D&D Miniatures alternative.

[almeidafreak]

Now that WotC made the (disappointing) decision to no longer produce D&D miniatures, I wonder if there is any other alternative, similar in quality and price.

Anyone knows?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dausuul]

Now that WotC made the (disappointing) decision to no longer produce D&D miniatures, I wonder if there is any other alternative, similar in quality and price.

Anyone knows?

Thanks in advance!

What exactly do you want out of the alternative? I mean, it's not as if all the DDM figs already on the market are going to just up and vanish. Buying booster packs was always a terrible way to get the figs you wanted--the secondary market offers far better value for your money, and it's still around.

So, the answer might well be, "D&D miniatures."

 

[Stumblewyk]

I'm a fan of the Reaper minis, but they're unpainted metal minis. Mini painting isn't really all that difficult a proposition, but it is time consuming.

I always forget that Reaper does a have a pre-painted plastic mini line, it's just not that extensive: Legendary Encounters

 

[almeidafreak]

I still have some doubts about the issue: they're not releasing new series or ceasing the production completely?

What I mean by "alternative" is another company that produces minis, similar in quality and price.

EDIT: Those reaper minis look neat. Kinda expensive, but their quality is awesome too.

 

[malraux]

I still have some doubts about the issue: they're not releasing new series or ceasing the production completely?

What I mean by "alternative" is another company that produces minis, similar in quality and price.

EDIT: Those reaper minis look neat. Kinda expensive, but their quality is awesome too.

My experience is that really there isn't another company out there making minis at the same price/quality point. DDM were always at the mass produced dreck level of quality/price. While that might sound insulting, it's also why I liked them. I got ok quality, a wide selection, and a low price. Unfortunately, for a mass production product, you need a lot of buyers.

 

[Dausuul]

I still have some doubts about the issue: they're not releasing new series or ceasing the production completely?

As far as I know, there's no difference. My understanding is that each new series runs for a while and then stops--there are no "evergreen" DDMs. WotC appears to be getting out of the minis biz.

What I mean by "alternative" is another company that produces minis, similar in quality and price.

Well, yeah, but what's your definition of "quality?" And, for that matter, what's your definition of "produces?"

I mean, Reaper metal minis have excellent quality in terms of sculpt and detail, far better than DDM, and the selection is top-notch. However, the paint jobs are... well... lacking (as in, nonexistent) and the prices are high. Likewise, they score lower on durability; you can't just throw a bunch of Reaper metals in a bag and cart them along to game night. So whether Reaper metals are a good option depends on what you're looking for. The Legendary Encounters stuff meets a different need, closer to DDM in terms of manufacturing priorities, but with a smaller selection and higher prices since they aren't randomized.

And for "produces"--do you care whether the company makes the minis itself, or just whether it sells them? You can go to RPGLocker, Auggies, or Troll and Toad, and get a heap of DDMs at excellent prices. If you're looking to build up a good collection for gaming purposes, I doubt you'll find better. On the other hand, if you have a big collection already and are looking for new minis, obviously the old stuff isn't going to appeal to you.

If having new minis is important to you, Legendary Encounters may be your best bet.

 

[Ahwe Yahzhe]

Stock Up Now

I've always preferred metal Reapers for PCs and important (recurring) NPCs.

I can't mentally adjust to little cardboard pogs, so I am stocking up on singles I want. The limited supply of single minis out there is now a fixed pool of minis, so if you DIDN'T buy them by the case to get a collection in the thousands, you'd better go shopping for them now before the prices spike for those rarer ones... Other than that, I'd much rather repurpose a pre-painted DDM than paint metal minis for one fight or use two-dimensional tokens...

Let's see I need more undead, more gnolls, and a couple of gelatinous cubes...(/rummages through paltry inventory of about 150 minis.)

 

[Primal]

My experience is that really there isn't another company out there making minis at the same price/quality point. DDM were always at the mass produced dreck level of quality/price. While that might sound insulting, it's also why I liked them. I got ok quality, a wide selection, and a low price. Unfortunately, for a mass production product, you need a lot of buyers.

+1; I just don't have the time to paint minis these days, and even though the quality of WoTC minis has dropped a bit in recent years, I thought it was the best possible bargain for me (and unlike many other DMs out there, I began collecting minis just a couple of years ago). Apparently they just didn't sell enough...

 

[almeidafreak]

By quality I meant "same production standards, resulting in similar final product". Or cheap plastic miniatures.

The Reaper ones are really good looking, but the price is a bit steep. I had 120 miniatures right now, and that was only possible because D&D minis has really awesome prices.

I'm really sad that they're going away, I hate tokens and I refuse to buy them.

I was already departing from WotC products, and this' the final stupid decision they've made for me. I was a great supporter, and spent thousands of dollars on their produtcs. But their recent business model just doesn't please me anymore.

 

[Dausuul]

By quality I meant "same production standards, resulting in similar final product". Or cheap plastic miniatures.

The Reaper ones are really good looking, but the price is a bit steep. I had 120 miniatures right now, and that was only possible because D&D minis has really awesome prices.

I'm really sad that they're going away, I hate tokens and I refuse to buy them.

I was already departing from WotC products, and this' the final stupid decision they've made for me. I was a great supporter, and spent thousands of dollars on their produtcs. But their recent business model just doesn't please me anymore.

If Legendary Encounters prices are too high for you, I'm afraid you're out of luck; it doesn't get a whole lot better. DDM prices were made possible by WotC's economies of scale and the "subsidy" effect of randomized packaging (see Merric's Law of Miniatures). I am not aware of anyone else making plastic prepaints this way or on this scale.

If you're willing to do your own painting or just use unpainted minis, you might look into resold figures from WotC's new board games. Some of the online resellers have taken to opening up the board games and selling off the pieces (which are just unpainted DDMs), and the prices on those are excellent. Edit: And by "some," apparently I mean "Auggies."

Me, I plan to go on a buying spree this weekend and snag every old DDM piece I might possibly want, while the prices are still relatively low.