arbados's page

Love all the minis!

One request though.......PLEASE make sure Urgathoa's skeletal legs are thick and strong enough to support her. The minis only downfall could be a constant bending forward due to the legs not being thick enough. The hot water treatment doesn't generally fix skeletal minis with exceptionally thin legs. I love that we're getting minis representing the gods in Pathfinder! Now that Paizo started they have to do them all! I recall WoTC making some great aspects but I don't think they ever completed all of them.

I understand that many are excited for the qlippoth, but for me I'm much more excited for the everyday more common figures such as the Giant Ant and yes the Metal Cobra. The metal cobra, as has been suggested has an awesome repaint opportunity and if not it still looks great! The apparatus of the Octopus is interesting and one of a kind so I like it! I've never heard of it before, but I'm open minded and t is an awesome mini which can offer great ideas!

The Nightmare Dragon is great. I have nothing like this so it's good even if it is a dragon which I'm saturated with. Obviously with the end of my last sentence you may have guessed that I'm not a big fan of the Medium Copper Dragon and the Large Blue Dragon. They look nice, but for me more of the core dragons simply means meh! Them sitting on rocks doesn't generally bother me, but I can see where it would for others.

I always wanted a Penanggalen, but I'm a little disappointed in this one. The clear peg takes away from the mini itself. The grotesque nature is not as greatly portrayed with it and this mini needs to be the leader when it comes to gross! I wish the mini could stand on the base without the clear stand. Maybe redesign it a bit with more of its entrails on the ground for a sturdier attachment. Trust me, it would do the mini justice as the rest looks pretty good, but the clear post ruins it!

Witchfire looks awesome and will be a great addition to my collection. I just hope it looks like the pic! Nice!

The JuJu Zombie might be my biggest disappointment. I recall them being more feral and nasty. That helmet, armor and weapon make them look way too regal for what I think them as. It's different, I'll give you that!

It would be great to get some younger folk minis (kids). A+ for the point!

Yep, that's what I think most feel Kalindlara!

I'd say the primary problem for a lot of people with the game is NOT two fold as outlined. Some skin is fine with me, and my wife I might add. I'd gather most are not bothered. Awesome work!

All of the dungeon dressing pieces are wonderful. However, I do think you have to look at their availability per case. It seems many are interested in these pieces so why not test a separate line of simple dungeon dressing pieces? That would allow persons that don't want them to ignore these item and ones that do getting the numbers they want instead of having to try and chase them for ridiculous prices on the aftermarket? I like the idea as a terrain collector, but the Pathfinder offer has not met my needs or interest. I think the idea is fantastic, but you have to rethink the sale strategy.

The unicorn is nice, but I have way to many already that my interest is very limited. I have yet to use any that I do have.

Damn, that Book is awesome, especially with it being removable! Did I say DAMN! Yep, that piece is seriously one for the ages! It's not something you need everyday, but ya gotta have!

The detail on the salamander is great, but it is a bit monochromatic.

Erik,
With the catoblepas, what made you go with this artwork instead of the original look? Is this representative of the Pathfinder version. I'm so used to the long necked version from yesteryear.

I think they are all quite nice and undead are always a must for any gamer. You can never have too many. Both the wight and zombie have a nautical feel to them which I like. Still are wights and zombies, but would do well for undead pirates or something. Very nice set.

I think a set revolving around fey creatures would be a nice addition. They are a somewhat underrepresented creature type.

The mix of pc's to monsters has been pretty good in this set! No complaints, although you can't argue that monsters do have a bit of a plus! Erik, you really have been doing a fantastic job in not only the minis but:

Your communication with the fans on here as well as other boards.

Your simple transparency as to why decisions have been made.

Your explanation as to why certain things have been chosen.

Your acceptance of criticism.

Your open, honest opinion on what needs to improve and what could have been done better.

Your push to perfection in the miniatures as a GAMER, not as a businessman.

Your simple excitement at getting and seeing the miniatures like all of us (except you get them sooner)!

Listening to what we have to say and doing that in future sets.

OK, enough compliments. You are going to get too big of a head!!

Thanks a million! You know you are the biigest name in the industry right now! Well you and Lisa!!

I DM, have a ton of books and in truth base most of my purchases on minis! However, and I say a BIG however, this is the type of book that I will pick up!

NPC's take a huge amount of time putting together and sometimes after prepping a huge, accurate stat block the battle may sometimes not even happen or is a lot quicker than I had hoped for. This will solve all of that, because now I can simply search through the book, find a well suited npc and have them ready to go! I love it.

I am also OK with it being classes from the core rule book only. There are SO many options to make variable type npc's from only the core classes and races! I think this book should only focus on the base classes! Give us a wide variety of these and then in the future come out with a book that focuses on the APG!

