I’ve recently started taking a dedicated Kings of War accessory box with me to events. This is filled with all of the various tools and templates that I use in-game.

I remember way back in the day I almost looked down on people who used a lot of templates and accessories because I felt they took the game too seriously and were overthinking things too much. I really was quite wrong about that.

It wasn’t just me too. I remember having a discussion with someone else where they were talking quite negatively about someone because they used *gasp* a laser line to assist with line of sight and arcs. We, and the people in that person’s group who thought the same, were absolutely wrong.

It’s not about taking the game too seriously, but making things as crystal clear as possible and in many cases speeding things up. Since using range rulers, I’ve spent a lot less time hunched over the table trying to hold a bulky tape measure in place above two units. Instead I just plop the appropriate range ruler in between them and it instantly tells us whether they’re in range or not with no arguments.

The Box

A while back when I was increasing the number of accessories I was taking to games, I just used to carry them around loose. This of course led to me forgetting things for events, including one time even forgetting to bring an arc template! I soon decided to keep a single box with all of my accessories in it.

I was originally using the cardboard Ogre army set box from Mantic which was the absolutely perfect size. Unfortunately, after a trip back and forth to the colonies and then to several events back home, the box was falling apart so I decided to invest in a much more sturdy wooden box that I could then decorate (you can see the WIP above).

Finding one that’s the right size was near impossible.

One of the most important accessories is a 12″ range ruler, and finding a box that could hold it while not being ridiculously big proved to be very tough. I eventually settled on this one.

The footprint is sadly larger than I’d like – it takes up a large amount of room if we have no sideboard – but it does (just) fit everything that I want inside. I’d prefer it if it had a smaller footprint but was taller. It’d be even better visually if it were shaped in the form of a chest, but sadly those are even more difficult to get hold of in appropriate sizes.

Still, it’s a box. It holds all my accessories in one place. Perfect.

Range Rulers, Dice, Laser, Chess Clock

Range rulers quite honestly have been an absolute game changer for me.

Again I was a little wary of them when my friend, Adam, first started using them. Again, thinking he was taking the game too seriously. Using them in his games showed me that I was wrong and made me stop questioning whether having more accessories meant taking the game too seriously.

The set I have is from Frozen Forge and cost £18.40. One of the best Kings of War purchases I’ve made, easily.

One trick that people miss is that for longer ranges (20″ flying is the common one), you can stick multiple rulers end to end. Usually the 12″ + 8″ for the 20″ range.

I carry two bags of dice with me to every event. One bag of dice is the one that I will actually use for rolling dice in-game. I count out a specific number of dice before the game (e.g. 18 for my Ogres where almost everything has 18 attacks) and then close the bag up and put it away. The other bag of dice is a whole bunch of miscellaneous dice that I’ve collected over the years. They are for wound marking, turn counting etc and will never be confused with the ones that I’m using for actual rolling.

I prefer using the larger 16mm dice firstly because I can get them customised and will often get a set customised for each army, but most importantly they are easy to read from a distance.

The Army Painter laser makes its appearance here. I honestly find that the range rulers do 90% of the arc and Line of Sight checking that I used to do with the laser, but it’s still useful on occasion.

The chess clock is here as well. Though I do need to remember to put a battery in it…

Arc Templates & Counters

I bring two arc templates. Not only are these the single most important accessory in the game to have on you, so it’s useful to have a backup if you misplace one, but I sometimes find myself trying to position something to take into account two arcs. This can be a situation where I’m trying to move into a given arc for the enemy while also being able to see that enemy unit. Two arc templates are very useful for these situations.

The other thing is a bunch of miscellaneous Waver/Disorder/Hinder counters. I need to get better at these. I often find that even if I use them, I forget to clear them off when the effect wears off.

Objective Markers

6 basic objective markers, 3 that are different. For scenarios where you need to have different types of objectives on the board.

Base Templates & Tape Measure

The trusty tape measure makes its appearance. I still use this all the time for movement. I’m just using it less for measuring ranges any more.

The base templates are another recent addition. I carry a blank base for all of the common unit sizes which is a fantastic resource for checking whether things fit, what their movement is and generally planning things out.

I put a handle on each of the templates, along with their size, to make them easier to pick up. I put the 3D print files up on Thingiverse for anyone to print them off.

The Box is Dead Good

I really was wrong to (internally) judge people for having too many accessories. Since making a conscious effort to tidy my gameplay, these extra templates and accessories have become invaluable tools. A number of my opponents have commented positively on them all when I’ve been able to use them to clear up confusion or a potential source of disagreement cleanly and clearly.

Keeping them all in a single box like this means I can just grab it and go to the next event, and not worry that I’ve remembered my dice but not my arc templates, or that I’ve forgotten a chess clock, or any of the numerous other things that I put in there.

I completely recommend putting together something similar no matter how seriously you take the game.