A movement tray holds a whole unit of miniatures so you move the formation as one piece — no more nudging twenty models one at a time, and no more mid-game drift out of formation. Choosing the right one comes down to three questions: what shape your bases are (square bases rank up, round bases need cutouts), how your game forms units (tight ranks, loose skirmish lines, or mobs), and whether you want magnets to lock models down for transport. This guide walks all three, with the tray types, the sizing math, and the magnetic setup.
Why Use a Movement Tray?
Almost no wargame’s rules require a movement tray (War of the Ring and Runewars, whose units are built on trays, are the exceptions) — but rank-and-file games like Warhammer: The Old World and Oathmark expect units to hold coherent formations, and moving a 20-model block by hand is slow, sloppy and hard on paint jobs. A tray fixes all three at once:
- Speed. One push moves the regiment; turns take minutes less.
- Alignment. Bases sit in a cut frame, so ranks stay straight and the unit’s footprint stays legal — no drift between turns.
- Protection. You handle the tray, not the miniatures, so painted models and delicate parts survive the game (and, with magnets, the trip to the game).
Even round-base games where models move individually — Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, skirmish games — borrow trays for the boring parts: carrying a squad to the table, deploying it, or shuffling a horde of identical troops across open ground.
Movement Tray Types: Which One Fits Your Unit
LITKO laser-cuts every major tray style from 3mm plywood (display trays come in acrylic). Match the style to how your unit fights:
| Tray type | Best for | Shop |
|---|---|---|
| Standard formation tray — a rimmed tray whose interior is cut to your unit’s exact footprint | Ranked blocks of square or rectangular bases — the classic rank-and-file movement tray | Standard kits |
| ROOMY formation tray — the same kit with 3mm of extra space in each direction | Bases with flock, texture or paint built up around the edges, and models that overhang their base | ROOMY kits |
| Base-adapter (sabot) tray — individual cutouts that hold your existing bases | Ranking up an already-based army without rebasing — the Old World returner’s favorite | Specialty trays |
| Lance formation tray — a staggered wedge for cavalry | Knights and heavy cavalry on 30x60mm or 25x50mm bases | Lance trays |
| Rank tray — round-base cutouts packed into straight ranks | Ranking round-based models (20–50mm) as tightly as the geometry allows | Rank trays |
| Skirmish tray — staggered, loosely-spaced cutouts | Skirmish formations and irregular troops that shouldn’t look parade-ground neat | Skirmish trays |
| Horde tray — irregular mob-shaped groups | Swarms and mobs of round-based troops, moved a fistful at a time | Horde trays |
| Coherency tray — line, wedge, squad and flexible shapes with up to 1-inch spacing built in | Keeping a squad legally spaced without measuring every model, every move | Coherency trays |
| Oval squad tray — a compact oval that carries a whole squad | Moving and deploying 3–10 round-based models as one group; support versions mix base sizes for weapon teams | Oval trays |
| Display tray — sleek acrylic, rim-light design | Showing off painted units on the shelf and still moving them as a group | Display trays |
Square-based armies almost always want a formation tray (standard, ROOMY or base-adapter). Round-based armies pick by mood: rank trays for ordered blocks, skirmish trays for loose order, horde trays for mobs, oval and coherency trays for squads.
What Size Movement Tray Do You Need?
Tray sizes are listed as frontage × depth, and the math is just your formation times your base size:
A 5-wide, 4-deep block of 25mm square bases is 125×100mm — so you order the 125x100mm standard formation tray kit. Five ranks of 20mm squares, 5 wide: 100×100mm. A 5×2 of 25x50mm cavalry: 125×100mm.
Two refinements:
- Standard vs ROOMY. The standard kit’s interior is exactly the footprint above — bases rank up tight. If your base edges carry flock, texture paste or paint, or your models overhang, the ROOMY kit adds 3mm of clearance in each direction so nothing chips going in and out.
- Round bases don’t use the formula. Rank, skirmish, horde and oval trays are built per base diameter (20, 25, 30, 32, 40, 50mm and up) and per formation — pick the base size, then the formation, on each listing. Coherency trays come in 25mm-round formations.
Not sure what base size your models are on in the first place? Start at our miniature base sizes guide (or the Warhammer base sizes guide for GW games). And if your unit’s footprint isn’t a stock size — odd regiments, unit fillers, diorama blocks — LITKO BaseMaker cuts a custom-size flat base — a multibase that does a tray’s job — to the millimeter.
Magnetic Movement Trays: Magnet vs Flexible Steel
A magnetic movement tray isn’t a special tray — it’s a standard or ROOMY tray plus a peel-n-stick insert dropped into the interior, paired with the opposite material under your models. The rule that makes the whole system work: always magnet-to-steel, never magnet-to-magnet — two magnet layers fight each other’s alignment, while magnet-on-steel just grips.
| Tray insert | Pairs with (under your models) | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible magnet insert | Steel base bottoms | The everyday setup — plastic miniatures, normal handling |
| Heavy-duty magnet insert | Steel base bottoms | Metal or resin models and rougher transport — a stronger grip than the standard magnet |
| Flexible steel insert | Magnet base bottoms | Armies already magnetized for storage — the steel isn’t magnetic itself, so there’s nothing to misalign |
Each insert is precision-cut to its matching tray interior, and both the standard and ROOMY kits have all three types in matching sizes. Lance trays take flexible-steel and heavy-duty-magnet inserts; base-adapter trays skip inserts by design (the cutouts already hold the bases). Magnets are never required — every tray works dry — but a magnetized regiment can be carried to the table without models sliding or toppling, and the same magnet-and-steel base bottoms double as army storage. The full bottoms-side breakdown lives in our magnets for miniatures guide; browse every insert at magnetics for movement trays.
