D&d Minis Hurrayyy!
- Thread starter lobstermagnet
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johnsemlak
First Post
A few questions from someone not acquainted with fantasy wargaming...
1. What exactly is a 'skirmish' game?
2. Will the Miniatures Handbook be a viable purchase (based on information available so far) for those not particularly planning on running large-scale battles (i.e. is it worth buying for what it adds to the D&D RPG)
3. On a related issue, is there a set of d20 rules for mass-combat that allows a DM to quickly resolve a battle by calculating the relative strengths of the armies (something like the old <i>War Machine</i> rules in the Companion Boxed Set)?
1. What exactly is a 'skirmish' game?
2. Will the Miniatures Handbook be a viable purchase (based on information available so far) for those not particularly planning on running large-scale battles (i.e. is it worth buying for what it adds to the D&D RPG)
3. On a related issue, is there a set of d20 rules for mass-combat that allows a DM to quickly resolve a battle by calculating the relative strengths of the armies (something like the old <i>War Machine</i> rules in the Companion Boxed Set)?
johnsemlak said:
It's mainly a marketing term meant to convey fast, easy play and distinguish it from more massive miniature games like Warhammer that scare people off with the investment required.
In other words, Mage Knight.
Which means that the rules aren't really designed for "large scale battles", only the type of stuff you could already play out with D&D rules... The only difference are the "collectible" minis and stat cards.
I believe Cry Havoc from Malhavoc Press is the most recent mass combat supplement out there, but I have no idea how good it is - it claims to do what you need, though...
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Wombat
First Post
Hmmm.
Well, after looking the minis over, reviewing the list of what is going to come out, and reading these threads, I have gone from cursorary interest to absolute non-interest.
I think I'm better off buying minis on an as-needed basis to fit the mix I have in my games and not go the grab bag approach. Coupling the random element with the blandness of the paint jobs, I think I am far better off on my own.
**shrug**
One man's opinion; I certainly would never stop anyone else from picking them up.
Hey, I know people who really like HeroClix -- I may not get the fascination, but they seem to be having fun.
Just don't drag me into another session of it
Well, after looking the minis over, reviewing the list of what is going to come out, and reading these threads, I have gone from cursorary interest to absolute non-interest.
I think I'm better off buying minis on an as-needed basis to fit the mix I have in my games and not go the grab bag approach. Coupling the random element with the blandness of the paint jobs, I think I am far better off on my own.
**shrug**
One man's opinion; I certainly would never stop anyone else from picking them up.
Hey, I know people who really like HeroClix -- I may not get the fascination, but they seem to be having fun.
Just don't drag me into another session of it
frankthedm
First Post
JoeGKushner said:
Let me guess, 1 Ral Partha, 2 Reaper Bathalians?
Creamsteak
Explorer
I like hardened plastic and what not. The mage-knight style plastic is ugly and feels wrong to me. I also don't like random packaging.
So I'm not buying them unless I can get them for 50% of thier retail price. That simple...
So I'm not buying them unless I can get them for 50% of thier retail price. That simple...
mmu1 said:
Not really accurate.
"Skirmish" indicates battles fought with only a few combatants on each side, the scale is 1 miniature represents 1 combatant. In general, most skirmish battles consisted of fewer than 20 figures per side.
"Mass-combat" indicates battles fought with many combatants on each side. To handle the scale (which may deal with 1000 or more combatants on each side), figures generally represent 10 or 20 combatants.
Chainmail was Skirmish-only. It was a major failing of the game; originally there were plans to scale it up to mass-combat, but such did not occur, indicating the confusion in Wizards over what the game was intended to achieve. There is a definite difference between Chainmail and D&D - leadership rules being the main one - but not enough to capture my imagination.
D&D Miniatures is designed for three (primary) purposes:
* To provide a cheap source of miniatures for the D&D Role-playing game, which appeal to people who don't have a lot of time to spend assembling and painting miniatures.
* To provide a skirmish level wargame, on the level of Mordheim or Mage Knight
* To provide a mass-combat level wargame, on the level of Warhammer or Battlesystem.
With regard to the first reason - which is the main reason I'm interested in the line, and I suggest a similar reason applies to most readers on ENworld - these figures are NOT going fill every need you'll have for miniatures in the D&D game.
However, they will give you a good starting point.
A DM will be able to easily get a selection of monster figures for a cheap price. Don't understimate how good the price is! At $1.25 a figure, with no painting or assembly required, that's very good for most people.
For unique figures (PCs and strange monsters) that the DM really wants, this line isn't probably going to help. Instead, it will most likely fuel more interest in metal miniatures. Reaper will benefit quite well, I suggest.
Cheers!
Bran Blackbyrd
Explorer
Re: Re: Re: Re: beating a dead horse
1:) Between the prices they want for the packs and the random factor I bet it would cost more per D&D mini to actually get what you want, instead of "fishing" for what you want by buying 10-20 dollar packs.
