Chiming in on the D&D minis (merged with "anyone buying the new Mini's?")
- Thread starter buzz
- Start date
Kichwas
Half-breed
In one of those anti 3.5 threads I said my current take on the minis:
On Dwarven Forge, I'm a big fan of those things. After seeing them in play in another DM's game I decided I wanted to pick them up -so I've recently bought five sets off of eBay. They take a little getting used to and it helps if you prep your scenerios with them in mind - unless you have a very wide range of the sets some shapings will be difficult.
Visually they and my own painted minis really bring the scene alive for me. My next plan is to invest in some outdoor scenery - for which I will probably get railroad hobbyist scenery such as trees and mount them on portable miniatures bases.
arcady said:
On Dwarven Forge, I'm a big fan of those things. After seeing them in play in another DM's game I decided I wanted to pick them up -so I've recently bought five sets off of eBay. They take a little getting used to and it helps if you prep your scenerios with them in mind - unless you have a very wide range of the sets some shapings will be difficult.
Visually they and my own painted minis really bring the scene alive for me. My next plan is to invest in some outdoor scenery - for which I will probably get railroad hobbyist scenery such as trees and mount them on portable miniatures bases.
talinthas said:
Human commoners! Cool! You can never have enough human commoners for me.
I bought a vast number of Chainmail minis in the SVgames sale so it'll be awhile before I buy more, but on balance the new plastic WoTC minis sound good. Not that I need more orcs, and they prob don't go well with my Games Workshop orcs, but they sound cheap & cheerful. I like plastics because I can abuse them without chipping the paint or breaking the weapons off...
Gith Galath
Explorer
I think it's great that the boards provide a space where debates about D&D products can exist. Occasionnally, these may even provide the industry with feedback on their product, which is a good thing.
On the issue of whether the new incarnation of DnD requires the use of minis, I would say that I've never felt constrained by the rules to do this or that, or to buy a product. I mean you could have a complete campaign based on exclusive role-playing sessions, and it would be Dnd. You could play mostly skirmish and mass combat session with occasionnal roel-playing, and it would still be DnD. You can play munckin PCs and focus on roll-play and still it is DnD.
I have always seen the rules as suggestions of what you can do, and the more suggestions you have, the better. Same for products.
So I do not feel constrained to use minis, but for the first time I can have minis ready for play just out of the box. I do not have the time to paint even though I would love to. True the paint jobs range from fair to poor on most minis, but I'll do with them, mostly because they are cheap. If playing with minis does not work for my group, I'll revert to miniless games and still be playing 3.5E.
As for WotC marketing their minis inside and outside other products, it is fine with me. It's a tough, competitive world out there and you survive in the gaming industry as in any other, by selling your products. You don't sell, you're out of business.
My main gripe with WotC's minis is that they look way better on the boxes and in the ads than in reality. As a customer, I would have liked more honesty in the marketing of this product.
Just my two cents,
G.G.
On the issue of whether the new incarnation of DnD requires the use of minis, I would say that I've never felt constrained by the rules to do this or that, or to buy a product. I mean you could have a complete campaign based on exclusive role-playing sessions, and it would be Dnd. You could play mostly skirmish and mass combat session with occasionnal roel-playing, and it would still be DnD. You can play munckin PCs and focus on roll-play and still it is DnD.
I have always seen the rules as suggestions of what you can do, and the more suggestions you have, the better. Same for products.
So I do not feel constrained to use minis, but for the first time I can have minis ready for play just out of the box. I do not have the time to paint even though I would love to. True the paint jobs range from fair to poor on most minis, but I'll do with them, mostly because they are cheap. If playing with minis does not work for my group, I'll revert to miniless games and still be playing 3.5E.
As for WotC marketing their minis inside and outside other products, it is fine with me. It's a tough, competitive world out there and you survive in the gaming industry as in any other, by selling your products. You don't sell, you're out of business.
My main gripe with WotC's minis is that they look way better on the boxes and in the ads than in reality. As a customer, I would have liked more honesty in the marketing of this product.
