Non-random D&D Miniatures

[Kunimatyu]

Here's something that has some bearing on the debate:

From www.reapermini.com :
"Important Announcement
Posted on 03-01-07
Reaper Prepainted Plastic Miniatures

Reaper Miniatures is proud to announce the release of its first series of prepainted plastic miniatures.

This new product line will be released under the brand name Legendary Encounters™.

Offered in an open, non-blind, non-random format, Legendary Encounters™ prepainted plastic miniatures will be packaged using Reaper's standard blister card. Both single and multiple piece packs will be offered.

Unlike the several existing blind-sale prepainted plastic miniature lines currently available, Legendary Encounters™ will not be produced on a limited edition basis and will be available at any time.

Drawing on Reaper's vast experience in miniatures and a catalog of 1000's of metal models to design Legendary Encounters, Legendary Encounters will quickly become the most popular prepainted plastic miniatures line on the market.

Reaper has always focused on the creation of evergreen product lines and Legendary Encounters™ is the first product line of Reaper's new "Ready to Fight™"(RTF) series of games and gaming products.

Available this June Legendary Encounters™ initial release will include: Undead and Orc warriors of various types, an Ogre, Troll and Minotaur. Like our Dark Heaven Legends miniature line, future releases into Legendary Encounters™ will include every type of creature imaginable."

Looks like we're about to find out whether this idea is profitable or not...

EDIT: Unless the Orcs don't have falchions. Then I guess we're back to square one, right Mark?

 

[KB9JMQ]

Very interesting.
I like everything about DDM now but I wonder what this might do to the market.

 

[Mark CMG]

Looks like we're about to find out whether this idea is profitable or not...

EDIT: Unless the Orcs don't have falchions. Then I guess we're back to square one, right Mark?

Some with bows and some with swords and/or spears will do just fine.


If there's enough cabbage to be made on it, maybe they can come with a side of Merric's Slaw . . .

 

[Kunimatyu]

Very interesting.
I like everything about DDM now but I wonder what this might do to the market.

Give WotC some friggin' competition, that's what. Bring it on!

 

[Kunimatyu]

Some with bows and some with swords and/or spears will do just fine.


If there's enough cabbage to be made on it, maybe they can come with a side of Merric's Slaw . . .

There'll be plenty of "slaw" to go around -- I expect we'll see 20 unique figs per year, tops.

 

[Mark CMG]

Recently noted that GW LotR Rangers come in a 24 pack (two sprues of 12 poses, four swords, four spears, four bows) for $25.00 US. Not a bad buy but you still have to paint them yourself.

 

[Janaxstrus]

that's not bad? $1 per mini? and you have to paint them?

Guess I'm not that picky about equipment to pay almost double AND have to paint them.

 

[Mark CMG]

Guess I like painting and prefer to try and match the figs with what I'm using in the game when possible.

 

[Thurbane]

Here's something that has some bearing on the debate:

From www.reapermini.com :
"Important Announcement
Posted on 03-01-07
Reaper Prepainted Plastic Miniatures

Reaper Miniatures is proud to announce the release of its first series of prepainted plastic miniatures.

This new product line will be released under the brand name Legendary Encounters™.

Offered in an open, non-blind, non-random format, Legendary Encounters™ prepainted plastic miniatures will be packaged using Reaper's standard blister card. Both single and multiple piece packs will be offered.

Unlike the several existing blind-sale prepainted plastic miniature lines currently available, Legendary Encounters™ will not be produced on a limited edition basis and will be available at any time.

Drawing on Reaper's vast experience in miniatures and a catalog of 1000's of metal models to design Legendary Encounters, Legendary Encounters will quickly become the most popular prepainted plastic miniatures line on the market.

Reaper has always focused on the creation of evergreen product lines and Legendary Encounters™ is the first product line of Reaper's new "Ready to Fight™"(RTF) series of games and gaming products.

Available this June Legendary Encounters™ initial release will include: Undead and Orc warriors of various types, an Ogre, Troll and Minotaur. Like our Dark Heaven Legends miniature line, future releases into Legendary Encounters™ will include every type of creature imaginable."

Looks like we're about to find out whether this idea is profitable or not...

EDIT: Unless the Orcs don't have falchions. Then I guess we're back to square one, right Mark?

Woo hoo!

*happy dance*

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I just opened a thread for those:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=3374941#post3374941

I wonder how Wizards will pick up the gauntlet.

A little competition might do them a world of good. I like Wizards in general, I love the way you can ask various Realms people questions about the current realms on the boards (I must say their Realms team is top notch in that matter), and I really like DDM - but I'm not that much a fan of the DDM team over at Wizards. They have a history of having less-than-satisfactory customer Service:

I can't seem to get any minis "swag support" on this continent. Those retailer kits of theirs (with promo figures) just aren't available here And when you grop miffed at it, they snap at you. Then, there was the thing with over a year of silence about the gnome matter (people kept asking for gnome figures, or why there aren't any, and Wizards was completely, absolutely silent. And they were pretty quick with a lot of other things). And for very long stretches of time, their own boards were starved with first-hand information, while the designers posted on many other minis boards and handed out information left and right.

Maybe now that there's some competition around (which I will watch closely), they might have to change in that regard.