Plano boxes are the most satisfying thing in the world when they work. Keep in mind there are also arts and craft variations for bead storage and stuff. They certainly don't work for everything but often do the job a big insert for a fraction of the cost. I personally dislike using plastic bags even though I admit they're more space efficient. I love inserts but they cost an arm and a leg. The Plano is an excellent midway solution for keeping things organized before you decide to hard commit on blinging out the game.
Maybe I just need bigger dice trays because all the ones I've tried have never had high enough walls or enough rolling area for my liking, but then at that point they take up too much space and would rather throw the dice on the table or use a dice cup/tower so there's a small dedicated dice space. -Daniel
The moment you ranked plastic baggies as an S-tier board game accessory was when I knew you guys have a special thing going on here. Y'all are great.
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Sleeves are S tier easy, a cheap way to assure that your cards long ages (I have friends with Magic deck with more than 15 years that look new) also most modern board game have at least 100 cards... for me is a no brainer.
Yeah I have a similar thing going on with some old yugioh cards from my childhood that are still near mint cuz sleeves. With board games though their usage rate doesn't get high enough to see noticeable damage on cards which is why I sleeve games that I play a ton but not everything else. -Daniel
So much effort and cost to make your cards slippery and harder to shuffle. I'd rather just buy a new copy of the game down the road when the cards wear out.
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@@dannyf1168 If you know the cost of vintage magic cards you wont' say that, also hard to shuffle? maybe the sleeves your using are subpar, the good ones are extremely shuffle friendly (i even own a card laminator for games that see a lot of play with my kids, this way even if their hands are dirty this not affect the cards.
"Sleeves are S tier easy" Agree 100%. At least for many games and playgroups. Especially those games that have lots of card use by players. For many games, cards are a weak point in turns of maintaining game quality: * They can become marked (such as a card back with a discoloration), which can ruin required randomness elements. * They can become dirty over time, which can cause cards to stick to surfaces and be harder to shuffle. * Replacement of cards can become a pain in terms of factors including cost, finding out-of-print copies, etc. * Those games that have a collector value appreciation will be worth less if the cards show wear from use. * Sleeved cards can also often send a signal to players to not be reckless with their damage to the game pieces. Something more of a problem with certain players. This can both protect the game AND reduce conflict between the game owner and reckless game players. In terms of which sleeves to use. It depends on the needs of the playgroup and the game. "Penny sleeves" are often available at low prices. And online game communities will often have a list of how many sleeves are needed and at what sizes. This can allow a playgroup to purchase both the game and the sleeves needed and get them at the same time.
can't believe all the hate for dice towers! ensures randomness. You can still feel the dice, blow on them, shake them in your hand, wave them over the dice tower.. then throw them into the tower.
I'm a big fan of tiny sauce/rice bowls you can get at Daiso. They're small, easy to transport and they don't take up space in the box as they're in your cupboard
So, sleeves. Must have. S tier for me. It hurts so much seeing the cards edges get scuffed up unless the game was like $15 or less. For me, I have kids and they tend to have grabby hands. Sticky hands. Drinks. Food. As long as the game has some value I'm sleeving it. Also I want to feel comfortable lending my games to friends who also have kids. Gives me peace of mind knowing my game is protected.
Card holders and dice towers have to be S tier. One of my friends has health problems and their hands can't properly grip the cards/dice, and when they do they sometimes bend them and then feel self-conscious about it. Just the huge accessibility to the hobby that these bring is amazing.
This board clips are a life saver. They are mainly used for large games in which the board is in two (or more) separate pieces. I've been using them for a couple decades and you just throw a couple into the box of the game you need to use them with. They take up almost no space and are dirt cheap.
Haha😅 Thanks for the double shoutout while you guys tripped up! And I agree, dice towers just aren’t the same as when you physically roll. No weight to your action!
I'd never heard of board game clips before watching this. When describes as use for holding multiple boards together it makes sense. Do not own too many of those though, but I have played games when the boards drift apart and it's amazing that they found a fix for it..
I like card holders because I'm always preparing for my next turn so I like to set aside card I want to keep/use. Plus most games have other non-card components like meeples and tokens to move or pass around. Even worse, I'm often the banker/card shuffler. This all necessitates putting my cards down. Without card holders, I'd often have multiple little piles of face-down cards in front of me that I'm constantly checking!
I like Poker Chips a lot more than metal coins. They are so good for Games that usually use paper Money like 1830, Power Grid or even Monopoly, makes paying exact amounts and getting your change super easy. Also its verry easy to see how much money players have. I have the same Plano Box struggle too.
I'm thinking about expanding more into poker chips myself, especially iron clays for Brass Birmingham! They just feel very very solid in the hand, like they're meant to be touched, instead of just some cool looking metal. The plano box having the pieces moving around eh? -Ashton
I got japanese yen for Rising Sun. Unfortunately coins that clink make it harder for you to do blind bidding without constantly being worried about the noise your making.
I've used Plano containers for many different applications and can attest that materials can shift within the container to other sections. If Broken Token is A tier, there's no way that the Plano containers can be higher.
Dice Trays >>> Dice Towers all the way. Rolling the dice is half the fun of using them. If you're gonna have a tower do the work for you then you might as well use a number generator on your phone.
hmm, I would say that using a dice tower is a lot more satisfying than a generator on a phone at least for me. But a dice tray (or just rolling on a corner of the table) is so so fun! Love it, and is one of the things I miss via TTS -Ashton
I'm with Ashton wrt dice towers and cups. Daniel isn't adequately appreciating the actual act of rolling dice. Sure, they sufficiently randomize the roll, but they just don't FEEL good. Daniel is on point with plano boxes. They're S tier.
I dunno dice towers and cups make such satisfying noises and really make me feel like the dice are rolling well while hands feel so default to me. Plus dice towers/cups confine rolling space really efficiently. -Daniel
Lifetime board gamer. Pandemic Star Wars cards were flimsy. First time I bent a card while shuffling. So I broke down and got sleeves. Sold! Love shuffling with sleeves now!
Surprised on the number of dice tower haters in the comments. Dice towers are super entertaining and fun. It's not like you can't still roll your dice on the table... It just adds to the possible experiences you can have rolling dice and is a nice gaming center piece.
