Which figures do you use?

[kengar]

Reaper is my fave for PCs. For fodder minis, I like HeroQuest & Games Workshop. GW is good only if you want to take the time to assemble & paint them (which I do, b/c painting is it's own hobby for me). I use orcs & goblins. (as well as skinks for kobolds!)

If you just want some cheap plastics, check out Fortress Figures. The aren't the prettiest, and their selection is limited, but you can't beat the price!

PS - Oh, and Telor. I think your minis look pretty darned good! One suggestion, you might want to use a shading wash on the face before painting the eyes. If the sockets are a little darker, the eyes will stand out more. Make sure the wash is dry first, though!

 

[Desdichado]

I actually don't like figures. They tend to put a face to the characters that I'd rather have more abstract. The last thing I want is someone who's concept for their character is based off a mini. Well, not that that's so bad, but I don't want their concept to change because of a mini.

For that matter, I'd rather not use minis at all. My biggest gripe with 3e is that combat is very tough to run effectively without it.

 

[kengar]

For that matter, I'd rather not use minis at all. My biggest gripe with 3e is that combat is very tough to run effectively without it.

I agree with you.

I find it odd to make that statement because I like minis; but that's because I enjoy them as a hobby in and of themselves. I do wish it was simpler to run a 3e combat without minis/figures/markers, because they can shift focus away from the story and the descriptions.

 

[Undead Pete]

I'm lazy
....or cheap
....or both

I either use the preprinted cardboard counters from Dungeon or plastic toy soldiers, or pennies, or little pieces of paper that I tore from my notebook just before battle.

I make up for it with a lot of flavor text....blood, slime, bile....and especailly ichor.

My players LOVE(HATE) ICHOR!

 

[CRG]

I'll plunder anything for it's miniatures.

HeroQuest, Battle Masters, Mall Madness (plus you get that cool mall layout..."Attention shoppers, demon on aisle 9!").

The key is that I plunder. I have loads of miniatures that I use for monsters, NPCs, etc.

For PCs or special characters, I tend to hunt around and find the company with the best mini that matches the description. This keeps my actual cash output fairly low. For these key figures I use Chainmail, GW, Reaper and a few others typically. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, obviously.

Reaper tends to have alot of "posey" miniatures - everyone has their weapon arm to one side and shield parallel on the other. This makes casting easier but can start to look wierd once you notice. GW is obviously more cartoonish on alot of miniatures, with massive, thick weapons. The Chainmail line has a problem with the cool miniatures needing some amount of glue (and therefore some in-game patching) to keep things going. None of these disadvantages are that bad.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I use Reaper for PC's/NPC's (theire Black ORcs are some of my favorite figures ever) and Games Workshop and Fortress Figures for mook humanoids.

The truly odd (Xorns, Otyughs) or expensive (Dragons) "monsters" get represented by Counters or dice or pennies or what have you.

 

[kengar]

I make up for it with a lot of flavor text....blood, slime, bile....and especailly ichor.

My players LOVE(HATE) ICHOR!

"Ichor. You know ichor. It oozes out of severed tentacles,
and beslimes tessellated pavements, and bespatters bejeweled
courtiers, and bores the bejesus out of everybody."
-Ursula K. Le Guin

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, don't get me wrong: I love miniatures. I have a fully converted Orc Blood Bowl team that I think are darn fine minis even if it's just me saying so.

But I don't like D&D to be too wargame-ish. I'd rather turn that down. And I'd also just as soon use some kind of generic counter -- pennies, counters from my kid's games, or what have you, rather than try to say about some mini: "this is what you're character (or the opponent, or whatever) looks like."

 

[Glaurung]

The best figures are definately the Confrontation ones from France. They're kinda expensive and hard to find (use Fantazation or New Wave) but they're incredible. The best part is that they come with rules for some game you'll never play in French! Just kidding about the last part-but they are really cool.

 

[Grazzt]

In addition to the hordes of figures I have amassed over 20 years of playing (Reapers, Ral Partha, and some others), I still use the original D&D figures from the 80's (the ones that came in the boxed sets: Fighters, Rangers, Paladins; Clerics, Druids; etc.)