Posted in: Dungeons & Dragons, Figures, Games, Review, Tabletop, Wizards of the Coast | Tagged: d&d, DnD, dungeons & dragons, Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, icons of the realms, Ravnica, WizKids

Review: Wizkids' D&D Icons of the Realms Ravnica Figures

Published Fri, 01 Mar 2019 23:40:54 -0600

by Gavin Sheehan

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A few weeks ago we received a large box of figures from WizKids related to D&D, chief among them was a case of Icons of the Realm figures for Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica. If you're not familiar with these, it's essentially a blind box of figures related to a specific book or series, as you get three small characters and one giant one. All of the pre-painted with what they are labeled on the bottom so they're easy to look up stats for gameplay. I'm always excited to see what these hold, and was very curious which of the 55 characters we'd get to check out for this set. So we opened them up, took off the bubble wrap and examined what we got.

We're going to go box by box and discuss what we got inside each one. The first one opened we got some interesting characters of flare to run into dark alleys with. The smaller figures were a Duskmantle Assassin, an Azorius Arrester, and a Conclave Dryad. All three of these immediately sparked interest in what I could accomplish with the different clans and the different prospects each of these foes could create as allies. The large figure in this one was a large Krasis, with a bulging neck that will freak anyone out the minute it drops on your table.

The second box provided some interesting challenges and foes for the battle as we got Selesnya Druid, a Wind Drake, and Ledev Guardian. I immediately fell in love with the look of the Guardian as this is the kind of image I grew up looking at in fantasy novels and game. Who the hell doesn't want to ride on a giant wolf that will protect you? The bigger creature in this box was an Arclight Phoenix that made me wish this was a trainable creature, with the pink and red tones that make it shimmer on the table. Definitely a winner box here as well.

The third box quickly reminded me of the horrors throughout Ravnica as WizKids threw in a Fungus Drudge and a medium Krasis. Sure, I got a Frontline Medic in the mix to have on my side. I absolutely love the detail on the shield of the Medic as you see his medic's tools on the inside. The big bot on the inside of this box wrapped in chains is a Rakdos Ogre, which just looking up his stats alone made me weep. He is not to be messed with, but you'll have to eventually. Another winning box in my eyes.

The fourth one we got another Krasis, not too thrilling but I understand that when you have blind boxes, you're bound to get repeats. The three miniatures that joined him were a Symic Hybrid with a claw for a hand, a Mind Drinker Vampire that immediately reminded me of all the terror I can create with a figure in black, and one of my favorites from the entire set as I got a Deathpact Angel. This one is a winner because of the dreaded duo that it came with, but the Symic didn't do much for me and I can't stand getting repeats.

Box number five provided some interesting choices as we got another WInd Drake, but this one had his wings arched as opposed to flat. We also got a Cackler complete with a chain, and a Kraul Winged Warrior. The massive figure we got for this one was the Archon of the Triumvirate, which if the creature doesn't scare the hell out of you then the guy with the hammer ready to throw down will. A bit of a mixed bag, I'm happy with the big guy but kinda lukewarm on the others.

The sixth box gave some really freaky choices as the small figures included a Rubblebelt Stalker, a Blood Drinker Vampire, and an Indentured Spirit. The vampire and the spirit look absolutely great and conjure up a few terrors to unleash on players, while the stalker provides some much-needed ranks in the minion category. The Sphinx of Judgement was the big figure for this box and it looks like the kind of figure that could be tamed and reasoned with if you don't want to battle it. This one was a winner to us as well.

The seventh box was a bit of a mix for us as we got one great large figure and three I didn't care much for. Aside from getting a repeat Crackler, we got an Orzhov Basilica Statue and Krenko, Goblin Mobb Boss. While it's nice to have a prominent figure with a name, it's not like we got the biggest of the bunch. The statue doesn't really excite me either, but I get why WizKids put it in. Finally, the big baddie in this one is a Skyjek Rock, who looks like he's ready to swoop down and grab you and eat you for lunch rather than fight you. This box was kinda "meh" to me, but the Rock made up for the shortcomings.

The last box had some impressive additions as we got a Boros Reckoner, an Azorius Homunculus, and a Precognitive Mage. The Reckoner and the Mage are both interesting choices to have in the mix as one is a hell of a fighter you don't want to battle alone, while the Mage is clearly someone who can mess with time and poses a serious threat from afar. And I dig the Homunculus as you always need tiny creatures around who are there as a distraction and annoyance. The big figure in this mix was an Orzhov Giant, with sweet armor and a giant battleax that looks to be angry as hell and guarding something you want. This was an amazing box and a nice end to the set we got.

Overall, the Icons of the Realm figures for Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica is pretty impressive. We got a couple duplicates, but not as many as I was expecting. There's a great mix of characters in here, more of them leaning to the side of evil in the game, but there's a healthy dose of characters from some of the guilds who can help or hinder a campaign depending on what you're playing as. I feel like WizKids did a find job with this set, and if you're looking to expand your Ravnica adventures with some figures, you can't go wrong buying a couple boxes and seeing what you get.

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