Review: Wizkids D&D Classic Collection: Monsters D - F

 

Having picked up the Classic Collection: Monsters A-C and been pretty happy with it, I decided to pick up the Monsters D-F collection. It doesn't actually contain any F monsters, though...

First up is the Displacer Beast. I already have one that I bought painted, but having a pair who can attack at once gives a good bunch of flexibility in terms of scenarios.

Human sized figures are always the downfall of the Wizkids pre-painted line, but this Doppelganger is kind of OK compared to the others. It's helped by its non human nature. Still, not a miniature I'd have bought on it's own, but not unhappy with it.

The Efreeti is a powerful elemental leader type, and the miniature is absolutely amazing. The swapping between the solid miniature and the fire is brilliantly done. Interestingly, neither the Dao or the Djinni got a mini, despite them being the equivalent versions from Earth and Air. Perhaps they didn't have illustrations, or the illustrations weren't great?

I won't get to use an Efreeti until players hit higher levels, so it's not going to see as much use as, say, goblins, but having a really good mini that can be used as a mid level henchman or even a final boss is really solid.

The four Elemental miniatures are mixed quality - fire is excellent, water and air are good. Earth is . . . not great, and definitely at the "nostalgia" end of the reasons to buy things. I much prefer the more recent earth elemental designs than this more humanoid one.

Some solid "higher end of low level" monsters that should see plenty of use.

And finally, an Ettin. Not the best sculpt and paint job, but he'll do if I some Ettin. It's a good wilderness monster that could be a wandering encounter, a henchman, or the object of a slightly lower level quest.

So, another mixed batch of models, but with some excellent ones that make the box worthwhile from my point of view. These feel like the sort of monsters that will really round out a monster collection for a whole bunch of encounters that aren't zombies, goblins or bandits. I wouldn't recommend it as a first purchase for a DM, but once PCs are reaching levels 3 - 5, it'll be a good option to pick up if you like the pre-painted options.