>> Neal - how do you remember which ork stand is from which formation when they are all mixed up in a big close combat etc?
It just doesn't happen that often, especially with the EA rules. I rarely deploy very similar units close together, as I usually prefer to use units with different abilities in support of each other. I rarely do combined assaults with anyone but marines. I would much rather double-move into support range and fire to gain casualties and BMs, then assault with a second unit and support in most cases.
Ork mobs are typically one per assault. They don't have commanders (only warboss - almost no combined assaults), and they are big enough that no one wants to try to suck more than one into an assault because it would be suicidal.
If there are combined SM assaults, it's usually because the Commander with the tacticals is bringing along the assault marines with the chaplain, or something similar (speeders/assault, bikes/speeders, whatever). Rarely do 2 identical formations combine in an assault. If they do it's not that hard to keep up with, and if you were to mess it up, it would make little material change in the actual future use of the formations.
The IG fall somewhere in between SMs and Orks, but again, combined assaults are rarely identical formations even when they do happen.
Eldar have a huge variety of different units and are usually very easy to keep separate.
But even in the old rules it was rare that lots of identical units piled up together. In the rare instance that I deployed identical units close by, I would use one of the handful of different markings. The worst problem I had was in SM with eldar jetbikes that could end up in a dogpile because they were so fast their initial deployment didn't lend itself to spacing them out. But with a 5 detachment windrider host, if you paint one bike detachment a different color and alternate them (bike/vyper/contrast bike/vyper/bike) it's unusual that they get mixed up.
I can understand if you play with a crowded board it could become a problem. Personally, I hate that, though.
And as I said, I do have some small differentiations to use if necessary - small number of contrast jetbikes, a couple formations of marines with squad markings, a warband's worth of bad moons with all yellow, etc.. I've just found that small number to me sufficient.
I think it's cool that you guys dig the unit markings and all that stuff. I just got tired of it being so fiddly and never looked back.
_________________ Neal
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