A HUGE Announcement: Deadly Foes!

Yeeeesssss! These look great and I'm personally happy with 2 huge miniatures for an incentive. It can only be a good thing to get more, and at least now the possibility of getting the much needed range of Huges is a goer. I always knew you were good for your work Erik.

The detail in the digital sculpts is amazing and I hope they can get that detail into the actual minis, the face on the starspawn is perfect. Will the star spawn actually be glossy in the end? My only critique; the tail on the dragon looks a little odd, perhaps it's being held a little too high?

I'm not a huge fan of the half submerged miniature. They usually restrict how you can use the mini on the table and I do like the extra height you'd get from little 'Thulhu having legs, having said that the water effect on the erupting Star Spawn may well over ride my natural prejudice. I need this miniature, probably two. Would that be unfair on my players?

Hats off to you Erik, I think this is a great move.

Sadly I note the release date looks to be confirmed for October now. Production delays?

Are we getting the regular previews back?

Will this set have a theme creature or two, the ghouls, bugbears, gnolls etc?

Excellent! I've been hoping that huges would return. While I like Gargantuans as much as everyone, huges see a lot more play time. I love the Cthulu, although I will only be able to use it rarely. The dragon, on the other hand, is great and one I foresee using in every campaign at least once.

If I might make a suggestion or two, other good huges would be figures that could be used in nearly every campaign. A huge plant creature of some type, perhaps. Elementals, naturally. Hydras are also good.

Like Cat, I am hopeful we will see themes in the set. I know I'm repeating myself, but Hobgoblins would be good. They are the only goblinoid without that kind of attention yet.

Mostly just excited to have a new minis blog entry! Thanks for that.

I think the substitution of 2 Huges for 1 Gargantuan makes sense, especially if the price point for the case incentive is a bit less. I suspect both minis will be appealing to players of games other than the typical fantasy RPG's too, especially the Spawn, which could see use in all sorts of games.

I am still holding out for Huge Elementals, though ;-)

And hey Erik, I saw this AWESOME new monster in the recent Down the Blighted Path adventure called the Coryphae, and wouldn't that just make a wonderful mini? Just sayin' ;-)

Sadly I note the release date looks to be confirmed for October now. Production delays?

These sets don't really have a set date until WizKids gives them one, so I dunno if it's fair to call it a delay. We'll be getting two sets a year for the foreseeable future, with maybe some extra stuff in between. Beyond that, there's not really a "set" time for the sets.

Does this also mean we get the regular previews back?

Yes, though it's a long time until October, so I may need to be strategic on the timing so as not to run out. The last few weeks with no minis blog have been a bummer!

I also hope this set has a theme creature or two, the ghouls, bugbears, gnolls etc in prior sets makes collecting for games so much easier. I like my creatures to look like they belong together.

I'd say there are at least 2 themes to this one, maybe 3, depending on how you define "theme." There is definitely a specific humanoid type that gets several miniatures in the set, which I hope to reveal relatively shortly!

If I might make a suggestion or two, other good huges would be figures that could be used in nearly every campaign. A huge plant creature of some type, perhaps. Elementals, naturally. Hydras are also good.

All of those are on my short list.

Like Cat, I am hopeful we will see themes in the set. I know I'm repeating myself, but Hobgoblins would be good. They are the only goblinoid without that kind of attention yet.

Hobgoblins would, indeed, be great.

I guess this tells us what the big bad for book 6 of Strange Aeons will be.

Wish I had the money to pick up cases for this one. Beautiful incentives.

Imdidn't know if I'd be a fan of the Spawn of Cthulhu, but I'm definitely in after seeing what you have planned. I think every DM should have at least one "pants ruining experience" in his back pocket to keep the party in line! :)

I knew the Clockwork Dragon would not disappoint, but the detail so far is beyond expectation. I hope to see more Clockwork support pieces for this guy, maybe even in this set.

I'm in favor of more huge case incentives, if this means the detail and quality is going to be so high. Now we just need twice as many sets per year so all the deserving huges can be made. :)

I'm also thrilled to hear that dungeon dressing is continuing to make an appearance in these sets. The Rusty Dragon Inn pieces were marvelous, leaving me wanting more.

This is truly huge news!

I guess this tells us what the big bad for book 6 of Strange Aeons will be.

Wish I had the money to pick up cases for this one. Beautiful incentives.

It won't be the big bad of Strange Aeons... not where they're going. ^_^

As for the incentives themselves, they're all right. The Clockwork Dragon is good, but spartan. I like the "rising from the deep" aspect of the Star-Spawn, even if it is a little weird to have it look like that all through a fight.

