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Message: <blockquote data-quote="El Mahdi" data-source="post: 4506862" data-attributes="member: 59506">I haven’t checked back on this thread for a while, so I apologize for not replying to your post sooner.<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/blush.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":blush:" title="Blush    :blush:" data-shortname=":blush:" />It does sound like you're taking a very active role in trying to make D&D minis as good as they can be. Personally, I sincerely appreciate you seeking out serious feedback here on ENWorld. The quality of future sets can't help but improve with this approach.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> If I was able to see the minis in real life (instead of just a photo) I might be able to see what you see in the set. But from the previews and the ddmspoilers site, I really don’t see much of a difference in overall quality between this set and previous sets (I’ll grant though that some of the ddmspoilers pics aren’t the best, and may not even be the actual miniatures you guys are releasing<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":o" title="Eek!    :o"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":o" />). It seems as if either the mini sculpts are lacking detail and definition from the start, or the paint that’s being used or the way it’s applied is too thick, causing a lot of detail to be de-emphasized. I don’t know how these are manufactured, and I really don’t know much about minis manufacturing anyways, but I would think plastic should be able to get as good as, or even better definition than metal minis. However, I tend to lean towards the fault being in the original sculpts. Even Reaper has badly sculpted minis with poor definition, but it seems to be common to certain sculptors and uncommon to other sculptors (Reaper lists the sculptors name with each mini).  The monster minis that catch my eye usually have some or all of the following factors:-A monster I’ve never seen as a mini before.-A really good, realistic sculpt that shows in a glance exactly the purpose or theme of the figure, preferably in a pose or condition the PC’s would find it in (i.e. attacking), but without giving an impression of being “cartoonish”.-Can be modified relatively easy - no sale features: limbs that are molded into the main mass of the mini (like an arm that's molded to the body), weapons that are molded to the forearm, etc.-And most importantly, good sculpt definition, realism, (and in pre-painted minis) good painted highlights. If they aren’t good, the mini is a wash for me. For PC minis:-Race/class combos and weapon selections I haven’t seen in a mini before (although I do understand you need to hit the most common combos for best ability to sell).-Same as monsters, sculpt definition, realism, and well painted highlights. For both:-Unique figures for specific Adventure Modules. (For example, I always wanted minis for The Labrynth of Madness adventure, like the Yuan-Ti Titan.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />) This is the list of ones I would want made that I posted in another thread (I believe you were a part of the thread, but there’s so many like threads on here I know you can’t catch every thread and every post). -Molydeus*-Avariel (male and female)-Cooshee Dog (Forgotten Realms)-Shade (like the one in the 4E & 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Guides)-Foo Dog/Lion/Horse (like the one the samurai is riding on the original Oriental Adventures cover)-Rakastas and Lupins, and maybe even Tortles (from Mystara/Red Steel)-Arcane (from Spelljammer but I use them in my FR games) Also, more minis that can be used as mounts (without including riding figures on them), and I’ll also second some other posters suggestions to make humanoid figures (especially PC useable figures) in a sculpt that can be modified to sit on a mount without too much work (such as having to completely resculpt with green from the waist down). There have been a few minis throughout the sets that could be used as mounts – such as the Rage Drake and Nightmare in Desert of Desolation and the Gorgon in Unhallowed, and there was an unmounted Horse, although it had no saddle or barding, but some more would be good. *I believe a Molydeus was done by Ral Partha about a decade ago, but I'm pretty sure the others have never been made as minis.    Apparently you haven't learned yet to not ask for opinions from people on ENWord.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Anyways, here goes. Nothing personal.<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/blush.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":blush:" title="Blush    :blush:" data-shortname=":blush:" /> This is my 100% personally subjective review of the set, so far: DDM previews: Spellbound Drow Warrior: good (although the preview picture is small and hard to see detail). Shadowflayer: okay sculpt but rudimentary, uninspiring paint job with no highlights. Solamith: sculpt and paint job are horrible, no highlighting and the color choices and sculpt make it look more like a childs toy (the “Evil Fisher Price” collection - quote by FranktheDM). Iron Dragon Prowler: good, decent sculpt, okay paint but there is a lack of highlights. Deathcap: good (well, it’s just a mushroom, not a whole lot of room for variation, so decent sculpt and paint - although it does look a bit cartoonish, but perhaps it wouldn't sell as good if it was more realistically portrayed). Spiretop Drake: terrible, looks like an emaciated cat with wings and socks on it’s paws. Sculpt has a serious lack of definition, and the paint job looks like only three colors were used, including the black in the mouth and the red for the eyes. Shardsoul Slayer: bad, decent paint but the sculpt looks like it’s from some 1970’s Sci-Fi minis collection. Web Golem: fair, okay paint (of course it’s just supposed to be web, so doesn’t need a whole lot of color variation), but the sculpt looks like a bad guy from a Scooby Doo cartoon. The proportions make it look like a cartoon figure. Sharn Redcloak: good, decent sculpt and not a whole lot of highlights on the paint but it’s okay, especially for a common. Bugbear Warrior: good, sculpt is a little cartoonish but paint has decent highlights on the fur, however there’s a lack of highlights on the armor (either to make it look good and elite, or dirty and cheap). Skull Lord: very good sculpt and decent paint job (but could use highlights on the robe). Mezzodemon: absolutely the worst, the sculpt looks squashed and undefined compared to the lithe, crouched insectile look of the MM picture. The paint has no highlights but wouldn’t help anyways, due to the horrible sculpt. Cyclops Hewer: okay sculpt but the paint job is completely lacking in highlights and the color choice for the skin reminds me of a childrens toy or the color of old 1970’s Tupperware.  