Army Cases

[Lerra]

Which company makes the best army cases?

GW makes a nice sturdy case, but they are rather small for an army which runs any sort of tank or larger model. I would like to avoid having a separate shoebox for larger models. I travel enough that shoeboxes and the models inside them tend to get destroyed.

I've heard good things about BattleFoam (http://www.battlefoam.com/). Are those cases durable? Do any other companies make army cases which are decent?

Ideally, I'd like to be able to put ~50 infantry models plus 2-3 tanks into one case and get by for under $60.

[Aldramelech]

Toolboxes are your friend!

[Slann]

for under 60 bucks its going to be tough , your going to have to go too target maybe pick up a plastic bin or tackle box than find yourself some foam .

But if your putting a lot of time into your model than battle foam is the way to go they are very sturdy and the custom cut foam keeps everything from shaking around . The medium case would be fine for you ( I ent with the super large one for all my guard ) and if you get new armys just buy the foam for them and swap them with the same case . Its pricey but I put a lot of time in painting my stuff so its worth it in my eyes .

[Aldramelech]

Ahhh the time Ive spent in DIY stores looking for suitable figure carrying soloutions............

[Cryl]

http://www.kaiserrushforth.com/ these guys do some nice stuff, it's not expensive and it's of a high quality. I've had plenty of different cases from different people over the years since rogue trader and these guys have the best quality, best price and certainly the best customer service I've experienced.

and no I don't work for them and have no affiliation with them other than being impressed with what I've had

[Aldramelech]

Those do look good, I might be converted!

[Rusty Nail]

http://www.kaiserrushforth.com/ these guys do some nice stuff, it's not expensive and it's of a high quality. I've had plenty of different cases from different people over the years since rogue trader and these guys have the best quality, best price and certainly the best customer service I've experienced.

and no I don't work for them and have no affiliation with them other than being impressed with what I've had

I can second this - way better than the GW cases which I don't think are that bad - and whilst not what I would call cheap I'd say good value for your money

[CrusherJoe]

When I first started in the hobby I was pointed to Academy (a storts & outdoor equipment store chain) and their firearms department, where you could purchase for something like $10.00 a black high-impact plastic pistol case with three layers of "eggcrate" foam. For someone just starting out it's a great deal, lets you organize your models a -little- and probably carry every mini you'd need for a full day of tournament play.

However...I got tired of it pretty quick, as this really wasn't a transport method designed for carrying around 28mm scale little army men. :)

So I checked around the LGSs and settled on a Sabol Army Transport II case. I greatly prefer the "unzip the entire back panel and pull your tray out all at once" option that means you should never, ever have to have your minis being yanked out of their cases in a relatively vertical path.

Man...when I bought that case I think I swooned. It was awesome. The back-loading option was perfect, exactly what I wanted, and the 3 pockets on the front -- the main pocket that was the same size as the case itself and the two "lesser" pockets held all my dice, rulesbook, codex(es), templates, laser pointer, superglue, etc. I've had that case for approximately a year...

...and there's some pretty serious (in my opinion) design flaws and/or issues.

First off, the "lesser" pockets have velcro tabs on the pocket and the inside of the covering flap. You know what the inside of a Sabol case is made of? Fairly thin Nylon, I think, because both velcro tabs on the covering flaps are haning lose from the Nylon tearing around each tab until only i side out of 4 remains attached.This, as you may guess (or probably know if you're a Sabol case owner) really, REALLY sucks. The next issue isn't really one that can be "addressed" as it's the majority of the case itself. The AT2 case is basically a soft-sided cooler bag (well, maybe cut differently). So, while your models ARE protected, it's not a very "feel good" type of "safe" because every time you wander around with it there's the chance that something's going to smack into those relatively soft walls and do some damage to your precious cargo.

Overall: Sabol isn't cheap (no it's definitely not cheap at ALL I have easily spent over $100.00 on this bag and the foam trays that are loaded in it), and while some of the features are great the overall durability issue is a real cause for concern in my book, especially when pay a high-enough price to get it. However, despite the two "velcro tab hangers" the bag itself is still (at the moment, that is) my primary army case.

But not for long.

