What is BattleScribe?

BattleScribe is a fast and powerful Army List Creator for tabletop wargamers. It allows you to quickly and easily create army lists for a large range of game systems and armies. Your points limit and army selections are validated so you can see if you've made any mistakes, and the easy to read output will summarise your units' profiles and special rules for quick reference.

BattleScribe works on iOS and Android phones/tablets, as well as Windows, Mac and Linux computers. All you need are the data files for the game system and army you want to make a list for. Many data files are created and maintained by the community - you can find some by searching the internet. Alternatively you can make your own with the easy to use editors that come with the desktop version.

Free Features

• Quickly and easily work out your army list
  BattleScribe works out your points totals and tells you if your list is valid. If there are problems, it highlights the unit in error and tells you what's wrong. All you need is the data files for your game and army.
• Outputs army lists for printing or the web
  Army lists include profiles and rules (if the data file contains them). Layout options let you choose what's printed and how it's layed out. Copy the result as text, HTML or print it out.
• Synchronise with Dropbox
  Link to Dropbox and your rosters and data files are synchronised between your computers and mobile devices. Never forget your army list at home again!
• Easy to share data files
  BattleScribe can automatically download and update it's data files from on-line "repositories" - all you need is the repository's URL. Repositories can be easily created with the included tools.
• Easy to create data files
  Easy to use editors are included to allow you to create or edit your data files - no programming required. It's simple to fix errors you might find in data files.

Supporter Features

• Remove advertising
  Gets rid of the advertising banners shown on the application.
• Save units as favourites
  Save your most used units and re-select them quickly in future rosters. Your favourites are synchronised between your computers and devices if you're using Dropbox.
• Customise unit names and descriptions
  Record the names, background and battle honours of your units.
• QuickView rosters
  Quickly open roster for viewing without loading all the data.
• Extra dice statistics tool
  Adds a tool to calculate dice probability for complex series of dice rolls.
• Affiliates button removed
  Removes the affiliates button from the toolbar on the desktop version.
• Feel good!
  Get a warm fuzzy feeling for supporting your friendly BattleScribe developer!
• More to come...

Mobile

PC / Mac

Legacy Downloads

These versions no longer supported. However you can download them here if you need to.

Get Started

To be able to create army lists, you'll need to get data for the games you want to create lists for. The BattleScribe data community creates and maintains data for a wide range of game systems. If you find any data problems, let them know via the site you got your data from.

Basic Troubleshooting

If you're having trouble with BattleScribe, the first thing you should do is run though the following basic troubleshooting steps.

What you should do:

1. Make sure you are using the latest version of BattleScribe. New versions are released often with bug fixes and improvements - make sure you stay up to date.
2. Make sure you update your data to get the new data files and fixes. You can check the box to delete your existing data first to ensure you end up with a clean set of data files.
3. Check the list of FAQs for solutions to common problems and error messages. There is probably an answer to your problem already.

I'm still having trouble!

If you're sure that you have the app and data up to date, and none of the FAQs answer your question you can:

• Ask a question on Reddit
• Report a bug

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Common Problems:

Account / Supporter Pass Problems:

Error Messages:

BattleScribe 2.0:

Data Editor:

An entry is inaccurate or I am getting an incorrect roster error!

These are problems with the data files you are using. We cannot do anything to fix these kinds of problem.

Please remember that BattleScribe does not create or maintain data files. Instead, all data is made by an awesome community of data authors. If there is a problem with a data file, you will need to notify the author of the file about the issue so they can fix it.

What you should do first:

• Make sure you are using the latest version of BattleScribe.
• Make sure you update your data to get the latest data file updates and fixes.
• If it's still a problem, you should report the issue to the author of the data file so they can fix it as described below.

Reporting a data bug on mobile:

1. Go to Manage Data by tapping the icon on the navigation bar.
   
2. Tap the menu button next to the data repository in question then tap Report bug in the menu.
   

Reporting a data bug on desktop:

1. Go to Manage Data by clicking the button on the toolbar.
   
2. Click the menu button next to the data repository in question then click Report bug in the menu.
   

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Where can I find data and how do I load it into BattleScribe?

See the Getting Started guide for step-by-step instructions on how to find and load data into BattleScribe.

Please remember that BattleScribe does not create or maintain data files. Instead, all data is made by an awesome community of data authors. If there is a problem with a data file, you will need to notify the author of the file about the issue so they can fix it.

You can find data files on the Internet by searching Google for "BattleScribe data files".

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How do I update to the latest data?

You should refresh your data regularly to get new data files and the latest fixes from the data authors.

If you are having trouble with your data, you can choose to delete your exsting data before updating. This will make sure you end up with a clean set of files.

