Markers, tokens & card tricks

Markers, tokens & card tricks – keeping an overview in battle

If you have a lot of units on the pitch, you know the problem:

It’s easy to lose track of things.

Especially in systems like BattleTech: Alpha Strike, where every movement counts and several dozen actions happen every round, a good organization system is worth its weight in gold. Markers, tokens and little tricks help to keep the chaos in check – and make the game faster and smoother at the same time.

Markers & tokens – small helpers with a big impact

Markers and tokens serve as a visual memory aid in the tabletop. They show what a unit has done, what status it has or which effects are active.

This saves valuable time in hectic battles – and discussions.

Typical markers indicate:

• Which unit has moved
• Which unit fired
• Whether a unit is hull down or shutdown
• Who is currently the target of a command or special rule

This gives you a visual log on the pitch at all times – without the need for notes.

Markers in Alpha Strike – Order on the battlefield

In Alpha Strike, a few standard tokens have become established over the years. Many players use self-printed or purchased sets, often even color-coordinated with their army.

A few tried and tested examples:

• 🔵 Movement marker (“Moved”, “Run”, “Jump”)
• 🔴 Fire marker (“Fired”, “Overheat”, “No LOS”)
• ⚙️ System markers (ECM active, C3-Link, NARC, TAG)
• ⚫ Status marker (Hull Down, Immobilized, Shutdown)

Tip: Make sure that your markers are flat and do not cover the minis.

3D printing or acrylic tokens with clear symbols work particularly well here.

Movement Dice – keep an eye on movement and modifiers

A particularly useful tool from the Alpha Strike Commander’s Edition are the so-called Movement Dice.

This allows the movement modifier (TMM) of a unit to be displayed directly on the playing field – clearly, unambiguously and without recalculation.

The principle is simple:

• ⚫ Black dice represent units that have not moved.
• ⚪ White dice mark normal movement (1″ or more).
• 🔴 Red dice indicate that the unit has jumped.
• 🟡 Yellow dice are often used for sprints.

The number on the dice directly indicates the resulting TMM (Target Movement Modifier).

Traditionally, a rolled “6” means that the modifier is 0 or the unit is immobile.

Another practical aspect:

As soon as the dice is placed, the move is considered complete – similar to chess, when you let go of the piece. This avoids unclear “corrective moves” and maintains the flow of the game.

At the end of each round, all movement dice are removed from the playing field in the end phase to make room for the next round.

Tip: For movement dice, it is best to use dice that are clearly different in color or size from your normal attack dice to avoid confusion.

Smoke, fire & wrecks – mark destroyed units

A particularly atmospheric and practical trick is to mark destroyed units with some white absorbent cotton before you remove them from the playing field for good.

This allows you to see at a glance where the last heavy hits were made or which position a unit held until the end.

This has several advantages:

• You have a better overview of the battlefield.
• The battle is visually more dynamic and atmospheric.
• It will be easier for you to see where the fight was most intense later when debriefing or photographing the game.

Absorbent cotton is ideal for representing smoke or explosions – it is cheap, light and hardly affects the playing field.

Simply place a small rag on the destroyed model or its base – and your battlefield will look alive.

“Tapping” cards – the simplest trick for a better overview

Another practical trick that has proven itself in everyday Alpha Strike use is tapping the unit cards – both in the movement phase and in the attack phase.

This is how it works:

1. For each unit, you place its Alpha Strike card in front of you.
2. As soon as a unit has completed its movement, turn the card 90 degrees (“Tapping”).
3. After the movement phase, straighten all the cards again – and move on to the attack phase.
4. In the attack phase, repeat the process:
   As soon as a unit has carried out its attack, tap the card again.
   This way, you can immediately see which units have already fired.

This simple method ensures maximum overview in both phases of the game.

The advantages at a glance

• Clarity: You can see at a glance which units have already moved or fired.
• Error reduction: No more double-activated units.
• Smooth gameplay: Ideal for larger battles with many units.
• No additional material: You don’t need any extra markers – just your cards.
• Can be flexibly combined: Perfect in combination with movement dice or special markers.

If you use laminated cards or sleeves, you can also make small notes with erasable markers, e.g. current target priority or movement type.

Uniform systems = smooth games

A few tips to make your marker system even better:

• Use color coding (e.g. blue for movement, red for attack).
• Use symbols instead of text if you regularly play with the same people.
• Plan uniform sizes and keep markers as flat as possible.
• Use double page markers: one page “active”, one “completed” – simply turn it over.

If you play regularly, you will quickly develop a personal system – the important thing is to remain consistent. This saves time and nerves.

Conclusion – less chaos, more fun

Whether markers, tokens, movement dice, absorbent cotton or tapped cards – the

These small tools are the invisible assistants of every good commander.

They keep the game clear, speed up the process and ensure that you can concentrate on what the game is all about: tactics, strategy and having fun.

The tapping of cards in both phases, the movement dice according to the rulebook and the marking of destroyed units with absorbent cotton are simple but extremely effective tricks that you can adopt immediately – without any effort, but with a great effect on overview and atmosphere.

🔧 Bonus tip for hobbyists

If you have access to a 3D printer or cutting plotter, you can easily make your own set of tokens yourself –

with house logos, colors or individual symbols. You can find a variety of tokens for BattleTech Alpha Strike via yeggi