Metal Measuring Sticks for Big Bases and Small

I’ve been playing DBA for years, and all measurement is in multiples of 1 inch. However, many games are moving to base width as a measurement, which for most people are the 40mm wide DBx bases. But I’ve moved to Big Bases including for Big Base DBA. That means I need 2 inch measurements and 80mm measurements. Here is how I solved this problem.

Triumph-313 Measuring sticks in use
Triumph-313 Measuring sticks in use


The solution

My measuring problems were solved by screw together measuring sticks from of Products for Wargamers. I have both brass and aluminium segments so measurements are obvious because of the alternating coloured bands.


Small Bases Width (40mm)

1 inch movement sticks

For my 1″ measuring sticks I got this item: MEAS004 Alternating inch set

They sell extra ends (MEAS016 Brass 1″ End; MEAS019 Aluminium 1″ End) but I didn’t need them. The set is enough

Sticks-80 One inch segments
Sticks-80 One inch segments
Sticks-81 One inch measurement sticks
Sticks-81 One inch measurement sticks

Base width (40mm) movement sticks

I also have sticks with 40mm segments for when I used small 40mm wide bases. Again I got the set: MEAS006 Alternating 40mm Set

Again they sell extra ends (MEAS106 Brass 40mm End; MEAS108 Aluminium 40mm End) but you don’t need them. The set is enough

Sticks-84 40mm segments
Sticks-84 40mm segments
Sticks-85 40mm measuring sticks
Sticks-85 40mm measuring sticks

Big Base Width (80mm)

Now days, post my move to big bases, I use sticks with two segments screwed together for both games based on inches and games based on base widths.

2 inch movement sticks

In DBA version 2 each inch is 100 paces. With my move to Big Base DBA I had to get 2 inches to 100 paces. So I put alternating 2 inch bands of colour, each with two 1″ segments. Where before we might have said “They can move 2 inches”, now we tend to say things like “they can move 2 colours”. It means players don’t have to do maths in their heads. Simple maths

Sticks-83 Two inch measurement sticks
Sticks-83 Two inch measurement sticks

Base width (80mm) movement sticks

For base width of 80mm I use sticks with two 40mm segments screwed together, making 80mm bands of colour.

Sticks-86 80mm measuring sticks
Sticks-86 80mm measuring sticks
Sticks-87 Two inch measuring stick next to 80mm measuring stick
Sticks-87 Two inch measuring stick next to 80mm measuring stick

Half Big Base Width (40mm)

Triumph and my own Tilly’s Very Bad Day use half base widths. For me this is 40mm and the 40mm segments are perfect.

Sticks-26 40mm sticks used for Tillys Very Bad Day
Sticks-26 40mm sticks used for Tillys Very Bad Day
Sticks-01 40mm sticks used for Triumph during Punic Wars
Sticks-01 40mm sticks used for Triumph during Punic Wars
Sticks-02 40mm sticks used for Triumph during Punic Wars
Sticks-02 40mm sticks used for Triumph during Punic Wars

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