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Review of Curse of Strahd: Strahd von Zarovich on Nightmare, Rudolph van Richten & Ezmerelda d' Avenir
Blurb from the publisher: 'Under raging storm clouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of castle Ravenloft. The vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stares down a sheer cliff at the village below. A cold, bitter wind spins dead leaves about him, billowing his cape in the darkness. Lightning spills the clouds overhead, casting stark white light across him. Strahd turns to the sky, revealing the angular muscles of his face and hands. He has a look of power... and of madness. His once handsome face is contorted by a tragedy darker than the night itself.
Van Richten isn't a young man anymore. He knows his road is coming to an end, but his work isn't done. He has come to Barovia to kill Strahd von Zarovich, the greatest vampire of them all. Van Richten has studied Strahd for years and knows he can't hope to best the vampire in a straight-up confrontation: he must wait for the right moment to strike.
Ezmerelda d'Avenir, a Vistana, is the protégé of Rudolph van Richten, despite the fact that her first encounter with the vampire hunter was anything but pleasant.'
What you get: This is a thematic review of the two miniature sets that were released by Gale Force Nine for Curse of Strahd, the reincarnation of Ravenloft in D&D 5th edition. Like all Gale Force Nine's minis, they are part of their D&D Collector's Series.
The two 28 mm resin sets are the following. Each set can be purchased separately. No set is a prerequisite for the other.
71050 - Strahd von Zarovich on Nightmare, 1500 sets, 3 parts base included, EUR 25 or USD 25 or GBP 20
71051 - Rudolph van Richten & Ezmerelda d' Avenir, 1500 sets, 6 parts bases included, EUR 25 or USD 25 or GBP 20
Strahd needs no introduction. The for all intents and purposes divine ruler of Barovia is as much an overlord in his own lands as he is its most tormented prisoner. In this mini however, he does not look the second part at all. His 50 mm base hosts him on Nightmare, his deadly steed, a monstrous equine that has sprung out of the most evil hell. The animal is terrifying, with purposefully cubist-style muscles and angles. His mane and tail resemble flames, and are painted as such on the box's serving suggestion. Strahd himself is in a state of rage. He looks nothing like the well-behaved, calculated, charming evil genius that is depicted on the cover of the adventure. His face is elongated, distorted, murderous fangs protruding from his mouth. He points his long sword downwards, as if condemning one of his subjects, or the PCs, to death. He is brutal, feral almost, with clothes that make one think more of a violent warlord than a refined ruler, and even more so in such a kind of an action pose. He carries his shield on his back, above his floating cape. Look carefully and you will see the emblem of the adventure, as well as the eagle of Barovia.
Rudolph van Richten is the archetypal investigator and monster hunter transposed to the D&D paradigm. It is thus unsurprising that he is dressed in a renaissance-like, dungeonpunk sort of attire while holding a lantern high up. If there is a man to illuminate a situation, that would be him. His face is grim and determined, it is obvious however that the man is past his first youth. He is wearing glasses, something rather uncommon for D&D characters, while he partially rests on a wooden cane. Were evil to attack him now, and unless he has unseen tricks up his sleeve, one would have guessed that he would make an easy target.
Ezmaralda d'Avenir ('of the future', for the non-French speakers) used to be van Richten's protégé and is out hunting vampires by herself. Now, just like her former mentor, she wishes to take on Strahd. She is caught at the moment of an evading action, probably a sword's blow or a monster's reaching attack. The lady is a badass, holding both a long sword as well as an axe in her hands. She has strong, angular features, reminiscent of gypsies; she is after all a Vistana. Pay close attention and you will realise that her right leg is wooden, a souvenir from a werewolf bite some time back. Her attire looks similar to that of van Richten, with long boots (or rather one of them) and comfortable trousers above a shirt appropriate to the era. It is not below her to wear a cape and use it to distract her opponents during a fight.