I am actually a little surprised too, after all, you roll the dice in your hands, right? It's just entirely subjective at the end of the day, I personally dislike dice towers but think they look super cool! Probably randomize your results better too. -Ashton
I bought my dad a customized dice tower that magnetically locks into its dice tray, can be pulled out for just a velvet dice tray, or dice tray with tower, unfolds and covers the tray for storage or travel. And has a built in DICE DRAWER with etched symbols for each dice type (can hold 8 sets of d4-d20) Was a christmas gift abd he is a 3x a week dnd player/dm
cant say enough nice things about having a recessed board game table. Can leave games set up and cover with the lids. If you have some space and a few power tools you can DIY. plenty of youtube how to's
28:54 ziplocks are pure evil. They slide off when you’re not looking. Seriously I have lost many such bags with games in them. You can’t sort them either. So the games inside end up in some dark forgotten corner of your house.
You know, I haven't been using bowls for years and years of board gaming, and using them is completely changing everything for me. Gotta get some more. Gosh this tier video is just making me want more accessories x) -Ashton
hmm, I think the categorization from that would be: the 3d components you 3d printed out are the accessories? Kind of tricky to say the printer itself is an accessory, and it being able to print anything is kinda cheating compared to the rest of this list :) -Ashton
3D Printer is pretty much SS+ tier and beats everything else hands down, so it would probably be more applicable to judge the various things it ends up printing instead lmao -Daniel
Keep in-mind that also not every dice tower has an integrated dice tray. So you can buy a separate tray and buy a dice tower you like, instead of being confined to whether the dice tower includes a tray or not.
Personally feel like the dice cup is the best. Dice towers feel weird and dice trays take up too much space or are too inefficient. Rather than using trays I feel like the box top works better at that point.
I will fight anyone on this that plano's are still by far the best and fastest way to organize a whole bunch of tiny pieces when it comes to cheap solutions that aren't plastic baggies. -Daniel
The pull-out drawer underneath the gaming chair is just for general storage, not game-play use. If you have a table with rail accessories, you can store them in there. When the table is not in use. I’ve never heard a gamer bemoan additional storage space, so you would use it. Just not during gameplay.
Backpacks for boardgames are really comfy. I use it even for casual travels to my extended family. A lot of stuff will fit in! Clothes, plushies and a favorite blanket for your children for the week with grandma? NO PROBLEM! Up to 7 board games with accessories for the gaming streak withg your friends? NO PROBLEM! S tier! Costly but very usefull! Backpack for boardgames are a godsend.
Loved ashtons game tier list. Excited for round two even if he isn't physically moving every accessory around in the sun room Where do you keep the Cassidy and where do you keep the Duchess?
bahaha still planning to do the physical tier list for next year, actually unbelievably excited to see how my tastes evolve The Cassidy is in Daniel's studio, and the Duchess is inside the sunroom! -Ashton
I'm gonna defend deck holders a bit. They are ideal when playing with a bigger group on a larger table. Instead of passing cards, risking the glance of other players, you can just... pass them the deck. And you're always certain you actually grab the whole deck
I am on the Plano-box-everything crew, diy foamcore tribe and really useful box enthusiast, nothing has beaten that combo. You should see my Gloomhaven setup and scythe big box.
Great review. FYI the plexi sheet may be a niche item for us war gamers. Many of the games have multiple maps that are not hard-mounted. Plexi makes for a flat map that does cause issues with the small 1/2" counters doing a trampoline in the middle of a game. But its usefulness for a game like Brass: Birmingham is low at best.
Dice tower C (bulky, bad roll feel) Dice tray S (not bulky, great roll feel) Player mats A (blinged out play area, organized) Tiny containers A (organized, solid, functional) Zip lock bags C (messy, ratchet) Custome insert C (expensive, usually suboptimal) Sleeves S (better card feel, longevity) Card Holders A (comfy af, 3 hands) Coin upgrade B (tactile, better than cardboard) BG Table B (a table, good but dumby expensive) Laptop dude C (opposite my tastes, eccentric) Hat dude A (more like my tastes, calm)
Regarding sleeves, wouldn't it be great though if we could just see the return of the "parts catalog" or even see board game companies share their card designs with a reputable 3rd party card printer and let us re-order whatever cards we need to replace worn out decks? I grew up in the days of the Avalon Hill parts catalog (playing games like "Advanced Civilization" by AVH which you guys should really track down in its modern form (Western Empires and Eastern Empires)) in which we could order replacement card decks and all variety of components from the games we purchased. I miss this concept dearly even if I never used it much other than to order an expansion for Advanced Civ.
If a die is well balanced and sufficiently rolled, it will be fair no matter the ordering of numbers. But, the weight isn't balanced, one side will tend to point upwards, so if all your low/high numbers are in that area, they will be more likely.
aah thanks for that man! Perhaps the problem my friend told me was that people don't roll the dice enough in hand while rolling spindowns? Cheers! -Ashton
I have a few dice trays that you clip together so it can be flat and easier to store. I mainly got it for Cuphead: The Fast Rolling Dice Game, you’re constantly rolling dice within a time limit to match symbols, and having the dice in a dice tray makes it easier to grab the dice quickly and they stop sooner. I also got the dice trays for it because when we tried playing it without dice trays the dice went everywhere.
aaah that's a good idea! I wonder if having the dice tray notably makes the game easier, since you're saying here that the game is in real time. Cheers! -Ashton
My usual argument against rolling spin-downs is I knew a guy in college who knew how to roll them in a way he would consistently roll above 12, but that's a rare case
Card deck holders are essential for Arkham Horror especially if you are using more than one expansion. I found that plastic business card holders work well. The standard version card trays are very useful for card games such as Canasta, as well as separating and holding draw and discard decks compactly w/o them scattering in the process of play. For 40 years, I've used dice trays, never used a dice cup or tower - interferes with personal "feel" of the dice. Clear vinyl works better than Plexiglas or its equivalent, is far cheaper and can be rolled up, and is far more essential than poker chips/coins or deck sleeves. Coins & chips: At the cost per coin for the D&D/Dwarven/ etc versions, using real money is actually cheaper ( although the silver dollars and gold coins are not at this point.) ALSO, it is critical to remember that GOLD is heavy, 10 coins to the pound, and a standard bullion bar/brick weighs about 25 lbs. (Note as a comparison hand out a bunch of lead fishing weights (which actually weigh less than the equivalent size in Gold.) If the individual "baby food containers are B, Broken Token and its equivalents should be C - they are a LOT more expensive, Plano trays should also be B (if slippage beneath the inserts is a problem, either silicone caulk or hot melt glue would solve that problem. A personal hand relief card holder or player hand holder, can be readily made with strips of wood with a sawn slot, or with u-channel plastic or aluminum strips - also useful for the cardboard characters from Steve Jackson games and others. Taylor kitchen clock timers work really well where timing is necessary; otherwise, cell phone. Condiment cups/bowls also work well as parts containers on the game table.
