Well, After the initial coronary at seeing the 40mm to 65mm mistake, I have a couple thoughts on the new line.
First, I believe they are doing the right thing from a business standpoint. While I detest the crappy pre-painted, gooey vinyl miniatures that I've seen from MK and the like, it has been proven that most D&D gamers aren't miniatures enthusiasts, or at least don't have time to sit around blatting dabs of paint on a miniature for hours on end. This is the market that I think this new line will completely clean up in.
But they have to watch where they tread here.
See, I'm willing to pick up a pack, just to see what the hoo-haa will be about, however, any future sales to me, or like minded 'randomized' haters will depend on how Wizards views 'randomized'.
If they randomize by creature level, or creature power, than it will likely result in a nowhere near the sales they might hope (Hey, I'm probably wrong here, but its my opinion). Thus, if they were to say, make all Mind Flayers in the extreme end of rare, they lose my vote, because I know I'll never have a chance to actually buy a pack, and hope to get a Mind Flayer.
However, if they were to say have the basic creatures/classes as common, and work on making 'prestige' type races/classes, such as the assassin, or have a 'Mind Flayer Patriarch/Matriarch' as the extremely rare creature, with a different pose and perhaps some other coolness, I'd still be willing to give random a try.
I sort of like what I see with that 'Dragon' themed pack they intend to release. Themes can be good. Perhaps it means that it's most likely you *will* get dragonlance monsters, characters, Dragons and whatnot, but you just won't know *which* ones.
We'll have to see. I know for a fact that the quality will NOT be spectacular unless the hard plastics are used, though that is horribly expensive, and thus I'm betting these will be the bendy, awful, under detailed vinyls. I won't have a problem with them if I can figure out how to get the paint off of them. Since they will be mass produced, don't even think about these having great paint jobs.. I'd wager they will be the blobby, glossy mess that most MK figs are, however I've heard there are ways to get the paint off of them so they can be redone (Using.. Break fluid I think? I can't recall the exact method).
As long as Wizards keeps the pnp people in mind with this randomized stuff, then this could work out for people on both fronts. The only problem is that there is NO second market here in Edmonton, and buying across the border is out of the question for a lot of us, since our Canuckbucks are used more as toilet paper than they are as currency (Except the coins, which are used as ammo). Sadly, the store they have here is.. Well.. To be blunt, its bloody awful, and I'm not letting them gouge me when trying to pick up a second hand mind flayer single figure.
Hope this works out though. I know the folks at Wizards get a LOT of flak about this, and other things, so let me add in a 'Thank you' to them for at least giving the miniatures market another chance, and certainly for trying to accomodate both wargamers, and the pnp folks.
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