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[Whimsical]

The time to inform players about minions is NOT right after they defeat them. Time after time, new 4th ed. players who were pleased that they took out some minions quickly feel robbed of their awesomeness when the DM explains to them about this cool new 4th ed. D&D feature.

It helps to not think of minions only having one hit point, but rather that minions just happen to have had the same number of hit points that was done to him by the damage inflicted by the player character. Minion HP isn't 1, but equal to X damage done by the player's attack, plus the damage done by missed attacks.

Don't ever let the player feel he just wasted a huge attack. If a player just happens to use his Daily power on a minion and then crits, don't snatch away the dead miniature right after he rolls his D20. Let him count out how much damage he did and then remove the opponent only after the player gives you the amount of damage he did.

I know DMs are trying to be efficient with time by removing opponents that are obviously killed by the minimum damage done by the player, but it denies the player that satisfying orgasmic pleasure of obliterating an opponent right before the climax of the attack. In fact, have the miniature fly across the room, smack a wall, and end up upside down while exquisitely detailing the special effect of the attack. And then relate the shocked reactions exhibited by the other combatants in the area.