Wednesday 2 March 2016

Goki Wooden Dice Plate

First up, my camera news. My new Canon camera arrived yesterday and I'm absolutely delighted with it. I'm not quite ready to take photos of my miniatures with it but it shouldn't take me too long to master it. It is similar in many ways to my old Nikon but also different enough to make me feel the need to fully read the instruction manual first. Always a good idea, in my opinion! I fitted a 32Gb memory card to it and I also bought a shutter release cable to use for photos that I take with my tripod. With close up photography anything that helps reduce camera shake is a good thing. I have loaded the software that comes with the camera onto my computer. I have taken a few test shots and its all looking good so far. I'm hoping to have some new photos to show you on Sunday.

So for today this is very much a filler post but it's something I thought might interest you. Last month I ordered this Goki wooden dice plate from Amazon UK. It was, to be honest, more of an impulse buy than something I was particularly looking for. That said, now that I have it, I think it is an essential gaming aid. As you know, I play a lot of board games and skirmish war-games. Normally, I'd just roll my dice on the table or on a blank area of the gaming board. Occasionally, but not very often, the dice would roll off the table, which was always frustrating and annoying. Now, with my dice plate that never happens.
The plate is very solidly made and sturdy. It measures 10" (25.7cm) square and just over 1" (3cm) tall, which is just a nice size for rolling dice. The inner height of the walls is 1" (2.5cm). I have never had an instance of dice "jumping" the walls and I have used dice of different sizes to fully test it. The base is covered in green felt, which helps reduce the noise of the rolling dice. The plate comes with five six-sided dice as shown above.
An alternative to the dice plate is the dice tower. These can come in a wide variety of materials, shapes, sizes and designs. I got a plastic one as a free stretch goal with my Zombicide season 3 Kickstarter. There's another one on the way with my Zombicide: Black Plague Kickstarter expansion set. However, I don't like them. They're just too noisy and dropping dice doesn't feel the same as rolling dice.
The Goki wooden dice plate costs £10.14 on Amazon UK. I very rarely comment on Amazon about the products I buy there but on this occasion I did and I gave it a five star rating. To me, it is an indispensable gaming aid.

30 comments:

  1. Great news that your camera has arrived Bryan, even if you're not yet in the position to take piccies of your excellent minis. I too much prefer rolling dice to using a tower and didn't realise I had one coming with the "Black plague" KS.

    As a complete aside there's an interesting leather dice rolling tray on the current Conan RPG KS I'm following at the moment, complete with Stygian symbols etc. but at £20 I thought it rather steeply priced considering the source books are only £15 each themselves. Didn't know if you'd seen it?

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    1. So many tempting goodies on the kickstarter but their dice tray seems a little on the small side being only 16.5cm square...

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    2. And I'm not sure about the popper edges either Gordon. This dice tray yourself and Bryan recommend is half the price and looks twice as good... and is on its way to me too ;-)

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    3. Thanks, Simon (and Gordon). You will be getting a free dice tower with your Zombicide: Black Plague pledge.

      I was looking at the Conan RPG Kickstarter only recently and as soon as I saw the prices being asked to back it, I knew it wasn't for me. Sure, I like Conan. I used to collect the old Conan comics by Marvel many years ago and loved them. But I simply can't justify paying for a game I only have a passing interest in. The Conan dice tray looks nice but I much prefer my Goki dice plate. It's twice as big and half the price. I don't blame you for going for the plate Gordon and I are using.

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    4. And its arrived... I'm keeping a tally of all this money you're costing me Bryan ;-)

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    5. Yikes! Still, at least you know it's not all one-way traffic. I've bought quite a few products based on your own recommendations.

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  2. I have one of those dice trays...indispensable especially as I play a lot of games with my kids!

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    1. Indispensable is exactly how I'd describe my dice plate. I'm so pleased to hear that you have one as well, Gordon.

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  3. Good news on the camera I am sure you will get used to it very soon.

    I do like the dice tray and can see it being useful as I do tend to roll dice and then have to pick them up from the floor. But that's just me.

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    1. Clint, I'm sure it happens to all of us, no matter how careful we are. I'm busy working my way through my camera instruction manual and I'm almost ready to start shooting again.

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  4. Hi Vampifan. I like your zombie models an wish I had the talent that you and my friend Andy has. Your zombie models are great.

    If I can be cheeky I have started my own blog and posted my first BATREP for ATZ. I have posted a link to it below and would love to know your thoughts.

    http://survivingthezombiez.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Hi and welcome, Damon. Thanks for the kind words. Regarding your own blog, I certainly don't mind you mentioning it and I've already added it to my list of blogs I follow. I will be following your ATZ campaign with keen interest.

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  5. Dude, you cheeky tease I want photos! Get those turtles photographed! ;-P nice dice tray, I think it's something I need to get to avoid damage to my table

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    1. Andy, I now feel duty bound to showcase my TMNT figures first before reviewing any of my other new figures. I'll also show you my old 20mm scale TMNT figures for you to compare both sets.
      I can highly recommend the dice plate. I only wish I'd bought it a lot earlier.

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    2. lol, i'm lying when i say no pressure mate!

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  6. I too have a new camera, it's great fun but hey are so detailed now and somewhat complex. The tray is neat, I think I may try and build one myself. Let's see, keep up the good work.

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    1. I dare say you could make your own dice plate. I'm just too lazy to consider doing it!
      My new camera has functions that I just know I will never use, Bob! Yes, they are complex tools.

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  7. Good to hear there is progress with the new camera :)

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    1. It's all looking good on the photography front, Simon.

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  8. Good news on your new Canon. I have an older EOS Rebel T3 that I haven't totally mastered yet. I have that dice tray, given to me at a convention by two (obviously!)very good friends at the last Bayou Wars. It has become indispensable!

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    1. There's that word "indispensable" again! Thanks, Flashcove. If I can master taking photos of my minis with my camera I;ll be more than happy. Anything else will be a bonus.

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  9. I'm constantly trying to teach kids not to throw dice onto the table where other dice are already present ("yes, there are 3 sixes in that set, but I believe 2 of them were already there and only 1 came from the dice you just rolled"). A device like this might well help with that. I agree that dice towers lack the tactile element and are also too noisy; I've got one myself but I don't really use it.

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    1. Kids cheating at dice rolling, Hugh? Surely not! The dice plate is infinitely better than the dice tower.

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    2. To be fair, I don't think it's intentional cheating so much as just carelessness. Not thinking ahead enough to answer "how will I tell apart the dice I've just rolled from those that are already scattered on the table".

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    3. I understand. I hope I didn't offend you or your kids.

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  10. Great to hear your good news on the camera front Bryan! Looking forward to seeing the new pics.
    I'm far too tight to buy a dice plate, when I have a perfectly good (and free) dice tower from the Rue Morgue kickstarter. Not that I'm using it though.

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    1. I have that dice tower as well, Bob, but I really don't like it.

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  11. A new camera and a dice plate - two great additions that don't add to your lead mountain!

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    1. Cheers, Mathyoo! I never thought of that. How cool!

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