As I said elsewhere, I'm quite excited for what this means for the future of incentives. ^_^

Geniekin??

I. Want. That. Dragon!

Which do I preorder to get it?

I. Want. That. Dragon!

Which do I preorder to get it?

As a case incentive, you'll need to buy a case of Pathfinder Battles: Deadly Foes to purchase one. I highly recommend the Pathfinder Battles Case Subscription. ^_^

Cat-thulhu wrote:

Sadly I note the release date looks to be confirmed for October now. Production delays?

These sets don't really have a set date until WizKids gives them one, so I dunno if it's fair to call it a delay. We'll be getting two sets a year for the foreseeable future, with maybe some extra stuff in between. Beyond that, there's not really a "set" time for the sets.

Cat-thulhu wrote:

Does this also mean we get the regular previews back?

Yes, though it's a long time until October, so I may need to be strategic on the timing

Oh I'm not having a go at anyone. Originally the product page said June I think, that's all. I completely understand that you're at the mercy of wizkids. Take it more as a sign of my desperate desire to get that star spawn!

I'd be fine with more strategic previews as well, maybe you can fill them with a design diary, talk about the source art, the reason for inclusion, design difficulties; that sort of thing also interest me. Not sure about others though.

Very happy to see huge again. Gargantuan are cool but tend to sit on my shelf instead of being used at the game table.

If these two minis show the type of creatures in this set I am going to be very happy. =)

I am very happy to see huge over the gargantuan case incentive. I think this was a great idea and as was mentioned by Flurious Firestar, huge see way more action! Great choice.

My next polite question is how rare is it for "3rd party" distributers to get cases of yours? Do you ship once to them and that's all or are they able to get re-orders of your cases? I haven't gone to the Paizo case incentive yet because I'm not sure I want every case, but I do use other sources when needed. Is there a limited run on cases such as Rusty Dragon Inn or not? Thank you!

The decision to make 2 HUGE minis as case incentive instead of 1 GARGANTUAN is the right one.
Even if these 2 are relatively obscure, they are much more useful and attractive to collectors than the Reign of Winter 2-pack.

You should include the computer renders on the product page for the case incentive, so that people can get an idea about it.

I also noticed that wizkids will release 2 D&D sets in a row:
-Monster Menagerie in april
-Icons of the Realms set 5 in july

With Deadly Foes out in october that means one miniature set every 3 month.

The 5 artwork pieces shown in the article will make great minis too.

Thank you for giving us pteview blogs again.

I'm glad that people will have their desire for minis sets satisfied by the D&D line. My wallet thanks you, Paizo, for spacing out these sets a little. ^_^

....Omg.
oMg.
omG.
These are amazing!!! Can't wait to see what else the set will have!

I've got little use for those two minis, but I applaud the exploration of different strategies. I look forward to seeing another gargantuan figure down the line. The only reason my current figs aren't seeing more use is that dragons don't feature very prominently in organized play. I have used a couple of them for off-model representations. I was glad to have them for those instances, I can tell you that!

I like the idea of huge minis instead of G. The G sized ones just sit on a shelf, while some H ones come into play far more often. *cough* elementals *cough*

I like to take a G mini when I GM, just to worry the players.

I'm not sold on the spawn mini. I'm not a big lovecraftian horror kind of guy. But the dragon looks nice.

When you need a T-Rex, only a gargantuan mini will do.

Really hope with strange Aeons out there on the horizon that we see some more,Cthulhu minis as well.

while I like the idea of huge minis, why send out the test baloon with rather exotic choices?
well, at least the dragon can double for any other huge dragon.

Good thing that reads spawn of ctulluh and not ctulluh...

I always wondered why the stats for the Star Spawn of Cthulhu listed it as Huge in size when in fact the artwork for it in the same book shows it being at least colossal in size (if not Kaiju sized). Or was that artwork of Cthulhu itself?

After a quick comparison with older huges I think the scale for these will be somewhere pretty close to:

Clockwork dragon: Bulkier and about a third again the size to the black dragon from H&M. Around two thirds the size of the Glabrezu from RR, ignoring the wings.

Cthulhu: Almost the same size as the Glabrezu and just as bulky. Of course he'd be twice that size if he had legs. Is it too late for legs Erik?

At this scale I'd say these are pretty well scaled and the detail should be amazing. My only concern will be people complaining about the size after all those gargantuan minis we've been getting.

I hope this HUGE experiment works out for Wizkids so we have a chance to see more huge. Even this way it's going to take some time to cover all the basics. Here's hoping D&D continue their trend of "closing aligning" with paizo's ideas and they also start with huge incentives for their line.

