Played with some people other than my friends for the first time this weekend, and it made me realize there are several different options for organizing your cards, figures, and keeping score during the game.

I've always organized all my figures in tackle boxes grouped sort of by faction and rarity. And grouped my cards by faction and then by points to find them easily. I have them in penny sleeves, and use dry erase markers to track HP, force points, etc.

But I liked a couple of the things I saw the other day when playing with a new group. Some people had squads in D-ring binder sleeves, so that all of the cards for a specific squad would be on the same page. Instead of shifting the card to show when that figure had activated, peopled turned the figure to be facing the opposite way. People were using dice to show how much damage was dealt, and tokens to track force points.

I'm considering using the d-ring binder option for any squad that I create that I may use again, though I'm not sure yet that I want to pull some of the cards out of the sleeves. So while I ponder that, I wanted to open up the discussion to see if anyone else suggested any neat little tricks for organizing, tracking things during gameplay, that sort of thing.

Rotating figures is the simplest way to keep track for me. I turn Mice 90 degrees though, while others turn them upside down.

I like turning the figures 180 degrees (mouse droids get flipped over). Its the easiest way to tell whether a figure is activated or not by just looking at the map. I don't like having to look over at my opponents cards to see who is activated. Its not hard to figure out once you've done it a few times, especially if both players are doing it. At the end of the even rounds, figures will be faced backwards (or upside down for mouse droids). At the end of the even numbered rounds, figures will be facing forward (or rightside up for mouse droids).

To track damage, I use damage counters. I have been playing since 2005 so I have plenty of damage counters from WotC. I also use WotC force point counters. Every now and then, I'll use a die for force points, but I like using counters better.

I'm very anal about my cards. I keep them in sleeves at all times, and put those sleeved cards in hard sleeves when I play with them. I have seen too many people spill drinks on tables at LGS's. I trust nobody! LOL

Roy

I keep all my figures sorted by faction in screwboxes, tackleboxes whatever you call it. all the same really.

Cards in a 3 ring binder sorted by faction. I used to have them by set but that was annoying, I started doing it by character or unit type. Like put all stormtroopers or battle droids or whatever on the same 9 page card sleeve.

When I saw people using dice to indicate health I started doing it that instant, I like that a lot better than paper hehe.

and as far as activations go, depending who or where I play, sometimes we mark nothing, because we just know what has been activated already. that only really works for smaller squads though. Generally we use colored markers on the cards. and take them all away at the start of a new round.

I have 2 D Ring Binders with my cards organised by set. I find it much easier to find the cards this way. I used to have them divided by faction going from highest cost to lowest, but I kept having to change it when I got new minis. This way I leave gaps for minis I don't have and it looks more like a collection. Also more incentive t obuy the minis I don't have.

When playing, I put my squad into one sheet, or two, and just have it lying on the table near by. I use what I assume are WOTC counters (they came in a massive lot of minis I bought, so I don't know their actual origins). I generally either use counters to track HP and FP, or a sheet of paper in some instances.

I also turn my minis 180 degrees, and mice 90 degrees to show they are activated. My brother turns the cards 90 degrees.

I've a small white dot on my mice to indicate the front

i use a tool box to hold my minis and the top part splits down the middle so i put all my uniques (in a bag so i can dump it out)up there on one side and all my cards and dice on the oher arranged by faction then point cost. then in the bottom i hav my huges and non uniques

For organizing my minis, I have a bag with 4 tacklebox-like boxes that houses most uniques and important non-uniques from all factions, which I can build most of my squads from. The rest of my minis are in various degrees of disarray, some halfway organized by set, some just in big boxes full of unopened minis. All of my uniques are seperate, though. I plan on getting some better organized storage setup when I move into a new apartment next week, and will probably organize things by faction.

I've got 2 big 3-ring binders that I keep all the cards in. One binder comes with me everywhere (I keep that binder and 2 squad boxes in an old MtG bag I got at GenCon 2 years ago and it comes to all the tournaments, although it's starting to fall apart. Maybe I'll pick up a replacement at GenCon this year), which holds all my unique cards and important non-uniques (Reinforcement options, filler pieces, and things like ERCs, TBSVs, and Jedi Battlemasters). All the DotF cards are in there, too. All the less useful non-uniques are in another big binder.

When playing I try to get my whole squad on a single page from the 3-ring binder. I've got a few that have been used enough that they can easily fold down to the height and width of a single card. For big squads I occasionally use 2 pages, or I leave things with 10 HP out of the page since they don't need to get marked.

Speaking of marking, I use a dry erase marker to write on everything, including cards (well, the 3-ring binder page that the cards are in) and maps. Counters are alright, but it bothers the heck out of me when people use dice to track things like HP and FP, especially those tiny dice.

For activating, I rotate the figures 180 degrees, and flip mice upside down. If a character is running/looking one direction but pointing a weapon the other direction, I usually use the weapon side as the "front".

For transporting minis to tournaments, I have the 2 squad boxes I mentioned. I keep a dry erase marker, an ink pen, the page of stat cards, all minis needed, stats and minis for reinforcements, and a badge holder for drawing line of sight in one box. The second box I use for extra squads (or parts of squads) that I either have played recently or plan on playing soon.

For keeping track for force points and Hit Points I use the WOTC damage/FP tokens,
The way I store my cards/figures is in faction specific plano boxes (Tackel boxes) with the cards in each respective box, I keep the rares in individual slots with C/UC in larger groups (Battle Droids, Super battle droids, Living Seps) and then I have two boxes which I call my 'Jedi Box' which is just what it sounds like, has all my jedi/sith/ect,for cards I keep most R/VR in hard cases and some factions have penny sleves on all of them, rebels have no love, lol. For activation I just kind of keep track in my own demented head...thats about it!

I've got all my cards and maps in top loaders, so use dry erase markers to write on everything to track door control, damage and FP. Also handy to cross out CEs when the followers have all been defeated or highlighting certain abilities (like intuition or force renewal) so I don't forget to track/use them. Sometimes, I'll put an X through the point cost to mark who is activated on my cards. I also turn the piece 180 degrees for activated (flip mice). I return them to forward at the end of each round as well. I have some little colored plastic bands (they are meant for young girls to tie up their hair I believe) to throw around the necks of pieces if I have multiples on the board. Then I can mark the color on my card to track those as well. Some pieces I have painted various colors if I tend to use a lot of them at the same time (like Ugnaughts).