Minis at the Center of the World

Monday, May 11, 2020

It seems like it’s been forever since I made one of these preview posts, and I guess it has (and not just because every day seems like a month since everyone started working from home). There’s been a long wait for the next set of Pathfinder Battles prepainted plastic miniatures from our partners at WizKids, but the wait is soon over. Pathfinder Battles: City of Lost Omensis slated for late June, and every indication I’ve heard so far points to it releasing on time. So without further ado, let’s get into it, shall we?

Docks: Illustration by Kent Hamilton

In July, we’ll be launching our third Pathfinder Adventure Path for Pathfinder second edition, the fantasy cops-and-robbers Agents of Edgewatch, in which the players all take on the roles of members of Absalom’s city watch coming together to address a city-wide threat. It is fitting, then, that we include some members of said watch in this set. We put as many of these figures in the set’s variable slots as we could, allowing the same sculpts to be altered slightly to increase the total number of players who might find just the right one to represent their character. We had our concept artists design a series of uniforms for the watch so that we could maintain visual consistency between the forthcoming books set in Absalom and these minis, so be sure to let us know what you think of the new watch uniforms! Here we have two versions of the Absalom Watch Cadet, two Medium figures at the common and uncommon rarity, respectively.

We don’t yet know when or how we’ll be distributing it, but we’ve also got a promo repaint of the human version of this figure coming later, with a darker skin tone (perhaps of Keleshite ancestry).

Slightly higher in rank, the Absalom Watch Officer comes in two varieties at the uncommon rarity, both Medium (human) figures.

Rounding out this series of city watch members, we have the Absalom Watch Captain, a Medium rare figure.

While city watch members can really bring any campaign world to life, we didn’t just infuse Pathfinder Battles: City of Lost Omens with one flavor of Absalom. After all, it’s the world’s largest city. We pulled out all the stops to ensure the setting’s cosmopolitan nature was reflected in this set.

Take Chief Zusgut, for example. This Small rare figure represents the most influential goblin in Absalom, whose dominion over the Puddles is (mostly) absolute.

Absalom’s naval supremacy in the Inner Sea is undisputed, in large part due to two forces working to protect the city’s harbor and nearby waters. The first are the hippocampus-riding Wave Riders, while the second are the amphibious humanoids known as the Low Azlanti. Depicted here are the Large uncommon and Medium common figures for each of these two iconic Absalom natives.

Finally, in keeping with our tradition of including relevant deities from the Pathfinder pantheon in Pathfinder Battles sets, we knew we couldn’t do a set based on Absalom without including the remaining ascended gods. Thus, we have Aroden, founder of Absalom and currently very dead, and Norgorber. Check back over the next few weeks to see a few figures themed to the faiths of both of these gods! Both rare Medium figures, Aroden and Norgorber are sure to add a touch of the divine to any campaign.

And, if you’re looking to let your player characters potentially become gods, you’ll definitely want to pick up our first piece of set dressing: the Starstone! Based on the illustration from the cover of Lost Omens Gods & Magic, this Medium bonus figure promises apotheosis to all who touch it and survive the ensuing ordeal.

We’ll be back next week with a look at some of the figures based upon Absalom’s surroundings, including natives of the Isle of Kortos and subterranean dwellers to support both the Extinction Cure Adventure Path and the forthcoming standalone adventure, The Dead God’s Hand. Until then, stay safe and roll 20s!

Adventures Ahead!

Mark Moreland
Director of Brand Strategy

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Tags: Lost Omens Gods & Magic Miniatures Pathfinder Pathfinder Adventure Path Pathfinder Battles Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Second Edition
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Mark Moreland wrote:
Steve Geddes wrote:
Berk the Black wrote:
Are you sure we lose a rare slot for the dungeon dressings? I didn’t think that was the case.
Only on a “if they didn’t put this one unique sculpt in, they could put a different, unique sculpt in” basis. I’ve never had the details confirmed by anyone with deep knowledge of the economics.
Dungeon dressing takes up an extra slot for bonus figures. In some of the Icons of the Realms sets they've done "invisible" figures in these spots made of clear plastic. You'll note we didn't have any dungeon dressing in Legendary Adventures because those bonus slots were used up by making Huge figures. Even I'm not clear on the tooling process that dictates how many figures they can make per set and how complex they can be (which is why I don't work for WizKids), but I know that these figures really are in addition to what would be in the set otherwise. The fact that they don't take up one of the four figure slots in a given booster box means when they show up, they really are extra.

But (with respect). Surely if they can make a rock they can make a lizard instead?

