Review: Pathfinder Minis: Heroes and Monsters

Cergorach · Jan 20, 2012

I remember when I ordered DDM and SWM, a couple of cases generated a lot of carton and plastic waste (although folding the boxes did help a lot with the amount of waste). The biggest waste generator for prepainted miniatures to date was Rackham with Confrontation and AT-43, I was quite happy that by that time we had a plastic pickup service, it generated a couple of garbage bags full of plastic waste (and a very large box of carton).

I'm happy that a single case pretty much guarantees a full set, I've had incomplete sets with six DDM sealed cases and SWM was way worse with their super rares.

FitzTheRuke · Jan 20, 2012

Good review. Pretty much sums up my impression of them.

To the guy in Victoria: Ask the retailer what he's thinking. Piazo's website lists 'em at $4 Medium and $6 Large (which isn't right either, with 16 mediums and only 3 larges in a brick, they should be more like $3 or $3.50 and $8 or $7 respectively - unless the retailer wants to sell out of larges and be stuck with mediums.)

But $12 Larges? That's just crazy.

DaveMage · Jan 20, 2012

IronWolf said:
Nice review. I am glad you called out the packaging waste associated with these minis. That pile of trash from the packaging is pretty telling.

Agreed.

What a waste...

OpsKT · Jan 20, 2012

Steel_Wind said:
By the time you get through opening an entire case of minis, one thing is clear: you just spent a lot of money on throw away packaging. The sheer number of trees that died to package an entire case of [/SIZE]Pathfinder Battles: Heroes and Monsters is not simply wasteful -- it is embarrassing. Not only are we wrecking the environment with all this needless packaging, but I am paying for the privilege of doing so, too. All of this full color glossy illustrated cardboard comes at a significant cost – and I’m paying full retail for it. Was I happy to receive and throw away all of this crap? No and HELL NO.

Wonder how much less the packaging would have been (but the cost would have gone up) to have non-random clear blister-and-card traditional packaging?

Zaukrie · Jan 20, 2012

The packaging waste is enough for me not to buy any. And, I've been itching to buy minis since DDM was cancelled. Embarrassing.

Erik Mona · Jan 21, 2012

OpsKT said:
Wonder how much less the packaging would have been (but the cost would have gone up) to have non-random clear blister-and-card traditional packaging?

It would have been so expensive to have been impossible.

Several of these miniatures will eventually appear in that format in what we're calling "Encounter Packs" of around a half-dozen minis. That product format should be more palatable for people who don't like the randomness, and who want less wasteful packaging.

That said, the only reason we can offer that format is by defraying the up-front costs with random minis, so you've got to have the random to get the non-random later.

--Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing

Zaukrie · Jan 21, 2012

There is way more waste than WotC had with their random minis. Randomness does not require this level of packaging waste. Too bad, I have money burning holes in my RPG budget pockets.

Erik Mona · Jan 21, 2012

I think the waste issue is a fair criticism, and one I hope WizKids takes steps to address. Since those are not my decisions, all I can say is "that's a big pile in that there picture," and see where things go from here.

--Erik

Sammael · Jan 21, 2012

Is there a gallery of production minis on Paizo's site? If not, why not?

As someone who owns roughly 2500 DDM (and that's a small collection compared to some people on these boards), I may pick up a few minis on the secondary market, but the previewed sculpts looked too cartoony for my taste. Some comparison photos with DDM would be nice too.

The price of boosters is so insane that singles from deep discount stores (Miniature Market, RPG Locker, Auggie's) seem to be the only reasonable way to get them.

OpsKT · Jan 21, 2012

Erik Mona said:
I think the waste issue is a fair criticism, and one I hope WizKids takes steps to address. Since those are not my decisions, all I can say is "that's a big pile in that there picture," and see where things go from here.

--Erik

Not to burst your bubble here, but have you looked at the company you partnered with for these minis? They do good sculpts, but their packaging strategy has been pretty much that since day one. No offense, but how could you not know that WizKids loves to use oil and murder trees? Okay, maybe not WizKids, but the people they contract with in China sure do. And probably charge more for it.

I know the long standing theory on pre-painted minis is Quality, Cheap, Non-Random, pick 2 but Paizo is a company based on figuring out new ways to do established business models. Maybe a new model is what this needs.

Have you considered semi-random, pre-painted, quality, and cheap? Each blister is packed random (of 2-3 minis, based on size) in a blister on a card. Odds are out of 2-3 minis, at least one in every pack would be one that someone wants.

Or have you considered non-random, on a blister and card, and unpainted. Some of us still like to paint, and like plastic because it's less likely to break. I remember a lot of players in the LGS saying that they wished Wizards would offer the unpainted minis separate like in the Board Games, cause they could paint them themselves. Or even just use them unpainted and color them with imagination.

Just some ideas. But if you want this to work, you have to challenge the established model, otherwise you are just doing DDM v2.0 at more cost. When many of us just don't have the money to do it.