Just my two cents,
G.G.
buzz
Adventurer
Quick update, I got to mess with the D&D minis again at my Monday game, and, if you weed out a lot of the common ones and cherry-pick the ones with actual *color* and whatnot, they're not as monotone as I originally stated. I still find them pretty darn uniform, though.
I'll be interested to see how the line progresses.
Oh, and Arcady... very insightful! I still am not keen on Dwarven Forge, though.
I'll be interested to see how the line progresses.
Oh, and Arcady... very insightful! I still am not keen on Dwarven Forge, though.
Well, I've finally got some of the new miniatures.
There is some problem with contrast of colours, but it's not a big one for me - I would draw your attention to the Lizardfolk miniature, which is vibrantly coloured and has the coolest shield (a turtle shell) you could imagine.
This is, of course, the initial run of the figures. We can hope that the sculptures, scale and painting get better as they go along. The designers have indicated that such will be the case.
In truth, there have been a fair number of pictures of the minis floating about (including some in Inquest) which looked absolutely horrible.
I don't know if I'll use the miniatures overmuch, but I appreciate having them.
I'm in Australia, but because of the various factors and discounts involved I get them at aus$15 per booster. (About US$9.50). The shelf price where I am is aus$16.50, on top of which I get a discount for being a really good customer of the store.
That's under aus$2 per miniature. Chainmail averaged out to about aus$7 per miniature... on top of which I had to assemble and paint them. Chainmail was overpriced for my money. I still haven't painted any of the 25 miniatures I have for that game, two years after I bought them.
This line is not for those who like metals and have the time and skill to paint them - except for those who want a large number of cheaper figures to represent hordes.
The line works best for those:
* Who don't like painting miniatures, and/or
* Who don't have a large collection - it's a very good way of getting a wide range and large number of miniatures very cheaply.
This isn't you? You have the money to spend on Reaper? No worries! Reaper hasn't suddenly been put out of business!
I would far rather have the alternative way of getting miniatures rather than not having it.
Cheers!
There is some problem with contrast of colours, but it's not a big one for me - I would draw your attention to the Lizardfolk miniature, which is vibrantly coloured and has the coolest shield (a turtle shell) you could imagine.
This is, of course, the initial run of the figures. We can hope that the sculptures, scale and painting get better as they go along. The designers have indicated that such will be the case.
Isn't that always the way?
In truth, there have been a fair number of pictures of the minis floating about (including some in Inquest) which looked absolutely horrible.I didn't - I've run over 200 sessions of 3E and 3.5E, and I've used miniatures for fewer than 10 sessions. Metal miniatures are just way too much trouble for me to cart around, and those cardboard tokens are too fiddly.
I don't know if I'll use the miniatures overmuch, but I appreciate having them.
I'm in Australia, but because of the various factors and discounts involved I get them at aus$15 per booster. (About US$9.50). The shelf price where I am is aus$16.50, on top of which I get a discount for being a really good customer of the store.
That's under aus$2 per miniature. Chainmail averaged out to about aus$7 per miniature... on top of which I had to assemble and paint them. Chainmail was overpriced for my money. I still haven't painted any of the 25 miniatures I have for that game, two years after I bought them.
This line is not for those who like metals and have the time and skill to paint them - except for those who want a large number of cheaper figures to represent hordes.
The line works best for those:
* Who don't like painting miniatures, and/or
* Who don't have a large collection - it's a very good way of getting a wide range and large number of miniatures very cheaply.
This isn't you? You have the money to spend on Reaper? No worries! Reaper hasn't suddenly been put out of business!
I would far rather have the alternative way of getting miniatures rather than not having it.
Cheers!
trancejeremy
Adventurer
Is it just me, or does that lizardman look like he's dressed (or undressed) as a Chippendale's dancer? It looks like he's wearing nothing but a bow tie...
heirodule
First Post
Psion said:
See this is what bugs me the most. What a MINIATURES GAME has traditionally meant is that there is NO grid, distance is measured with a ruler, and Line of Sight is based on egtting down an d lookign at the figures.
There are some positive features of that too, like more accurate spell areas and diagonal movement.
Its that way in WH, WH40k, Chainmail, Battlesystem, etc.
WOTC says they're making a "miniatures game", but really they're making a grid game that could be played with any old token.
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