Steamforged Games makes products for use with the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. These come under several flavors, but most fall under the Epic Encounters line.
The Local Legends are smaller, focused sets.
I snagged the Berserker package from Amazon for $16.80, but SFG has it on sale themselves for $9.99 for Black Friday-Cyber Monday. Please note that the Amazon link is an Affiliate Link, and I make a small commission at no cost to anyone who buys something through it.
Packaging is good. The box is solid. The figures are separated in their own plastic container inside the box. The product consists of four miniatures, a map, and an adventure bit.
The central figure, the Berserker, comes on a 50mm base. The base includes some sculpted stonework and some surrounding material, sand or dirt, depending on how it is painted up. The other three pieces are identical, being three swords out of smoke. This works in plastic as it's not top-heavy.
For its actual retail price, it's fair. Four plastic miniatures with a map and an encounter set for $24.99, but it's a non-GW bit, and the actual value of the set will vary tremendously depending on what you're using it for.
The models are all one-piece, which saves time on assembly. Some manufacturers, like Games Workshop, Archon Studios, and Wyrd, are committed to making models with as many pieces as possible, requiring the assembly of tiny parts. Here's an open-up-and-play.
The models may also serve different purposes. The swords, for example, would make great stand-ins for a Spiritual Weapon in D&D games. It's a shame that they didn't make different weapons, which would allow for a wider variety of uses, as the weapon takes on the deity's preferred weapon in the game.
From SFG website:
The Berserker himself is an interesting design, with partial plate mail and two massive swords. His 50mm base means he can either be a big old human, or some variety like half-orge, half-giant, or if painted differently, a goliath or other humanoid.
From SFG website. Note that, unlike the blades, this isn't a 'clean' shot, and SFG could do better with the background.
If I could ask for something from the company, it's to have the bases use a sculpted design or no sculpted design. The Berserker, for example, has a partially sculpted design. Why not cover the whole base? Why not have the floating swords have the same design on their base?
My preference for miniatures from a company is that if I go to the company's website, I will see a painted version of the model from all sides. That is not the case here. On the website, you will find the individual models but no sample paint jobs.
This is a shame, as I like using such illustrations for ideas on what to do or what not to do. It also gives me an idea of what some of the things on the model are. Like, are these steel boots or just regular boots? I appreciate I can paint it however I want but I like examples.
The 'adventure' itself makes no sense. Not that the map is bad. It's fine. It's a small arena-style map where the characters enter from one end and the Berserker is at the other. There are even some interesting mechanics to give the players some options in dealing with the Berserker based on their observation of him.
Now that's not why the adventure makes no sense. Rather, the adventure makes no sense because the Berserker is a CR 25. Those blades? He summons them, but they are a CR of 1/2. Useless for a CR of 25. There are several ways that they could have handled this, ranging from making him something like a skill challenge to providing several stat blocks for both the Berserker and the blades.
Also, not sure why they talk about him having a minotaur helmet as well, there are no horns on the helmet, and no indication on any level that it would be a minotaur helmet.
That's a small complaint overall, though, as you're not necessarily buying this for the singular written encounter but for the miniatures. The maps and the encounter are a nice bonus.
My own take on the pack is below. Note, I didn't base the models past the sculpted base as I suspect this will be a one-and-done bit.
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