Review: System ∞ - Habitation Pod Settler (Sarissa Precision)

Hey look it's that unpainted Guija again! Oh yeah and the Settler Pod.

Right I guess I better just get on with this one hadn't I? As before I'm primarily reviewing this as a piece of Infinity terrain and also as before this was free from Sarissa Precission. So you decided whether that has influenced me as a reviewer or not!

Product description

As with the previous smaller 'Habitation Pod Explorer' this is a precision, laser cut piece of HDF scenery perfect for futuristic skirmish games. The surface has the same sort of metal paneling look etched into it that the previous Pod did as well. And again if you're a fan of the distinctive odour of burnt wood, this product won't disappoint you! As for the constructions vital stats? Like the Explorer Pod the Settler Pod stands at roughly 4" high and is exactly the same width, 4.25". Where the Settler differs from the Explorer is in its length, and as any true honest women will tell you, length is important! It's 8.5" long, which is a full 3.5" longer than the Explorer Pod. The kit comes in 25 pieces. There are 6 side wall sections to generate that hex tube shape. Two end plates with a door, the same as those found on the Explorer Pod. A floor piece and a roof piece. 2 support beams for underneath the pod for raising it off of the floor and attaching the Pod either to it's supplied base or onto the roof of another Pod. You get 4 long hand rails and 2 short hand rails for the roof. Finally there is also the roof hatch, which as before comes in 4 pieces. Just a side note the Pod doesn't come with the access ladders shown in the first picture at the top of the page, although they can be brought separately.


Usefulness 9 out of 10

Again I think in the context of games of Infinity this building is on it's own a highly appealing piece of scenery. At ground level it easily blocks line of sight to all but the very tallest of TAGS and a 8.5" in length that's a considerable piece of Blocking terrain. Each of the two short sides, or end plates, has an access door that can have a window popped out of it if you like, or left it (I forgot to mention this in my previous review) and the door itself can be easily popped out it you like. Also on two of the six side walls there are two pop out windows as well. They aren't massive in size and so won't provide quite as dominating a hard point as some buildings with larger windows would. It's a useful space to run and hide in I guess if the ARO's get a little bit too hot to handle, but you won't necessarily want to get held up in there for too long I'd guess, unless of course you're a hacker with plenty of remote around the place extending your insidious reach!

However, like with the Explorer Pod before it this actually comes to life in conjunction with the other Pods. It's the middle man, so to speak. It helps build some of the more interesting and complex shapes it really, really does. Strap a couple side by side and you can stack some more things on top of it quite happily. It can also provide a nice bit of height to a table sitting on top of one of the larger Pods, or even just on top of another Settler Pod. It also provides an excellent base for one of the Explorer Pods to sit on top of. Again as this whole range is modular in its nature you can't easily separate this piece of terrain out from the rest of it. It's the interesting structures you can build out of the various components that really makes this building as useful as it so clearly is. Hence some of the mock up renders I've added here for illustrative purposes.

Character 8 out of 10

In my previous review of the Explorer Pod I mentioned that Character and aesthetics were a personal thing, but that these Pods were almost a blank canvass for us gamers to project our own sci-fi interpretations onto. Well guess what? I'm sticking with that summary for this Settler Pod too. I like the Hexagonal tube look and the laser etched paneling could look as grungy and worn or as pristine and clean as you desire really. I wouldn't go as far as to suggest you are only limited by your imagination with these Pods, but they certainly allow you to 'project' more individuality onto them than the admittedly lovely looking Micro Art Buildings. But whereas the Micro Art Buildings are clearly an urban environment, and an apartment block, or at a push an office block, these could be any number of things.

Detail 7 out of 10

Again the detail isn't as 'layered' as the efforts from Micro Art, who use extra strips of HDF to achieved more '3D' styled wall surface. But, the details are nice and neat nevertheless. the paneling etched into the building is nice enough and as I've previously said provides a nice canvass for you to express yourselves on. I suppose though I find the over all shape the most pleasing detail about these Pods.

Quality 8 out of 10

As before, I've never really had any problems as such with any of the Sarissa Precision terrain that I own. It's all of a really sturdy construction, as you'd expect from what are essentially wooden boxes! However the tube like structure with its thin strips of HDF could've been a little bit unstable and flexible if it were not for some nifty internal support struts that hold the hex tube shape of the building rigid. They also provide some nice internal detailing that adds to the industrial vibe that the range gives off.

Service N/A out of 10

Again it isn't really fair to be giving this a score. So again I'll highlight the free worldwide shipping on orders over £30 and the excellent way that everything was packaged.

Price 9 out of 10

£16 Seems a very reasonable price again to me, and for an extra £4 over the Explorer Pod that's only £4 for an extra 3.5"!!! Now go ask the missus if she'd pay £4 to get an extra 3.5"!!! I personally think the Settler Pod will become the work horse of the range, or the go to building when you want to create those interestingly shaped complexes.

Overall 8.5 out of 10

Again I like the Settler Pod as an individual piece on it's own. But in combination with the rest of the modular terrain set up I guess it really starts to come into it's own. It's what you can do with this stuff in combination that really excites me. It's a nicely priced product that is well constructed and gives you as a gamer a myriad of options in conjunction with other items from the range and your own imagination. Peace out!