Miniatures, and other tableside accessories

[italianranma]

I once had a decent collection of Reaper and Chainmail miniatures that I used with my local group in college. When I left to join the military, I left all that paraphernalia with them. Now I plan on starting up a new group and was thinking about getting new miniatures and other accessories. For right now I'm planning on printing out square sized pictures and posting them on foamboard, but that won't suffice forever. I also play both warhammer and warmachine, and I enjoy painting and even small conversions (to a lesser extent). I've got elves and humans and undead covered, but for some of the more iconic creatures, kobolds, gnolls, gnomes, etc. I don't know of any wargame equivalent.

I've never collected D&D miniatures (since chainmail anyway). As I understand it, they're completely random. What's a good price to pay per miniature (from ebay, etc.) and is there a list that shows what is in each expansion? Is there a place that I can cherry pick each one I want and order en mass? Also I don't think the miniatures look very good, they're very soft plastic right, not like warhammer plastics that you can make conversions on. If I wanted to go a different route, and buy more plastic or metal pieces, where are some good websites etc. that I should go to? I like the ral partha/reaper pieces, but I don't want to pay $3 plus $3 shipping for each kobold minion.

Finally, I'd like to hear from anyone with experience using dungeon tiles if it's worth it, and what their favorites are.

 

[Zelgadas]

Finally, I'd like to hear from anyone with experience using dungeon tiles if it's worth it, and what their favorites are.

I absolutely love Dungeon Tiles. At $10 a pop, they're pretty cheap, and they're very modular and easy to arrange into useful shapes. By way of example, I have the original Dungeon Tiles set, the Arcane Corridors set, and the Ruins of the Wild set, and between those three (actually, mostly the first two), I'm pretty sure I can construct just about all of the encounters in Keep on the Shadowfell that don't use the poster maps. Plus, they're dry-erasable. They're one of those products that you don't mind buying multiple copies of the same set. Attractive, versatile, sturdy. A good value for money in my opinion.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Here's a checklist for Dungeons of Dread. You can also find the galleries on WotC's site.

For most Commons -- kobolds, goblins, orcs and the like are usually Commons -- you shouldn't go higher than $0.30 each, when bought in lots. Uncommons vary much more, going for anywhere between $0.30 and $2.50 for recent Uncommons, and occasionally higher -- sometimes substantially higher -- for older models. For Rares, the average Rare for the last, say, three sets can be had for $7.00 to $8.00. There are much cheaper models -- typically humanoids or very poor sculpts like the Runecarved Eidolon -- and much more expensive models, like Large dragons or the recent Eye of Flame (beholder). The latter go for upwards of $15.00.

If you want a substantial collection, not just of Commons but with less common creatures, don't let the random nature of DDM throw you off. When you buy in bulk, the randomness is much reduced. (For example, a sealed case of Dungeons of Dread would get you exactly four of each Common, including kobolds, orcs, and goblins.) You can find cases for sale online for as little as $110.00, shipped.

As for Dungeon Tiles ... that's a toughie. They're cheap, and very pretty. So much so that I've purchased two of every set so far. But the thing is, I very rarely use them. You must be committed to preparing them ahead of time, because otherwise the game will slow while you dig for the proper tiles. In a weird way, they're a lot like Dwarven Forge setups in that respect, although in terms of cost and storage, the two media are at opposite extremes.

In any event, they really are cheap enough that you can buy a couple of sets to see if you'll use them, without feeling too much buyer's remorse if you don't. Just be careful to buy more "generic sets;" the later sets, and some of the upcoming sets, are pretty specialized. (For example, I believe the next set will be for building dungeons suitable for giants, which means big spaces, big corridors, and big doors.) The recent desert-themed one is actually pretty generic, and should be easy to find.

As a plug, BTW, I'm selling 21 older DDM Rares (some in very great demand), as a lot, for a very reasonable price. You can find the post on the Marketplace and Miniatures Trading forum, if you're interested.

 

[jasonbostwick]

I've never tried WotC's Dungeon tiles, but I get a lot of use out of Skeleton Key Games e-Adventure tiles printed onto heavy cardstock.

The artwork is crisp, there are tiles for pretty much any environment you could want, and you can print as many of them as you like.

The only downside is that you have to print them yourself, so you can go through ink cartridges pretty quickly.

 

[blargney the second]

If you're going to buy D&D minis, here's what I'd recommend:
1) Look at the galleries on Wizards.
2) Make a list of the figures you'd like to buy (I use Excel to note set, rarity, and how many I want).
3) If there's a set where you want lots of most of the commons, one or two of most of the uncommons, and most of the rares, then buy a case of that set. It really reduces the randomness of the distribution.
4) For everything else pick up singles on the secondary market (like ebay). If you bought a case, let it arrive *before* you order any singles to avoid getting whammied by randomness.

When buying minis on ebay, go for Buy It Now as a general rule. Watch out for shipping costs - the best sellers will give you free shipping, and the worst ones will charge you $15 for a single figure. I gather that Auggie's is good if you live in the States.

I hope this helps!
-blarg

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

I I gather that Auggie's is good if you live in the States.

Seconded. Auggies is fantastic to deal with- I always check with him first before going elsewhere.


As far as terrain, we offer a wide range of cardstock terrain, both 2D and 3D, and have free samples of most of it to try out before you buy. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have (just e-mail or PM me.)

 

[frankthedm]

http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/ is a great site for DIY terrain.

Buying a box of the DESCENT Journeys into the Dark boardgame will net you some nice unpainted plastic figs and some dungeon tile - like pieces.

Auggie's is an awesome DDM resource.

If you don't mind flat counters rather than minis, Fiery Dragon has some really well made counters.

I have been posting counter sheets with a video gamey vibe [see my sig].

 

[italianranma]

Thanks for all the help so far. I went to my FLGS, they had a bin full of ral partha/reaper minis that they were selling for $2 a pack, which was awesome. I'm going to buy that 4.0 mini starter set, and see how I like them, and I also bought the dungeon tiles by WOTC.

Jeff - where is it that I could buy D&D minis like that? From a FLGS? The ones in my area do that sort of thing for Magic cards and the like but I haven't seen any D&D minis.

Zelgadas - Do wet erase markers work as well? I guess I can try it myself. I didn't see it written anywhere that the tiles could be written on. I also picked up a set of Piazo terrain cards, but at first glance they're not as sturdy as the D&D tiles

What is Auggie's that everyone keeps talking about?

Finally, if I do end up ordering a case of D&D minis, where do I order it from? I checked on Amazon, and they ship the individual booster packs of Dungeons of Dread for $10.49 each, free shipping if you buy at least $20 worth. Is that the cheapest?

 

[ThirdWizard]

If you want to buy a case of D&D Minis, you need to get an unopened box of them because of the way they pack the boxes so that you get an even distribution of pieces (no rare repeats especially). Don't just buy a bunch of individual packs. When I bought cases, I did so from my FLGS.

Nowadays I just buy singles, though. Here is Auggie's Store on ebay. You can find good deals on ebay for commons and uncommons. I've been trying fairly successfully to find groups of 4-8 for minions recently. Just try a bunch of searches.

I read over the WotC gallery to figure out which mini I'm looking for when I go hunting. There are lots of, say, goblins out there, and you want to be sure that you're getting the one you want.

 

[blargney the second]

I use ebay to buy cases. I try not to pay more than $125 total with shipping included as a general rule.