Posted in: Board Games, Games, Review | Tagged: dice, Elderwood Academy, hex chest, mini hex chest, Review

D20 To Go: We Review the Elderwood Academy Mini Hex Chest

Published Sat, 27 Oct 2018 15:10:38 -0500

Last updated Sat, 27 Oct 2018 15:14:51 -0500

Every time we get something in the mail to review from Elderwood Academy, our interest perks up just a few extra notches about what we received. This time around we got a much smaller box that when we're used to, but what was inside was totally amazing as we get a chance to review their Mini Hex Chest.

So the Mini Hex Chest is exactly how it sounds, it's a two-inch hex chest designed to be put on your keyring so that you always have a small pair of dice with you wherever you go. It's a really ingenious design if you're a player who doesn't always have time to head home and snag your dice to make a game, or if some situation comes up for fun. The version we got is actually pretty stellar as they chose to send a Padauk wood with a dragon icon carved into the front with the company's name on the back. This is a sleek design for something so small with a type of wood that looks like it's a pain int he ass to design on.

When we opened the chest, we discovered our own set of miniature dice already sent with it. As you can see, the standard array of seven you need to play most RPGs fits well inside the carved out honeycomb of holders. Each one of them being the same size so you can fit whatever dice you want in each tray. At the top and bottom of the base are two magnets to help hold the lid in place.

The lid comes with two more magnets and a piece of felt cloth, which you can remove if you wish but we don't recommend it. The felt is design to keep the dice in place so that they don't fly about while inside the chest, while the magnets keep the lid on tight. These magnets are actually more powerful than others we've had on previous items, and the primary factor for that is because if these are hooked to your keys, they need to remain locked and not just fly open. I dropped it a few times with keys attached and it never broke open. That's not to say it can't, we're just saying it appears to be able to survive a standard fall from your hands a few times over.

This was an exquisite creation by Elderwood Academy. It's one of those nifty little designs that, at least for me as a mobile gamer, makes things easy. This combined with D&D Beyond made it a cinch to get to a game and be ready within a minute. The cost for each chest is $35, which is pretty reasonable considering the time and care put into these. I highly recommend them for gamers on the go who are always late to games and need to dive in the minute they arrive.