WizKids Reveals Redesigned D&D Adult Black Dragon Miniature

WizKids has revealed the first redesigned dragon figure for its Dungeons & Dragons line. A new Adult Black Dragon miniature will be released in March 2025, with a suggested retail price of $79.99. The new miniature is a huge miniature that sits on a gargantuan base, in part to help support the figure's 10-inch wingspan. This marks the first of the newly designed dragons to get a miniature and will be released as a standalone figure, not tied to a particular miniature set release.

All five chromatic dragons and all five metallic dragons got redesigns as part of D&D's 50th anniversary, with the intent of making the dragons look more iconic and have their figures and features fit their actual abilities. For instance, the black dragon's skull and horns are exposed due to the immense amount of acid breath that the dragon uses on its foes. Speaking with Screen Rant earlier this year, D&D art director Josh Herman pointed out that the Black Dragon (and the chromatics in general) were inspired by the designs of Scar and Mustafa in the Lion King. "[Y]ou can also see that in both of those, there's an intelligence in those designs and those creatures," Herman said. "So you can tell they look like lions, but they also clearly can do something later, especially in the movies. We wanted to take that approach, specifically for the Black Dragon. We wanted to make this something that you recognize immediately and know this is a villain, of all the dragons, when you look at the Black Dragon."

You can read the description of the new miniature below, along with a full look at a 3D render of the new dragon. Coincidentally, the render also provides fans with a new look on what the black dragon looks like, with hints of green scales visible on its tails.

The D&D Icons of the Realms Adult Black Dragon will be released in March 2025, and the suggested price will be $79.99.

Product Description:

The Adult Black Dragon is among the most terrifying and hateful of the evil chromatic dragons. Wielding corrosive acid breath, Adult Black Dragons are drawn to secluded swamps and forgotten ruins when making their lairs.

Sculpted from the newest edition of the Monster Manual, the Huge-sized D&D Icons of the Realms: Adult Black Dragon pre-painted miniature sits on a 75mm (3-inch) in diameter base, making it perfect for your next encounter. With a 10-inch wingspan, this loathsome dragon will invoke fear in players and awe in admirers.

 

[Charlaquin]

Any indication on if they plan to release an unpainted version at a lower price? A big part of the fun of minis for me is painting them, so pre-paints are more money for less value to me.

 

[doctorhook]

They redesign dragons every new edition

A bit. 3E-4E only changed the Green dragon, and then 5E changed it back. None of the other chromatically changed significantly in that time, did they?

Except this model looks INCREDIBLY better than the old one. Almost all of the new dragon designs are massive improvements. I never bought any of the old ones because they look butt ugly, but I will absolutely be picking up every single new dragon mini they release if they keep up this kind of quality.

I’m suspicious of any brand-new account promising to buy everything new in a product announcement thread.

 

[Xeviat]

I wonder if redesigning the dragons is an attempt to sell new dragon models to people who already have models of the previous design. It will have the opposite effect on my purchases in the future.

I have all 5 of the Metallics and Chromatics of the new designs, and the 4 gems that have been made (waiting on Amethyst). But I prefer the Lockwood designs, so I'm not intending on buying the new designs.

 

[Xeviat]

Any indication on if they plan to release an unpainted version at a lower price? A big part of the fun of minis for me is painting them, so pre-paints are more money for less value to me.

Yeah, there was an unpainted version announced too.

 

[Scribe]

WizKids are charging GW prices for less quality miniatures.

Looks decent sized? I guess we dont know the scale of it really, but $80 for a large model isnt the worst I've seen.

 

[Charlaquin]

A bit. 3E-4E only changed the Green dragon, and then 5E changed it back. None of the other chromatically changed significantly in that time, did they?

They went back to concept on most monster designs during the design of 5e, and many of the revised concepts were voted on in the D&D Next open playtest. The finalized designs ended up very similar to the 3e designs, probably in part as a course-correction from 4e, where they didn’t even stick to the standard 5 metallics and 5 chromatics. But they were new designs, just heavily influenced by 3e’s designs. I would argue these newest designs still reflect that influence, but they’ve deviated further than the previous iteration did.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, there was an unpainted version announced too.

Awesome, glad to hear it! Did they mention a price for that version?

EDIT: Found the announcement. It’s $59.99 unpainted.

 

[Xeviat]

Awesome, glad to hear it! Did they mention a price for that version?

EDIT: Found the announcement. It’s $59.99 unpainted.

Oh good, I wasn't able to find the announcement, but I thought it was 20 bucks less.

 

[CM]

A gargantuan base? Thats rather oversized for an Adult dragon, isn’t it?

I love the new design, but if I’m gonna buy a mini for it, I want it at the correct scale for play.

EDIT: Oh, I see. It is a 3-inch base, they were using “gargantuan” colloquially rather than in its technical game meaning.

I think it'll be a clear 4" round base with a black 3" ring printed on it to show the true tabletop size space. Most of the big dragons have this.

 

[MGibster]

We've got two threads about this release going now. I like the look, but I am getting a little tired of the big honking plastic support they tend to use for their dragons. I imagine this has the advantage of keeping costs down, but maybe try using a different pose?