D&D Miniatures - Thumbs up or down?

[Numenorean]

Well, the D&D Miniatures have now been out long enough for most of us to get an opinion of them.

What's yours?

Cheers!

I voted thumbs down for several reasons.

1.) I don't like the random packaging, aka "collection" style marketing.

2.) They have a cheap feel and look, and the paintjobs aren't that good. I prefer classic metal style miniatures.

3.) I don't like buying cheap plastic crap from China (thus propping up a communist nation) made by basically slave labor, when I can buy metal miniatures that I like better AND are made in my country (USA) ... thus employing my fellow countrymen and going directly to the GNP. I'm very picky about buying things from China, and this is no exception.

However the #1 reason I don't like them overall is because of the design. Most of them have a design style that I don't like, or that i don't envision when I think of that character/class/monster/ etc. Lots of goofy looking weapons, armor, shields, that isn't my vision of fantasy.

As a side note I have about 150 metal miniatures I've collected since I started gaming in 82'. They work fine for me, and their design(s) capture the spirit and vision of AD&D and fantasy gaming for me


ps. I will give them kudos on the latest line of monsters they have made. The Giants, Bullette, and a few others are decent.



-Numenorean, aka Beregond on DF

 

[Hoog]

I think they are great, I have not played the mini game yet but we use them in every game we play, and I play in three different ones. The mini make it easier and cheaper to buy minis for bad guys, if a player wants a real mini they buy their own.

 

[Tormenet]

As a homeowner with two kids, I give them two thumbs way, way up. I no longer have time for painting. Plus, the kids would just take the paint.

I do dislike the random pack, but not enough to stop me from buying alot of them.

Tormenet

 

[Piratecat]

Numenorean, I appreciate that you feel strongly about China but your complaints fall under the "No politics" clause at EN World. Please try to keep politically motivated opinions such as this private and to yourself.

Thanks.

 

[Numenorean]

Sorry about that. I should have worded it better.

 

[Piratecat]

Thanks for the apology. And back to the thread!

 

[talinthas]

i love these. But then again, for the past three weeks or so, i've been playing the skirmish game with my friends more or less nightly. Can't do that with pewter =)

 

[Avouz]

I, like many others on this thread, am not fond of the random packaging. I know that's to encourage me to buy more, but it actually tends to turn me off. My money can only go so far.

Still, I voted yes and there's a reason. There are monsters and character types in D&D that I can find nowhere else but in these random packs. Reaper's selection is good (as are a few other companies), but where else am I to find a Osylth (among others) that actually looks like the pic in the MM?

Still waiting for the aspect of Tiamat to make one of these sets. I can't wait to spring THAT on my players.

 

[moticon]

I think the poll shouldn't have had "!" after the choices. I'm not crazy about them, but I like them because they fill a niche in my minis for the weekly home games we play.

I like the mini's but use them only as a supplement to my existing metal miniatures. What I am looking for when I buy them is to inexpensively add some correctly sized and D&D specific to my collection. I've bought a few boxes from each set to avoid getting the same ones over and over again.

I too wish there was an easy, inexpensive way to trade because I've got some rare's that I don't care about and would happily trade away for volume in certain undead and other monsters I could use in my game. I don't want to have to mail them or pay someone else to mail them to me though.

My favorites have been the large miniatures because I have so few in metal. The large and huge mini's have been wonderful, but the $20 for a box with a huge has been hard to swallow...

Moticon