D&D General WizKids Issues Refund for Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set

WizKids announced they will issue refunds to all customers who purchased the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set from their webstore. From the statement:

As a company, WizKids seeks to create products that enhance and add to the enjoyment of game play. We want our customers to build long-lasting, fond memories around game nights with friends and family using our products.

Unfortunately, we missed the mark on this goal with the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set. If you purchased this set through our online stores, we will be offering a full refund to those who are unsatisfied with their set. To begin a request, please contact customerservice@wizkids.com.

We’re aware of the recent reports and complaints and are taking them seriously. Our team is currently investigating these issues and taking action to make this right for those whose purchases were negatively affected and to ensure these issues do not recur in future products and reprints.

If you purchased your set from a local retailer, please return it at your point of purchase for a full refund. If you have any issues, please reach out to us for assistance at the email above. However, if you wish for a product replacement, we ask that you create a case through Wizkids Product Replacement. We will work with you to provide a product replacement and ensure that it meets the standards expected.

A Reddit thread posted on Friday, May 16, shows images of the miniatures and complaints of poor quality on the details of the pre-painted miniatures. Here are examples using promotional images from pre-order solicitations next to the images from the Reddit user:

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[Distracted DM]

That's pretty standard for wizkids prepainted minis, maybe a bit below standard for the worst of them? I guess I should be glad that there's blowback for the quality... why was this different from other releases? Maybe it got bigger numbers to a wider audience that expected a closer match to the promotional prototype art? I think those are usually 3d renders anyway, not actual minis.

 

[Abstruse]

Yeah, I have a lot of WizKids minis, and these look pretty okay to me.

Except Shadowdark, who looks like she got repeatedly dropped on her head as a baby.

Yeah, it's why I led with that one. Didn't expect the "derp" meme from a D&D mini but here we are.

 

[Abstruse]

That's pretty standard for wizkids prepainted minis, maybe a bit below standard for the worst of them? I guess I should be glad that there's blowback for the quality... why was this different from other releases? Maybe it got bigger numbers to a wider audience that expected a closer match to the promotional prototype art? I think those are usually 3d renders anyway, not actual minis.

Yeah, that was basically my take above. BG3 attracted people who would buy them just as memorabilia rather than functional minis, the pre-sales solicitations used CGI renders that showed far higher quality than any pre-paint would be capable of (which, to be fair, WizKids always does), and these particular models are ones people have spent hundreds of hours watching rendered in HD graphics in the video game with a lot of fine details compared to even the best-known of other characters they've done like Drizzt, Elminster, or Strahd which were only seen in cover images on the books. So it made the normal flaws much more apparent than just Generic Goblin from the MM or even characters like the D&D cartoon characters with their more simplified art.

 

[Sionainn | Twelvefold D&D]

I would love to see in-depth investigative interviews with the (Chinese?) workers who are paid (probably extremely low wages) to hit these points with a dab of colored paint.

 

[Nightfly]

Yeah, it's why I led with that one. Didn't expect the "derp" meme from a D&D mini but here we are.

In fairness, Shadowdark hooked up with me, which only a brain-damaged woman would do.

 

[Clint_L]

While I love my wizkids minis, I know well enough that the quality rarely matches the images they use in promotions.

I am hoping they stop trying to use pictures that dont depict the product accurately.

Yeah...frankly, these don't seem much lower quality than the Wizkids norm.

Which is objectively poor - these are factory painted in batches, not lovingly painted by a hobbyist with hours to spend on each.

I have a hundreds of Wizkids pre-painted miniatures in my collection, and the first thing I do is repaint them - usually I just start over from primer, but sometimes I can use the factory job as a base.

I'm fascinated that they are offering a refund!

 

[Distracted DM]

That's pretty standard for wizkids prepainted minis, maybe a bit below standard for the worst of them? I guess I should be glad that there's blowback for the quality... why was this different from other releases? Maybe it got bigger numbers to a wider audience that expected a closer match to the promotional prototype art? I think those are usually 3d renders anyway, not actual minis.

Now that I think on it, I recall asking the wizkids folks at GAMA (8ish years ago) why the Pathfinder prepainted minis had such lower quality than the (still low) quality DnD prepainted minis. Apparently they use different factories.. so... must be lower quality standards for the kids painting the Pathfinder minis. Maybe these went through the Pathfinder factory.

... I'll take this brief moment to reminisce on the durable (still poorly but slightly better) painted WotC mins from the pre-2010s.

 

[Zardnaar]

Wow. That’s fast food burger levels of not matching the advertisement.

Yeah I think BK is getting sued over it as to much disparity between promotional images vs what you get.

 

[J-H]

Those are pretty dire, and not in a good way.

It seems like at some point there would be a market for a computer-controlled machine able to paint minis according to a program. Combine a 3D printer with inkjet technology not made by HP or Canon, and some sensors.

Or do whatever Heroforge does to 3D print color minis, but at scale. Surely the cost per item drops a lot when you're doing lots of 10,000?

 

[Remathilis]

Or do whatever Heroforge does to 3D print color minis, but at scale. Surely the cost per item drops a lot when you're doing lots of 10,000?

From what I understand, the biggest problem with HeroForge's method is that it extremely hard to do at scale. Each mini needs to be individually done (vs mold injection and paint application) and the hardware (and software) needed to do it is expensive.