I picked up one of Battlefoam's PACK 432 bags at BoLScon. Holy crap, it's like they addressed every issue I have with the Sabol when they made this thing. The material is (what I consider, no idea where it falls on any kind of "standard rating scale") medium-duty canvas that has a very durable feel to it. Between the canvas exterior and the coushined intereior is a hard plastic shell -- so your guys are riding in protected comfort. You can pack a LOT of minis in this case, especially if you're creative in using the ol' pluck-n-pick trays to maximize available space to your particular army build. The ONLY negative thing I have to say about the Battlefoam 432 is the storage pockets are WAY TOO SMALL. The main pockemaybe gives you 1/2 inch of storage (so you're barely going to be able to fit a mini-rulebook, one codex, a few copies of your army list and a template. Which is all well and good and probably sufficient for some folks but I have a small plastic "utility storage" box (you know, the kind that's basically a tray with 3/4" deep compartments and a lid) to keep extra dice, vehicle and unit status markers, objective markers, etc. in and I'm pretty sure that box isn't going to fix in there the way it fits in the Sabol case with everything else that's in there already. The story is pretty much the same with the two "lesser" pockets -- the height and width are perfect, but they have very, very little working "depth", so you can't really load 'em up.

Oh, one more thing: Battlefoam isn't cheap, either. The PACK 432 runs for $80.00 empty, $110.00 loaded with pick-n-pluck and $150.00 with custom foam loadout.

All things considered, both the Sabol and the Battlefoam cases are good products. Yes, the Sabol has the issues with (I guess I have to call them ) construction/durability issues, but that doesn't render the case unusable or anything. Where the Battlefoam pull ahead (IMHO) is in the details: Canvas, not Nylon material, hard shell case and more foam options than you can shake a stick at.

But hey, I'm only one man, and this is only one man's opinion. Good luck!

[TSINI]

if it wasnt for the $60 tag, i would suggest the larger GW cases, i use one of those, by turning the bottom 2 layers into tank/valkyrie housing, and using the top layers for infantry. (although i tend to carry my entire army around with me, so i use a smaller GW case too for all my massed infantry platoons) eventually i'm going to get all of it into 2 Large cases and a small case.

[Slann]

Just one thing with the pre pluck which was my main gripe with the sabol army transport , over time the cubes you want to stay in start to come loose and the sections you made start to lose there shape which causes your models to not fit as snug anymore , that and the soft sides which was an issue when you have 4 guys cramped in a car driving to a tourny .

[Lerra]

Thanks for the great replies.

While I was hoping to get by for cheap, it looks like the best option might be saving up for the PACK 432.

$135 for the pluck foam
$159 for the standard SM kit
$175 for custom foam

Maybe I can convince my FLGS to start carrying BattleFoam so I can save on shipping. $25 for shipping is what makes these things so pricey.

[Marid]

If you're willing to go over $60, Storm cases are pretty awesome.

[Rapture]

If you're willing to go over $60, Storm cases are pretty awesome.

From http://www.stormcase.com/? Those cases look like cost might be a serious obstacle. I have been in the market for a case for a while now. I am unsure about the gradual loosening of pluck foam but don't see the appeal of custom cut foam.

[Watching Paint Dry]

I'm still trying to find the optimal case, but here's what my budget solution has been for my ork horde:

Magnets + greenstuff + cookie tins

Total cost, less than $0.10 per model (8mm x 1mm magnets, $5.96 for 100 from dealextreme.com, free shipping http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13518)

Bigger guys get more magnets. I'm currently working out how this will translate over to my new Fantasy O&G army.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hueeFnKmgMo/Sozicw3bo_I/AAAAAAAAEzc/Xfd4XOc3-80/s400/DSCN0176.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hueeFnKmgMo/SozoWHgQjmI/AAAAAAAAEz8/5aeMIfqx1TQ/s400/DSCN0177.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hueeFnKmgMo/Soz6blM4e-I/AAAAAAAAE0U/utWiudKEEiE/s400/DSCN0179.JPG

[Brass Scorpion]

My answer to what is best would be to use the "right tool for the job". Different cases provide different advantages and disadvantages:

1) Sabol Army Transports: for the versatility and high capacity
2) Games Workshop Army Cases: large capacity and high durability.
3) Plano 1404 (available at WalMart and sporting goods stores in the USA): It's dirt cheap $9-$11 at WalMart, $20 and Dick's, and harder than an Army Transport as it's made of a durable plastic, but not quite as tough as a GW figure case. It's the size of a normal GW figure case and with a customizable layer of foam inside it's great for carrying a few large models. I removed the center layer of foam in one and carry two Baneblades in it, in another I carry two Brass Scorpions. Another carries five Imperial Guard tanks.

