Clan Invasion Kickstarter Mech Height

[rooneg]

So, like basically everyone else I've gone heavy on the new kickstarter and as a result I'm thinking about storage. I've got a Battlefoam 432 that I'd like to devote to Battletech stuff, but that means ordering foam.

You can fit 12 inches of their Battletech foam, and it'll come down to dividing that up between trays that fit 1.5 inch tall mechs, 2 inch tall mechs, and 2.5 inch tall mechs. I've got a layout that would give me one tray for 2.5 inch tall mechs (18 of them), 2 trays of large 2 inch tall mechs (18 each), and 2 trays of small 2 inch tall mechs (some ridiculously large number of mechs per tray). That basically fills the bag.

The question is if 1 tray worth of 2.5 inch tall mechs is going to be sufficient. Judging from the AGoAC box assault mechs will definitely want 2.5 inches, the Battlemaster and Awesome are definitely over 2 inches, and based on the ShimmeringSword patreon the Executioner is slightly taller.

So with that in mind am I likely to regret only having room for 1 2.5 inch tall tray? Am I likely to see an enormous pile of mechs at around Executioner size or larger? Will I regret paying for Battlefoam's Battletech trays in general? Is pluck foam just a better plan? Inquiring minds want to know ;-)

[.RL]

I also have a 432.

I originally bought their BattleTech Hex cut-out trays. I suggest you stay away from those. The feet and arms sometimes go over the hex base, making it difficult to insert them.

I ended up buying the "(Gen) 36 Large Model Foam Tray (BFM)" SKU: BF-BFM-36LM - UPC:  21021964910922

They only come in 1" or 1.5". I emailed them to see if they could make that exact pattern, but 2" thick, and they agreed, no extra charge. Essentially, in the special request/instructions of the order, note that you want them cut in 2", and for safe measure, email the rep you talk to telling him the order number, so that they can relay the message. You could see if they will do 2.5", I never asked them.

Why am I recommending these to you? Density. It has 36 slots per tray. You should be able to fit at-least 4 of these trays with 1 topper for each tray. That's more than an Invader-class JumpShip carrying 3 overlord dropships. Also, 2" thickness will accommodate the majority of 'Mechs. 1 of 10 'Mechs with a size issue is not a problem IMO, it is easy to just cut one foam tray for extra room. Dedicate 1 tray to large units, or however you like to organize your army. Or simply get another tray.

I have run into 'Mechs that are taller than 2", but are sturdy, and I have simply put a topper over them to prevent chipping, and I have not had any issues.
I have also run into 'Mechs which are taller than 2" which I do not want to risk damaging (example: I added antennas). My easy solution, is simply to cut-out some of the foam walls between two slots, and lay it flat instead of upward. You loose some slots, but it works.

I would also look into the "Stacker" boxes they have, to store any additional foam/'mechs you do not plan to take with you.

Here is a pic of the AGoAC 'Mechs, in one of these trays, for reference. The BattleMaster is the tallest of the bunch, and you can see it popping out. The picture is a bit at an angle, if you look at it dead-on, it sticks out maybe 1/4 of an inch. The RA weapon also makes it sit goofy in the slot. This is one, I would possibly remove a wall between slots, to lay it flat. Having said that, I do not have concerns with simply putting a topper over it for this specific mini.

[Scotty]

Somebody please do the needful and give us a "SOON" meme from that Beemer peaking over foam

[rooneg]

I also have a 432.

I originally bought their BattleTech Hex cut-out trays. I suggest you stay away from those. The feet and arms sometimes go over the hex base, making it difficult to insert them.

I ended up buying the "(Gen) 36 Large Model Foam Tray (BFM)" SKU: BF-BFM-36LM - UPC:  21021964910922

That is a fantastic option, it wouldn't even have occurred to me to try asking for taller versions of stuff like that. Thanks!

[.RL]

is anyone else now unable to see the images?

It seems to be happening to all images I have in one specific folder in gmail photos

[rooneg]

is anyone else now unable to see the images?