My goodness that's a lot of nuggets of info! Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Didn't think of deck holders, but can share that I have found that card holders are near mandatory in games where one must hold a hand cards frequently, like Dune Imperium or Takenoko. Will remember taylor kitchen timers! -Ashton
Holding cards for you that you can hold in your hand is often not what those card holders are primarily used for - they hold cards that are public. This way, the cards use less space on the table (since they're standing upright instead of laying down), and have better visibility across the table. Very useful for games like Arkham Horror LCG, Aeon's End or Marvel Champions, where the whole table is filled with cards, and a few of them are barely ever touched.
rather than a dice tower, I use those fake books as a dice tray (rank: A)...and it keeps the dice organized...and can pass it around the table... playmats (B) are best when travelling and playing on bad tables...and yes good for picking up cards... rather than board clips, use a plexiglass cover...and dry erase...but keep one for your home table... no sand timer unless a party game, otherwise use kitchen timers... custom inserts vary, some make setup & teardown quick, some add time in play, but so many make things worse...need a good one...and that's the only qualifier that matters...
As storage for tokens and small pieces I like european (skat) deck boxes the best they are not to big easy to stack and you can use the lid and the container as cups on the table they also come in different hights.
Card holders are a definitive S for me. Adds a mind blowing amount of convenience and increases quality of playing experience. Definitive must for games like terraforming mars. I'd love to invest in a playing table as well, but I can say straight away that the one you guys got in the video has way to small play space for me personally.
cheers, yeah card holders are a definite accessory for some games out there. Never played TM but have seen the insane amount of cards it has so makes sense! -Ashton
I feel that planos are even better than broken token for some games, especially solo games or games with many components like Spirit Island, Robinson Crusoe, Agricola, Viticulture. You can play right out of them so it's a time savings for setup. They are easier to pass around than many individual broken token trays, which can get numerous (thinking about the gloomhaven one). Planos can (generally) be inverted while broken token cannot. Also they're so much cheaper than broken token, like $1-5 vs $30-50. They also weigh less. They also are expansion agnostic, so if a new expansion comes out your broken token or foamcore isn't suddenly invalidated. I only have broken tokens for 7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel, and Terraforming Mars, in general I think the flexibility of planos are what edge them out. I bought a 4 pack of Plano 3600 and have two left over. I'm confident it will fit perfectly for a future game with a 11.5x11.5" ticket to ride sized box will.
I know you covered "Board game chair" but if you added ergonomic office chair (along the likes of Hayworth Fern, Herman Miller Embody or Aeron Gaming chairs) I think in the long run (especially as you get older) you might realize that you need to move that right next to the Board Game table into the S. Tier. Do you guys have a video on influencer gear like lighting and camera setups? I know you left them out of this list but... I think it would be worth covering or direct me to a video you've already done that in. I think WAY too often its the most often overlooked "accessory" across the industry. Forget whether the chair has board game storage, focus on the comfort and functionality(not board game functions) of the chair.
I think sleeves really depend on the game. I found that the skill cards in Battlestar Galactica get shufflesd so many times during a game that they wear out veery quickly, so I have sleeved those cards to protect them from shuffle wear.
If a game doesnt come with a dice tower, I prefer dice trays. Specifically the ones that collapse since you can store them pretty much anywhere. I will admit that a good dice tower looks a lot cooler though
I've never understood the need for a Gloomhaven custom insert. All you need is: 1 alphabetic organ file (for map tiles - kept outside the box) 2 large planos (monsters and room pieces) 1 small plano (for small bits) and optional 2 deck boxes (for current character cards, items etc)
I totally understand it for people who don't use gloomhaven helper, cause most custom inserts have compartments that double as trays to hold the cards and tokens during gameplay. Though obviously with gloomhaven helper you don't need tokens or monster cards lol -Daniel
It's fun to see how much or how little our opinions differ on some components. For me the backpack/bag thingy is easily an F tier as I rarely get any games out of my house that a regular backpack can't fit. The dice tower, while making a cool sound, takes away from the satisfaction of rolling dice yourself, and is a waste of space on my table. Sleeves are SSS tier for me. Unless a game uses some really weird size of cards and is annoying to find, I will sleeve EVERYTHING I can, whether the cards are shuffled or not. I plan to eventually inherit my collection to my kids or something decades form now so I tend to oversleeve and use coin capsules whenever possible.
The issue I have with plano boxes is that certain components (like small flat cardboard pieces) are so hard to pick up! The divider walls are too high for the small area that is given. I ended up giving my plano away to my dad who loves fishing and just bought a folded space insert instead.
yeah exactly! I agree, for games that you play a LOT, probably better to get something custom made if you're willing to fork a bit more cash up -Ashton
The table we're talking from in the video is a little too small for the giant TI4! TI4 barely squeezes into our other gaming table, the duchess, which is 3x5. Hope this helped! -Ashton
I feel like alot of these were based on carrying them or taking them somewhere. I really want to know how the ranking would be if you ranked them from the side of someone that owns a game room or at least host a lot of game nights who doesn't need to take their games and accessories anywhere.