On mobile:

1. Go to Manage Data by tapping the icon on the navigation bar.
   
2. Tap the refresh icon on the navigation bar to update your data.
   
3. When prompted, tick the box if you want to delete your existing data first, then tap OK.
   
4. Wait for the updated data to download.

On desktop:

1. Go to Manage Data by clicking the button on the toolbar.
   
2. Click the Update Data button to refresh your data.
   
3. When prompted, tick the box if you want to delete your existing data first, then click OK.
   
4. Wait for the updated data to download.

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How do I report a bug?

Before you report a bug...

Please make sure you have gone through the basic troubleshooting steps.

Is this a problem with your account or supporter pass?

Please make sure you follow the account troubleshooting steps.

If you are unable to download data

This is likely a temporary problem with the data website. Please be patient and try again later.

If you have a general question about how to use the app

Please ask any questions on the BattleScribe Reddit.

Are you reporting a problem with the data?

• Incorrect roster errors?
• Incorrect points value?
• Unit, model or upgrade missing?
• Missing rules or profiles?

If there is a problem with a data file, you will need to notify the author of the file about the issue so they can fix it. Please remember that BattleScribe does not create or maintain data files. Instead, all data is made by an awesome community of data authors.

Is this a problem with BattleScribe itself?

If BattleScribe is crashing or is not working as expected, you can report a bug.

Make sure you answer the following questions:

1. What version of the app are you using?
2. What device are you using it on?
3. What version of iOS, Android, Windows or macOS do you have?
4. Do you see an error message? What exactly does it say?
5. What game system and army are you are having a problem with?
6. Where did you get your data from?
7. What are the exact steps you go through to make the error happen?
8. Be descriptive! One-line error reports are not enough and will likely be rejected.

Go to Reddit to ask a question or report a problem.

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I have a problem with my supporter pass!

The first thing to do is make sure you are signed in with the right Google account and refresh your supporter passes to make sure they are properly synced with your device. Your passes are associated with a specific Google account.

Please remember that supporter passes are separate for each platform (Android, iOS and desktop).

On mobile:

1. Go to your account by tapping the icon on the navigation bar.
   
2. Tap the Sign In button to log in. When prompted, Make sure you choose the Google account you purchased your pass with.
   
3. Once signed in, you will see your account details:
   1) The Google account you are signed in with.
   2) The supporter pass(es) your account has and when they expire.
   3) Tap the Refresh button to make sure your pass(es) are properly synced with your device.
   4) If you get an error when refreshing your passes, try signing out and back in, then refresh your passes again.
   

On desktop

1. Go to your account by clicking the button on the toolbar.
   
2. Click the Sign In button to log in. Your web browser will appear. When prompted, Make sure you choose the Google account you purchased your pass with.
   
3. Once signed in, you will see your account details:
   1) The Google account you are signed in with.
   2) The supporter pass(es) your account has and when they expire.
   3) Click the Refresh button to make sure your pass(es) are properly synced with your device.
   4) If you get an error when refreshing your passes, try signing out and back in, then refresh your passes again.
   

I don't see my pass(es)!

Make sure your purchase completed properly and that you were charged. If so, email support@battlescribe.net and provide:

1. The email address of the Google account you purchased using.
2. Proof of purchase (an iTunes, Google Play or Stripe receipt).

We'll investigate and get things sorted out for you.

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I get the error "Some selections have been removed from your roster..." when opening a roster!

This message happens when the data file you made your roster with has been changed since you created the roster. The data file was probably updated by the author to fix bugs or add new features.

All selections in your roster must link back to items in the data file. If an item in the data file has been removed, then it must also be removed from your roster.

When this happens you will need re-select the items in your roster that were removed.

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I get the error "There were some problems with your data files..." when I try to create or open a roster!

This means that BattleScribe has detected some problems with your data files. Your data is probably old or broken in some way. You can continue to make or open a roster, but you may run into strange behaviour or crashes.

Please remember that BattleScribe does not create or maintain data files. Instead, all data is made by an awesome community of data authors. If there is a problem with a data file, you will need to notify the author of the file about the issue so they can fix it.

• Make sure you are using the latest version of BattleScribe.
• Make sure you update your data to get the latest data file updates and fixes.
• Contact the author of the data file to let them know about the problem so they can fix it. Try the website you got your data from.
• You may have old or obsolete data files. Consider deleting your data and re-downloading it fresh.

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I get the error "More than one file found with the same ID" and I can't create a roster!

This is a problem caused by duplicate data files. The best thing to do is to delete and re-download your data files.