I mean it may well be that they changed things up to include these, but similarly they could just commission a monster sculpt in place of a scenery sculpt and change things up again, no?

Edit: I don’t know how open and interested in discussing such thing Wizkids are, it’s clearly entirely a matter for them. However, if there were some argument as to why we can make the starstone but can’t make a lich that was shareable, I’d be very keen to hear it.


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When I say we’re getting these in place of a rare figure, I don’t mean we used to get more rare figures and we’ve lost that to get these.

I mean we’re missing out on the potential for more monsters - it’s an opportunity cost argument, not a comparison of past and present sets.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook Subscriber; Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber
Mark Moreland wrote:
Steve Geddes wrote:
Berk the Black wrote:
Are you sure we lose a rare slot for the dungeon dressings? I didn’t think that was the case.
Only on a “if they didn’t put this one unique sculpt in, they could put a different, unique sculpt in” basis. I’ve never had the details confirmed by anyone with deep knowledge of the economics.
Dungeon dressing takes up an extra slot for bonus figures. In some of the Icons of the Realms sets they've done "invisible" figures in these spots made of clear plastic. You'll note we didn't have any dungeon dressing in Legendary Adventures because those bonus slots were used up by making Huge figures. Even I'm not clear on the tooling process that dictates how many figures they can make per set and how complex they can be (which is why I don't work for WizKids), but I know that these figures really are in addition to what would be in the set otherwise. The fact that they don't take up one of the four figure slots in a given booster box means when they show up, they really are extra.

This answer right here makes me happy they are in there then. I had always assumed like Marco that they would take up a slot used for something else. That being said?

I like the invisible minis too :D


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Anyone else think Will Ferrell when they see the Absalom Watch Captain?


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Have to ask for phobia concerns -- are there any webby bugthings in this set?

I am very excited for this set but am stuck with dilemma of 'wanting nifty minis' but not being able to afford the space for the dozens of boxes I'd need to get to round it out.

Is there any relatively inexpensive way to acquire them without going third-party?


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Perhaps a brick (eight boosters) is the way for you to go. You should get at least one of each common, one of almost each uncommon and about a fourth of the rares (barring any collation errors). You can fill out what you need more of (or didn’t get) with singles purchases. If you do go this route, make sure it is a sealed brick. Any eight loose booster will not guarantee anything distribution wise.


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Extinction Cure. That sounds pretty totalitarian and a lot more scary than Curse. ;)


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Is there any way to pre-order a brick at this time?

Dark Archive

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
Is there any way to pre-order a brick at this time?

Not yet, but it should be possible as soon as the product page is updated.

Dark Archive

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The "Wave Rider" mini is based upon the "Hippocampus" art from the first edition Bestiary 2 by the way.
Really nice to get a miniature for a creature which has been around so long.
I don't know on which art piece the "Low Azlanti" is based, but the creature is known as "Gillman" which was originally published in "The Inner Sea World Guide", same as "Treerazer".


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I do like themed sets of minis like the city watch. While we do already have a past similarly themed set of watch minis -- these are very different in appearance and would be my preferred watch group over the past release(s).

It is also nice to see some other of the other humanoid races in the themed set.

It would have been nice to actually make the humanoid slot a variant slot. In example: #3a would be a half-orc, and #3b would be a dwarf.

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

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Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper wrote:

I do like themed sets of minis like the city watch. While we do already have a past similarly themed set of watch minis -- these are very different in appearance and would be my preferred watch group over the past release(s).

It is also nice to see some other of the other humanoid races in the themed set.

It would have been nice to actually make the humanoid slot a variant slot. In example: #3a would be a half-orc, and #3b would be a dwarf.

Swapping heads, arms, weapons, and paint schemes are really about the extent of what the variant sculpts can do, as far as I understand it. A dwarf and a half-orc have very different body shapes, sizes, and proportions, and thus would need to be two different sculpts. The variant slots are possible because they require only one or two minor changes.

For example, a human/half-orc swap, or gender-flip can have 100 torsos made from one tooling, and then a different tooling with two different heads. They only need to run that second mold 50 times to get the 50 of each variant. And since they'd need to do the head and torso as different pieces to be assembled later anyway, it doesn't cost any more in terms of production.

At least that's how I understand it.

Sovereign Court

This June is an incredibly bad time to release a mini set with five cops in it...


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Illeist wrote:
This June is an incredibly bad time to release a mini set with five cops in it...

There was nearly zero chance that the current environment could be predicted.

I'd prefer to see a positive side of this, law enforcement officers that are trying to *fix* a broken centuries old system -- now THAT would be a monumentally epic AP.

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