DnD Miniatures...Discuss

[ced1106]

So would you be willing to pay $5 per miniature for a non-random set of pre-painted miniatures?

That's the going price for this a line of pre-painted non-random miniatures at the FLGS. I don't know how well the sets are selling, but randomizing figures are a **huge** benefit for the FLGS:

* Less display area required. Much easier to display two boxed products than 150 blister packs of miniatures.

* Less dead stock. What do you do, as a FLGS, when you run out of the most popular mini's and are stuck with others no one wants to buy?

* Less shoplifting: Just try keeping blister packs behind the display counter.

I actually stopped buying HeroClix partially because of the random packaging (I'd don't need more than one of each sculpt), and the secondary market is cheaper per figure. OTOH, multiples of creatures for D&D are fine with me.

Oh, and you can't buy individual miniatures through Potomac...


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[satori01]

Stat Cards are a good thing in my opinion. While I am ambivalient about the new minatures line, I love the stat cards for chainmail minatures. I have never played chainmail, but cool figures like the Ogre Ranger, Gnoll Monk, etc with chainmail stats included were always good inspirations for nice encounters.

 

[bolen]

So is there a game to go with the minis or is the game just D&D?

The thing that makes mage knight a good idea is the click base that was very clever.

 

[shadow]

Stat Cards aside, my biggest complaint is the issue of randomness. Some people will just buy hundreds of booster packs just to "collect them all". However, I usually get miniatures that I think that I'll use in games. Often I'll buy a mini with a specific PC or NPC in mind. How many booster pack will I have to buy before I get that dwarf fighter, or female half-elf bard? And for monsters, I'd rather spend five dollars to get a dire wolf mini than to have to buy booster pack after booster pack and pray that I get the mini that I need.

 

[Cerubus Dark]

Stat Cards aside, my biggest complaint is the issue of randomness. Some people will just buy hundreds of booster packs just to "collect them all". However, I usually get miniatures that I think that I'll use in games. Often I'll buy a mini with a specific PC or NPC in mind. How many booster pack will I have to buy before I get that dwarf fighter, or female half-elf bard? And for monsters, I'd rather spend five dollars to get a dire wolf mini than to have to buy booster pack after booster pack and pray that I get the mini that I need.

Dude I will trade you for your unwanted (and unloved?) models! Hehe, I think these will be a bit better than using Mage Knight Figures for D&D. (only reason I really got into the game and became an Envoy for their company)

 

[Pants]

Stat Cards aside, my biggest complaint is the issue of randomness. Some people will just buy hundreds of booster packs just to "collect them all". However, I usually get miniatures that I think that I'll use in games. Often I'll buy a mini with a specific PC or NPC in mind. How many booster pack will I have to buy before I get that dwarf fighter, or female half-elf bard? And for monsters, I'd rather spend five dollars to get a dire wolf mini than to have to buy booster pack after booster pack and pray that I get the mini that I need.

One word: Reaper.

 

[Olive]

Stat Cards aside, my biggest complaint is the issue of randomness. Some people will just buy hundreds of booster packs just to "collect them all". However, I usually get miniatures that I think that I'll use in games. Often I'll buy a mini with a specific PC or NPC in mind. How many booster pack will I have to buy before I get that dwarf fighter, or female half-elf bard? And for monsters, I'd rather spend five dollars to get a dire wolf mini than to have to buy booster pack after booster pack and pray that I get the mini that I need.

Two words: secondary market

How are you worse off by WotC doing this? In no way? So why do you care?

 

[Eternalknight]

So is there a game to go with the minis or is the game just D&D?

The thing that makes mage knight a good idea is the click base that was very clever.

Yes there is, there will be a book called D&D Miniatures (I think)

 

[Kesh]

Yep. A basic ruleset will be in the main "starter" box, and then a hardback book D&D Miniatures will be published with more detailed rules.

 

[maddman75]

Its not that it harms people in any way, its that they are making a product that sounds so promising at first, but then you hear the disappointment of 'collectable'. Here's how I see it.

They arne't going to go over huge with the D&D base. For the most part, when you want an orc you want an orc. Many will buy a box or two, but not the fanatical levels you see for collectible game players.

The mage knight/hero clix people aren't going to get into them either, since from their perspective its just a ripoff of mage knight without the cool clicky base. So you're left with the people who play D&D and mage knight, who may get into it for awhile.

If they'd given us a bone and made them semi-collectable. Say you buy a pack of orcs, with several typical orc models, a couple rarer ones (shamans and such) and a rare orc chieftan type, that would be something.

As far as the secondary market, that pretty much blows the 'blister packs take up too much room' arguement. I mean the shelf space required to handle singles will far outstrip blister displays. Not to mention the time investment. And for the consumer the last thing I want is to haggle over the price of a freakin mind flayer.

Creature collection, dragonscale, and reaper are going to continue to get my business.