The strong points: Ravenloft, Strahd and van Richten are not just part of the aesthetics of D&D; they are the most recognizable aspect of its content. Irrespective of whether one intends to play Curse of Strahd, whether he prefers other iterations of Ravenloft like the 3.5E Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, or even older stuff like Ravenloft campaign material from 2E already, these are magnificent miniatures to field on your table. Strahd upon a steed is not the most expected of images. For a character that is mostly encounter in a dreadful castle, the steed gets in the way. Yet, the mini is impressive exactly because it shows him for what he is: not a misunderstood villain, but a murderous monster that has forfeited his humanity aeons ago. There are numerous Strahd minis on the market; this is one of the most impressive.
It will take a master to manage the flames on the horse. This is not an easy colour scheme whatsoever, and you will need dedicated tools for it. I don't have them either. Damn it; I hate it when a single item makes me invest in things that I purposefully tried to avoid until then. This however also attests how enticing the mini is.
Ezmerelda's pose is gorgeous. The more I think of it, there aren't many minis on the market which are taking evasive action. Not everything is about aggression; sometimes a good defence and a stab through the heart with a stake while you are gently falling away is all you need. Taking her attires into account, the lady can easily be part of a pirate crew, in the same way that Rudolph can be part of a Western posse or a team of 1890's Mythos investigators. Her wooden leg can be as visible or invisible as you want it to be. In a similar colour scheme to her boot, you can insert her in other dioramas without allusions to her amputation. I like minis with multiple uses.
I liked how the bases have features. Those of van Richten and Ezmerelda depict a wooden floor, while the one of Strahd already shows rocks and uneven terrain; the beast is out in the wild after all. With some serious landscaping this big base will look fantastic.
I haven't finished the process of painting the three miniatures (that would have stalled the review a lot), but up to now the material behaved very well to my clumsy cleaning, cutting, priming, partial gluing and partial painting (with all the intermediary steps). I have zero complaints about their quality.
The weak points: The price is getting out of hand. Other small minis in the series cost EUR 9, here however one pays some EUR 12,50 per small mini in the case of van Richten and Ezmerelda, and double that for Strahd on horse. That's a bit for the average gamer, even for the official Collector's Series D&D miniatures. Indeed, Strahd, blah, van Richten, blah, yet still. Shop around for a better deal than the MSRP, and you are bound to find it. Like with other minis in the Collector's Series, it would have made more sense if all the miniatures relevant to Curse of Strahd were sold together. What is Strahd without a hunter? What is van Richten without his nemesis?
Even though these are iconic names in the D&D franchise, I wish these sets weren't limited editions, and that more gamers could enjoy them in conjunction to the adventure they were made for. I have stated many times in the past how the aspect of speculation on consumer goods makes me partially uncomfortable, with the hoarding that comes with it and people seeing the item as a profit opportunity and not enjoying it for what it is.
I don't really have something negative to say about the design or casting of these minis. There was practically no flash whatsoever on them. When it comes to painting difficulty, it is very clear that if one goes for the serving suggestion he will have to give his best to Strahd's horse. The man's accessories and emaciated figure are no walk in the park either. I definitely will not go for the serving suggestion when it comes to the face. The painter did a fantastic work on the horse, with flames almost appearing out of the beast's mouth. Strahd's face however looks like that of an overly made-up kabuki actor. That looks comedic, not scary, yet the sculpt alone isn't anywhere near a parody.
Conclusion: It's Strahd on a flaming horse with a big-ass sword. Van Richten, as grim as ever, holding a lantern. The determined Ezmerelda in media res, avoiding a blow. Iconic characters from the past, as well as the present iteration of Ravenloft. Gorgeously sculpted minis. Curse of Strahd or not, this is as Ravenloft as it gets.
To find out more about Strahd von Zarovich on Nightmare, Rudolph van Richten & Ezmerelda d' Avenir, and the D&D Collector's Series, visit GF9's website at http://www.gf9.com.
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