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BattleScribe gets stuck "Preparing Data" or "Loading Roster" when I start it up or try to load a roster!

When BattleScribe has a major update (e.g. version 1.15.xx to version 2.00.xx), it normally indicates that the format of the data or roster files has changed. When this happens, any old data or roster files you have will need to be upgraded to the new file format so they continue to work. BattleScribe needs to load each file and make changes to it to bring it up to the new file format.

This can take some time, depending on how much data you have, how many rosters you have and whether you have an older or slower device. BattleScribe only needs to upgrade each file once.

What you can do:

• Try just giving it some time. Be patient! Slower devices can take a few minutes to upgrade all the data.
• Make sure you are using the latest version of BattleScribe.
• This might be a good opportunity to delete your data and re-download it. Less data means it will be quicker to update, and it is likely that you have old, broken or obsolete data files that you don't want any more.

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Why have you changed the way BattleScribe is purchased?

Some quick points

• You can continue to use version 1.15 if you wish - it won't be taken away.
• BattleScribe 2.0 can still be used for free, supported by ads. Purchasing a Supporter Pass is optional.
• If you purchased the old BattleScribe Pro, you will be looked after.

The road to 2.0

I started making BattleScribe in 2010 as a hobby project in my spare time alongside my job. Now, I am lucky enough that BattleScribe has grown such that I am able to work on it as my full time job. It pays for my mortgage, my bills and my food. I am just one guy, working hard to provide you all with the best possible product that I can.

Over the years, BattleScribe has come on in leaps and bounds. Every major update since version 1.00 has brought improvements and overhauls to various systems, inside and out, expanding it's ability to support new games and allowing it to handle the growing complexity of existing ones. After many updates to the app and data format, BattleScribe 1.15 was so different from BattleScribe 1.00 that they were already entirely different apps.

The wargaming landscape has exploded in complexity in recent years, with many more games becoming popular, and existing games greatly expanding the options available when creating lists. Developing software such as BattleScribe takes ongoing, daily work to in order to keep up with this constantly evolving wargaming landscape.

BattleScribe 1.15 had reached the limits of what it was capable of doing without major rework. The core assumptions and decisions made when the app was originally started no longer hold true. The data authors were having an increasingly difficult time trying to represent the expanding complexity in the data files. In order to continue developing and evolving BattleScribe in future, the very foundations of how the app worked needed to be re-designed. This had been a long time coming.

And so BattleScribe 2.0 was born. It is no mere incremental update. It is a complete re-write of the app, from the ground up, which aims to future-proof BattleScribe for years to come. All major systems have been rebuilt, there are new data editing tools and the data format has been overhauled to support a much wider array of games and improve the lives of data authors. Needless to say, this has been a major effort and has taken over 18 months of development.

Pricing

Selling an app for a single price and then providing unlimited updates forever just isn't sustainable, particularly for a small "one man show" like mine. This is especially true given that BattleScribe is updated and improved constantly, and requires ongoing work to keep it up to date with the wargaming scene.

Given the huge amount of time and effort it has taken to develop BattleScribe 2.0, it was the right time to finally release it as a new app at a new price. There is no doubt that this is a business decision, and one I have needed to make for some time. BattleScribe 2.0 has provided the opportunity and justification to go through with that decision.

Of course, the simple solution would be to release BattleScribe 2.0 as a new full-price app. But this comes with problems. People who had only recently bought the old Pro version would rightly be annoyed. Some would be concerned - correctly - that if they bought the new version of the app, it would become obsolete at some point in the future as 1.15 had before it. Other more cynical people would sling abuse and cry foul, which isn't nice to endure. Clearly, transitioning to a new app was always going to cause friction.

Releasing BattleScribe 2.0 as a new full-price app sets the precedent that future major versions (3.0, 4.0 etc) would also be sold as new full-price apps - and we would need to go through the pain of transitioning to the new app every time. This is not something I want to put you (or myself) through again in future.

The solution then, is the new Supporter Pass system. Instead of releasing new full-price apps every few years, the idea is to charge a much smaller fee on a yearly basis - less that 50% the price the old app was sold for - and continue to develop BattleScribe "in place". Buying a pass unlocks the Supporter features for a year, with no risk that the app will be replaced in future and become obsolete, thus invalidating your purchase. You know exactly what you're getting for your money, with no uncertainty.

For those of you who bought BattleScribe Pro in the past, I have provided a reasonable way to upgrade to 2.0, which I hope will go some way to ensuring you are not left out in the cold.

For BattleScribe as a business, it means my income is sustainable and predictable and I can continue to work on it for years to come. A small yearly fee more accurately reflects the ongoing work and development it takes to keep BattleScribe up to date.

