Pathfinder Battles Preview: A First Look at Rise of the Runelords

Friday, January 27, 2012

These last few weeks it’s seemed like even the weather has been conspiring to delay a big preview of Rise of the Runelords, the next set for our Pathfinder Battles prepainted miniatures line. I snuck an image of the shaggy Yeti in last week’s preview blog, but until today, the stars have not quite been right to begin our previews in earnest.

No longer! The Runelords have been slumbering for too long, and they demand to be unleashed upon the world! Our long wait is finally at an end, and I’m ready to blow the lid off the first batch of preview images from this upcoming set!

WizKids is still finalizing the specific details about when specifically the set will release, how it will be packaged, and how much it will cost (which is why we haven’t posted a product page yet). Yesterday, we finally revealed the first Pathfinder Battles Encounter Pack, Champions of Evil, which features repainted figures from Heroes & Monsters in a convenient non-random format. You know exactly what you’re getting in this new set of 6 miniatures, which includes three Zombies, an Evil Cleric, a Succubus, and the evil Scarlet Gargoyle. The whole pack ties into our Free RPG Day adventure, Dawn of the Scarlet Sun, which releases in June. If you haven’t seen the Champions of Evil sculpts and paints yet, hop over to the product page and check them out! They’re really cool!

You know what else is cool? The Human Ranger from Heroes & Monsters! This guy is probably my favorite player character-appropriate figure from the first set, but thanks to a series of mix-ups we never managed to reveal a good picture of him here on the blog. Because I’ve been promising it for a couple of weeks now, I thought I’d sneak him in here, even though he’s not a Rise of the Runelords miniature.

Heck, if you like the way this figure looks, you can order him directly as a single. While you’re doing that, feel free to browse the other Heroes & Monsters singles to fill out your collection or simply pick up your favorites from the set without worrying about the randomness of individual boosters.

But you didn’t come here for Heroes & Monsters images. You want the new, fresh meat. You want RISE OF THE RUNELORDS!

And I am here to deliver. This first batch focuses on paint masters of several creatures from the first half of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path, which releases in June as a deluxe hardcover Anniversary Edition that compiles all six adventures and key associated material from Paizo’s very first Adventure Path. We’re thrilled to get a chance to go back to where it all started, and update everything to the new Pathfinder RPG rules.

We’re also thrilled to be working with WizKids to present prepainted plastic miniatures to support the campaign. The full set includes a nice mixture of “generic” creatures drawn from the campaign’s encounters as well as specific NPCs from the adventures themselves.

One of the greatest encounter areas of the campaign’s first installment, Burnt Offerings, is the goblin enclave of Thistletop. While the goblins themselves will appear in a future preview blog (and there are some really awesome ones in this set), today’s preview starts with a look at some of the locale’s other denizens.

Up first is the Bugbear Hero, a common figure that represents the bruiser Bruthazmus, the bodyguard of the adventure’s arch-villain, Nualia (more on her in a future preview). Of course, when you’re talking about a bugbear that wears a necklace of elf ears, “Hero” is a relative term!

Up next is the fiendish spirit of Thistletop, the evil Malfeshnekor! This uncommon figure comes on a Large base, and towers over the goblins who honor and fear him.

On your journey back to the town of Sandpoint from Thistletop, be sure to watch the skies for this screeching Harpy, a common figure. This Medium creature has beautiful wings, nasty claws, and sharp teeth. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

One of the coolest things about the Rise of the Runelords set for those of us here in the Paizo offices is that it offers us the first chance to create prepainted miniatures of creatures that are uniquely “Pathfinder”. Here we have a common Sinspawn, the servitor slaves of the ancient Runelords, stirred once more to life with the reawakening of Runewells all over Varisia.

Speaking of sin, check out this amazing fiend we like to call the Treachery Demon! If you thought the Ettin from Heroes & Monsters was big, you’re going to choke when you see this titan hit the table. I have a new-ish GI Joe action figure on my desk, and the Huge Treachery Demon towers over him. It probably goes without saying, but this guy is a rare.

Speaking of rares, check out this Young Red Dragon! As a Large figure, this guy looks down on your player characters with childlike innocence, ready to engulf them in its fiery breath! The sculptors perfectly captured the likeness of this dragon’s illustration. The only thing that makes me happier than this dragon is the OTHER dragon in the Rise of the Runelords set, who is even BIGGER and even AWESOMER.

“Awesomer.” That non-word is probably the best summary of the entire Rise of the Runelords set. We’re enormously proud of the final figures in Heroes & Monsters, but WizKids really upped their game with this second set. Every single mini in this one is a winner, and we haven’t even shown you some of the absolute coolest miniatures in the set yet!

But we will.

Starting next week!

Erik Mona
Publisher