Was Aberrations a good set?

[DaveMage]

BTW, I whined today to the WotC web developers and we now have Blood War box art. Solar, Marilith, and Githyanki on Red Dragon:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndmin/950530000

Bless you!

Looks sweet!

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Personally, I find Epic to be annoyingly all about the save or die effects. 200 point has much more interesting shades of gray.

Huh? Which save or die effects?

Sahuagin Ranger

One of my favourites.

IMNSHO, the fulmination over the quality of War Drums was by far a tempest in a teapot (and unfortunately, really turned me off of the spectacular DDM community at maxminis.com for quite a bit). Yes, some of the figures were missing a paint step or two (Chimera, Large Bronze Dragon) and the Frost Dwarf looks horrible, but by and large, the sculpts are stunning and the paint jobs are adequate to very good.

Too many of the figures were sadly inadequate. People complaining about rares missing several paint stops isn't a tempest in a teapot.

There were some complaints about a heavy dark wash on a few uncommons (Hill Giant Barbarian, Combat Medic), but at least in my 2.5 cases, this problem seems to be heavily exaggerated.

Or it could seem that you were lucky, and that other people were not. I think those have a right to be upset.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Too many of the figures were sadly inadequate. People complaining about rares missing several paint stops isn't a tempest in a teapot.
<snip>
Or it could seem that you were lucky, and that other people were not. I think those have a right to be upset.

I agree wholeheartedly, but I see it as a matter of degree. I'm all for people dropping a note to the DDM developers and voicing complaints both privately and publicly, but it rose to an "OMGWTFBBQ this set is teh suck, WotC killed my whole family, I'm never buying DDM again!!!!one!eleven!!" waaaaaay too quickly for my tastes. Of particular annoyance for me was that, for all the claims of walking away from the product, I can guarantee that the vast majority of complainers went right back to the trough again as soon as they could. Again, this is all IMNSHO.

-has an extra Chimera and two extra Large Bronze Dragons available for trade Spikey

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I can guarantee that the vast majority of complainers went right back to the trough again as soon as they could.

Well, by the time they got to complain, most of the complainers already had had their cases. Putting the figures back into the boxes and returning them is not an option I guess.

Personally, If any of you remembers my comments back then: I was willing to consider Wardrums an honest mistake. I was willing to assume that this time, they made some mistake (happens, as they're humans involved), that it was not intentional, and by the time they found out, it was too late. I also said that if this continued, I'd quit DDM for good.

Now that WotDQ solved the problem, I'm back buying. I would have ditched the whole thing, though, if had they repeated the fiasco. And I did not buy any extras from Wardrums: No extra booster, no extra rares (well, except one, when I surprisingly won the auction on ebay for very cheap - and it was one of those minis I did find okay). Ever since I got DDM sets by the case, I got some extra boosters some time afterward, just to see what I'd get. Not so with wardrums.

 

[Sammael]

I was deeply disappointed with War Drums, but got several reassurances (via private communication) from WotC staff members/insiders that War Drums was a screw-up that would not happen again. On the positive side, War Drums has probably been the easiest set for me to collect; I haven't tried particularly hard or spent a lot of money, but once my current purchases/trades arrive, I'll be only 2 rares short of the set, and neither is particularly expensive.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I was deeply disappointed with War Drums, but got several reassurances (via private communication) from WotC staff members/insiders that War Drums was a screw-up that would not happen again. On the positive side, War Drums has probably been the easiest set for me to collect; I haven't tried particularly hard or spent a lot of money, but once my current purchases/trades arrive, I'll be only 2 rares short of the set, and neither is particularly expensive.

I got lucky, too: After three cases and two starters (by the time learned about the fiasco, it was too late to change that), I only missed one (inexpensive) rare. That's way better than any set before it.

 

[Sammael]

I only bought one case, one starter, and got about 6 boosters during the EU championship (bought some, got some as rewards, and got 2 from the limited tourney). I think I was missing about 6-7 rares, and I'm down to 3 right now (with 1 on its way from a trade). The ones I still don't have are Snig and the Arcane Ballista.

 

[JediSoth]

The only problem I ever had was with Aberrations was with the Sauhagin Ranger: my mini was missing it's right arm and weapon. I contacted Wizards and they sent me out a replacement...and a bonus mini, if I recall. I don't remember if I had to send the Sauhagin with the missing arm back, but I don't remember seeing it lately, so I may have.

That doesn't mean, of course, that there weren't minis I didn't like, but I chalk that up to personal preference.

JediSoth

 

[DaveMage]

The only problem I ever had was with Aberrations was with the Sauhagin Ranger: my mini was missing it's right arm and weapon. I contacted Wizards and they sent me out a replacement...and a bonus mini, if I recall. I don't remember if I had to send the Sauhagin with the missing arm back, but I don't remember seeing it lately, so I may have.

When I had a couatl without a head, I had to send it back to get a replacement.

 

[Glyfair]

The ones I still don't have are Snig and the Arcane Ballista.

I think I got all the Ballista. Out of my first 6 boosters I ended up with 3 Arcane Ballistas.