Planos are a B tier for me, I prefer the small baggies in big baggie system. Yes they have great value, where the utility to price ratio is very high similar to component baggies. But the bulky size, fiddly nature of grabbing stuff, and immerdion-breaking aesthetics makes this a niche product. There's a lot of wasted space so they can make things not fit back in the original packaging box. The larger planos tend to have a huge hinge and two huge latches. I do like the look of the box Daniel showcased. But if that goes on the table, the lid is extremely fiddly if you are grabbing components out of the plano during gameplay. And searching for the right piece and digging your fingers into the pocket, sometimes it can be like a tight fit. I'd much rather have a component box that has a detachable lid o r contains some modularity like small removable component bowls. That said, I have help set-up and put away Gloomhaven in three storage solutions: baggies, planos, broken token. Baggies take forever and they get everywhere; There's a lot of added "Pick Up 52" gameplay. Plano is nice and it mainly fits back into the original Gloonhaven box, but the lid is raised a bit. My main gripe is that sometimes you need to Tetris the components to get the lid to close if you stuff too many items in a space. And you definitely need to do your research to optimize which plano to get and how to lay it out for an overall subpar product. I would rather put no thought into it and use game baggies with the hole in them or I would make a custom foam insert which looks good. I haven’t shelled out for a Broken Token insert but boy are those S tier. Lastly is the aesthetics. Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of themeless abstracts, and I store Magic the Gathering in mismatched deckboxes and random cardboard boxes or plastic bins. And some Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion right now is in one of those Costco Brown Bites plastic boxes since it’s on standby and I definitely would appreciate a plano there, but since I do use tackle boxes for fishing, it’s just weird for me to see them at the gaming table. There’s a COMC of someone taking an entire board game collection and minifying it in planos, sometimes putting two or three games in the same plano. That’s cool but I love using original boxes, especially around non-gamers who need a theme to be engaged. Back in high school I PnP’d Coup with high quality prints, but I definitely saw better reception after getting the actual game with a legitimate box. So overall it’s a B because it’s niche. If you have them you should use them but I wouldn’t consider going out to buy them except for arts and crafts, war gaming, HeroScape, DnD, and big box games like Tainted Grail and Gloomhaven.
well said! I've actually had the problem of having to throw away the cardboard inserts of FFG games just to make it work with a plano box, and that felt bad overall. Plus, my fingers are pretty average, and I struggle reaching into boxes to grab tokens on a very regular basis. My 'soft' solution has been to just take everything I need during gameplay out of the planos when starting and lay them out on the table, then put the plano back in the box, that way I don't have to deal with tight plastic mid-game. Also with you on aesthetics being a HUGE deal with a box, the box just draws people in and gives them a more 'official' feel to playing the game. I've been playing two rooms and a boom PNP, and it just didn't immerse me as much. Cheers man, appreciate the share! -Ashton
Poker Chips are far better than metal coins, as more denominations are available, and importantly they stack. For me I would place them as an 'A'. The one accessory that you missed which I would place as a 'S' is a good game buddy..... Ashton perhaps?
Most ppl like to feel the dice and throwing them. I like dice tower. Especially for bad events. Feels more random. Dice cup? Ahhhh no unless playing liars dice.
I would take a Dice Tray every time over a Dice Tower. Rolling Dice is just too much fun and too exciting to "automate" it
Plano boxes are the most satisfying thing in the world when they work. Keep in mind there are also arts and craft variations for bead storage and stuff. They certainly don't work for everything but often do the job a big insert for a fraction of the cost. I personally dislike using plastic bags even though I admit they're more space efficient. I love inserts but they cost an arm and a leg. The Plano is an excellent midway solution for keeping things organized before you decide to hard commit on blinging out the game.
I agree , chucking dice feels so good. With a gaming table it's like your in Vegas playing craps. I love shooting dice to the side of my gaming table.
Maybe I just need bigger dice trays because all the ones I've tried have never had high enough walls or enough rolling area for my liking, but then at that point they take up too much space and would rather throw the dice on the table or use a dice cup/tower so there's a small dedicated dice space.
-Daniel
Agreed, a great Dice Tray is superior - but I never seem to pull when I play
I wouldn't. I prefer a dice tower by a mile.
The moment you ranked plastic baggies as an S-tier board game accessory was when I knew you guys have a special thing going on here. Y'all are great.
Sleeves are S tier easy, a cheap way to assure that your cards long ages (I have friends with Magic deck with more than 15 years that look new) also most modern board game have at least 100 cards... for me is a no brainer.
Yeah I have a similar thing going on with some old yugioh cards from my childhood that are still near mint cuz sleeves. With board games though their usage rate doesn't get high enough to see noticeable damage on cards which is why I sleeve games that I play a ton but not everything else.
-Daniel
So much effort and cost to make your cards slippery and harder to shuffle. I'd rather just buy a new copy of the game down the road when the cards wear out.
@@dannyf1168 If you know the cost of vintage magic cards you wont' say that, also hard to shuffle? maybe the sleeves your using are subpar, the good ones are extremely shuffle friendly (i even own a card laminator for games that see a lot of play with my kids, this way even if their hands are dirty this not affect the cards.
"Sleeves are S tier easy"
Agree 100%. At least for many games and playgroups. Especially those games that have lots of card use by players.
For many games, cards are a weak point in turns of maintaining game quality:
* They can become marked (such as a card back with a discoloration), which can ruin required randomness elements.
* They can become dirty over time, which can cause cards to stick to surfaces and be harder to shuffle.
* Replacement of cards can become a pain in terms of factors including cost, finding out-of-print copies, etc.
* Those games that have a collector value appreciation will be worth less if the cards show wear from use.
* Sleeved cards can also often send a signal to players to not be reckless with their damage to the game pieces. Something more of a problem with certain players. This can both protect the game AND reduce conflict between the game owner and reckless game players.
In terms of which sleeves to use. It depends on the needs of the playgroup and the game.
"Penny sleeves" are often available at low prices. And online game communities will often have a list of how many sleeves are needed and at what sizes. This can allow a playgroup to purchase both the game and the sleeves needed and get them at the same time.
@@kittensmakingcandles "They can become marked", this point actually instantly sold me on the S tier point now that you've mentioned it.
can't believe all the hate for dice towers! ensures randomness. You can still feel the dice, blow on them, shake them in your hand, wave them over the dice tower.. then throw them into the tower.
ahaha I was surprised on the polarization on dice towers too. Just rolling dice seems to be a very finicky thing with people :3 -Ashton
I'm truly baffled by the reluctance to embrace optimized randomness in the form of miniature Rube Goldberg machines
-Daniel
C tier for the game mat :o. It's so nice to use them! To pick stuff up, but also to get more friction for the board.
Only buy inserts for games that you want to set up quickly and the insert facilitates that. There's games I love that don't need an insert.
