We review the premium dice set Serpent’s Blood Gun Metal Dice from Easy Roller Dice Co.I have owned hundreds of dice over almost 40 years of role playing. I still have dice I got with Basic D&D and other sets (both the pre-inked ones, and the ones that came with an inking crayon).
I don’t usually ask a lot from my dice, except that the numbers are crystal clear.
On the other hand, quite a few of my friends love special dice, so it isn’t so strange to see Cthulhu dice or Steampunk dice or hand crafted dice show up at our game table. This is the first set of metal dice I have owned though.
Actually, I am not being entirely truthful there. I like matching sets of dice that don’t feel cheap. A lot of those original dice I still have, but they simply don’t get used because they are hard to read or are just plain ugly. Plus many of the people I game with will mock an ugly set of dice. Dice vanity. Yes, I am a bit guilty of that.
Presentation
I got my set directly from Easy Roller Dice Co., and here I step your through the unwrapping. First, the dice set was tightly wrapped in bubble wrap.
Then inside of that, you find a tightly sealed mylar envelope.
Removing that, we have the black leatherette case with silver embossing. This case is large but can easily fit in a large pocket if necessary.
Finally, inside, we see yet another layer of protection for our dice, and again, the Easy Roller Dice Co logo emblazoned on the inside of the lid.
Unlike the box that accompanied the Easy Roller Dice Co. Roller Tray, this packaging is meant to be reused. The overall experience is the best I have had with dice. 5/5
Quality
These are my first metal dice. However, in many groups I have played with over the last few years, quite a few have brought metal dice to sessions. You probably have seen your share of ornate, bronze steampunk dice, or well beveled aluminum dice, and so have I. Checking out new dice that players bring to games is a common ritual of the hobby, and many of my fellow players do this.
My current group(s) are populated by a mix of new players and salty grognards, and all of the disposition to openly test, compliment or mock new dice that show up on the gaming table.
Those same friends were quick to pick up the Serpent’s Blood Gun Metal Polyhedral Dice. Unlike their dice, these dice are neatly packed in high quality kit, with each hole matching in size and shape the dice contained.
Almost immediately, we noticed that these dice are extremely well made, with smooth, highly reflective, polished nickel surfaces and sharply beveled edges. I had hoped originally to get the white inlay for better visibility, however the green really stands out against the dark metal – even without my glasses. These are very good looking dice, and were the envy of the table.
Once you pick them up, you also notice something else – these metal dice are heavy! I used them in conjunction with the Easy Roller Dice Co. Dice Tray. They didn’t do a lot of extra bouncing because of their weight, but still, these precision cut dice could do a bit of damage on a soft wood table. The weight wasn’t a problem though. The overall feeling you get is that these are high quality dice 5/5.
A moment to reflect – I could have spent a significant amount of time trying to remove the bright reflections from the photo above in re-shooting or using SILKYPIX DS Pro7 but the fact is, these dice really are extremely shiny and reflective.
Utility
These being dice in all the standard polyhedral shapes, they saw use throughout the game session. I rate them well because they didn’t disappoint but did exactly what you would expect them to do. 5/5
Functionality
I am not an epicure among dice users that laud the precision and Las Vegas standard for balanced dice. These clearly were carefully shaped and polished and I could find no issue with their precision and balance. Neither could our most cynical GameScience dice fan at our table. 5/5
Value to Price
This is where things get problematic, because much of a sense of value comes from general utility and functionality – that is, unless you start consider aesthetic and premium quality goods, and these Easy Roller Gun Metal Dice are definitely a premium product.
At around $45 per set, these are not cheap, and a $7 set can just as easily work.
But you will always pay a premium for premium dice – they are manufactured in much, much smaller runs, which is why getting all those zocchi dice for Dungeon Crawl Classics is a comparatively expensive proposition.
Premium dice like these won’t necessarily improve your game, but they look and feel great. Among the several sets of metal dice I have handled, These generated the most envy among my fellow players. 5/5
Conclusion
There are a lot of fun, premium dice out there with special themes, but these Gun Metal Dice from Easy Roller Dice Co are wonderfully packaged, gun metal shiny and a pleasure to use. Unlike many of the themed dice (Cthulhu, Steampunk, etc) in metal, you won’t collect gunk or worry about them losing their luster. I may fear a spousal reprisal for spending $45 on dice for myself, however they make an excellent under $50 gift for a gamer friend.
Disclosures
I received this product at no cost. There is no expectation or promise of review, positive or negative, between myself and the manufacturer.
The photos were taken on my trusty Casio camera in RAW format, then modestly color corrected using the excellent SILKYPIX DS Pro7 photography software (suck it Adobe, no subscriptions!).