WizKids has just released a range of WarLock Tiles Accessory packs, a new wave of pre-painted 3D scatter terrain and miniature sets for various locations. With packs for Taverns to Tourture Chambers released, this review focuses on two of the new sets; Torture Chamber and Town Watch. From a blacksmith with her forge through to an executioner with stocks, these sets aim to bring these locations to life – as part of the WizKids 4D settings line. However, are these sets every DMs dream or will the pieces be left in the box? Let’s find out!
WarLock Tiles: Accessory – Torture Chamber
Being one of the larger WarLock Tiles Accessory packs, the Torture Chamber set is full to the brim with ways to torture adventurers, or the people they are looking to save. From being tied up to crosses, stuck in cages or slowly having bones broken on the catherine wheel, a lot of unpleasant situations are awaiting players.
A number of the items function, at least to some extent. The catherine wheel turns, the Iron Maiden opens to reveal spikes inside, the swinging axe can be moved and the large cages can be removed from their base. For most it’s an added bit of fun but the cages are improved with this functionality. Firstly, the cages can be used without the bases, helpful for using them in more situations. Secondly, they can fit a medium miniature inside them, as long as the mini’s pose isn’t too wide or tall, so you can lift the cage up and pop the hostage inside.
Cages aren’t just for the floor, with the set including two hanging cages. These swing as it is actually string holding them rather than a solid plastic chain. Players do need to assemble these with the provided string. This might be a little bit of a hassle for some. My dexterity isn’t bad and it still took around 5 minutes per cage to get the string through the tiny holes and tie the knots. Therefore, unlike the rest of the content this is far from being able to use straight out of the box! Thankfully, they fit back into the box in their “assembled” form.
As with most of these WarLock Tiles Accessory sets, Torture Chamber revolves around fleshing out a specific location, but so many of the pieces can be used in any dungeon setting. The swinging axe (pendulum) could be a trap adventurers encounter in any dungeon. The stocks would even be usable in a town square setting. The piles of chains, the fire bowls and the torches would make sense in almost any fantasy location imaginable. While from one group to the next the mileage for the items will vary, most groups will be able to easily use much of the elements in the set time and time again. The brazen bull seems like the odd one out in this regard, being an interesting flair item that will catch players’ attention. Being distinctive means it becomes harder to use repeatedly. As it has a hiding space in the back it at least makes it possible to incorporate it as an important feature of a quest though.
Oddly the Assistant miniature that features in the Torture Chamber set isn’t only found in this specific WarLock Tile Accessory set. The exact same mini, pre-painted in exactly the same way, is also one of the included miniatures in the new Merchants set. WizKids surely knows that those that look to buy one of these accessory packs will want to buy a range of the sets. This makes it more frustrating that they have included an identical miniature in two sets, and they haven’t even attempted to differentiate them. A simple different colour scheme of brown clothing instead of black would have been enough to make it less in your face.
WarLock Tiles: Accessory – Town Watch
While named the Town Watch set, the big reason players will be getting this pack is the Forge, with glowing coals, blacksmith miniatures and a range of forging tools. The large 3D forge is rather impressive in its own right. The LED powered glowing coals piece which slots into the forge takes the piece to the next level though. Including an LED is something of a first in the Warlock Tiles range, though WizKids have previously included them in other products. The coals have 3 modes when on: constantly on, fading on and off and occasionally flickering/dimming. Players turn the LED on via a slightly fiddly button at the bottom of the coal piece, which is pressed again to cycle through the modes. When it comes to flair the forge certainly steals the show.
A blacksmith store wouldn’t be complete with just a forge though. To go nearby there are bellows, a wooden stump and an anvil. Perhaps to show off the wears the blacksmith can create there is also a suit of armour and a shield propped up on a post, to complete the look. Like the small tankards in the Kitchen set, the Town Watch accessory pack includes a range of small tools, to sit around the blacksmith’s area. With a chain, various hammers and tongs they fit the blacksmith theme well, and are able to hang off the front of the forge. These are on the fiddly side though. Other than perhaps resting a hammer or two on the included anvil, simply placing them on a table is what is easily accomplished.
As a whole the Town Watch pack is much more NPC miniature focused, rather than scatter terrain wise. From pirates to sheriffs, even a thief is included to help flesh out a scene within a town or city. It’s great to see that male and female characters are included. This is the case for the pirate and blacksmith miniatures, with male and female variants (with a female actress and sheriff also included). This just helps to create a more varied world but could have been improved by including non-human races in the set. Annoyingly, as with most of the 4D settings product range, the miniatures don’t come on full bases, and neither are any bases included. Thankfully all of the miniatures stand up on their own – though one was at a tilt.
Note that 23 items are shown on the back of the box, but the set only lists and includes 22 items. What looks to be a side-on image of the hollowed out log from the WarLock Tiles Accessory Merchants set is on the back of the box. It isn’t missing from the Town Watch pack as it isn’t listed but this does seem odd to have made it through to production.
Overall
There is the glaring issue of the packaging with the Town Watch set. Putting this aside, the Torture Chamber pack still has the most content and feels better value for money as a result. There are enough cages and torture equipment in the box to easily fill a number of rooms in a dungeon. The Town Watch set on the other hand has the LED flair that can bring the wow factor to a blacksmiths store. Other than this it is much more of a miniatures pack and one that doesn’t include proper bases. Regardless, both of these WarLock Tiles Accessory packs will get to the table time and time again, with locations brought to life via either some stunning pre-painted scatter terrain objects or NPC miniatures.
(Editor’s Note: The WarLock Tiles Accessory Torture Chamber & Town Watch packs were provided to us by Asmodee for the review. These sets are currently available from local board game stores! Find your local store here.)