I use a combination of all of these.

[Maine]

Thanks for the great replies.

While I was hoping to get by for cheap, it looks like the best option might be saving up for the PACK 432.

$135 for the pluck foam
$159 for the standard SM kit
$175 for custom foam

Maybe I can convince my FLGS to start carrying BattleFoam so I can save on shipping. $25 for shipping is what makes these things so pricey.

Originally I also thought BattleFoam to be too expensive, but its only a little bit more than twice the price of Sabol trays, yet they're nearly twice the size, and the pre-cut trays will hold more than two Sabol trays could.

It's worth noting that the custom and pre-cut trays will pack things in more densely than the pluckables will, because you don't need full 1/2" thick worth of foam between the slots (the size of the pluckables columns).

Second, custom and pre-cut trays adhere to the entire surface of the backing board, while the pluckables only adhere around the outsides.

Finally, the pluckables will tear apart from each other over time.

My advice - pre-cut (custom or standard trays) as much as you can. More bang for your buck.

[RogueGarou]

I do like what I have seen with the BattleFoam but I have not had the extra scratch to pick any up yet. I do not like the BattleFoam pre-cuts, though. Many of my minis are customized and don't exactly fit a lot of the cookie cutter patterns I got to demo. A friend tried out the Reaper foam and was happy with it. They cost less but they are smaller than Sabol trays. However, I almost always have a bit of wasted space in my Sabol trays so it isn't a big deal.

Here is my solution and I have been very happy with it so far. I have a bunch of Sabol foam trays. I go to Wal-Mart (or wherever is running a sale) and buy a truck locker. It is basically a big trunk made of plastic with a hinged lid. My foam trays sit in there at about five wide and five tall. The cases usually run under $20 USD. The cases fit in my commuter car, a Chevy Cavalier, in the back seat and some will fit in the trunk. There is, of couse, no problem fitting in my mini-van or truck. There is a little bit of extra space around the trays but it turns out to be about perfect for a rulebook, dice, tapes, Codicii, army lists, and odds and ends like a tube of glue or a snack bar. I can carry everything I need for a day of gaming in one case except soda/water.

All of my close friends found the Crystal Caste carriers a couple of years back and loved them so they all bought one. I don't care for them too much but they are efficient and protect the minis very well. The trays are not very rigid and are quite long and narrow; I think it is four rows of infantry minis and something like 25 minis long. Since it is basically a small foot locker with wheels and a handle, though, you have to open the top and remove the trays from above to get the one you want. The last time I looked at their site, they were no longer making cases, though.

One thing that has dictated my personal layout is the manufacture of the Sabol trays. In looking at different products I have NOT seen this problem with the GW or Crystal Caste foams or the limited number of BattleFoam trays I have seen. I have not seen their new pluck foam trays, though. I have seen it to a limited degree with the Reaper foam trays my buddy recently picked up. This problem has been present in every Sabol tray I have and every tray I have personally seen though sometimes it is more or less pronounced. It is the GLUE adhering the firmer bottom to the pluck foam. Either the glue does not adhere properly and the pluck foam comes loose in places, I had one tray where the bottom was not even stuck to the top when the plastic wrap came off, or the glue is so strong or thickly applied that it causes problems. Sometimes the foam tears and leaves chucks stuck to the bottom plate. Sometimes the glue sticks my model to the bottom plate. My first tray did this and actually pulled the pain off a mini. That was my fault for not having it coated but I never thought about that being an issue. I also had an arm and a backpack come off because it stuck to the tray bottom.

After that, I placed all of my minis in the foam standing up. I have only had one base come off, a Slotta base, so it wasn't like the glue sticks THAT badly. But losing an arm and having to touch up a paint job because of the glue still bothers me about the Sabol foams. I have not needed to buy any trays for two years but I will soon need to put my Daemons army into a case and I am really thinking about the BattleFoam trays. If the quality turns out to be as good as their press then they are worth the extra bucks.

One thing I forgot to mention about those truck lockers. They work quite well as a tabletop or a foot rest or even as a seat for kids. I took my then four year old daughter with me for a day of gaming and we used the locker as a table for lunch and then as a place for her to grab a nap.