And none of us have to go through the painful transition to another "new" app ever again.

This is a money grab!

I'm sorry if you feel this way, though I do think it's a rather cynical outlook.

While I have made mistakes in the past, with various bugs and issues plaguing the app in the the early days, I have only ever been open and honest about what I am doing and why. I have never done anything dishonest or deceitful that should make you sceptical of my motives, and in keeping with that I have laid out above exactly how and why BattleScribe 2.0 is priced the way it is.

Yes, ultimately it is a business decision, and one aimed at making sure BattleScribe can continue as a business in a sustainable way. But there is no shame in asking to be paid for the work that you do.

I understand that this new pricing model will not suit everyone, and that's fine. If you want to continue using BattleScribe 1.15, you can. If you want to use BattleScribe 2.0 for free, you can. If you feel BattleScribe brings you enough value that you want to throw a couple of bucks into the tip jar each year, then thank you!

I could make comparisons to the price of a cup of coffee, or the cost of a single miniature, but ultimately the value judgement is yours to make.

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I already bought BattleScribe Pro! Do I have to pay again?

I bought a licence key for Windows, Mac or Linux

These keys were purchased under the terms of the BattleScribe store, which gave you access to BattleScribe on desktop for life. You can redeem your old key on the new BattleScribe store to get a lifetime Supporter Pass. Well, 1000 years, but who's counting?

I bought BattleScribe Pro on my mobile device

BattleScribe 2.0 is a new app in the app stores, and you can unlock the "Pro" features by purchasing a Supporter Pass in the app. If you bought the old Pro version, your first year pass can be purchased for a discounted price of $0.99. To get the discount, make sure you still have the old BattleScribe Pro installed and up to date so the new version can verify that you own it.

I only recently bought BattleScribe Pro!

This is unfortunate and I'm sorry if you were caught out. I announced the change in purchasing several months before it happened, however it is impossible to reach everyone - no matter how hard you try. I have done my best to look after you though!

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Can I still use BattleScribe 1.15.x?

Yes! You can download the old version on the downloads page under "Legacy Downloads" at the bottom. Bear in mind the mobile versions will only be available if you installed them in the past.

I will no longer be providing updates to the old version of BattleScribe, however it will continue to work as normal for the foreseeable future. Feel free to use it if you prefer.

Where can I get BattleScribe 1.15.x data?

Remember that BattleScribe does not create or maintain data files for legal reasons. Instead, all data is made by an awesome community of data authors.

It is up to the data authors to decide whether they create data in 1.15.x format or move to 2.0 format.

Data created for BattleScribe 2.0 is not compatible with older versions of the app. You will need to find data made for 1.15.x or below. Many of the data authors have moved their data to the new 2.0 format to take advantage of the new features and improved data editing tools. You should not use BattleScribe 2.0 data or repositories in BattleScribe 1.15.x - It will not work.

If you have accidentally imported BattleScribe 2.0 format data into BattleScribe 1.15.x, you should delete it and replace it with 1.15.x format data.

Some of the data authors have decided to archive their old 1.15.x data on their GitHub page - often under "Readme". If you wish to use this data you will need to browse GitHub to find it. If the authors of the data you want have not made their old data available, you should raise an issue with them on GitHub and ask them to do so. Otherwise, you will need to search elsewhere for 1.15.x data, or ask friends and community members to share theirs.

Can I get updated BattleScribe 1.15.x data?

It is up to the data authors if they want to continue supporting BattleScribe 1.15.x data or not. It is likely that most will move to 2.0.

Remember that the desktop version of BattleScribe comes with the tools to create and edit data files so you can continue to update your own data as you see fit. Feel free to share that data however you like.

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All my categories and profile types have gone missing!

This means that the game system data file is very old, is broken, or has not been edited in a long time. BattleScribe 1.15.xx no longer supports legacy data files, but there is a way for data file authors to fix this.

My data was made by someone else and I downloaded it from the Internet

• Contact the data file author to let them know about the problem. Direct them to this FAQ page to let them know how to fix it. You can try contacting them through the website you originally got the data from.
• This might be a good opportunity to switch to some newer data. The data you're using might be old, broken or no longer actively maintained.
• You can try fixing the data yourself as described below.

I created the data, how do I fix it?

1. Download BattleScribe version 1.14.07b.
2. Use this version to open the broken game system file in the editor and increment the revision number.
3. Save the game system file.
4. Repeat the above steps for any catalogue files that still cause problems.
5. If you are hosting the data as a repository on the Internet, update your repository.

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• You only need to pay for the platform(s) you use.
• Remember to sign in on the BattleScribe app(s) to access any passes you purchase.

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