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Review of e-Raptor Rulers Set SWX Upgraded: Blue, Red
Blurb from the publisher: 'Looking to replace or upgrade your Star Wars X-Wing Miniature Game templates? Introducing the Rulers Upgraded Sets, two completely compatible and customized products.
Each Upgraded Set provides rulers with a new, higher quality overprint.
Each set includes:
- 1 range ruler
- 5 straight templates
- 3 bank templates
- 3 turn templates.'
What you get: Your EUR 17,00 or equivalent will buy you one of the two e-Raptor Rulers Set SWX Upgrade, a ruler set for Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition game line. There are currently two sets available, one in blue and one in red. The sets are the second generation of sets e-Raptor published for X-Wing, after the Rulers Set SWX. The first generation sets are still available, and slightly cheaper at EUR 15,20 per set.
No need for me to state again the set's contents; the blurb did that already.
The strong points: I will repeat what I wrote in the review of Star Wars: X-Wing Second Edition Deluxe Movement Tools and Range Ruler, the line's official set of plastic rulers: No matter how thick cardboard is, constant exposure to the humidity of human skin will start wearing it out. Even more so if you have sweaty hands. One can sleeve his cards to protect them, yet what do you do when it comes to the movement templates?
If Fantasy Flight Games' reaction to that felt either too expensive or inherently hypocritical (shouldn't the game have plastic, durable rulers from the get go?), X-Wing players have an alternative in e-Raptor's sets. Both colours are sturdy, both are shiny, both are extremely good looking, with the obvious insinuation towards the blue and red light sabers depending on what side of the force you stand. Compared to both the cardboard and the plastic rulers of the official line, these ones are by far the better looking and the most easy to discern. The numbers and the moves each pattern caters for is at least twice the size of those found in FFG's releases. Unless you do something outright stupid, like stomp upon a template or smash it against the table, these templates are durable and will last forever. They do not degrade. They might scratch a bit, even though this will have no perceptible effect on your game.
Looks and sturdiness aside, their thicker lining (a thickness of 3 mm as opposed to 1,5 mm for the cardboard rulers of the game's base set) facilitates measuring. Miniature games can be fiddly affairs. It's good to measure fast and efficiently, and these sets help towards that goal.
The fact that you buy these rulers does not mean that you need to throw away the ones in the base box. Keep both sets. It will help you run a much faster game, and especially if you use Epic Battles, the line's foray into multiplayer games. It is far better to have multiple sets around instead of constantly searching for a template when your turn comes.
The weak points: If you are stickler for official products, this is obviously not one of them. I personally don't give a damn. The important thing is that these rulers work, and that they look good on the gaming table.
That having been said, the present set does not contain the exact same pieces as the official FFG Deluxe Movement Tools and Range Ruler set. To be more precise, it does not contain a Position Marker, while its ruler is a single piece and not broken down in segments. That is not necessarily a biggie, until you really start needing Position Markers. This minor omission makes the price difference (USD 20 for the official release, EUR 17 for the present product) less of an issue. In all honesty, this set should have been priced at around EUR 5... which is the same price that the official Deluxe Movement Tools and Range Ruler set should have had.
I checked all rulers against those of the official base game. There is one minor discrepancy of 1 mm on Turn 1. This is unlikely to have a meaningful impact in any game. In case your players are annoyingly argumentative, compare all rulers to the ones of the basic set, confirm yourself which ones are identical and which aren't (your original cardboard rulers might have degraded due to humidity), and in cases of a discrepancy, use only the rulers from the present set. Let me be honest: for relaxed, non-competition games, all this is an enormous hassle. I mixed the sets without particularly caring.
Do not step on these rulers. Stepping upon any ruler from FFG's Deluxe set will merely inconvenience you. These ones however might actually cut you, if you don't pay attention.
Conclusion: For those who play X-Wing often and have melted away their cardboard rulers, the e-Raptor Rulers Set SWX Upgraded is by far a prettier, and even marginally cheaper option, than FFG's official Deluxe Movement Tools and Range Ruler set. That having been said, it does not contain one piece that its more expensive competitor includes. Just like with the official product, my advice is to buy a set or two when you find it at a discount.
To find out more about e-Raptor and its Rulers Set SWX Upgraded take a look at http://e-raptor.pl.
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