Wilton Grecian Pillars
Today, we're going to be taking a look at something a little outside the box. Like a lot of what I've been reviewing recently, these were picked up for gaming. I needed scale pillars to hold up a scale floor (don't ask). Rather than seek out a more expensive solution, I thought back to my days as a sales associate at Michaels and remembered that Wilton makes scale pillars for wedding cakes.
They may have paid me poorly, but the knowledge and ideas I got from working there has made up the difference.
So, obviously these were never intended to be used as RPG miniatures or toy accessories... but they work perfectly well in those capacities. And, because they're not sold as toys, they aren't priced that way either.
Appearance: 6/10
If I cared about being fair, I'd feel mighty bad right about now. Fortunately, I could care less about such things. If you want to know how these hold up and look on a cake, find a website created by someone who knows how to bake: I'm reviewing this as if it was a toy.
And it doesn't look half bad. In fact, if I were going off of sculpt alone it would warrant at least an 8. But the total lack of paint gives it a dull appearance. If you're going to use them as the ruins of an ancient civilization, you might want to paint them first (by the way: these have a respectable amount of potential for customization).
In addition to the lack of color, there's another reason I need to lower the score: these are hollow inside, a fact that's evident when you look down either end. This isn't a problem if you're using these to hold up a base, but it creates some issues if you're displaying them on their own.
I'm giving these a final appearance of 6. Again, this isn't a reflection of their quality as cake decorations, only their use as toy accessories.
Packaging and Extras: ----
These are packaged in a simple, utilitarian plastic package. While these are fairly unattractive, they do show off the product well enough. In addition, they open and close, so you have the option of keeping it around to store your pillars. It's pretty sturdy, in fact, so it should hold up well enough over time.
Other than that, they come with nothing. I don't consider this surprising in the least, nor would I consider deducting points.
Although it would have been nice if Wilton had included a cake....
Play and Display: +1
I almost always give displays and accessories a default bonus point in this category (it just seems right, since all they do is add to a display). I almost withheld this point on account of the hollow centers, but in the end I decided I'd docked enough for that under appearance.
These are pretty cool, and they're somewhat versatile. Obviously, the hollow inside reduces their usefulness as ruins, but you can still use them that way. Where these shine is as, well, pillars. I wouldn't trust them with a great deal of weight (and certainly nothing breakable), but they could hold up a thin piece of wood or cardboard.
And, in case you were wondering, they worked exceptionally well in my D&D game. There's a picture at the very end for those of you who are curious.
Price Tag and Final Analysis: 7/10
If memory serves, I paid around $2.70 for a package of four columns. Not too bad, all things considered.
I hit these pretty hard for lacking paint, which is obviously unfair since you wouldn't want paint on something going on a wedding cake... but, again, for the purposes of this review, I'm treating these as toys.
These have limited applications for toy displays, of course, but they're a good reminder that you can find some interesting things in some unusual places.
Yes, that's a multilevel grid, allowing archers to stand on a balcony and take shots at the PC's. If that's not geeky enough for you, I've got a blog you should check out.
