I was so excited over the prospect of a set that included human children, as common people are so often overlooked in miniature packs. This girl (& the boy too) are just ... meh. Mediocre sculpt. Sloppy paint. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this. I feel like they tweeked a gnome or halfling and just packaged it and let it roll. Not worth the investment. BIG disappointment.
This wereboar sculpt is decent but the paint job is just poor. The dull yellowish brown fur that blends into the apron (what's up with the apron?) is terrible. The lousy color scheme could be fixed with a little personal paint job but the problem is that the mini itself is still just too big. He stands almost twice as tall as a standard (human) PC mini. He's better than nothing when your game calls for a wereboar, but only just barely.
This spider is small and a bit delicate but I think the best part by far is the web. I'm glad they made the web out of solid clear plastic for added stability, though I admit it adds to the "cheese" factor. Still, overall, I am pleased with the size and sculpt.
This dog is small and a little delicate but it is appropriately sized next to the average PC mini. I like that it is in a neutral pose and think it will be very useful as a companion or simply to add flavor to an urban setting. It has a solid, if not terribly detailed, sculpt and paint job. I'm happy that more dungeon dressing and non-monstrous creatures are being included in the recent miniature packs.
This mini is pricey but I can't complain overly much. It's big and heavy (being solidly built) and I can't overstate the intimidation and awe it brings to the gaming table. My only complaint (and it wasn't enough to subtract a star) is that his open mouth is an illusion - it is solidly cast and only painted black on the interior to suggest his mouth is open - it is actually not. The body paint is simple but fairly realistic. Some might argue he's in an awkward pose but I think the sculptor had no choice when trying to squeeze his bulk onto the appropriate base. Overall, he's already one of my favorites and I'm already devising new scenarios to include him in.
I'm a little iffy on whether this mini is worth the investment. The sculpt is good and the details are rather impressive considering its size but it's barely larger than the human mini. If this piece was even large it would easily earn five stars. Or if it were cheaper, it would be an awesome addition to any gaming table but its small size and not-so-small price conspire to undo any enthusiasm it might invoke. Buyer beware.
This is a decent mini. The paint job is a bit mottled - not as clean as the photo - but I kinda like it. There is impressive detail on the teeth/mouth, making up for the sloppy eye paint. I took away a star just for the subject matter. I'm not sure this mini is terribly versatile and I like to substitute my minis in for creatures I don't own. Again, this mini is nothing spectacular but it is a solid one.
I just recently purchased this pack and I'm glad I did. Quality issues in past packs had caused me to hesitate. This pack has good quality cardstock and good artwork. It didn't have any cards that I can't imagine a use for; as compared to other packs with up to half the images too weird, monster-based, or cartoonish for any practical purpose. A couple faces looked like they were drawn from real-life neighbors or something. It's great. Definitely worth the money.
Had this mini about a year and just got the chance to use it. I admit I used it to represent a spirit naga rather than its original purpose. It is solid and sturdy, well-built. It is difficult to appreciate at a distance; you really need to pick it up and study it but it exudes a certain malevolence just the same. It is so much better than any other naga on the market that they don't deserve to be classed together. Fun to use. Understated but cool.
This mini is too big. It's a shame to waste a "giant" mini on a creature of this type. That aside, the paint job makes this mini look like something straight out of a low-budget cartoon. It's green - and I mean, John Deere green. No shading or realism. The paint job destroys a decent design. And I can't decide which is worse the mouth or the eyes. The ridiculous black grin with triangle white teeth - again cartoonish. The eyes are a flat black, expressionless and disturbing. While I might be able to figure this guy into play (maybe once) - he demands a repaint.
Cartoonish. Ridiculous paint scheme combines with strange pose and poor design. This thing doesn't even match its own creature description in the MM. Ick!
Who sculpted this Vampire Spawn? A third grader? The pose is horrible and yet, better than the paint which was apparently applied with a spackle tool. This mini isn't scary or impressive, it borders on cartoonish. The vampire doesn't suck blood. It just sucks.
The tomebound Arcanist is well detailed and has a nice paint job. What I like most about this mini is its versatility. Could be good guy, could be bad guy, could be expert, could be novice. The possibilities are endless. I'm excited to add him to my game (if one of the players doesn't snatch him up as a PC first)!
The paint job on the Shadow Hulk is monochromatic but it has a nice irridescence. Overall, it's well built and has acceptable detail. On mine,however, the leading hand was just resting on a peg rather than being connected to the base. It looks a little weird and I'm nervous its instability might someday lead to a broken arm (if it's not broken already - was it supposed to be connected?). Overall, though, it's just big. Amazingly big, even for a huge, considering the subject matter. So if you want a big umber hulk, he's your guy.
