D&D minis alternatives

[Munin]

I'm just wondering if anyone is aware of any alternatives (either currently available or in the works) to D&D miniatures..ie, cheap, plastic, pre-painted minis for fantasy gaming. It seems like, at least I'm hoping, that the laws of a competitive market would dictate that someone should be copying 'the man' by now...

 

[Glyfair]

Mage Knight figures fit the bill, although the copying is backwards (WotC was copying MK with their own twist). Since MK was cancelled, you can get great deals on the figures. More than likely you'll want to remove the dials and remount them, but it isn't 100% needed (but the dials do take up a lot of space).

 

[Munin]

Yeah, I thought about that, but I could never really get into their 'look'. It seems like someone would jump on the bandwagon, given the success of the minis line.

 

[Glyfair]

Yeah, I thought about that, but I could never really get into their 'look'. It seems like someone would jump on the bandwagon, given the success of the minis line.

As has been mentioned before, starting a plastic miniatures line requires a huge initial investment. Before you decide to "jump on the bandwagon" you pretty much have to be sure of have a big successful hit. Few companies are willing to take that risk, especially when the market leader is so hard to unseat. I've seen several companies here say they looked into the idea (often to serve the market with a non-random model) and found the expenses too daunting.

Rackham is the latest company to try it, with At-43, but that's a military game.

 

[Kunimatyu]

If you enjoy hacking minis off their bases with a razorblade or small saw, you could try Dreamblade.

 

[Glyfair]

If you enjoy hacking minis off their bases with a razorblade or small saw, you could try Dreamblade.

Of course, there are size issues there (OK if you are looking for large figures). Heroscape is another alternative, but "cheap" is debatable. Still it's probably the cheapest terrain/miniature combination.