The Games
Generic Counters
Designer: Michael Fischer
Publisher: The Mad Game-Designer's Page
Type: Wargame
Status: Free
Available from:
http://www.cke1st.com/m_games1.htm
[Michael Fischer has] received several requests for 'generic' wargames counters, which aren't built for one particular game or rules set, but could be used nearly anywhere. That's a tall order, considering that such counters might have to serve for Napoleonics, ACW, ancients, two world wars, modern units, and/or several dozen lesser-known periods. But if these counters are useful to somebody, then [the designerhas] succeeded.
There are seven sheets of generic counters. They contain 140 counters each and will print on an A4-sized sheet or a letter-sized sheet. All sheets are identical except for the background color (red, blue, gray, green, olive-drab, yellow, and white).
Each counter has the following features:
- a narrow box on top, the special-identifier box.
- a large box with the unit's NATO-standard symbol.
- a unit designator, to tell one unit from another.
The special-identifier box can serve several purposes. You can put dots or tick marks there, so you can print multiple copies of the counters and distinguish one large formation from another. This could also have a special mark to identify special units. For instance, you might designate some of your artillery as heavy artillery, with a mark in this box to tell you which ones are the heavies. Or a few infantry units could be grenadiers, guards units, or heavy-weapon units, with extra attack or defense abilities; again, a mark in this box will tell you which is which. The box can serve several purposes at once if you make different kinds of marks and use different-colored pens to make them, or color-code the box's background.