I can't say exactly why I like the Half-Elf Assassin, I just do. I was excited to pull it from the box. I would rate it as fair in pose, details, and its monochrome paint scheme. Still, it approaches excellence in its versatility and practical usefulness. Whether this mini is used to represent a PC rogue or a DM minion to challenge the PCs, I'm happy to have it in my repetoire. It is simple but good.
The fist of Moradin is a cool name. It's not badly sculpted and even has a decent paint job. The pose and detail are better than fair. So why the low rating? First, on the principle of the matter. I'm sick to death of getting dwarfs. I have no personal grudge against dwarves but their sheer number (in minis) is annoying. I have hundreds of them and every pack seems to have at least two (more than elves, and definitely more than humans). So if I'm forced to get these little wastes of plastic, the least they can do is make them special. The other dwarf (warsword) in this series is heavier, sturdier and all around better. Why such disparity within the same pack? There are too many dwarves! And, like this one, their overall quality is too poor!
I can't speak for proper sizing (in game terms this cockatrice may be a bit large) but the mini is well made with good detail and decent coloring. I think it looks pretty cool and will definitely find gameplay at my table soon.
This huge mini is nicely built and well-sculpted but I wish the huge minis in this or any other pack would be useful and closer in line with iconic D&D monsters. The Armored Guulvorg may be dragonish but, to me, it's just a big blue lizard. Hasn't the niche for all these dragonkin been filled to vomitous overflow in other packs? It may be big but it's also pretty useless, at least in my game.
I'm a big fan of the clear or semi-transparent plastic used in miniatures, particularly with undead. Now I probably have a thousand undead minis of various types so I'm almost never excited to get another but I kinda like this one. It's simple but detailed. The red eyes are particularly fearsome and unsettling. I especially like how the semi-transparent plastic gives this miniature the proper balance of noncorporal presence and haunting absence.
Now I'm not sure when, why, or where I would have a reason to use a Hobgoblin Warcaster in my game but this miniature makes me hope I someday do. It seems a simple design but the devil is in the details. The pose is interesting. The Hobgoblin's expression draws attention. The details are excellent. Overall, it's good work.
The soulrider devil miniature had a lot of potential to be a really cool miniature but unfortunately the horrible paint job squashed the potential. The design is good and there is detail in the sculpt but you have to hold the miniature a centimeter from your eyes in order to appreciate it since it's buried under a sloppy layer of paint. The colors aren't bad; it's the application that stinks. The total effect is disappointing.
When my players first saw this, they were impressed. The design is first rate with interesting and unique presentation. I especially like the semi-transparent web. The spider itself is ... well, maybe a one & a half star product. It is not well-detailed and I'm a little confused why it has huge legs on the right side and short ones on its left. Is it supposed to be halfway phased in? Not really sure what the designers were going for but its effect was lost on me. I also realize the spider is rather a dull grey but the paint job makes it look ... well, dull.
The Crazed Kuo-Toa might just be the worst miniature ever. It's small, spindly, poor quality just waiting to break. The color is putrid. The painting is sloppy. The detail is poor. The entire design sucks. The older model kuo-toa were cool and fun to add to your game. I'm not even sure what this guy is supposed to look like. It's nasty. I wouldn't put him on my table for anything. What were they thinking? If they're going to redesign something it should be an improvement. This is not.
I love these cards! By far, this is the best deck yet!! I have purchased all the previous packs with mixed opinions on their value/adaptability. No problems with this pack! The adaptability/versatility of the cards in this particular deck is unparalleled since the items included are what "every" player character has (or will have over the course of a campaign). There are very few cards that weren't put to immediate use in my game. It's especially nice to be able to neatly track rations, torches, and other constantly replenished items on a beautifully illustrated card. The cards for spellbook, thieves tools, etc. are great for keeping track of where (or on whose person) specific items are at any given moment. My players now cringe when an in-game "dropped item" moment happens or their carried items are specifically targeted by spell/damage. I've bought two (these packs sorta demand one for each player) and am anxiously rolling pennies to buy more.
I was disappointed with this product and don't feel like it's worth the money. The graphics are great but nothing I can't accomplish on my own on Dunjinni. The card stock is so flimsy as to almost not deserve the name. The maps are only one sided. As noted in other reviews, they slide around (there's no practical way to secure them to a surface or even to each other)and one pack can't even be logically laid out card-to-card as a small section of village. The segmented pictures that are helpful as about the only clue to how a person should lay out the cards in the first place, also prevent the supposed versatility of said cards since a picture begins on one card and finishes on another. The inn is sadly lacking a set of ascending stairs so, what, the inn only rents two rooms - where does everyone else sleep?
I either have to work to create my own similar product or work to fix all the drawbacks of this one. So if I'm the one doing the work, why am I also forking over my hard-earned cash?
If I wanted such cheap products I could create them myself with minimal effort on my computer/printer. If I'm lazy and want to pay someone else to do it, then the product should be *better* than something homemade. This one isn't.
