Minis for TTRPGs

[stormwriter]

My favorite is Reaper Minis, but recently I've been migrating to figure flats (standees), like the Dragonbane ones or Wanderer's Emprium ones, I think Paizo also publishes a bunch of them. I also don't like painting so these already have a great colorful art, and are easy to store and sort through.

One thing I miss is having more options for generic sci-fi and modern minis. I've seen some of the Stargrave ones, but I didn't like them very much and I haven't found much else beyond Warhammer 40k. I would love like a big pack from Reaper Minis, but only for sci-fi/modern.

 

[MGibster]

Have been into Games Workshop/Citadel (Miniatures) for 35+ years, current generation GW minis I wouldn't really use for most TTRPGs (outside of the warhammer fantasy/40k RPGs). Got quite a bit of Grenadier, Ral Partha, HeartBreaker, RAFM, Rackham, etc.

A lot of the GW Age of Sigmar miniatures are generic enough that you can use them for D&D or other fantasy games. From their 40k line, the Imperial Guard, Necron, and even the Tyranid are generic enough that you can use them in a wide variety of games. Their Necromunda line have a lot of models appropriate for various science fiction, post apocalyptic, or even cyberpunk games. (I think their Necromunda line have been some of their best, most creative work in the last decade.)

Games Workshop makes some pretty good models, but the reason I didn't have them on my list of favorites for TTRPGs is the price point. If you want to buy an individual miniature for a player character or an important NPC it's going to set you back at least $30. And big monsters like dragons or giants? You're looking at $150 or more. I cannot recommend GW to anyone who isn't a dedicated modeler/painter.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

LEGO

Pros:

• they just look awesome, and everybody seems to like them at the table
• you have some freedom to build your own PC minis
• you can change weapons or held objects
• they bring more cheerfulness to the gaming table

Cons:

• they take more space than traditional minis, and feel cramped on official battle maps
• there's a large range of humanoid-like creatures and animals but may be difficult and expensive to get
• non-humanoids and larger creatures, you have to build them yourself!
• some players may say they are not "serious enough"

If I hadn’t given away my LEGOs before getting into RPGs, I might have done this myself.

 

[aco175]

Do you know where the images for the cardboard minis are sourced from? Is it some specific site?

One of the sites is Printable Heroes. Another one is the name of some guy like Olaf or something. Some are free and others are at a small cost. There are sites to help make better looking ones and ones with different color shields or cloaks and such to tell them apart at the table and to track HP.

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

Otherworld miniatures from the UK. But I admit it's largely nostalgia for old-school metal minis for me. I was sad when they closed shop last year.

Allow me to direct your attention to Crooked Dice Miniatures. It looks like they bought most of the Otherworld Miniature molds. I just stumbled across them in the last couple of weeks and am waiting to check out the old-school drow Kickstarter that is supposed to be launching soon.

I'll have to find it again but I ran across a Reddit thread that identified a couple of other companies that picked up some of Otherworld's minis. So far though it looks like Crooked Dice has the bulk of them that I recognize.

 

[MGibster]

Allow me to direct your attention to Crooked Dice Miniatures. It looks like they bought most of the Otherworld Miniature molds. I just stumbled across them in the last couple of weeks and am waiting to check out the old-school drow Kickstarter that is supposed to be launching soon.

My goodness. How have they not been sued into oblivion? Thundercats, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Banana Splits, The Prisoner, Thundarr the Barbarian, The A-Team, Scooby-Doo, Ghostbusters, Flash Gordon (movie), The Shadow, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Willie Wonka are the intellectual properties I recognized.

 

[Sacrosanct]

My goodness. How have they not been sued into oblivion? Thundercats, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Banana Splits, The Prisoner, Thundarr the Barbarian, The A-Team, Scooby-Doo, Ghostbusters, Flash Gordon (movie), The Shadow, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Willie Wonka are the intellectual properties I recognized.

I mean, their name is literally "Crooked". What did you expect

*I have no idea if they are licensed or not, I just couldn't pass up the joke.

 

[Zaukrie]

Did anyone mention skinny minis? They usually have a massive sale twice a year....

I mean, if I knew someone local that wanted my Paizo standees...... But they weigh so much I don't think mailing them makes sense.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My goodness. How have they not been sued into oblivion? Thundercats, GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Banana Splits, The Prisoner, Thundarr the Barbarian, The A-Team, Scooby-Doo, Ghostbusters, Flash Gordon (movie), The Shadow, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Willie Wonka are the intellectual properties I recognized.

A cursory glance also revealed X-Files, Doctor Who, Escape from NY, Terminator, Galaxy Quest, Battlestar Galactica, Highlander, Back to the Future and MIB.

I think I saw some Stranger Things in there, too, but I don’t watch the show so I’m not 100% on that.

Nice sculpts; shady business.

 

[Scott Christian]

What are your favourite miniature manufacturers, sets, or shops for TTRPG purposes?

Not sure if anyone mentioned this site, and while it is not a shop, it is awesome in my opinion.
Miniature Gallery

As for miniatures, I am with Morrus in that I like mine prepainted and assembled. I like to collect all sorts of heroes and monsters, this way players have a choice, and I have a choice as GM. I used to try to buy exclusively in game stores, but two things happened:
1. Their selection kept getting thinner and thinner, and
2. I found out someone in the game store was opening them, taking out the most valuable rares, and then resealing the package. (I know this is probably a one-off thing, but now every time I buy a randomized box or block from a game store, I can't help but get a bad draw, and think, Hmmm....

So now, since I have a good selection, I generally just buy individual miniatures from miniature market. These are almost always based on the campaign I am running. What I don't have, but what I think I might need. It's that might that gets you into trouble.

As far as companies are concerned, I really like WizKids. There are others out there that look pretty sweet, and I have dabbled, but in the end, I just like the classics. I can say this, when running with maps and miniatures, I have found it helpful to have all my NPCs non-painted, and all the monsters and PCs painted. I think it helps people visually.

Lastly, I have built quite a few miniatures using Hero Forge. They are great for very specific concepts (I need a bunny rabbit pulling a smaller rabbit out of a hat with a lute on its back). But they are still too expensive for what you actually get, especially since the "painted" ones are about 1/2 as well painted as WizKids or similar company.