I love miniatures. Depending on one's style of play, miniatures can serve an important in-game function or simply be used as a stand-in for some other piece. Some gamers simply paint minis for the joy of the process. The MiniCrate from Privateer Press certainly goes a long way to appeal to the miniature lover in us all. I love it, but is it right for you?
What's in the Box For this review, I received two unpainted special edition miniatures—the Totem Huntress (April's mini) and the Farrow Brigand War Valkyrie (July's mini). Typically, the Privateer Press MiniCrate will come with only a single miniature. The bodies are cast in resin, while the weaponry are metal. Some assembly is required, but it's extremely straightforward. A special edition info card and and 30mm slotted base are also included.
Building and Prep Though no instructions are included, it was easy to figure out which weapons belonged to each mini by referencing the cards. I washed them in a hot water/detergent mix and scraped hash marks into the metal so it would bond better to the resin. A few dabs of Testor's super glue and 20 minutes later, my minis were ready to be painted. I primed them with Citadel Chaos Black spray, which didn't clog any of the detail. So far, so good. The minis are well sculpted, with exceptional detail. Assembly and priming was simple and didn't take long. My only gripe is while the huntress came with a slot fitting at the bottom of the mini, it didn't fit into the base's slot properly. I had to trim and file it. The Valkyrie didn't have one at all, so I just glued it to the base and filled in the slot.
Pricing The crate is priced at two different tiers—Collector, at $16.99/month and VIP, at $98.99/six months. Where the Collector tier gets you a one of a kind mini and a special edition card, the VIP tier offers the same, but adds the ability to receive discounts and other special offers—such as exclusive minis—as well as a free seventh miniature for subscribing at that level. Additional information on shipping internationally is available at MiniCrate's website.
Practicality So who is the for, exactly? The models can be used in all three Privateer Press games— Hordes, Warmachine and Iron Kingdoms. These particular models certainly have a home in other games like D & D, easily being repurposed for whatever game you're playing. There's also the “collect- and-display” aspect of these minis, which some may find enticing. They're one-of-a kind—the molds are destroyed after the month is up—making them an instant collector's item. The cards are sturdy and beautifully illustrated with concept art and info on the month's miniature. Privateer Press makes a high-quality product with an amazing steampunk flavor and the MiniCrate is no exception.
The largest drawback is the price of the monthly crate. For some, $17 for a single mini and a collector’s card—regardless of how nice it is— just isn't economical. For others, it's worth it to see what you get each month and there's a good possibility we're already spending more than that on 40K stuff throughout the month, anyway. As for me, I highly recommend this box for collectors and hobbyists who may be more into painting and assembly than actually playing.
This article was contributed by David J. Buck (Nostalgia Ward) as part of ENWorld's User-Generated Content (UGC) program. When he isn’t learning to play or writing about RPGs, he can be found onPatreon or Twitter. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
What's in the Box For this review, I received two unpainted special edition miniatures—the Totem Huntress (April's mini) and the Farrow Brigand War Valkyrie (July's mini). Typically, the Privateer Press MiniCrate will come with only a single miniature. The bodies are cast in resin, while the weaponry are metal. Some assembly is required, but it's extremely straightforward. A special edition info card and and 30mm slotted base are also included.
Building and Prep Though no instructions are included, it was easy to figure out which weapons belonged to each mini by referencing the cards. I washed them in a hot water/detergent mix and scraped hash marks into the metal so it would bond better to the resin. A few dabs of Testor's super glue and 20 minutes later, my minis were ready to be painted. I primed them with Citadel Chaos Black spray, which didn't clog any of the detail. So far, so good. The minis are well sculpted, with exceptional detail. Assembly and priming was simple and didn't take long. My only gripe is while the huntress came with a slot fitting at the bottom of the mini, it didn't fit into the base's slot properly. I had to trim and file it. The Valkyrie didn't have one at all, so I just glued it to the base and filled in the slot.
Pricing The crate is priced at two different tiers—Collector, at $16.99/month and VIP, at $98.99/six months. Where the Collector tier gets you a one of a kind mini and a special edition card, the VIP tier offers the same, but adds the ability to receive discounts and other special offers—such as exclusive minis—as well as a free seventh miniature for subscribing at that level. Additional information on shipping internationally is available at MiniCrate's website.
Practicality So who is the for, exactly? The models can be used in all three Privateer Press games— Hordes, Warmachine and Iron Kingdoms. These particular models certainly have a home in other games like D & D, easily being repurposed for whatever game you're playing. There's also the “collect- and-display” aspect of these minis, which some may find enticing. They're one-of-a kind—the molds are destroyed after the month is up—making them an instant collector's item. The cards are sturdy and beautifully illustrated with concept art and info on the month's miniature. Privateer Press makes a high-quality product with an amazing steampunk flavor and the MiniCrate is no exception.
The largest drawback is the price of the monthly crate. For some, $17 for a single mini and a collector’s card—regardless of how nice it is— just isn't economical. For others, it's worth it to see what you get each month and there's a good possibility we're already spending more than that on 40K stuff throughout the month, anyway. As for me, I highly recommend this box for collectors and hobbyists who may be more into painting and assembly than actually playing.
This article was contributed by David J. Buck (Nostalgia Ward) as part of ENWorld's User-Generated Content (UGC) program. When he isn’t learning to play or writing about RPGs, he can be found onPatreon or Twitter. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
