Those DND minis

Mystery Man · Sep 25, 2003

One of my friends I went to high school with is also the owner of one of my FLGS's that I frequent. On a lark (don't you believe it!) I walk in coincidentally just as the UPS guy was leaving *ahem* to see a counter full of the new DND minis. So I bought a pack.

Anyway, long story short.

They'll do.

The don't suck, but they're either butt ugly or they're mediocre. I think my rare was a bearded devil or a tiefling warrior.

They'll do.

Zogg · Sep 25, 2003

Thanks for the report. I'm now on the fence as to whether or not I'll buy them. I just don't find them very inspiring.

I also recently bought a counter collection and it's fun to use, but managing all the counters does cut into gameplay. I imagine it would be the same with mini's. People will only wait so long for mini/counter shuffling.

Mystery Man · Sep 26, 2003

Zogg said:
Thanks for the report. I'm now on the fence as to whether or not I'll buy them. I just don't find them very inspiring.

I also recently bought a counter collection and it's fun to use, but managing all the counters does cut into gameplay. I imagine it would be the same with mini's. People will only wait so long for mini/counter shuffling.

Oh I'll buy more, I gotta have something to waste money on.

maddman75 · Sep 26, 2003

Zogg said:
Thanks for the report. I'm now on the fence as to whether or not I'll buy them. I just don't find them very inspiring.

I also recently bought a counter collection and it's fun to use, but managing all the counters does cut into gameplay. I imagine it would be the same with mini's. People will only wait so long for mini/counter shuffling.

Get yourself a tackle box to organize them. I even taped little tags on the compartments to keep em seperated. I'll also plug my favorite counter, http://www.dragonscalecounters.com

Cheap, plastic, decent looking. Love 'em. The DND minis I'll not do. Random bad, and they're ugly. The first mini I ever painted at 14 looks better than those things.

Zogg · Sep 26, 2003

I've already got my own counter-organizer, maddman! I use a bead sorter, it's got 24 compartments which is quite enough...although it can't hold anything greater than 5' by 10' counter.

Darrin Drader · Sep 26, 2003

I've got close to 200 minis now. Storage for these is an issue. At a $1.25 a piece, its now easy to collect tons and tons of minis. My solution is that there are these tupperware containers that are slightly cooler than standard tupperware and were actually designed for CDs. They have handles on top of the lids which have locking flaps on the sides rather than the typical method. It measures about 10 inches per side and is easily stackable. I've got all the minis I have in there with room for about 1/3 more.

As for quality - I'm satisfied. I was expecting functional, and I'm not disappointed.

Tewligan · Sep 26, 2003

I'm gonna pick up a pack because I wanna see if they can be repainted without losing all detail. I think I'll take a "before" and "after" pic to put up so people can decide if it's worth the effort.

Harlock · Sep 26, 2003

I wanted to weigh in a bit on time spent digging for minis and offer my own solution: pick them before the game starts.

What I do now with counters and minis is before a session begins, after I clean the table (I have a messy toddler who eats at the table) I set out the Battlemat and pick counters/minis of the appropriate size and type and set them up behind my DM screen. When an encounter begins it's simply a matter of grabbing the minis I need and setting them up. It cuts out on all the digging during a game and keeps the flow of combat smoother.

As far as cheap plastic minis go, I am with Baraendur; in that at a buck twenty-five a pop I am getting a ton of these things. I have 140 of them on order as we speak, and I got a great deal on them (about a buck o' nine each including tax and shipping straight to my door) and I don't have to spend any time painting them unless I want to touch them up or something. This is nice since I have that toddler and a job. Sure, I can paint better than most of what I have seen but when you factor in the array of colors I need and time spent painting, these'll do just fine for most encounters. I'm still purchasing Reaper minis to paint up for important NPCs or on impulse when I see a nice sculpt, but for the most part I intend to use the WotC minis as they suit my purpose just fine and I don't have as much time for minis as I used to before I started a family.

It's a nice bonus that I can play a separate game with the minis, and I hope the game is fun. If it is, I'll likely try and build a set to drag around for games at the LGS or against friends now and again when I am looking for a bit of action but don't have a normal D&D game scheduled. Even if the mini game sucks I'll still be very pleased at having a cheap source of minatures that take zero effort.

pogre · Sep 26, 2003

I've said it before, but I will repeat myself: these miniatures are not really intended for miniature enthusiasts. However, I think they will be a real boon for most D&D games and I am glad they are out.

I won't buy them because I have over a 1000 miniatures painted for the table. However, most people must travel to their gaming spot and if transportation were an issue for me - I would be sorely tempted to pick up a bunch. Judging by the MK stuff, their quality should improve over time.

I truly hope that these things make some people want something more and introduces them to the great hobby of miniatures. Anything that gets more miniatures on the table has got to be a good thing.

trancejeremy · Sep 26, 2003

Also, having cheap miniatures will let you use fireworks to simulate various magic spells, and no one will be too upset if one gets melted.

(Though I actually haven't done that since I was a kid)