Oh and one quick question: will we ever get a miniature of Akinosa from the jade regent PA, its probably the best image of an

After a quick comparison with older huges

the black dragon is as good for size comparison as the trolls from the same set.

What? It's a size...comparison! I'm not 10% surr what you're trying to say there. I wasn't making a statement regarding appropriateness of the size of the black, just a comparison to its size. Whether the black dragon is small for its size or not is totally irrelevant, the clockwork still looks around a third again larger. Both of the incentives seem to be a good scale at first glance to me.

Actually the troll from that set may sadly be a size match for the Minotaur in the new D&D set, but I hope I'm wrong.

I am curious as to the choice of incentives. Why these two? While I love both, some may see them a s a little niche, like the first (and only- sad face) huge set with the ice worm and svarthuurim (which I've weirdly used a few times now)

The return of huge minis is very exciting, even if these two minis are of no use to me.

Hopefully a hydra and a huge plant creature will make it to the next set.

love the clockwork dragon!! As soon as I saw the picture I just went "WOW"! How much does a case cost with a subscription? I see for preorder they are $399?

I am curious as to the choice of incentives. Why these two? While I love both, some may see them a s a little niche, like the first (and only- sad face) huge set with the ice worm and svarthuurim (which I've weirdly used a few times now)

I'm of two minds about this. I definitely agree that the Svathurim was a strange choice for a precious Huge slot; it's a monster that most people have never heard of and which isn't going to show up in many adventures. The Frost Worm seemed more useful to me. From a marketing point of view, I would think it's in Paizo's/Wizkids' interest to pick Huges that people would want multiples of, which seems to me to point in the direction of Elementals and common giants (a Cloud Giant and a male Storm Giant would seem obvious picks, for instance.) I don't think most people are likely to need multiples of the Clockwork Dragon or the Spawn of Cthulhu, so that seems sort of a missed trick. On the other hand, though, I think both minis are going to have appeal outside of the fantasy sphere, so what they lose in buyers of multiples they may gain in sales to other sorts of gamers. We'll see! But I definitely hope they're successful, just so we get more of them!!!

Cat-thulhu wrote:

I am curious as to the choice of incentives. Why these two? While I love both, some may see them a s a little niche, like the first (and only- sad face) huge set with the ice worm and svarthuurim (which I've weirdly used a few times now)

I'm of two minds about this. I definitely agree that the Svathurim was a strange choice for a precious Huge slot; it's a monster that most people have never heard of and which isn't going to show up in many adventures. The Frost Worm seemed more useful to me. From a marketing point of view, I would think it's in Paizo's/Wizkids' interest to pick Huges that people would want multiples of, which seems to me to point in the direction of Elementals and common giants (a Cloud Giant and a male Storm Giant would seem obvious picks, for instance.) I don't think most people are likely to need multiples of the Clockwork Dragon or the Spawn of Cthulhu, so that seems sort of a missed trick. On the other hand, though, I think both minis are going to have appeal outside of the fantasy sphere, so what they lose in buyers of multiples they may gain in sales to other sorts of gamers. We'll see! But I definitely hope they're successful, just so we get more of them!!!

I agree on the point of the choice of miniatures still not being ideal.

A clockwork dragon is a creature that won't see much table time, as is a Spawn of Cthulhu. These are monsters i can imagine being deployed once in my lifetime.
Also the spawn has no legs...

On the other side both are beautiful enough to collectors or science fiction players (Clockwork Dragon) or HPLovecraft fans (the Cthulhu Bust).

I HOPE this sells - i will try to get 2 incentives with 1 case because i have a friend who loves big minis but doesn't care for a case.

I'm not in need of either of these, but they look cool. Not sure if I will order them or not. Right now I'm leaning towards not for the reason that I don't foresee an imminent use for either in the campaign I am running.

Daaaaaaaaamn, those look great! I doubt I'll be able to get the Clockwork Dragon before I need it, but my Strange Aeons group might just spring for the Starspawn.

Cheers!
Landon

I don't think the focus for incentives should be things people want multiples of. I think that will lead to high prices and misguided charges of 'money grabbing '.

I think huge incentives should be things that come in ones. Another solution is needed for things like elementals, imo.

Thinking on it further, and based on later comments, incentives should not pieces be that you would expect to need more than one of. After all, their production is tied to the set's run, and so might not be high enough. Elementals, huge ones, that is, are perhaps not the best option there. Speaking only for myself, I would probably want more than one of each in huge. But a plant creature, or dragon, or something else you would only need one of would work well.

I believe that we still need Green and Blue PF dragons in huge. So possibilities there.

Also, we still need some smaller sizes as well. A small/medium green, a large black and blues of all sizes.

