SteelSqwire
First Post
Another playtest review! Now for those who don't know what a RAD set is, or what Steel Sqwire is, it's a steel wire spell template that is laid onto the gaming table.
The Complete RAD Set consist of the following items:
1 RAD II -10' Radius Template
1 RAD IV -20' Radius Template
1 RAD VII-40' Radius Template
Enlarge Person Card
Three Ring Binder Case
During my playtest of it, I only used the RAD IV with the 20' radius template. Mine comes in black. The template fit onto the grids perfectly and didn't impact or slow down game play at all. Even my GM used it when we were being targeted by the enemy mages.
The thing I could've used and didn't bring, was the Enlarge Person card. This is a 10' square card that includes all of the damage adjustments and game notes from having the enlarge spell cast on you. In our case, we had a dwarf who was getting the spell and this would've been a nice touch for him to have to see the increase in his dwarven battle axe and dagger instead of flipping through the books.
When I got home, I checked out the other templates. They all matched up but the RAD VII is a 4 set piece with connectors. These connectors click together with no problem, but to get the grids to line up, you may have to insure that both sides are evenly adjusted. I didn't have any problems with mine however.
The good news. They work. In some ways, I like the stuff from the Battlebox in that it has a great illustration and is easy to fold up. However, it is a little problematic when trying to see everything covered by it. The steel wire gives you no questions. The three ring binder case it comes with also makes it perfect for storing and transporting so that gets a big thumbs up.
The bad news, it's expensive. If you get the full set and use it, the cost isn't a factor but if you're playing a group of fighters, it may not be worthwhile. The smaller sets even aren't too bad if you compare them to the price of a miniature. For example, the RAD II, the 10' radius, is $6.00 but when you kick it up a step, it goes to RAD IV at 20' for $10.00. A bit steep but even then, if you look at a single Warhammer figure, if it's a special character like Valten, you could be paying $20 for an unpainted miniature.
On the side of cool is the ability to order these in different collors for a higher price. The full package is only $5 more and allows you to pick from black, red, blue, white and yellow. If you want your fireballs to be different than an ice attack, it's a good idea but I personally wouldn't buy multiple sets.
One thing to note is that their website, http://www.steelsqwire.com/index.html , needs more details in and of itself. A quick product overview on the homepage for example. Some details about how to order missing parts, like if you're 40' radius cone loses a side or two, would all be good things.
In essence, this is a simple product whose utility can be felt in any campaign with a 5th level wizard with a good old fireball spell and I know I'll be using this every game session I can.
The Complete RAD Set consist of the following items:
1 RAD II -10' Radius Template
1 RAD IV -20' Radius Template
1 RAD VII-40' Radius Template
Enlarge Person Card
Three Ring Binder Case
During my playtest of it, I only used the RAD IV with the 20' radius template. Mine comes in black. The template fit onto the grids perfectly and didn't impact or slow down game play at all. Even my GM used it when we were being targeted by the enemy mages.
The thing I could've used and didn't bring, was the Enlarge Person card. This is a 10' square card that includes all of the damage adjustments and game notes from having the enlarge spell cast on you. In our case, we had a dwarf who was getting the spell and this would've been a nice touch for him to have to see the increase in his dwarven battle axe and dagger instead of flipping through the books.
When I got home, I checked out the other templates. They all matched up but the RAD VII is a 4 set piece with connectors. These connectors click together with no problem, but to get the grids to line up, you may have to insure that both sides are evenly adjusted. I didn't have any problems with mine however.
The good news. They work. In some ways, I like the stuff from the Battlebox in that it has a great illustration and is easy to fold up. However, it is a little problematic when trying to see everything covered by it. The steel wire gives you no questions. The three ring binder case it comes with also makes it perfect for storing and transporting so that gets a big thumbs up.
The bad news, it's expensive. If you get the full set and use it, the cost isn't a factor but if you're playing a group of fighters, it may not be worthwhile. The smaller sets even aren't too bad if you compare them to the price of a miniature. For example, the RAD II, the 10' radius, is $6.00 but when you kick it up a step, it goes to RAD IV at 20' for $10.00. A bit steep but even then, if you look at a single Warhammer figure, if it's a special character like Valten, you could be paying $20 for an unpainted miniature.
On the side of cool is the ability to order these in different collors for a higher price. The full package is only $5 more and allows you to pick from black, red, blue, white and yellow. If you want your fireballs to be different than an ice attack, it's a good idea but I personally wouldn't buy multiple sets.
One thing to note is that their website, http://www.steelsqwire.com/index.html , needs more details in and of itself. A quick product overview on the homepage for example. Some details about how to order missing parts, like if you're 40' radius cone loses a side or two, would all be good things.
In essence, this is a simple product whose utility can be felt in any campaign with a 5th level wizard with a good old fireball spell and I know I'll be using this every game session I can.
