Well, it has happened again… Crescent Root has released new buildings in a collection that I am already invested in. As such, I had no choice but to buy them! I cannot have a hole in my collection! The new buildings add to the existing “Villa” series. I ordered the buildings online and they arrived in their normal timely fashion (usually less than ten days). As with all Crescent Root buildings, you order each building ala carte. The new offerings add a church, out buildings, new walls and mail gate to the line of the existing 28mm line of multi material buildings. The materials are not really noticeable, as everything is filled and painted (looking at the bottom you can see grey plastic or resin and you can smell a little MDF on a few pieces). The buildings blend in with the earlier Villa line. As with all Crescent Root offerings, all buildings are fully assembled and fully painted, with removable roofs. Each building is fully filled and painted, so you will find no unpainted edges like many pre-painted MDF buildings on the market. I continue to be impressed with Crescent Root and their offerings. This is obvious, as my collection keeps growing, while my bank account gets smaller!
Here are a few photos of most of the line for you to get a better idea of scale. For more information, you can go to the Crescent Root site.
So, on to the masonry score!
Ease of assembly 5 out of 5 Bricks.
All buildings come pre-assembled and painted (with a little weathering to boot!). All “loose” pieces are for game play (removable roofs) or storage only.
Ascetic look 5 our of 5 Bricks.
All buildings and accessories are nicely painted and weathered in the same style. This provides for a uniform look that looks great on the table. No need to do any touch up painting!
Ease of Use 4 out of 5 Bricks.
With the exception of the small out buildings, all the other buildings have removable roofs and upper floors. The roofs can be a little sticky, but come off reasonably easily and sit well on the building (they do not fall down randomly). The floors are easy enough to remove, but they are inside the building. As such, it makes it a little tricky to stack up units in buildings (I will not use the upper floors in my games). All the doors a movable, so can be opened and closed.
Flexibility 5 out of 5 Bricks
As each building and accessory is ordered separately, you can mix and match the buildings how ever you like. Being larger scale, they do take up a bit of room, but with some creative packing (they buildings are hollow), you can pack them in a reasonable container. Being made out of light weight material, the buildings are easy to transport. I fit all mine into a medium carton and can carry it with one hand.
Price 5 out of 5 Bricks
Generally speaking, you can never say a finished terrain piece is inexpensive, as you always have to pay for the finishing. For those that enjoy building and painting their terrain, go for the unpainted versions and save some money. For those of us that either have limited time, skill or do not get enjoyment out of terrain building, the painted versions are golden. Further, you will find that these are some of the least expensive painted buildings on the market (cheaper than many unpainted offerings), so your wallet will not suffer too much!
Overall 4.75 out of 5 Bricks
As you may have seen by my previous reviews, I think Crescent Root buildings are fantastic. They look great, they are easy to store and transport and they do not cost a fortune. I continue to be a very happy customer! Mark Neimeyer from Crescent Root Studios is very responsive and very helpful. If you are into middle east terrain in this scale, this is a line to keep an eye on if you are in the market for buildings. In summary, these buildings are well sculpted and painted and will look great on any battlefield. Bring out your inner mason and check Crescent Root out!
– Manteuffel