2:) The cash you save just going to another mini company and flat out buying what you want will pay for those paints and brushes.
3:) If you are satisfied with the paint job on those D&D minis you could easily replicate the same level of detail on a "pewter" mini in about 2 minutes (not counting the, still paltry, amount of time it takes for the paint to dry).
You beat me to it!
I have that mini and we haven't even used gnomes yet in any of our campaigns. He just looks cool!
Mordheim by GW is a skirmish game. My friend bought the rules but we use Reaper minis. It's not like we give a rat's hairy buttocks about official games since there aren't any going on between here and State College PA (take that GW).
MerricB hit the nail on the head. 1 mini = 1 character and there usually aren't very many characters on each team.
With mass combat games 1 mini usually = many identical troops. The exception being leaders and unique heroes. I don't really play either one. Too much battle, not enough characterization.
--
The people saying that these new D&D minis don't look too bad must be mentally adding "compared to *Clix minis". They are really and truly butt-ugly. The quality reminds me of the bags of plastic army men or cowboys and indians only with some splashes of paint. You could buy those for, what, a buck-fifty for a bag of about 30+ figures? WoTC wants 10-20 dollars a pack for their army men. It's like someone over there started an April Fools prank that has gone too far. I'm trying hard to believe that this is just a talking suit at Hasbro pushing Wizards to come up with the next Pokemon.
The bottom line is that the figures are ugly, the paint jobs are too. Reaper will get my dollar every time. Too bad Confrontation minis are so expensive to import or I'd grab some of those as well.
Speaking as a TT-RPG player; the minis are too ugly to pay so much money for and then not even get the ones you wanted.
Speaking as someone who plays other games, collectible and otherwise; I don't care how good the rules might be, I'm not plunking down that much scratch for minis of such poor quality.
Edited for unauthorized smiley faces! Get out, out, out!
d4 said:
1:) Between the prices they want for the packs and the random factor I bet it would cost more per D&D mini to actually get what you want, instead of "fishing" for what you want by buying 10-20 dollar packs.
2:) The cash you save just going to another mini company and flat out buying what you want will pay for those paints and brushes.
3:) If you are satisfied with the paint job on those D&D minis you could easily replicate the same level of detail on a "pewter" mini in about 2 minutes (not counting the, still paltry, amount of time it takes for the paint to dry).
mmu1 said:
You beat me to it!
I have that mini and we haven't even used gnomes yet in any of our campaigns. He just looks cool!
Mordheim by GW is a skirmish game. My friend bought the rules but we use Reaper minis. It's not like we give a rat's hairy buttocks about official games since there aren't any going on between here and State College PA (take that GW).
MerricB hit the nail on the head. 1 mini = 1 character and there usually aren't very many characters on each team.
With mass combat games 1 mini usually = many identical troops. The exception being leaders and unique heroes. I don't really play either one. Too much battle, not enough characterization.
--
The people saying that these new D&D minis don't look too bad must be mentally adding "compared to *Clix minis". They are really and truly butt-ugly. The quality reminds me of the bags of plastic army men or cowboys and indians only with some splashes of paint. You could buy those for, what, a buck-fifty for a bag of about 30+ figures? WoTC wants 10-20 dollars a pack for their army men. It's like someone over there started an April Fools prank that has gone too far. I'm trying hard to believe that this is just a talking suit at Hasbro pushing Wizards to come up with the next Pokemon.
The bottom line is that the figures are ugly, the paint jobs are too. Reaper will get my dollar every time. Too bad Confrontation minis are so expensive to import or I'd grab some of those as well.
Speaking as a TT-RPG player; the minis are too ugly to pay so much money for and then not even get the ones you wanted.
Speaking as someone who plays other games, collectible and otherwise; I don't care how good the rules might be, I'm not plunking down that much scratch for minis of such poor quality.
Edited for unauthorized smiley faces! Get out, out, out!
Last edited:
Dagger75
Epic Commoner
I'll buy a few packs. I will also admit I use mage knight figs for D&D. There was a skeleton thing from mage knight, common fig, I had like 5 of them and it looks almost exactly like the winter wraith from the epic level hand book.
As for painting them, I have a hard enough time priming them correctly. I don't have the patience to paint minituars. I can stand in a line for 3 hours to register for college courses and not get mad but I can't sit down and paint mini's for 15 minutes. Maybe now I can upgrade from pennies and nickles to painted mass produced plastic figs
As for painting them, I have a hard enough time priming them correctly. I don't have the patience to paint minituars. I can stand in a line for 3 hours to register for college courses and not get mad but I can't sit down and paint mini's for 15 minutes. Maybe now I can upgrade from pennies and nickles to painted mass produced plastic figs
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