It seems to be happening to all images I have in one specific folder in gmail photos

Yeah, I was able to see them on my phone earlier but now that I'm on my laptop they don't work anymore.

[.RL]

Yeah, I was able to see them on my phone earlier but now that I'm on my laptop they don't work anymore.

odd... I'll need to figure out what the issue is there. thanks for confirming though.

[Daryk]

They show just fine for me with Edge and Windows 10 on a desktop...

EDIT: Missing letter...

[SteelRaven]

Not showing up on my PC's Fire Fox or my phone's Chrome browser, strange.

[The Wayfarer]

So, like basically everyone else I've gone heavy on the new kickstarter and as a result I'm thinking about storage. I've got a Battlefoam 432 that I'd like to devote to Battletech stuff, but that means ordering foam.

Rooneg,

.RL gave some good advice.  However as a big believer/user of Battlefoam products for BT here are my recommendations.

1.  Some of the smaller miniatures will fit in a 2 inch tall foam tray with 1.5 inch foam cutouts.  Newer sculpts with dynamic poses and meat on their bones won’t.   2 inches is a waste unless you have a bunch of small units and measure carefully. 

2.  For vehicles and infantry 1.5 inch tall is a safe bet.  You maybe be able to get away with 1 inch tall here for infantry only.

3.  For Mechs go 2.5 inches tall.  Sure, there might be a lot of room left if you’re storing a lance of plastic Locusts in there but better to have more room than not enough.

4.  I do have some 1.5 x 1.5 inch cutouts in 2.5 inch foam and they work fine for the older, thinner, less dynamic sculpts but you aren’t fitting a new plastic Thud in it.  My standard on the cut out for squares is 2 inch by 2 inch.  For infantry and vehicles I also recommend a 2x2 cut out.

5.  Don’t buy any of the BT Battlefoam with the small hex sizes....for anything!  They are way to small.  The Large BT hex size trays work great.  For vehicles 1.5 inches tall; for mechs 2.5 inches.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[rooneg]

Hope this helps.

That is indeed super helpful, thanks!

[Insaniac99]

5.  Don’t buy any of the BT Battlefoam with the small hex sizes....for anything!  They are way to small.  The Large BT hex size trays work great.  For vehicles 1.5 inches tall; for mechs 2.5 inches.

I have one of these trays that is 2" tall.  It fits almost all of the Alpha Strike Lance Pack Mechs, and the Inner Sphere Mechs from the current IWM bundle.

You do have to be careful what you use it for, but it works really well when you plan it out like that.

Here's a photo of it loaded with mechs

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bqNaKnBs6SgX6tN6A

[rooneg]

I have one of these trays that is 2" tall.  It fits almost all of the Alpha Strike Lance Pack Mechs, and the Inner Sphere Mechs from the current IWM bundle.

You do have to be careful what you use it for, but it works really well when you plan it out like that.

Here's a photo of it loaded with mechs

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bqNaKnBs6SgX6tN6A

Thanks, that's another useful data point. I don't think I'll be going with the small hexes (due to the modern plastic stuff being considerably bulkier than the Alpha Strike stuff), but it's good to know there are mechs that fit easily into it!

[Insaniac99]

Thanks, that's another useful data point. I don't think I'll be going with the small hexes (due to the modern plastic stuff being considerably bulkier than the Alpha Strike stuff), but it's good to know there are mechs that fit easily into it!

Not a problem.

  The rule to follow for that small hex tray is If the mini is roughly contained within the area of the IWM hex bottom and it 2" or less tall, it will fit in there, On the bottom left, you can see the Jagermech, Orion, and Hunchback fully painted with a base and they slide in perfectly.

Personally I'm in the process of transitioning to magnetic storage, I think it's better for plastics in terms of density of storage and protection.

[.RL]

about these trays though (the hex trays that have 36 slots). these are the ones I am recommending you stay away from, and instead, look into the 36 slot (thin wall) square ones instead.

You will have the same amount of slots per tray, but without the hassle of trying to get a mini in due to the hex shape. the square gives you much more area to fit miniatures into with dynamic poses. I have had the hex ones, and i've cut into them just to fit some of the IWM minis, before buying the square slots I mention.