I'm a big fan of tiny sauce/rice bowls you can get at Daiso. They're small, easy to transport and they don't take up space in the box as they're in your cupboard
never thought of that! Getting that at Daiso next time I go -Ashton
Great suggestion :D
Dice Tower is a solid D mate. Gotta feel the dice, otherwise how are you gonna roll lucky? 🤣
Yeah! Thats why "Dice Tray" > "Dice Tower"
Dice Towers are for situations where you know your friends aren't rolling their dice but "Flipping them" to whatever number they want.
So, sleeves. Must have. S tier for me. It hurts so much seeing the cards edges get scuffed up unless the game was like $15 or less. For me, I have kids and they tend to have grabby hands. Sticky hands. Drinks. Food. As long as the game has some value I'm sleeving it. Also I want to feel comfortable lending my games to friends who also have kids. Gives me peace of mind knowing my game is protected.
Card holders and dice towers have to be S tier. One of my friends has health problems and their hands can't properly grip the cards/dice, and when they do they sometimes bend them and then feel self-conscious about it. Just the huge accessibility to the hobby that these bring is amazing.
I have a ton of games in clear containers, multiple sizes, works so good. Plastic bags suck to dump on a table and refill later
This board clips are a life saver. They are mainly used for large games in which the board is in two (or more) separate pieces. I've been using them for a couple decades and you just throw a couple into the box of the game you need to use them with. They take up almost no space and are dirt cheap.
Haha😅 Thanks for the double shoutout while you guys tripped up!
And I agree, dice towers just aren’t the same as when you physically roll. No weight to your action!
that was the most fun shoutout I've ever done. We gotta do it again hahaha. And yes, down with the dice towers! -Ashton
The card shuffler is useful if you are playing with larger deck sizes. Like cards against humanity. Or maybe uno
I'd never heard of board game clips before watching this. When describes as use for holding multiple boards together it makes sense. Do not own too many of those though, but I have played games when the boards drift apart and it's amazing that they found a fix for it..
I like card holders because I'm always preparing for my next turn so I like to set aside card I want to keep/use. Plus most games have other non-card components like meeples and tokens to move or pass around. Even worse, I'm often the banker/card shuffler. This all necessitates putting my cards down. Without card holders, I'd often have multiple little piles of face-down cards in front of me that I'm constantly checking!
The duo is back filming together!
always a great time :D -Ashton
I like Poker Chips a lot more than metal coins.
They are so good for Games that usually use paper Money like 1830, Power Grid or even Monopoly, makes paying exact amounts and getting your change super easy.
Also its verry easy to see how much money players have.
I have the same Plano Box struggle too.
I'm thinking about expanding more into poker chips myself, especially iron clays for Brass Birmingham! They just feel very very solid in the hand, like they're meant to be touched, instead of just some cool looking metal. The plano box having the pieces moving around eh? -Ashton
I got japanese yen for Rising Sun. Unfortunately coins that clink make it harder for you to do blind bidding without constantly being worried about the noise your making.
Oath: Playmat the game
I've used Plano containers for many different applications and can attest that materials can shift within the container to other sections. If Broken Token is A tier, there's no way that the Plano containers can be higher.
BAHAHA YES! I'm not crazy! -Ashton
Agreed!
Though BT is more expensive by a lot.
Buttt BT is really better.
Dice Trays >>> Dice Towers all the way. Rolling the dice is half the fun of using them. If you're gonna have a tower do the work for you then you might as well use a number generator on your phone.
hmm, I would say that using a dice tower is a lot more satisfying than a generator on a phone at least for me. But a dice tray (or just rolling on a corner of the table) is so so fun! Love it, and is one of the things I miss via TTS -Ashton
I'm with Ashton wrt dice towers and cups. Daniel isn't adequately appreciating the actual act of rolling dice. Sure, they sufficiently randomize the roll, but they just don't FEEL good.
Daniel is on point with plano boxes. They're S tier.
I dunno dice towers and cups make such satisfying noises and really make me feel like the dice are rolling well while hands feel so default to me. Plus dice towers/cups confine rolling space really efficiently.
-Daniel
I love the slightly unhinged energy Daniel brings. Made me laugh so much. And his rankings were completely correct!
Card holders are a blessing when playing with kids! Their hands are small.
Lifetime board gamer. Pandemic Star Wars cards were flimsy. First time I bent a card while shuffling. So I broke down and got sleeves. Sold! Love shuffling with sleeves now!
Surprised on the number of dice tower haters in the comments. Dice towers are super entertaining and fun. It's not like you can't still roll your dice on the table... It just adds to the possible experiences you can have rolling dice and is a nice gaming center piece.
I am actually a little surprised too, after all, you roll the dice in your hands, right? It's just entirely subjective at the end of the day, I personally dislike dice towers but think they look super cool! Probably randomize your results better too. -Ashton
This comment section is just making me wanna buy some ridiculously fancy looking dice tower now lmao
-Daniel
I bought my dad a customized dice tower that magnetically locks into its dice tray, can be pulled out for just a velvet dice tray, or dice tray with tower, unfolds and covers the tray for storage or travel. And has a built in DICE DRAWER with etched symbols for each dice type (can hold 8 sets of d4-d20)
Was a christmas gift abd he is a 3x a week dnd player/dm
@@scolack123 holy smokes that is freaking awesome. A lucky dad! -Ashton
cant say enough nice things about having a recessed board game table. Can leave games set up and cover with the lids. If you have some space and a few power tools you can DIY. plenty of youtube how to's
Truuuuu
-Daniel
28:54 ziplocks are pure evil. They slide off when you’re not looking. Seriously I have lost many such bags with games in them. You can’t sort them either. So the games inside end up in some dark forgotten corner of your house.
40:00 Also dice cups without a lid suck, those with a lid are hard to find.
Cool another tier list vid keep it up guys!!
Also bowls do the job fine when holding small pieces like tokens coins and damage counters
You know, I haven't been using bowls for years and years of board gaming, and using them is completely changing everything for me. Gotta get some more. Gosh this tier video is just making me want more accessories x) -Ashton
@@Shelfside he he yeah bowls are great but the card holders are growing on me... must resist
You didn't add 3D printer. Completely changed how I played board games. Taking flat tokens and printing out a 3d component is a literal game changer.
hmm, I think the categorization from that would be: the 3d components you 3d printed out are the accessories? Kind of tricky to say the printer itself is an accessory, and it being able to print anything is kinda cheating compared to the rest of this list :) -Ashton
3D Printer is pretty much SS+ tier and beats everything else hands down, so it would probably be more applicable to judge the various things it ends up printing instead lmao
-Daniel
Keep in-mind that also not every dice tower has an integrated dice tray. So you can buy a separate tray and buy a dice tower you like, instead of being confined to whether the dice tower includes a tray or not.
