I saw it at Critical Hits first! Those guys are just so on top of the news!
According to the Wizards of the Coast news release on 10/21, Demonweb will be the last set of D&D miniatures to be in the totally randomized boxes.
Here’s what you can expect…
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures — Player’s Handbook Heroes
I am totally excited about the D&D Heroes sets, due out in Spring 2009. 18 figures that will be all PC/NPC characters? YES!! A third of them are guaranteed to be female? YES!!!!! Thank you WotC for finally giving me some more choices when it comes to picking minis for my PCs.
(Please try not to make them all big breasted, scantily clad bimbos. Please. I’m begging you.)
Since all three minis will be visible, the price point will be higher than a normal box of randomized minis. An MSRP of $10.99 is a tad on the steep side, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting. How many of us have bought a box of minis for $14.99 and ended up with all repeats of a box you bought before? *e raises her hand* With the D&D Heroes sets, you pay for the predictability.
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures — Monster Manual
I wish WotC had revealed a bit more about the Monster Manual sets. “These sets are designed to be what every Dungeon Master (or D&D enthusiast) needs to create riveting adventures and exciting encounters at all levels of play. Releasing in Spring 2009, the first D&D Monsters set is called Monster Manual: Dangerous Delves.”
That’s super, but could you be more vague? Will they be broken up by monster class (goblinoids, orcs, undead, animals, vermin), by relative level (easy monsters, mid-grade monsters, chew up your arse and spit you out monsters), or just randomly?
These sets will be semi-randomized with five minis per box. One figure will be visible and out of the other four you will get one rare, one uncommon, and two common. The $14.99 MSRP is the same as previous booster sets, but with fewer figures. You’re paying for the one visible figure. (Can anybody tell if the one visible figure will be rare/uncommon?)
What I Think
Hooray for female PC/NPC minis being at least 1/3 of the Heroes set!
We were discussing randomized minis at my Friendly Local Game Shop just this past week. You get more minis for your money if you go with 100% randomized boxes. However, you get zero control over which minis you receive. Even an expert box shaker is never totally accurate in their guesses.
If you want to know what you’re getting before buying it, you’re going to end up with a higher price point. Apparently this is some “law” of the miniatures industry? (I dunno, you tell me.)
Either way, I’m more than happy to pay a bit extra to get some quality girl PCs! I’m also curious to see how exactly the Monster Manual sets will be organized because if they are organized by monster type, I can see it as a great opportunity for DMs to stock up on the breed of monsters they need most for their campaigns.
What do YOU Think?
Post in the comments below.
About e
I think it’s a great move.
The price is a bit steep, especially if the dollars amount converts straight to pounds here in the UK (#10.99? Ouch!). That’s all too common and unfun.
That said, a price boost was inevitable either way, and at least this way we get what we want, and that’s always a Good Thing. I can imagine the professional ebay mini sellers being very unhappy about the news though
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I was never big on buying the random boxes, as painting minis used to be a big hobby of mine (now that the ADD is under control, I can’t seem to get into it… weird). Anyway, I always, and still do, but individual minis, but they are even more expensive. You should check out Reaper Minis They do a lot of females of various races, both in the scantily clad bimbo variety, and the well covered beat-your-butt variety. I’ll bet they have a female dwarven cleric… Don’t like to paint them (it gets to be an expensive hobby), just leave them bare metal, or give em a shot of primer.
What do I think of the know what you are getting boxes? I’d be more likely to buy them.
Darius Whiteplume´s last blog post..Trek Wins 7 to 2
@ grey – You’ll have to hire people in the States to buy you a bunch of minis in dollars and ship them to you.
I’ve heard of UK-ers flying to the US with empty suitcases, buying everything they need while on vacation, and going back. The US is like 50% Off Land! 
@ Darius – I totally do not have the steady hand needed to paint my own minis. I use the Dwarf Shieldmaiden from Dungeons of Dread for Mielka. It works out pretty well. She has red hair, a shield, and a hammer. It’s pretty close.
Hooray!!!
I think I commented in a previous post about how mush I LOVE the WotC minis but HATE the randomness of the packages.
No more random minis!!
This is good news!
I tend to wait until conventions and buy from the bulk bins. Every one in my games are aware that I don’t want to get stuck on minis too much, as it moves the players away from the story and into tactical combat land.
I have used them for intimidation, though, buy showing a superior force on the board to make them less likely to start crap. 30 archers behind the King’s personal guard makes most parties compliant pretty quick.
So, for me, the price point should not be higher to get a choice of what to buy. The value of the mini does not change because I can’t see what it is. Sounds like greed to me. I don’t need minis that bad.
Just group them together by types and let me see them all. It used to be that way in the old days when there was only metal minis available. If we stop accepting the pittance they throw us, they will have to give us more. Like maybe exactly what we want.
My 2 cents.
Thanks for the review!
I was fine with the random, like the non-random, but am totally not feeling the semi-random. Making one figure visible, then giving me less for the same money does not interest me at all. At least with the randomized packs there is a whole secondary market of buying singles and trading that has worked out pretty well. Totally non-random is the best way to go (as pointed out that they used to be waayyy back in the day when I started playing). If they did it like games workshop does for their warhammer packs, you would be able to get a box of Gnolls, Kobolds, Bugbears, or what ever you needed for your game instead of the trying to collect the right ones and winding up with a handful of catfolk and medium astral constructs.
I think the heroes sets will help get different PC minis out there and hopefully fix the problem in that all the dragonborn are rares. I also think it would be wise if the monster manual ones were done to be the monsters needed for the modules or to be very tight in their themes (goblins, drow, etc).
I guess we’ll just have to see what they actually do and if it’ll be worth buying.
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This seems like a good idea to me. Never bought minis, but for their price, well, I want to be able to play with them. Someone who ends up with all monsters or all humans ends up with a boring campaign or someone left to using a dice as their character.
e said “Either way, I’m more than happy to pay a bit extra to get some quality girl PCs!”
Seeing the drop in quality for WotC minis, I wouldn’t bet on that.
Hyb’
@ Hybban – Maybe they were crappy because you couldn’t see them and they knew they gotcha. If they have to display one or more, maybe they’ll do a bit more quality control.
@Hybban
While some of the minis (usually common ones, the Elf Archer comes to mind) have taken a hit, the overall quality of the minis has generally improved, in both sculpting and painting, at least from my experience.
Anything in particular left you disappointed?
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@ Graham – the Trog from Dungeons of Dread is awful. ;p
The grey one with the greatclub? Aww. I liked that one (though he could have used some eye colour).
Dungeons of Dread wasn’t great, though, you’re right. I’ve been very happy with Against the Giants, however. And Dungeons of Dread had some great sculpts, like the Dwarf Shieldmaiden (and some shit, like the aforementioned Elf Archer).
Graham´s last blog post..Pathfinder 24-25 – Speed Run!
It looks like the answer is yes, better quality -http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4news/20081023