Plane Sailing said:
I wonder how the business would work if they did allow people to buy what they want, whether it would thrive or what? Would be people who'd start buying make up for those who don't have to buy several sets? I don't imagine it'll ever happen though.
Merric's Law of Miniatures: Non-Random Packaging, Cheap Prices, and a Large Range of Figures: Choose two.
If you lost the randomness, either the prices of the overall range would have to go up, or the range of different figures would have to go down.
Lots of people want trolls, ogres, orcs, goblins and suchlike. Fewer people want chokers, destrachans, flumphs and so forth. Part of the beauty of the D&D Minis line is that you can find these exotic miniatures.
If you keep producing the exotic miniatures, then because they don't sell individually, the price of the rest of the figures has to rise to cover the loss from the exotics.
Alternatively, you lose the exotics and you have Just Another Generic Miniature Line.
Most of the time, I think Wizards do a pretty good job of selecting the rare miniatures. Most of the time I think they get it wrong it's because of a cost issue: the figure is too expensive to make as an uncommon.
Consider the rare list from
Aberrations:
Alusair Obarskyr
Exorcist of the Silver Flame
Warforged Hero
Adventuring Wizard
Crow Shaman
Frenzied Berserker
Half-Elf Bow Initiate
Valenar Commander
Ryld Argith
Wyvern
Achaierai
Green Dragon
Hook Horror
Mind Flayer Telepath
Skullsplitter (it looks like a human barbarian of some sort)
Flesh Golem
Chuul
Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis
Gibbering Mouther
Ice Troll
Ogre Zombie
Yuan-Ti Abomination
How many of those miniatures shouldn't be rare? Honestly, how often does the average D&D game use those monsters?
For me, I'd rather that the Flesh Golem and Hook Horror were not rare. The Ice Troll would also be nice as an uncommon. I'm not so sure about the rest.
Cheers!