From Previews September/October and Beyond Stirge Drone: although small and hard to see, what I can see looks horrible. The sculpt lacks enough definition to really see what it is, other than a vague shaped winged creature, and the paint looks like Dukes of Hazard orange with hard to distinguish brown for highlights (the highlights seem to be attempting to add in the detail lacking in the sculpt itself, and, overall the sculpt doesn’t look any better than the very amateur old edition picture that was used as an example – good for nostalgia but not to base a mini on). Dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut: Good sculpt and decent paint (I would always prefer more highlights but this isn’t bad). Will make a very good PC. Human Bandit: very good sculpt with excellent definition and a good paint job. It’s kind of a niche sculpt as far as using it as a PC (figure isn’t in a “combat” pose and doesn’t seem to be showing any weapons – which is okay for a Rogue when you think about it a bit<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />), but it’s very well done. Kuyutha, Exarch of Bahamut: good sculpt with good definition, paint of the main body is good, however, the paint color of the wings don’t match the skin tone of the body. Whatever the name of that color is (as with the color of the Strige Drone), get rid of it and never use it again. It looks like some bad mix of Dukes of Hazzard orange and <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" /> brown for highlights. On another note, as good as the sculpt is, most DM’s will never let a player have a PC with wings, making this almost useless as a PC. These are the only ones I’ve seen on WoTC as previews, if there are others I missed them (but I expect this is at least a majority of the previews). From the <a href="http://www.ddmspoilers.com/dwb_stats2-0.php" target="_blank">ddmspoilers.com</a> site, any one of the following would have been better as previews than the ones above (I don’t know where they get the spoiler pics, unless these will eventually be previews at WoTC also). Rakshasa Assassin (from what I can see it looks really good)Vicious Bearded Devil (much better than the Mezzodemon – in fact planes of existence better<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" />)Drow Demonbinder (looks good, although it seems to be suffering from the same lack of highlights in the painting as most of the others – also from the pic on ddmspoilers, it looks like it probably will be a preview mini – or already was and I missed it).Draegloth Favored One (looks good, and better than most of the previews, except what’s up with the big out of proportion cartoon hands on the extra arms the upper ones).Thoon Hulk (looks really good, although it could use some better highlights also - on the "lower robe")Black Dragon Lurker (this is awesome, however, I think I understand why this one wasn't picked to preview - 1. already have a black dragon in another set, and 2. already previewed a dragon for this set)Yuan-Ti Malison Incanter (also awesome, why not preview this)Ogre Pulverizer (okay sculpt, good paint with highlights)Stormrage Blue Dragon (another absolutely awesome fig)Autumn Wind Ranger (exceptional sculpt and paint and perfect PC material, this would have made an awesome lead-off hitter for the previews)Blood Sladd (not supergood but still better than most of the previews)Brutal Ogre Warhulk (good sculpt and decent paint – not the best of the set but still vastly better than the Cyclops Hewer)Curse Slaad (also not supergood but still better than most of the previews)Kruthik Hive Lord (good sculpt and definition and good paint, although it’s not hard to paint a metallic look – it’s better than most of the previews even though I don’t like it personally, it’s too cartoonish for me – also looks a little too much like a Dreamblade mini for me, even though some of those are pretty useable as aberations or other unique monsters in a D&D game)Girallon – pretty good, at least better than the majority of the previews  Also bad (as bad or worse than the previews):Concord Illithid – good call on not previewing this. Even worse than the Shadowflayer: horrible definition - no face, just tentacles (unless it’s supposed to be this way, but I don't like it).Ettin Spirit-Talker – okay sculpt and paint, but like the Cyclops Hewer, suffers from a lack of highlights for the skin. Also, please stop making figures where hand held objects (weapons, bones, etc.) are “molded” to the arm. This makes them more difficult to modify (add different weapons, shield, objects, etc.). Molded on objects means the arm must be carved and repainted in order to add different items.Minotaur Warrior – a good sculpt but lacks the painted highlights and definition of the fur that the Bugbear Warrior has.Hobgoblin Warcaster – from what I can see of it, the sculpt definition seems lacking, the hands are completely out of proportion to the mini, and that damned orange-ish paint again. The mini looks like it’s wearing a prison jumpsuit (could probably paint DOC on the back and use it for a D20 Modern game as an escaped convict). *Department of CorrectionsCrazed Kuo-Toa – the sculpt looks like a 1st edition MM picture or a 30 year old Ral Partha mini. Why not update it for a more realistic and deadly look look like the Kuo-Toa on the cover of Dungeon 158. This mini looks more like prey than predator. Instead of looking "Crazed", this mini looks "Stoned".Kruthik Adult - pretty much the same comments as the Kruthik Hive Lord, except personally, I really don’t like this sculpt. Also from the DDMspoilers site but don’t have good enough photos for commenting:Halfling ArcherWarforged Battle CaptainQuickling Runner (can see better than the others but still not good enough for a fair critique, although at first blush it doesn’t look very impressive to me) Overall, I’d give the set as revealed so far (on DDM spoilers) an average rating of 3 stars (2.7 to be exact), and the ones only shown in WoTC previews, an average rating of 2 stars.  Peter Lee, Master Time Traveller. Sweet!<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool    :cool:"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" />Pssst. While you're there in the Future, how about some samples from PHB2 and some info on PHB3.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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