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New 30-Compartment Low Tray – Designed for Small Counters & 18xx Tiles
We are happy to introduce a new tray type to our collection. We believe this tray is especially well suited for the smallest counters and small track tiles from 18xx games, although we are sure it will inspire many more storage solutions.
How This Tray Was Created
The idea for this tray came from the game Hungarian Rhapsody, which I borrowed from a friend. Inside the box were three GMT trays, and the lid lift was huge — about 2 cm.
Sebastian told me that he loves this game and that it is one of his favorite titles. He also mentioned that he prefers standard trays, as they make cleaning up after play much easier. My goal was to return the game with trays that would keep the counters sorted in the same way, but with the lid closing perfectly.
After many tests, I found two possible solutions that would fit the large number of counters:
The first solution worked perfectly, but Sebastian prefers standard trays. While working on a set that would fit the game box, I realized there were far fewer compartments than in the original solution. To make everything fit, some counters would need to be combined into larger compartments.
At that point, I decided to split each large compartment of the 15-compartment tray in half. This is how the first prototype was created.
When I showed it to Sebastian, he said he loved it and that it was the best tray he had ever seen. A few months later, you can now see the final result in many photos — and I still need to visit Sebastian to bring him a big pile of these trays!
Dimentions
The tray has the same external dimensions as our tray with large compartments. The only difference is that each compartment is split in half, so the tray size remains exactly the same as the one you may already own.
It fits all standard game boxes:
- Height (tray with lid): 11 mm (0.43 inches)
- Length (tray with lid): 288 mm (11.33 inches)
- Width (tray with lid): 208 mm (8.34 inches)
The internal depth is also the same, meaning it is slightly deeper than our standard shallow trays, allowing you to fit one additional layer of counters if they are up to 2 mm thick.
Usage
You can find an updated full comparison of trays here. From our testing, this tray works best for the smallest counters, as it allows for better sorting and higher capacity.
Here are the numbers (all calculations assume the same number of layers):
- 13 mm (1/2″) counters
- 8 mm, 20-compartment tray: 720 counters
- New 30-compartment tray: 960 counters
- 14 mm (9/16″) counters
- 8 mm, 20-compartment tray: 720 counters
- New 30-compartment tray: 720 counters
- 23 mm (29/32″) counters
- 8 mm, 20-compartment tray: 160 counters
- New 30-compartment tray: 240 counters
Remember: the new tray also gives you more compartments and the possibility of one extra layer, which is not included in these calculations.
18xx Games
Another great use case is 18xx games with small track tiles.
Previously, we used the Small Tiles Tray with 25 compartments (12 mm depth). In many games, this tray was simply too thick, and the tiles could rotate easily.
The new tray is a much better solution. You can see the result with 1822CA:
- the previous set was too small to sort all track tiles properly
- now everything is perfectly sorted
- one tray less is needed
- and there is still space left for card holders
This is a big success for this tray type.
Tested Games
We have already tested the new trays with many games, including:
Photos are coming soon for:
- Model’s Counterattack (it looks beautiful)
Already prepared and waiting to be added:
Air & Armor: Würzburg
Chariots of Fire
Chandragupta
Sale Time
We have great news to finish this story!
The new trays are discounted by 20% until the end of the month, and with our 10 + 1 Free offer, you can get them up to 30% cheaper.
We believe this tray may be a much better choice for many games and could become one of the most versatile trays for future titles.
