Slitherine

What’s the view on using a retractable tape measure
to measure movement in a competition?

Personally I use the metal sticks.

It seems hard to judge if a move is correct when measured
by a retractable tape measure which is held 2-3 inches off the table.

Rich

I am with you (sometime I use my old DBM measure). I have tried the rule but have seen the problems you see. I now only use it when I have to measure part of an MU in wheel.

People can use what they like, as long as they measure properly. If in doubt, you can always check distances, and its a good practice to confirm aspects of your own moves with your opponent, e.g. "these archers are within 6MU but over 5MU from those cavalry". Realistically, other than for big moves such as LH double moving, sticks are much more convenient anyway and it's not much work to cut a set from card or plasticard.

timmy1 wrote:I am with you (sometime I use my old DBM measure). I have tried the rule but have seen the problems you see. I now only use it when I have to measure part of an MU in wheel.

A tape does not help here. Wheels are measured by straight-line distance. Even a partial wheel follows the straight-line measure. A measuring stick marked for base-widths helps make sure you don't creep when you pivot the wheel, but using a tape to measure an arc is incorrect (and screws you out of some move distance).

Spike

Ever since I had a GW tourney player show me how he worked at the rivet hole on the end of his tape measure to allow the tip to move another 1/8 on an inch when he needed it i don't trust tape measures anymore...

stecal wrote:Ever since I had a GW tourney player show me how he worked at the rivet hole on the end of his tape measure to allow the tip to move another 1/8 on an inch when he needed it i don't trust tape measures anymore...

Serious measurement with a tape measure should be from the 1" or 1cm mark anyway. Learned that in shop class in 7th grade...

Peopel that want to cheat/win that much will do so. I could easily make/order a set of measuring stacks taht were slightly too long if I wanted.

I find a 3x5 card and a 4x6 card to be very useful. But then I have a box full of 6", 12" 15" and 18" rulers to boot. The tape measure only comes out when placing terrain.
Someone in our circle has a stick made of magnetic sections. My steel bases do not like that guy.

gozerius wrote:Someone in our circle has a stick made of magnetic sections. My steel bases do not like that guy.

As your LF get dragged within 2 MU.

Yes and then I have to wait for the next maneuver phase to reform.