Overview: All hail N3 personified in acrylic form! Line of Sight, or Silhouette markers, are one of the big changes in N3. Previously, a dynamic or large model had a distinct disadvantage over a similarly sized but less excitingly posed equivalent. The Gorgos, for example, was a beautiful model, hampered by the fact that it towers over everything. Well no more! N3 introduced silhouette markers. Now all units have a silhouette value, which means, in gane terms, they always occupy a cylindrical volume, as wide as their base and as tall as their silhouette. In times of doubt, players can replace their models with their silhouette markers, and if line of sight can be drawn between any point of either silhouette, then the model can be seen. Simples! For reference, at present Warsenal and Bandua offer their own versions, whilst MAS and Antenocitis workshop have some on the way. Customeeple offer their set of LoS markers, but they come with a little something extra...
Specifics: The set corresponds to all of the silhouette values available in the game. Instead of having 7 templates, however, the silhouettes which share the same base size, are marked on the same token. So S1 and S2, for example, are both 25mm wide, so they both are marked on the 25mm token. The set includes a 55mm base and token (S4,S7), a 40mm base and token (S3,S5,S6) and a 25mm base and token (S1,S2). It also includes an SX marker (more on that below). The markers are available in blue, green, yellow, magenta, orange, transparent, or smoke transparent. I opted for Magenta
Price: The set is €6.95 (approx £5.19/$7.88) by comparison the Warsenal set is $12 (€10.60/£7.90) and the Bandua set €14.95 ($16/£11.16), so is therefore the cheapest on offer so far (note the Warsenal set follows the same 3-base format, whereas the Bandua set is 7 different tokens)
Shipping to the UK was €10 and arrived in 5 working days.
Customer Service: this order arrived in the same batch as the marker box, please read the excellent customer service they gave me in that review.
Quality/Durability Standard, well made Customeeple acrylic. I do have one minor quibble...it's not really magenta. To my mind, it's really more red. I had bought it to match the violet/magenta scheme of my Aleph stuff, but in fairness there is no other colour available that matches any better. Warsenal do a 'purple' which is not listed as fluorescent, however the tokens still look cool.
Usefulness silhouettes are a big deal in N3. The whole game works on LOS, and this is thetool for LOS. Therefore, whether you photocopy the silhouette pages from the rulebook, or you invest in a set like this, they will be joining your weapon templates as something you use often.
Now, the SX marker. I'm broadly a supporter of the new silhouette rules, they are more fair and easily determined. However, the moment they were announced I feared the following scenario
Player A's Aelis Keesan wants to shoot Thrasymedes, Lord of Visual Examples
Player A: can I see him?
Player B: I dunno, I'll use a silhouette marker
Player B: nah, he's safe
The SX market prevents such shady practice, or worse, accusations of such practice when you've done no such thing. It has grooves to fit a 25mm, 40mm and 55mm base. Simply place it around your models base to note its position on the table. Replace with your LOS marker, then place your model back in its original position. Genius.
There is one final feature worthy of mention. The rules specify a 3mm by 3mm area as the minimum area you must be able to see to claim LoS. Each marker is covered with 3mmx3mm squares to make this fairly easy to determine. I believe the Warsenal version has a grid which fulfils and identical function.
Summary This has clearly been well thought out in regards to the rules and the practical applications of them. They are inexpensive and fairly essential nowadays. I just wish there was a purple one!
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