Movement Trays by Game System
Every game forms units differently, so here’s the shortcut — what your game uses, and where its trays live:
| Game | What its units want | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Warhammer: The Old World | Ranked blocks of square/rectangular bases; base-adapter trays let returning armies skip rebasing | Old World movement trays guide · Old World upgrades |
| Warhammer 40K | Models move individually — players use oval squad trays and coherency trays to carry, deploy and space squads | Oval squad trays · Coherency trays |
| Age of Sigmar | Round bases in loose formations — rank, skirmish and horde trays move big units (4th edition coherency is a tight ½", so closely packed trays are the safe pick) | Rank trays · Horde trays |
| Kings of War | The game measures the unit’s footprint, not single models — many players multibase on one unit base instead of a tray | Unit bases for KoW · KoW base sizes guide |
| War of the Ring | Companies fight from movement trays — LITKO cuts unit trays to the company footprint for round, square and 25x50mm cavalry bases | Trays for War of the Ring |
| Oathmark | Regiments rank up five wide — LITKO’s trays match the 125x50mm footprint the rules recommend (cutouts for 20mm bases; a 25mm-based 5×2 unit is exactly the 125x50mm standard kit) | Trays for Oathmark |
| Lion Rampant | Basing is up to you — the rulebook’s common picks are 25mm rounds or 20mm squares on foot and 25x50mm mounted — with formation trays to match | Trays for Lion Rampant |
| Runewars | 2.5-inch grid trays that proxy the game’s unit trays for round, square and rectangular bases | Proxy unit trays for Runewars |
| Historicals | DBA, Dux Bellorum, ancients and Napoleonics — formation trays sized to your basing convention | Trays for Dux Bellorum · Historical basing guide |
Playing something else? The full catalog is at LITKO movement trays — and since trays are built from base size, any game whose bases you know is covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a movement tray?
A movement tray is a flat, laser-cut tray that holds a whole unit of miniatures so you can move the formation as one piece instead of model by model. It keeps ranks aligned, speeds up turns, and protects painted models because you handle the tray rather than the miniatures.
What size movement tray do I need?
Multiply your formation by your base size: models wide times base width gives the frontage, ranks deep times base depth gives the depth. A 5-wide, 4-deep unit of 25mm square bases needs a 125x100mm tray. LITKO standard formation tray kits are cut to that exact interior; ROOMY kits add 3mm of clearance in each direction for flocked or textured base edges.
Do movement trays work with round bases?
Yes — round bases just use cutout-style trays instead of an open frame. Rank trays pack 20mm to 50mm round bases into straight ranks, skirmish trays hold a looser staggered formation, horde trays group mobs in irregular shapes, and oval squad trays carry 3 to 10 models as one group.
How do magnetic movement trays work?
You drop a peel-n-stick magnet or flexible-steel insert into the tray and put the opposite material under your models — always magnet-to-steel, never magnet-to-magnet, so the models lock down instead of pushing each other out of alignment. A magnet insert pairs with steel base bottoms; a steel insert pairs with magnet base bottoms; the heavy-duty magnet insert adds grip for metal models and transport.
What is the difference between standard and ROOMY movement trays?
The interior. A standard formation tray is cut to your unit's exact footprint, so bases rank up tight. A ROOMY tray adds 3mm of extra space in each direction to fit bases with flock, texture or paint built up around the edges. If your basing is plain, go standard; if it's scenic, go ROOMY.
Does any game require movement trays?
Almost none — for most games a movement tray is an accessory, not a rules requirement. The exceptions are games built around unit trays: War of the Ring's companies and Runewars' units are formed on trays by the rules. Rank-and-file games like Warhammer: The Old World and Oathmark don't require trays but do require coherent formations, and a tray is the practical way to move a ranked block — which is why they're near-universal there.
What are LITKO movement trays made of?
LITKO movement trays are laser-cut from 3mm plywood — not MDF — with acrylic for custom-color display trays. If you're searching for a metal movement tray, the metal is the insert layer: a flexible-steel or magnet insert drops into the tray and pairs with the opposite material under your models.
Can I get a custom movement tray size?
Yes. LITKO BaseMaker cuts a flat base to your exact dimensions — a custom multibase that does the same job as a tray for odd footprints — and custom-color acrylic display trays let you match a tray to your army's paint scheme. If your unit's footprint isn't a stock size, custom is the answer rather than compromising the formation.
Where to Go Next
- All LITKO movement trays — every tray style, insert and size in one place
- Standard Formation Tray Kits — the tray most ranked armies start with, every size on one page
- Magnet & steel inserts — lock your units down for the trip to the table
- Old World movement trays guide — trays, rebasing and base-adapter options for The Old World
- Miniature base sizes guide — find your base size before you size a tray
Formation, skirmish, horde, rank and magnetic trays — laser-cut in Valparaiso, Indiana, sized to your bases.
Shop Movement Trays → Formation Tray KitsLITKO Game Accessories is an independent manufacturer of gaming bases and accessories, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any game publisher. Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer: The Old World, and Age of Sigmar are trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd. War of the Ring is a trademark of Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC, used under license by Games Workshop Ltd. Kings of War is a trademark of Mantic Games. Oathmark, Lion Rampant, and Dux Bellorum are trademarks of Osprey Publishing Ltd. Runewars is a trademark of Fantasy Flight Games. All other game names are trademarks of their respective owners. All marks are used for compatibility identification only; no challenge to their status is intended.
