good idea if Keith and do that. But Aim and Jam are both about guns so I'd be good either way. Maybe a circle within a circle to look more like a target. Or, as I said something different for a jam.

**Jager** · 03-22-2017 12:25

Originally Posted by skyking20

By the way we call all chits CHADWICKS. Inside joke but if you are a wargamer you might get it.

Ouch!

So bad it was good

Karl

**Ken at Sunrise** · 03-23-2017 08:10

Originally Posted by Oberst Hajj

Ken,

I could make you up some of Jam counters in different colors if you like... I'm pretty sure I have blue and green acrylic on hand. And what were you thinking about in the way of the last move counters?

Keith,

When do you think you'll have something on these and the others (Straight, Stall, etc.)