geekosystem

Its the Dream Lord

I initially thought it was all about the conspiracy to kill the Doctor, and then the angels’ inclusion seemed out of place since I I don’t remember them part of it. Since both the Daleks and the Cybermen were integral in the Pandorica fiasco, they seemed like better choices for stormtroopers, aka pawns.

But when I realized that the enemy king was the Dream Lord, apparently a manifestation of DW’s dark side, I realized that it was simply an 11th Doctor set with a focus on the conspiracy (which makes sense considering that it has been the focus of the 11th’s series).

That said, I’d still rather have seen the Angels as rooks (better fit thematically, especially if you’ve ever played Battle Chess (when moved, the rooks turn into stone creatures that walk to their new spaces)), and either the Daleks or Cyberman as pawns. I could also see the Daleks as bishops since they are some of the most zealous enemies the Doctor has ever faced.

Other than the kings, queens, pawns, whose roles are obvious, it would be really nice if each figure’s base somehow indicated which piece it replaced so players don’t get confused mid-game (especially since Amy and Rory are both the bishops and knights on that side (and yes, I did see that the knight forms are armed while the bishops aren’t; the point still stands)).

But the only thing that makes me not want to buy it anyway is that I was that good a sculptor back in college. I haven’t done any sculpting so it will be some time before I regain those skills, but I still know enough about Sculpey (which this looks to be, although it’s impossible to know for sure) to know that this is amateurish at best and therefore undeserving of the price tag. The eyes are especially unnerving.

What’s sad is that large parts of it are very well done – gun-toting Amy, for instance, is spectacular other than the eyes – but River is just awful. While it’s obvious that the artist has the necessary skills to do the job properly, it looks to me like the job was rushed and suffered as a result. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t have time to do a job right, when will you ever find time to do it again?”