What Is A Good D&D Mini Set To Start On?

[Festivus]

I second Auggies. That is the place to pickup singles and batches of figs. If you want to pickup cases, best prices I have found is GameOutfitters.com.

I also have a crapton of dupes, but most of the good roleplay ones I snagged for myself. If you want a Aspect of Tiamat or Aspect of Hextor, those I have laying around since I have two.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Auggies thirded. Buy the ones you want, most figures are significantly less than the cost of a booster (even when buying online by the case), and allows you to hand pick the ones you want, without getting stuck with a large chunk of figures you cant use and no one wants. Realistically, trading is more trouble than its worth.

 

[Dykstrav]

What's the URL for this "Auggies" place?

And yeah, I was trying to steer away from bashing, but I have to second some of the opinions here. Deathknell and War Drums blew, each only had about 4 minis that I wanted out of the whole set. It seems odd, but there already seems to be patterns developing in the product line's yearly schedule:

The first set of the year for the past two years (Deathknell and War Drums) have kinda sucked. This is making me wonder how Unhallowed is going to be.

There's an outsider-themed set in every full release year so far (Archfiends in 2004, Angelfire in 2005, Blood War in 2006).

Older minis that everybody thought were awesome are sometimes redesigned so you have a second chance to snag some. Witness the troll slasher from Angelfire, the owlbear rager and earth elemental gargoyle from Blood War, and the diseased dire rat from War of the Dragon Queen.

I really should try to put some of my stuff on eBay. I'm never gonna use Drizzt Do'Urden or King Obould Many-Arrows.

 

[Nebulous]

Oh, DARN YOU! I followed the link, and failed my Will save, and i bought a bunch of minis. Nice nice selection though, and better prices than i've seen elsewhere. Never ever ever again will i use battleworks.

I personally like parts of every set, even Wardrums. There are minis from each set i think suck. It's really just personal taste in the end, although i DO wonder why they make some minis over others...

...like that griffon rider. that could have been cool mini, but it's botched IMO

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

What's the URL for this "Auggies" place?

http://stores.ebay.com/Auggies-Games-n-Movies

 

[Zaukrie]

I've made many, many trades. I don't think it is more trouble than it is worth at all.

 

[Ghendar]

Realistically, trading is more trouble than its worth.

As someone who has completed over 150 trades on maxminis AND never would have completed my sets without trading, I certainly disagree, but to each his own. Whatever works best for you.

 

[Dykstrav]

I've never even had to trade online at all. I just go down to the FLGS on the nights where people are in there buying and strike up a conversation when they start ripping open their boosters. They're usually happy to trade with whatever they just got and didn't want if you bring a boxful of the stuff you don't want.

 

[bento]

Olaf - I travelled down that plastic road, jumping on with Abberations and ending at Deathknell after I ended up with THREE stinkin' dire bears!

If you're using the minis for RPGing, my advice is to skip the boxes. Instead buy a collection or two on ebay with a bunch of the minis you already want. After that, start picking up individuals and perhaps getting the occasional metal mini where the plastics are too expensive.

Also a cheap way to fill in gaps is to pick up the two sets of paper counters from Firey Dragon that cover the MM1.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

As someone who has completed over 150 trades on maxminis AND never would have completed my sets without trading, I certainly disagree, but to each his own. Whatever works best for you.

If I could set up a sizable trade (ie, more than 1 rare in a trade), it would be worth it, but it seems anytime I try and set something up, its 1 for 1 (or therabouts), and I just cant justify the hour long trip to the post office to pay 3 dollars in postage to mail a figure to get a 5 dollar guy in return. :\

Maybe I'll try again in the future. Lord knows I've got a box full of stuff thats collecting dust.