D&D 4E Desert of Desolation Minis... 4E preview thoughts

[Reaper Steve]

Here's my thoughts regarding the DoD minis as a preview of 4E:
Angel of Vengeance - new creature that will be in MM4E. Looks cool, and I like that they will be 'Angels.'
Macetail Behemoth - an Ankylosaurus by any other name, but I like the non-dinosaur name and hope they continue it.
Manticore Sniper - a MUCH better figure than the previous. I like the return to a more classic look... easily my favorite manticore fig from any suystem.
Osyluth - after holding it in my hand, I'm sold on the new Bone Devil look. The website pic isn't from the best angle and doesn't do it justice. A very nice fig.
Blade Spider - another new creature. Looks good, but my favorite large monstrous spider is the one from Dragoneye
Cyclops - another great fig for a new creature. Contrary to the discussion based on the website pic, his single eye does look correct... it is not on the bridge of his nose.
Drider - nothing 4E here, but man, it's a gorgeous fig!
Feral Troll - love the beefier troll!
Fire Archon - cool fig for another new creature.
Ogre Brute - another great revision. Much better than the yellow Jar Jar Binks types we were getting. This looks like I expect an ogre to look.
Ettercap Webspinner - the first (and maybe only) fig that I like the old looks better.
Black Woods Dryad - nice new look. You know they mean business.
Rot Scarab Swarm and Demonweb Swarm - I like doing swarms this way, as mobs of flat medium bases instead of the previous piled up large bases. makes for better mechanics and aesthetics. Some people may feel these are a ripoff, but I disgaree. I like the functionality and I think it frees up room in the budget and the boxes for more larges. With maybe one exception, I think I got a nice large in every box that had one of these. I also seemed to notice that a box with a good large would have one of each of these and five mediums. Still a good deal, IMO, since this set seemed to have lots of nice larges.
Boneshard Skeleton - new creature, with a really evil drak gray & red color. Nice skellie fig that's not doing the lawnmower like the Deathlock or Deathguard.

I think that's all that have any hints toward 4E. I gotta run...my wife's calling me to watch 'Big Bang Theory' (appropo, huh?) Anyway, I think that DoD is a fantastic set sculpt and paint wise... they've come a long way since Harbinger.

 

[Agamon]

Yup, a great set, I thought. A little lacking in dragons, and the shadow mastiff is ebon black instead of the opaque shadow molding used last set, but nice over all.

And as much as I dislike the idea of an ooze that's 'evolved' to fit perfectly into a 10' by 10' corridor, I love my Gelatinous Cube (nostalgia, I think).

 

[Reaper Steve]

Actually, if you hold the shadow mastiff with a light behind it, you can tell it's not solid black. It is translucent, but it does have much more pigment than the shadow or shadow dragon.

I was a little disappointed that the gelatinous cube is clear... I've always envisoned it as having a green tint (or, blue, from the 3E artwork.) It is cool that you can pop off the base and put something inside it!

 

[Dire Bare]

Angel of Vengeance - new creature that will be in MM4E. Looks cool, and I like that they will be 'Angels.'
Macetail Behemoth - an Anklysaurus (sp) by any other name, but I like the non-dinosuar name and hope they continue it.
Manticore Sniper - a MUCH better figure than the previous. I like the return to a more classic look... easily my favorite manticore fig from any suystem.
Osyluth - after holding it in my hand, I'm sold on the new Bone Devil look. The website pic isn't from the best angle and doesn't do it justice. A very nice fig.
Blade Spider - another new creature. Looks good, but my favorite large monstrous spider is the one from Dragoneye
Cyclops - another great fig for a new creature. Contrary to the discussion based on the website pic, his single eye does look correct... it is not on the bridge of his nose.
Drider - nothing 4E here, but man, it's a gorgeous fig!
Feral Troll - love the beefier troll!
Fire Archon - cool fig for another new creature.
Ogre Brute - another great revision. Much better than the yellow Jar Jar Binks types we were getting. This looks like I expect an ogre to look.
Ettercap Webspinner - the first (and maybe only) fig that I like the old looks better.
Black Woods Dryad - nice new look. You know they mean business.
Rot Scarab Swarm and Demonweb Swarm - I like doing swarms this way, as mobs of flat medium bases instead of the previous piled up large bases. makes for better mechanics and aesthetics. Some people may feel these are a ripoff, but I disgaree. I like the functionality and I think it frees up room in the budget and the boxes for more larges. With maybe one exception, I think I got a nice large in every box that had one of these. I also seemed to notice that a box with a good large would have one of each of these and five mediums. Still a good deal, IMO, since this set seemed to have lots of nice larges.
Boneshard Skeleton - new creature, with a really evil drak gray & red color. Nice skellie fig that's not doing the lawnmower like the Deathlock or Deathguard.

Nice post! I'm thinking the "Angel of Vengeance" means a redesign of what it means to be an Angel, formerly Aasimon. Will we see Devas, Planetars and Solars in 4E? How about Agathinons or Lights?

I'm hoping the new dino name "Macetail Behemoth" means that all dinos in 4E will get non-scientific names, a al Eberron! I always hated describing the huge creature crashing out of the jungle, then naming it Brontosaurus!

How similiar is the "Blade Spider" to the already existing "Sword Spider"?

It also looks like "Archon" no longer means what it used to mean for D&D. Instead of lawful outsider from Celestia, it has a more dictionary meaning as in a leader or exemplary member of a group.

 

[Baby Samurai]

It also looks like "Archon" no longer means what it used to mean for D&D.

I'm thinking they have a connection to the Elemental Chaos/Tempest (fire archon etc).

Also, Archomentals (Ogremoch, Yan-C-Bin etc)?

 

[Nebulous]

I love this set, think it's one of the better ones actually. Those Yuan-ti malison archers are awesome! I don't have the Gelatinous Cube yet, but now that i hear the base comes off, i might have to snag one. I don't know about anyone else, but i usually don't care about any of the character figures. I just want the damn monsters.

 

[the Jester]

I don't know about anyone else, but i usually don't care about any of the character figures. I just want the damn monsters.

True dat. I'd love a few sets that were "monsters only", even if they were randomized re-sorts of the previous sets.

 

[Mortellan]

True dat. I'd love a few sets that were "monsters only", even if they were randomized re-sorts of the previous sets.

This is true. I am rarely impressed with character minis.

Also, from the OP, I disagree with the Drider. I held one last night and the spider part was cool but the drow half was terrible. It made me want to break it off and just use it as a giant spider.

 

[Nebulous]

This is true. I am rarely impressed with character minis.

Also, from the OP, I disagree with the Drider. I held one last night and the spider part was cool but the drow half was terrible. It made me want to break it off and just use it as a giant spider.

The drider, i'm afraid, is not the best Rare mini. The elf part is really, really tiny and not intimidating at all.

 

[Reaper Steve]

The drider, i'm afraid, is not the best Rare mini. The elf part is really, really tiny and not intimidating at all.

Well, it creeped my two-yr old daughter out when I was opening them!

I agree with the comments about the elf part being somewhat small, but I think he mini is great from a 'total package' perspective. I like it better than the Drider Sorcerer or the Aspect of Lloth.