I am a big fan of the Privateer Press miniature skirmish game WarMachine. The game is awesome (as my review here on www.rpg.net attests:) and you should check it out if you haven't already. One problem I have had with the game though (through no fault of the publisher) is using templates.
The main rulebook has an entire page of templates necessary for the game that can be photocopied and cut out. Unfortunately, I'm not the best with scissors on round shapes. Another unfortunate fact is that sometimes it's helpful to see through the templates---if for nothing else than peace of mind---during a game. The paper templates that I make on my printer just don't cut it for sustained play.
The fine folks at Gale Force 9 with apparent blessings from Privateer Press came up with a set of two plastic templates that fixes my template problems. But wait, aren't there more than two templates necessary to play the game, you say? Yes, there are.
GF9 has ingeniously incorporated all of the blast templates (the round ones) into a single 5" piece (with markings for 4" and 3" blasts) on the larger template. Additionally, the deviation diagram is scribed in the center of this circular template so you can make your dice rolls and very easily identify where the blast deviates.
The other template is the spray template useful for determining what targets are gonna get torn up by acid, fire and certain shotgun-like slug throwers. Again, GF9 graciously included an extra on this piece in the form of a graduated ruler marking off 8 inches for closer measurements in the game.
Both templates are made out of heavy duty plastic (Lexan?). The plastic is black/gray and is translucent so you can see the victims, er models, about to get hurt when you hold it over target units/models. The markings are clear and easy to make out and the blast template has a hole drilled in its center that lets you be very specific about where you're aiming.
The price for this set compares favorably to template sets for other minis games. Take into account that GF9 incorporated potentially five different templates into two and included a ruler in the package and you've got an efficient product that's easier to keep track of (finding two pieces is easier than looking for five especially that 3" template that might get easily misplaced) and easier to use.
I used them the other day (firing blast weapons just to get to see how well they work). I was very pleased with being able to lay my hands on one template to do the job that several paper cutouts had done. I was also happy to be able to actually see through the template when I was shooting at closely packed enemy troops.
There is nothing wrong with using the paper templates photocopied in the book. But if you start to develop the WarMachine habit and find you need something a little more convenient and sturdy when you're dealing out ranged weapon destruction, GF9's templates fit the bill nicely.
Review Summary