36 slots vs 36 slots. Same tray dimensions. One gives you more options, the other one can limit you. Just some food for thought.

[Insaniac99]

about these trays though (the hex trays that have 36 slots). these are the ones I am recommending you stay away from, and instead, look into the 36 slot (thin wall) square ones instead.

You will have the same amount of slots per tray, but without the hassle of trying to get a mini in due to the hex shape. the square gives you much more area to fit miniatures into with dynamic poses. I have had the hex ones, and i've cut into them just to fit some of the IWM minis, before buying the square slots I mention.

36 slots vs 36 slots. Same tray dimensions. One gives you more options, the other one can limit you. Just some food for thought.

I'm by no way suggesting the tray I pictured is perfect, merely correcting that it is perfectly usable if you plan it correctly.  The one I showed is 54 slots however, not 32.

the 1/2" version also works vehicles

That said, as I mentioned, I'd advocate magnets if you can afford it.

[.RL]

i'm actually lost on the whole magnet thing you mention. Do you have a link or some information on it? I am curious about it.

I do not disagree that if planned right, they can work. They work fine for me with smaller 'Mechs, and infantry, also some vehicles.

I guess my point is more along the lines of, versatility wise, a square gives more area for other miniature sizes, and a tray of the same size has the same numebr of slots, so it's a win-win situation. 432 packs I guess you can have the large or medium trays, depending on what direction how you wish to stack them. If going vertical (medium trays, 15.5 x 8) that same geometry would be 36 slots.

[Insaniac99]

I do not disagree that if planned right, they can work. They work fine for me with smaller 'Mechs, and infantry, also some vehicles.

I guess my point is more along the lines of, versatility wise, a square gives more area for other miniature sizes, and a tray of the same size has the same numebr of slots, so it's a win-win situation. 432 packs I guess you can have the large or medium trays, depending on what direction how you wish to stack them. If going vertical (medium trays, 15.5 x 8) that same geometry would be 36 slots.

And I wouldn't disagree with anything you said either.  I have the 720 and am unfamiliar with the 432 so there was a little miscommunication on my part.  All around, I think we just helped get more information out there and that's a good thing.

i'm actually lost on the whole magnet thing you mention. Do you have a link or some information on it? I am curious about it.

Sure.  It's really simple and works GREAT with all of the plastic mechs.  Metal ones do require a little extra effort to make sure that you are using strong enough magnets.

All you do is you glue a nice magnet to the mini, then have a good ferrous tray to stick them to.  The super cheap way is to use a steel baking sheet.  The expensive version, that I'm transitioning to, is Battlefoam's Magnarack Sliders that stack multiple trays and you can slide one out.  So you can have your minis on the tray by era, unit, or something else, store them one way (maybe you want to display them for instance) then slide them out and slide them into your bag for travel to the game store or convention.

The advantage of magnets is two-fold First, you don't have anything that rubs the paint like foam and you don't have to worry about the trays breaking down.

Second, and this is the biggest reason for me, you can pack the minis literally shoulder to shoulder and not worry about them sliding or banging into each other (But bear in mind, you need stronger magnets for the metal minis) that lets you pack way more per area than foam does.

  For example, you can fit 11 Battletech minis lengthwise with a small buffer per mini, in the same space the foam in question allows 9 wide. I can then also fit models 8 deep with an 1/8" buffer, compared to the 6 that the smallest foam tray allows.  That's 88 vs 56 mechs in a tray -- about half again as many minis as the foam can store. 

Now the nice thing is, you can use BOTH options at once.  you can put your metal trays in your battlefoam bag, then put foam on top for the things that you don't want to -- or can't for some reason-- magnetize.  This lets you get the super dense rows of minis, and still use the foam you are already used to if you don't trust the magnets on the heavier mechs.

This is a youtube review of the Magnarack Sliders that also shows how he magnetizes his Star Wars Legion stuff if you are a visual person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=KX3Y8GZm_yE

[.RL]

That sounds pretty awesome. I'll look into it more, You did a great job of making me visualize it with words.