Non-random D&D Miniatures

[NiTessine]

I like the idea, but I think it's a mistake. The Drizzt pack will probably sell, since it appeals to dragon collectors and Salvatore fans, but it would be hard to find anything else with the same potential. Half of the products are going to retail stores with limited shelf space who will not carry something like an electricity-themed warband pack.

The Heroes of the Lance.

Didn't check out the WotC thread, but I'd guess that was suggestion number two...

I think this is a very good idea. Themed warband packs would probably not work well, but an adventure module set for The Sunless Citadel or Red Hand of Doom would work very well. Every DM needs a horde of evil humanoids sooner or later.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I like the idea, but I think it's a mistake. The Drizzt pack will probably sell, since it appeals to dragon collectors and Salvatore fans, but it would be hard to find anything else with the same potential. Half of the products are going to retail stores with limited shelf space who will not carry something like an electricity-themed warband pack.

And what's the first suggestion? "Circle of Eight". How many people under 30 even know what that is? How many copies of a box of assorted robed men can you expect to sell? It would flop.

The thread is full of terrible ideas, however nice in theory.

Drizzt will sell, if only because the only other way to get the mini is on the secondary market where it costs $70+.

Another lot of minis that would sell well is the Huge Red Dragon & Large Red Dragon combo. Both are very expensive to buy on the secondary market (I know from personal experience) so Wizards could sell the pack at a very profitable price and people would still buy it.

Olaf the Stout

 

[hong]

The suggestion I want is Kitiara, Sturm and Skie from the High Clerist's Tower battle.

Cheers!

I would be all over that like a rash.

For extra points, Sturm with a hole in his chest.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I would be all over that like a rash.

For extra points, Sturm with a hole in his chest.

See, I was going to suggest a Sturm Corpse mini also (with mounted Kitiara and Laurana), but figured that wouldn't go over well.

 

[Glyfair]

I'm the sort of guy who doesn't play the minis game, kind of like using the plastic minis for my D&D games. The trouble is, it's simply too much trouble to hunt down and purchase minis that actually match the encounters in any given adventure, and I gave up buying the plastic D&D minis long ago.

The problem is that I think the price of a miniature pack with all the miniatures for an adventure would be too high to be practical. A selection of hard to find miniatures and perhaps other key miniatures might be very attractive.

IIRC, WotC has started to go forward with this a couple of times, but failed to follow through. I remember they had a Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil miniatures pack advertised that failed to appear. I think a similar City of the Spider Queen set (or sets) was actually released, but I've never seen it on a shelf.

 

[Nightfall]

The Heroes of the Lance.

Plus the Dragon Warlords, and Soth again.


I prefer Soth's fight with Tanis myself...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I think the idea of packing some extra figures together with the gargantuan and colossal critters is great. Something that fits the theme. Allies, enemies, worshippers.

Packs with huge critters could be a fine substitute for Huge sets. I like huge figures in general, but huge packs themselves are a pain.

Then there's things they can't/won't put into regular boosters, like aquatic critters. A "Terrors of the Deep" pack with an aboleth, a dire shark, and other assorted sea dwellers would mean that we get that sort of thing, but they won't have to bother with water figures and maps in products that are supposed to be "tourney legal".



I agree that things like "10 orcs" or "Earth critters" isn't too practical: There are 2 Icons per year (maybe they'll do more in the coming years, but so far, it's 2 per year), so they shouldn't include stuff that can easily be put into boosters. These Icons packs aren't a non-random alternative for those who don't like boosters, and nor should they be. That role is already taken by the secondary market.

"Circle of Eight". How many people under 30 even know what that is?

I do. Well, sort of. And I'm far from 30!

 

[Whisper72]

Hmmm... I'd definately be interested in 'adventure packs' linked to the published modules. Although a boxed set of module plus miniatures may be nice too, this way you get the choice: buy the module seperately and the miniatures belinging to the module seperately.

With all the published modules out there (including the FR and Eberron ones), theres plenty to do. If they are priced reasonable, people who do not own the modules but seek out specific mini's will still buy them cuz they get good value for money.

If the modules are too 'vast' in terms of critters used, split it up in several on-random packs, maybe one for the 'mass' critters (probably in general also the more common ones) used only in the larger battles and the 'boss' critters (probably in general also the more rare mini's). This way, those who only want the mini's for the larger scale battles to get a better grip on the tactics can focus on those packs, and those who want to play the whole thing with mini's can buy the other packs as well.

Then WOTC can expand by also adding 'accesory packs' for the adventures with specific furniture, chests, altars, thrones, doors, walls, treasure, plants, whatever used in these adventures. Now that would be cool as well...

 

[lrsach01]

The suggestion I want is Kitiara, Sturm and Skie from the High Clerist's Tower battle.

Cheers!

You could even get Kitiara on Skie's back, Sturm, and Laurana....its still three figures.

 

[Pbartender]

The problem is that I think the price of a miniature pack with all the miniatures for an adventure would be too high to be practical. A selection of hard to find miniatures and perhaps other key miniatures might be very attractive.

I don't know... It depends on the adventure.

Take something like Sunless Citadel, what minis do you need to run it? (I'm going from memory here, so forgive me if I miss one or two...)

A bunch of twig blights.
Some rats.
Some skeletons.
A bunch of kobolds.
A kobold chief.
Meepo.
A white wyrmling.
A bunch of goblins.
A goblin chief.
A mephit (water, I think?).
A troll.
The bugbear guy.
And the evil NPCs at the end.

I think that's it. So what you do is break that down and sell it as three or four smaller packs. Then, you release a Special Edition 3.5 version of Sunless Citadel that includes the collection for the whole module... assuming that's all economically viable for WotC, I'd love to see stuff like that.