Card holders are wonderful for young & old players!
Personally feel like the dice cup is the best. Dice towers feel weird and dice trays take up too much space or are too inefficient. Rather than using trays I feel like the box top works better at that point.
for some reason the Plano argument brought me joy, hehe
I will fight anyone on this that plano's are still by far the best and fastest way to organize a whole bunch of tiny pieces when it comes to cheap solutions that aren't plastic baggies.
-Daniel
Card holders are also great if you play games with anyone with disabilities or arthritic hands. Much more convenient.
Plano Boxes are G for God Tier!
Hot tip. Harbor freight has pretty affordable Plano style box.
The pull-out drawer underneath the gaming chair is just for general storage, not game-play use. If you have a table with rail accessories, you can store them in there. When the table is not in use. I’ve never heard a gamer bemoan additional storage space, so you would use it. Just not during gameplay.
Backpacks for boardgames are really comfy. I use it even for casual travels to my extended family. A lot of stuff will fit in! Clothes, plushies and a favorite blanket for your children for the week with grandma? NO PROBLEM! Up to 7 board games with accessories for the gaming streak withg your friends? NO PROBLEM! S tier! Costly but very usefull! Backpack for boardgames are a godsend.
Loved ashtons game tier list. Excited for round two even if he isn't physically moving every accessory around in the sun room
Where do you keep the Cassidy and where do you keep the Duchess?
bahaha still planning to do the physical tier list for next year, actually unbelievably excited to see how my tastes evolve
The Cassidy is in Daniel's studio, and the Duchess is inside the sunroom! -Ashton
Plexiglass is part of roads and boats, you draw on it to create objects.
holy snap! do they actually just ask you to buy your own plexiglass to play the game? Splotter and their wild things -Ashton
@@Shelfside nope, markers and plexiglass come with the game!
@@Pittigpiertje whoa that's cool! Will have to try that one day :3 -Ashton
I agree with all of your choices and Plastic bags are the best.
I'm gonna defend deck holders a bit. They are ideal when playing with a bigger group on a larger table. Instead of passing cards, risking the glance of other players, you can just... pass them the deck. And you're always certain you actually grab the whole deck
I am on the Plano-box-everything crew, diy foamcore tribe and really useful box enthusiast, nothing has beaten that combo. You should see my Gloomhaven setup and scythe big box.
Ayyyyy hell yea!
-Daniel
Great review. FYI the plexi sheet may be a niche item for us war gamers. Many of the games have multiple maps that are not hard-mounted. Plexi makes for a flat map that does cause issues with the small 1/2" counters doing a trampoline in the middle of a game. But its usefulness for a game like Brass: Birmingham is low at best.
You can store the pots with the lid down... To be able see inside
Have one of those game backpacks and it is fantastic. Pretty comfortable regardless of weight, and I have used it to carry around 15 TTRPG books.
Dice tower C (bulky, bad roll feel)
Dice tray S (not bulky, great roll feel)
Player mats A (blinged out play area, organized)
Tiny containers A (organized, solid, functional)
Zip lock bags C (messy, ratchet)
Custome insert C (expensive, usually suboptimal)
Sleeves S (better card feel, longevity)
Card Holders A (comfy af, 3 hands)
Coin upgrade B (tactile, better than cardboard)
BG Table B (a table, good but dumby expensive)
Laptop dude C (opposite my tastes, eccentric)
Hat dude A (more like my tastes, calm)
The card holders seem like the kind of accessory that would be an absolute life saver if you had your arm in a cast or something like that.
That is super true lmao
-Daniel
Wow! Board clips! Forboards that are stubborn and won’t open enough. I broken boards by trying to straighten them out 😢
I woudnt watch this type of video usually. But I"ll watch anything with Daniel
Regarding sleeves, wouldn't it be great though if we could just see the return of the "parts catalog" or even see board game companies share their card designs with a reputable 3rd party card printer and let us re-order whatever cards we need to replace worn out decks? I grew up in the days of the Avalon Hill parts catalog (playing games like "Advanced Civilization" by AVH which you guys should really track down in its modern form (Western Empires and Eastern Empires)) in which we could order replacement card decks and all variety of components from the games we purchased. I miss this concept dearly even if I never used it much other than to order an expansion for Advanced Civ.
I do love how the spread is actually looks like legitimate mathematical averages.
oh man, that was not intentional x) -Ashton
I will buy broken token/foamcore for all my games if I had the budget for. Set up time alone makes it worth it
Guys, do a review of Inis! I would love to see it :)
If a die is well balanced and sufficiently rolled, it will be fair no matter the ordering of numbers. But, the weight isn't balanced, one side will tend to point upwards, so if all your low/high numbers are in that area, they will be more likely.
aah thanks for that man! Perhaps the problem my friend told me was that people don't roll the dice enough in hand while rolling spindowns? Cheers! -Ashton
I have a few dice trays that you clip together so it can be flat and easier to store. I mainly got it for Cuphead: The Fast Rolling Dice Game, you’re constantly rolling dice within a time limit to match symbols, and having the dice in a dice tray makes it easier to grab the dice quickly and they stop sooner. I also got the dice trays for it because when we tried playing it without dice trays the dice went everywhere.
aaah that's a good idea! I wonder if having the dice tray notably makes the game easier, since you're saying here that the game is in real time. Cheers! -Ashton
Both of you agree on everything. Plano boxes comes up. Flip the table. Lol.
I NEED to know how many other people get that problem of the cardboard bits moving around! AAAHH! -Ashton
Nah, Daniel clearly disagreed with a lot in the beginning but just went along with Ashton for sake of the video.
