Review: Pathfinder Minis: Heroes and Monsters

IronWolf · Jan 21, 2012

Would someone cover Erik with some XP for me. Seems I must spread some more around.

Zaukrie · Jan 21, 2012

I understand that you don't control the issue, Erik, but thanks for the reply. While I'm a 4E guy, I still buy a bit of your more fluffy products, and have always loved Paizo's approach to fans and products. I hope the line does well, as I just can't get enough minis. I'll admit, the goblins are especially tempting.

Beolveig · Jan 22, 2012

First, I want to say I am not complaining about the product. I have seen the minis and believe they meet the standard of everything else put out by Paizo which means they are excellent. The only problem I have, and I believe I represent many gamers, is the randomness of it all. I purchase my minis on ebay only because I don't want three or four minis of the same human/demihuman. When it comes to enemies the PCs will encounter I have no problem having multiples of the same miniature...in fact it's welcome. I don't mind having eight goblin warriors/orc warriors/zombies/skeletons/watch guards/etc. What I don't want is two Seelah, human paladins/three human rogues. I know you've made the second type I've mentioned more rare, and thus will appear less likely, I still do not wish to purchase random packs for fear that I've wasted my money thus. If anything appears as a unique PC or NPC in my game I would like it to be more unique and I think it would be nice to see these in blister packs we can choose, while the rest can be random. I understand there is a cost in producing these and the companies need to make their money back as well as a profit, but for the love of God I do not need multiples on unique characters and will only support a secondary market until this gets fixed. For the record, I love Paizo and what they're doing and believe they carry the true D&D torch, but money is getting scarce these days and becoming less disposable.

megamania · Jan 23, 2012

Sammael said:
Looking at the gallery, these are the minis I'm interested in (so if someone were to post high-res photos of them, it'd be greatly appreciated):

Lizardfolk Champion
Half-Orc Barbarian
Medusa
Ettin
Manticore
Giant Caveweaver Spider
Succubus
Lich

The rest I either have in abundance, or the sculpts/paint jobs don't appeal to me.

I thought the pictures on the Paizo Blog were very good. From there, check e-bay (enlarge pictures given) or google and look around). My only issue with the figures you listed above was the 1/2 Orc's arms seem short...... The Manticore seems shaped for cuteness. But I STILL LOVE the sculpts and will be using them.

Using the Dwarf and the Clerics now in my John Play Storyhour.

megamania · Jan 23, 2012

megamania said:
All in all I like these figures.

CONS-
packaging...... my issue isn't the single pack or the amount of pack. Its the lack of security. What is keeping certain groups from cherry-picking the rares and leaving the rest for sales?
No

...and in no way,shape or form would I buy these in any way but as a brick through a bulk discount dealer. Cost and security.... cost and security.

Steel Winds comment- Steel_Wind: " Each booster is sealed with a security tape that must be cut to open the box. "

What I am hesitant about is when selling the individual boxes....not a brick. The bricks are sealed but the individual boxes are not. DDM always put a dap of glue on their lids to keep people from opening the booster packs.

This doesn't stop me from buying personally... I buy a case then cherry-pick on the secondary market what I either didn't get or want more of.

Samurai · Jan 23, 2012

Here's an idea I had... the reason for the randomness is so that people don't cherry pick and sell out on 1 mini while there are dozens of a less popular mini still left, right? Well, how about a set that contains, say, 2 of each common mini and 1 of each uncommon and rare? This way, you are guaranteed to get a complete set with no missing figures, you have a few multiples of the figures you really want them for like orks and goblins, and there is no cherry-picking. It should also significantly reduce the packaging needed, for those to whom that is a big concern.

I can't speak for others, but getting a complete set was my main concern. I'm glad that I did get a full set in the case, though it came very close (I had only 3 small boxes left to open and still needed a medusa when she finally appeared!) I know that if you offered a set like that I would have definitely bought it.

Bluenose · Jan 23, 2012

Samurai said:
Here's an idea I had... the reason for the randomness is so that people don't cherry pick and sell out on 1 mini while there are dozens of a less popular mini still left, right?

The idea for the randomness is that people will buy more of your stuff if they can't get what they want immediately.

As for the figures, you get (sometimes) what you pay for. Wizkids have used cheap plastic moulds, and got the expected results.

Steel_Wind · Jan 23, 2012

megamania said:
Steel Winds comment- Steel_Wind: " Each booster is sealed with a security tape that must be cut to open the box. "

What I am hesitant about is when selling the individual boxes....not a brick. The bricks are sealed but the individual boxes are not. DDM always put a dap of glue on their lids to keep people from opening the booster packs.

This doesn't stop me from buying personally... I buy a case then cherry-pick on the secondary market what I either didn't get or want more of.

A brick is inirially shrink wrapped.

An individual box, in which is contained one mini, large or medium (or 2 small minis) is sealed with a circular piece of security tape, like you would find on a software package or DVD, which secures the lid on each of the individual cartons. You can easily tell if this tape has been tampered with.

When I said the individual boxes are sealed with security tape, I was being accurate.

OhGodtheRats · Jan 24, 2012

Just to chime in (because I think I missed where this tangent started) the security tape didn't appear on the individual boxes (containing 1 mini, etc) for a couple of folks in Germany & the UK.
3 bricks isn't enough to create a proper data set or claim that the European shipments lack that it universally, but it's looking like a trend. On the flipside, everyone who's posted about getting their shipments in the US seems to have noticed it being there.

Not a complaint just a in-the-field report. This issue is why my local shop is going to selling minis individually rather than by the unopened box.
-Jared