... at least the dragon can double for any other huge dragon.

and please make the wings easily detachable! It will add to versitality.

while I like the idea of huge minis, why send out the test baloon with rather exotic choices?

well, at least the dragon can double for any other huge dragon.

I sent WizKids a ton of images, and these were the two that they picked. I think they thought "Hey, dragon! People love dragons" and "Hey, Cthulhu! People love cthulhu." I suspect they are correct.

I suspect you're right.

I'd also agree with Steve above. Case incentives don't need to be minis you want multiples of. Since you get one per case it makes sense they should be creatures you want/need one of. Creatures good in multiples are better served in individual sets like the aforementioned svarthuurim/ice worm set

That's all well and good, but when's the last time that we saw a normal set with Huges? And when are we likely to see one again? The fact is, there are certain Huges that are going to be in high demand *in multiples* -- elementals at the top of the list -- and I honestly don't understand the thinking that says "stay away from the minis for which there's the highest demand". If the goal is the sustainability of the line and of its ability to deliver Huges, it seems obvious to me that you go where the market is. But hey, I'll be thrilled to get these minis, I'm entirely on board, I hope they're very popular, and I'm confident that Paizo (and expect that Wizkids) know what they're doing.

I think it's not a matter of staying away from them as much as find a way I can get more than one...

I really like the idea of occasionally getting unique huges as case incentives (especially in pairs), but I'm really hoping that Wizkids can find a way to make the more common and the less intricate huges as well. I really would like a black pudding, which might be considered a disappointment for many if it was offered as a case incentive. I'd like the option to buy a huge case like was done for Rise of the Runelords, but I guess that method was deemed a bust. :(

I sent WizKids a ton of images, and these were the two that they picked. I think they thought "Hey, dragon! People love dragons" and "Hey, Cthulhu! People love cthulhu." I suspect they are correct.

Thank you for partially revealing what went on behind the curtain. I generally have faith that if I don't understand or agree with a choice, you know what you're doing.

The are correct. But that's not "dragon". That's "clockwork dragon", which while underrepresented, is less attractive than "dragon" for those people who like dragons. So yeah, at least for my vote, I'll be more likely to assemble my Reaper Bones clockwork dragon than try to buy one of these. And while "people love cthulhu" is true, it's also true "people can't care less about Lovecraft". That's what happens without quantifiers. (I figure that mini is good for Strange Aeons though, so a good choice, despite my not wanting it personally.)

Now, had you sent them four pictures of elementals, and they had to choose amongst them, well, then... I'd be finding SOME way to get my hands on them, even if I had to sacrifice a limb.

FWIW, while the Spawn of Cthulhu isn't my thing, it is the sort of mini that people who like Cthulhu might just set on a desk or bookshelf whether they ever use it in a game or not. Much like the dragon case incentives.

While I can appreciate the workmanship and artistry of the demons that were case incentives for the Wrath of the Righteous and Lost Coast sets, they're not something I'm going to use as part of my decor.

I have to say I'm more excited about a clockwork dragon than a second or third version of some of the more traditional dragons... But the sad truth is I'd probably get any dragon that was offered, I'm just a sucker for dragons.

I think the clock work dragon is one of the few dragons that hasn't been really explored in minis (I have chromatics to fill a shelf (and have filled said shelf with them)) but the clockwork is just a really neat figure, and fills a niche. So while I could take it or leave it, I think it is a good choice.

The Star Spawn on the other hand is a great choice, the original art of the Star Spawn emerging on Riddleport back in a Carrion Crown bestiary has always been a favourite, and periodic desktop background of mine. The sculpt is unusually dynamic for a mini, in a good way, and the timing lines up with the Mythos campaign. I can't think of a better for the set.

I'm mostly interested/dread in discovering what Eric becomes once the stars are right.

My money is on Cosmo. That or a half-man/half-mink hybrid. Possibly known as a mank.

My money is on Cosmo. That or a half-man/half-mink hybrid. Possibly known as a mank.

Thank you for adding a new swear word to my vocabulary. Carry on.

hmmm... I may have to change out my dashboard deity...

Some things that have not being mentioned:

1. In the description text for "Deadly Foes" HOBGOBLINS are mentioned.
I guess that is (one of) the focus group(s) in this set.
So we should get 4 different ones propably from the "Monster Codex" art.

2. "Evil soldiers" are also in the description text. The artwork shows a "chelish cleric of Asmodeus" from Hell's Rebels and a Paladin (Aram Golden-Heart).

3. "Slavers" are mentioned.

4. "Giants" are mentioned.

5. A "Bearded Devil" is shown.

6. A "Keketar Protean" is shown.

7. A Doppelganger? Is shown?

8. The price for the incentive is only $39.99!