My usual argument against rolling spin-downs is I knew a guy in college who knew how to roll them in a way he would consistently roll above 12, but that's a rare case
Spin downs tend to favor 1 side of the die because they aren't manufactured as carefully as other dice
Card deck holders are essential for Arkham Horror especially if you are using more than one expansion. I found that plastic business card holders work well. The standard version card trays are very useful for card games such as Canasta, as well as separating and holding draw and discard decks compactly w/o them scattering in the process of play. For 40 years, I've used dice trays, never used a dice cup or tower - interferes with personal "feel" of the dice. Clear vinyl works better than Plexiglas or its equivalent, is far cheaper and can be rolled up, and is far more essential than poker chips/coins or deck sleeves. Coins & chips: At the cost per coin for the D&D/Dwarven/ etc versions, using real money is actually cheaper ( although the silver dollars and gold coins are not at this point.) ALSO, it is critical to remember that GOLD is heavy, 10 coins to the pound, and a standard bullion bar/brick weighs about 25 lbs. (Note as a comparison hand out a bunch of lead fishing weights (which actually weigh less than the equivalent size in Gold.) If the individual "baby food containers are B, Broken Token and its equivalents should be C - they are a LOT more expensive, Plano trays should also be B (if slippage beneath the inserts is a problem, either silicone caulk or hot melt glue would solve that problem. A personal hand relief card holder or player hand holder, can be readily made with strips of wood with a sawn slot, or with u-channel plastic or aluminum strips - also useful for the cardboard characters from Steve Jackson games and others. Taylor kitchen clock timers work really well where timing is necessary; otherwise, cell phone. Condiment cups/bowls also work well as parts containers on the game table.
My goodness that's a lot of nuggets of info! Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Didn't think of deck holders, but can share that I have found that card holders are near mandatory in games where one must hold a hand cards frequently, like Dune Imperium or Takenoko. Will remember taylor kitchen timers! -Ashton
#1) store the trays upside down to see in them easier (as long as lids are good).
Star Trek ascension playmat is nice
Holding cards for you that you can hold in your hand is often not what those card holders are primarily used for - they hold cards that are public.
This way, the cards use less space on the table (since they're standing upright instead of laying down), and have better visibility across the table. Very useful for games like Arkham Horror LCG, Aeon's End or Marvel Champions, where the whole table is filled with cards, and a few of them are barely ever touched.
oh nice! Never even thought of it for that use. I was just stuck in my head with Takenoko/Catan/TTR/Memoir 44 card holders. Thanks for this! -Ashton
Loved this content, pretty original and some great opinions.
thanks! Glad you appreciated it :D -Ashton
rather than a dice tower, I use those fake books as a dice tray (rank: A)...and it keeps the dice organized...and can pass it around the table... playmats (B) are best when travelling and playing on bad tables...and yes good for picking up cards... rather than board clips, use a plexiglass cover...and dry erase...but keep one for your home table... no sand timer unless a party game, otherwise use kitchen timers... custom inserts vary, some make setup & teardown quick, some add time in play, but so many make things worse...need a good one...and that's the only qualifier that matters...
For me playmat is S tier, 3ft x 3ft is great for any board game.
Exactly. Essentially a portable gaming table!
Best overview ever!
I would suggest the deck holder for Arkham Horror: TCG. Get 3-4. 5, 6.
Your voice's so deep like you talk with shisha smoke in your lung
As storage for tokens and small pieces I like european (skat) deck boxes the best they are not to big easy to stack and you can use the lid and the container as cups on the table they also come in different hights.
Card holders are a definitive S for me. Adds a mind blowing amount of convenience and increases quality of playing experience. Definitive must for games like terraforming mars. I'd love to invest in a playing table as well, but I can say straight away that the one you guys got in the video has way to small play space for me personally.
cheers, yeah card holders are a definite accessory for some games out there. Never played TM but have seen the insane amount of cards it has so makes sense! -Ashton
Dice trays are 100% needed - S tier but dice towers are nice but not needed and cost more - C tier
I feel that planos are even better than broken token for some games, especially solo games or games with many components like Spirit Island, Robinson Crusoe, Agricola, Viticulture. You can play right out of them so it's a time savings for setup. They are easier to pass around than many individual broken token trays, which can get numerous (thinking about the gloomhaven one). Planos can (generally) be inverted while broken token cannot. Also they're so much cheaper than broken token, like $1-5 vs $30-50. They also weigh less. They also are expansion agnostic, so if a new expansion comes out your broken token or foamcore isn't suddenly invalidated. I only have broken tokens for 7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel, and Terraforming Mars, in general I think the flexibility of planos are what edge them out. I bought a 4 pack of Plano 3600 and have two left over. I'm confident it will fit perfectly for a future game with a 11.5x11.5" ticket to ride sized box will.
thanks for sharing this! Will be useful for my next organizatoin purchase -Ashton
I know you covered "Board game chair" but if you added ergonomic office chair (along the likes of Hayworth Fern, Herman Miller Embody or Aeron Gaming chairs) I think in the long run (especially as you get older) you might realize that you need to move that right next to the Board Game table into the S. Tier. Do you guys have a video on influencer gear like lighting and camera setups? I know you left them out of this list but... I think it would be worth covering or direct me to a video you've already done that in. I think WAY too often its the most often overlooked "accessory" across the industry. Forget whether the chair has board game storage, focus on the comfort and functionality(not board game functions) of the chair.
You guys missed 3d printers. :) Make your own inserts, dice towers, dice trays, dice cups, containers, card holders, etc, etc, etc ...
ahaha the accessory FOR board game accessories! Our friend has one of those and has 3d printed so many component holders -Ashton
3d printers feels like cheating that's like all the components in one hahaha
-Daniel
The fishing boxes are handy for earrings too.
for sure! Also were good for some painting/mini parts when I was doing WH many years ago -Ashton
I think sleeves really depend on the game. I found that the skill cards in Battlestar Galactica get shufflesd so many times during a game that they wear out veery quickly, so I have sleeved those cards to protect them from shuffle wear.
Yeah i only sleeve the cards that get shuffled a lot from the games that I end up playing a lot
-Daniel
Dice tray + Dice cup. Much easier to pass around than a tower.
Dice trays suck unless you have 2 inches of spare room
If a game doesnt come with a dice tower, I prefer dice trays. Specifically the ones that collapse since you can store them pretty much anywhere. I will admit that a good dice tower looks a lot cooler though
dice tower definitely has that cool 3d element, but dice tray is where its at for me still :) -Ashton
Silicone baking cups are pretty great.
yep, they're also super cost efficient! Cheers for sharing :) -Ashton
i always buy playmats lol. i just like them if they got nice art on them and i like the feel.
