WizKids Efreeti Review
Recently WizKids has started releasing some “Classic” representations of items and scenes in 1st Edition AD&D as miniatures in their Icons of the Realms line.
Originally starting with the Hand & Eye of Vecna, they have now added two more products as pre-order: The Wand of Orcus and Efreeti from the original Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG). It that Efreeti we are reviewing today.
NOTE- I do not own this product. This review is based solely off the Press Release and WizKid photos. Also, I remember the release of the DMG in 1979 and how excited we were for it, so this one is personal.
At first glance - the figure is quite impressive. At 12 inches tall, it would look great on a bookshelf - and it roughly right to scale for dropping it on your tabletop if you want to truly terrify your players. The colors really pop, and the match the original artwork quite nicely, although the muscle tone on the legs looks a little off and there is some artistic license with the anklet as we do not see the feet on the cover.
Original Dungeon Master Guide Artwork by David C. Sutherland III
The one major problem I have with the figure is the knight in the Efreeti’s left hand. You see, WizKids has decided to remove the scantily clad woman and replace her with the Knight of Fax (from the Wild Coast). Here is how WizKids describes this change -
12" resin statue faithfully recreates the Efreeti featured on the cover of the 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, but advances the scene to place the sword-wielding knight in the Efreeti's clutches.
Faithfully recreates? Advances the scene?
I call BULLSHIT.
Yes - this model faithfully recreates this scene/pose. It is almost a carbon copy from the DMG, and whoever sculpted this figure should be applauded. However, saying this is just an advancement of what is transpiring on the DMG cover is an outright lie. Instead - someone, somewhere (looking at you WotC’s Sensitivity Department) has decided that NOOOOOOOOO we cannot promote the “Damsel in Distress” image. We cannot have a female representation of sexist “Princess Leia” ESB Bikini (interestingly - this came out first, and I have always wondered if it was the inspiration). Instead, lets swap out the knight. I would even go so far as to suggest this was originally intended to have all three characters in scene - with the damsel in the clutches and the other two as stand alone sculpts. If you look at how the knight is positioned….he is in the exact same pose as when standing. I suspect that, if they went down that road, we would have gotten the female in different attire and that that idea was scrapped as it would have deviated to much from the original artwork.
Once again, WotC has decided they want to try and appease classic gamers, yet tread lightly and not insult some of the WOKE members of today’s society. Instead of embracing the artwork for what it is, they have decided it is ok to just tweek it a little……and nobody will notice.
I realize that WizKids is not going to go bankrupt if I do not buy this piece. Even at the insane price fo $249.99, I am sure collectors will snap this up and it will be an instant sellout like many of the other miniatures in the Icons of the Realms line. That said - while I appriciate the fine work that went into the sculpt, I cannot in good conscious give this an endorsement. Its affront to Sutherland’s art, the DMG and the target audience…..those who remember classic gaming.
What are your thoughts? Please feel free to comment below.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Ed
