So there's a box from Amazon on the step...

[Olgar Shiverstone]

... and my copy of Keep on the Shadowfell has arrived, a day after I got the ship notification. But this post isn't about that.

To flesh out my order and take advantage of free shipping, I figured while ordering "Hey, why not get the new 4th Ed DDM rules, too?" so I'd added the DDM starter set to the order. And (caveat emptor, I know) I didn't read the description first.

The packaging is really neat ... but what's up with only 5 minis in a starter set? The old starter sets had 16, and even the 3E Basic Game came with like 16. How would anyone get started playing a decent skirmish game with only 2-3 minis on a side. I only paid $10, and the painting quality on the minis is very nice (minus the long dragon snout), but it still feels like a rip-off. I should've ordered a booster pack instead.

Sigh ... off to crack open KotS. I hope the content is good, 'cause I'm not impressed with the paper or packaging on it in contrast to the DDM packaging.

 

[Crothian]

Sigh ... off to crack open KotS. I hope the content is good,

Just be happy and stay away from my review (see sig ) then. You might not have problems with everything in it that I did.

 

[bento]

The packaging is really neat ... but what's up with only 5 minis in a starter set? The old starter sets had 16, and even the 3E Basic Game came with like 16. How would anyone get started playing a decent skirmish game with only 2-3 minis on a side. I only paid $10, and the painting quality on the minis is very nice (minus the long dragon snout), but it still feels like a rip-off. I should've ordered a booster pack instead.

I think the "marketing" idea behind the new starter set is to come in at a lower price point, affordable to a younger market. Besides, if you look at the starter set that came with Wardrums, the quick-start rules teach you the basics of the game using only two minis.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

@Crothian -- I just finished reading KotS, and your review is right on. It's an average product -- sadly, not what I'd hoped for for the 4E launch.

Inflation is getting to the gaming market in a big way ... seems like $10 used to buy a bit more value.

 

[Aeolius]

and yet now I cannot get "There's a dead bishop on the landing." out of my head.

 

[hero4hire]

Ugh! I did the same exact thing but my shipment has been sitting in PA since saturday.

 

[Jhaelen]

I was pretty pleased with the DDM Starter. Imho, the price is excellent for what you get: 5 non-random minis of good quality including a Large Dragon, two gorgeous double-sided battle maps, and ... stuff.

I ordered 2 Boosters from the Dungeons of Dread at the same time with which I was _not_ pleased (three duplicate commons [which are also ugly], only a single Large [Bulette], and sub-par rares [Emerald Orb Mage & Spectral Magelord]).

The only improvement I can think of for the starter would have been if the opposing factions had added up to exactly 50 points each.

 

[Brakkart]

I've not bought the new starter set but my annoyance with it is that it has a gorgeous Yuan-ti figure in it that I'd love to have a half dozen of, but which isn't avaliable in any other set. I'm not buying 6 starters just to get that one figure as I don't like the look of the other figures in the set. Much prefer the older style starter sets.