I've never understood the need for a Gloomhaven custom insert. All you need is:
1 alphabetic organ file (for map tiles - kept outside the box)
2 large planos (monsters and room pieces)
1 small plano (for small bits)
and optional 2 deck boxes (for current character cards, items etc)
I totally understand it for people who don't use gloomhaven helper, cause most custom inserts have compartments that double as trays to hold the cards and tokens during gameplay.
Though obviously with gloomhaven helper you don't need tokens or monster cards lol
-Daniel
Love plano. I actually got craft containers which are the same thing but omg. Craft stores have the stuff! So many options as far as containers
Literally any plastic container that compartmentalizes its storage is great for board game pieces lmao
-Daniel
I have the fleet stands and they are a must have for TI4
It's fun to see how much or how little our opinions differ on some components. For me the backpack/bag thingy is easily an F tier as I rarely get any games out of my house that a regular backpack can't fit. The dice tower, while making a cool sound, takes away from the satisfaction of rolling dice yourself, and is a waste of space on my table. Sleeves are SSS tier for me. Unless a game uses some really weird size of cards and is annoying to find, I will sleeve EVERYTHING I can, whether the cards are shuffled or not. I plan to eventually inherit my collection to my kids or something decades form now so I tend to oversleeve and use coin capsules whenever possible.
Thanks for sharing! Still have yet to try an actual board game backpack, and have some friends that sleeve everything too :) -Ashton
Playmats are my cocaine.
Ashton just need to buy the 2nd edition of Plano boxes. Mine work great!
The issue I have with plano boxes is that certain components (like small flat cardboard pieces) are so hard to pick up! The divider walls are too high for the small area that is given. I ended up giving my plano away to my dad who loves fishing and just bought a folded space insert instead.
yeah exactly! I agree, for games that you play a LOT, probably better to get something custom made if you're willing to fork a bit more cash up -Ashton
Nailed the tier list, great video guys! Question though-does that table you have fit TI4? based on the dimensions I'd say no but I'm unsure.
The table we're talking from in the video is a little too small for the giant TI4! TI4 barely squeezes into our other gaming table, the duchess, which is 3x5. Hope this helped! -Ashton
33:11 was honestly hilarious 😆
I feel like alot of these were based on carrying them or taking them somewhere. I really want to know how the ranking would be if you ranked them from the side of someone that owns a game room or at least host a lot of game nights who doesn't need to take their games and accessories anywhere.
Planos are a B tier for me, I prefer the small baggies in big baggie system. Yes they have great value, where the utility to price ratio is very high similar to component baggies. But the bulky size, fiddly nature of grabbing stuff, and immerdion-breaking aesthetics makes this a niche product.
There's a lot of wasted space so they can make things not fit back in the original packaging box. The larger planos tend to have a huge hinge and two huge latches. I do like the look of the box Daniel showcased. But if that goes on the table, the lid is extremely fiddly if you are grabbing components out of the plano during gameplay. And searching for the right piece and digging your fingers into the pocket, sometimes it can be like a tight fit. I'd much rather have a component box that has a detachable lid o r contains some modularity like small removable component bowls. That said, I have help set-up and put away Gloomhaven in three storage solutions: baggies, planos, broken token. Baggies take forever and they get everywhere; There's a lot of added "Pick Up 52" gameplay. Plano is nice and it mainly fits back into the original Gloonhaven box, but the lid is raised a bit. My main gripe is that sometimes you need to Tetris the components to get the lid to close if you stuff too many items in a space. And you definitely need to do your research to optimize which plano to get and how to lay it out for an overall subpar product. I would rather put no thought into it and use game baggies with the hole in them or I would make a custom foam insert which looks good. I haven’t shelled out for a Broken Token insert but boy are those S tier. Lastly is the aesthetics. Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of themeless abstracts, and I store Magic the Gathering in mismatched deckboxes and random cardboard boxes or plastic bins. And some Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion right now is in one of those Costco Brown Bites plastic boxes since it’s on standby and I definitely would appreciate a plano there, but since I do use tackle boxes for fishing, it’s just weird for me to see them at the gaming table. There’s a COMC of someone taking an entire board game collection and minifying it in planos, sometimes putting two or three games in the same plano. That’s cool but I love using original boxes, especially around non-gamers who need a theme to be engaged. Back in high school I PnP’d Coup with high quality prints, but I definitely saw better reception after getting the actual game with a legitimate box. So overall it’s a B because it’s niche. If you have them you should use them but I wouldn’t consider going out to buy them except for arts and crafts, war gaming, HeroScape, DnD, and big box games like Tainted Grail and Gloomhaven.
well said! I've actually had the problem of having to throw away the cardboard inserts of FFG games just to make it work with a plano box, and that felt bad overall. Plus, my fingers are pretty average, and I struggle reaching into boxes to grab tokens on a very regular basis. My 'soft' solution has been to just take everything I need during gameplay out of the planos when starting and lay them out on the table, then put the plano back in the box, that way I don't have to deal with tight plastic mid-game.
Also with you on aesthetics being a HUGE deal with a box, the box just draws people in and gives them a more 'official' feel to playing the game. I've been playing two rooms and a boom PNP, and it just didn't immerse me as much. Cheers man, appreciate the share! -Ashton
Poker Chips are far better than metal coins, as more denominations are available, and importantly they stack. For me I would place them as an 'A'.
The one accessory that you missed which I would place as a 'S' is a good game buddy..... Ashton perhaps?
awww thanks man, I may take a bit of room at the table compared to other accessories though X) -Ashton
The plexiglass works best for games with paper maps.
Clear vinyl sheets (Walmart or Fabric Stores) work really well, can be folded and rolled small. in expensive usually, too.
I have many times had components move around in Plano boxes.
thank you for that, take that daniel -Ashton
Nice video topic! You guys make great content
cheers man! Glad you enjoyed it, more stuff coming :D -Ashton
That’s… that’s a long video.
Better grab something to drink and get comfortable!
Most ppl like to feel the dice and throwing them. I like dice tower. Especially for bad events. Feels more random. Dice cup? Ahhhh no unless playing liars dice.
Daniel loves his dice cup, I love to have my hands gripping the dice and feeling them rotate in my palms! Each to their own :D -Ashton