Step-Reduction Counter Demonstration

Note: This is a demonstration of the step-reduction counter concept. You can, of course, view the source and save it, to modify it for your own evil purposes, but you’re on your own for now. Later, I’ll have some instructions set up, as for the ½−inch and ¾−inch counters elsewhere on this site.

The basic idea of these counters is to provide eight steps of damage before a unit is destroyed. At left is an eight-strength unit. It has four dots along the top edge indicating four strength points, and a colored border indicating an additional four. When it takes a hit, rotate it 90° to the left …

… and it becomes a seven-strength unit. When it takes a hit, rotate it again …

… and it’s a five-strength unit. When it takes a hit, flip it top-to-bottom to the other side …

… and it becomes a four-strength unit. When it takes a hit, rotate it 90° to the left …

… and it’s finally a one-strength unit. If it takes one more hit, it’s toast. Put it in a body bag.

The amount of information on the counter is variable. Here, I have a unit-type symbol with an optional size modifier, and a unit identification below the symbol.

There is no movement allowance noted; if the movement allowance is the same for all units of a type (indicated by the symbol in the center of the counter), the player would get that from a separate off-board chart, probably combined with the Terrain Effects Chart. For example, you can say that armor has a movement allowance of six, infantry has four, and artillary has three. There can be more than these three types of units in the game, of

course.

Units can be stacked, offset a little so the full strength of the stack shows at the edge of the stack facing the opponent, like the three-unit stack to the right, with sixteen strength points.

On the sheet of sample counters there are sixty units, in six groups of ten units. The back of each unit is printed directly below the front. The idea is to print the sheet on paper or cardstock, and cut the sheet into ten-unit sections. For each section, carefully cut the two lines apart and glue them to opposite sides of a strip of cardboard. Finally, cut the individual two-sided counters apart with a paper cutter or an X-acto knife.

Some of the units in this sample start with a combat strength of less than eight, as they would in an actual game set. Those with four strengths points or fewer have only one side.

I’d like to hear from anyone who has additional ideas for this type of counter — layout, info on the counter, etc. Send email me at Seven Aces Programming, and I’ll get back to you. I also accept commissions to design counters for others’ games.

Double-Sided Step-Reduction Counter Demonstration