I don't need catfolk, ogres and various other monstrous type characters in this book! Those I can create on my own and are not the everyday npc's in my campaign world! However, a rogue which is the leader, task force or low level mission boy of a city guild is something which can pop up at any time and I may need a quick npc! The same goes for city guard types, wizards, clerics, etc. Core classes are awesome in their own right and a book of 500+ npc's of these with various levels still wouldn't be enough!

GREAT JOB and IDEA Paizo!!!

I posted this review elswhere (like on Plasticrypt and Maxminis), but wanted to be sure I put it here so that the "real players" can maybe take a look and either answer some of my questions or at the least consider my suggestions moving forward.

Here is my very long review!!

OK, I received my regular booster case today, along with a huge case and the Rune Giant. After very careful initial consideration, as well as a second look through them all about 3 hours later I have my review.

First, the packaging is better than last time, however, don’t expect a small pile. There will still be a good amount of plastic boxes lying about when all said and done. I understand the rationale behind the hard plastic, but it is certainly a lot more garbage than the previous plastic baggies that WotC put their minis in. I guess the hard plastic would be understandable if the minis remained intact. However, that was not the case for me and there were quite a few minis which had slipped out of their slots in my normal booster case (not the huges as they were all intact).

I received 3 minis “broken.” They were the Scribbler, Forgefiend and Ameiko Kaijitsu. When I say “broken” they had detached from their base. I used super glue to put them back together and I am sure they will be fine. However, when receiving new minis I don’t expect to find them separated from the base upon arrival. This is something I think needs to be looked into with the next set. It seems the minis are not part of the base and simply attached to it after the mini has been cast. This most definitely is the problem as the old WotC minis were part of the base.

I DID receive a full set with my case which was a good thing. However, I was down to my last 2 boosters when I finally pulled the remaining 2 minis I needed (Yeti and Lamatar Bayden). I actually got a Yeti in each of my last 2 boosters which I was glad giving me a total of 2!

I ordered my cases from another company and let me tell you the actual delivery box I received was huge! I actually understand the $17.00 shipping charge after seeing the delivery!! I just wanted to add that in.

Strangely, I received two Vale Temros minis, but the base on one of them says Faceless Stalker. I am thinking the mini should have actually been a Faceless Stalker as it seems the Vale Temros mini was glued on to the base (there is a white outline around his feet). I have glued thousands of minis to bases and I have seen this all too familiar tell-tale sign indicating the mini has been glued down. None of the other minis received had this white outline around their feet.

Next, I don’t understand the reason that some of the minis are attached to the base using the minis feet, while others have small pads attached to their feet which are then attached to the base? It can’t simply be because the size of the feet because many minis have smaller feet and do not use the pads (take a look at a few examples such as Jakardros Sovark, Aldern Foxglove and the Shining Child – none have pads). However, then look at the Ghoul, Sinspawn Axeman and Warrior of Wrath. Is there really a difference in their feet size? I am not making a major complaint about this, although they do look much better without the additional pad, however, I would be curious to know from Paizo/Wizkids why some have it and some do not.

So now I will move on to my review of the actual minis themselves!

First the Rune Giant. The paint job and sculpt on this mini is absolutely fantastic! I know it cost quite a penny so it should be expected, but you will not be disappointed in the way it looks! There is literally no complaint I have with this mini other than maybe wanting it a tad taller. However, he is crouching so I should take that into consideration. When putting him alongside Orcus he matches up in size quite nicely. He falls slightly short in height to WotC Gargantuan Black Dragon and seems slightly smaller than the Blue. However, the Gargantuan Blue is quite “beefy” and the Black is standing on its hind feet. When put next to the white he fits in perfectly!! Overall an A!

HUGES. I will go over each of these in great detail as there are only 4.

I am rating all minis with an A, B, C or D scale. No pluses or minuses.

Treachery Demon: The Treachery Demon is the prize without any doubt! It is absolutely awesome. Those two smaller hands protruding from its chest are just plain creepy! That lime green tongue is a bit out of place, but it is a lumbering intimidating beast! A.

Karzoug Statue: After the above listed mini I would consider the Karzoug Statue to be a very close second. Yes, it doesn’t have the color scheme of the Treachery Demon, but for what it is, a statue, it certainly does its job. It is immense in size and weighs a ton. Throw away your bat under your bed and keep one of these under it for intruders! It should do the job just as nicely!! It is a great figure and is just about the size of the Rune Giant! Another A!

Lamia Harridan and Storm Giant: Both are nice minis. However, the Lamia suffers some of the problem the first set had and that is size issues! Her head could fit on many of the large minis and you would not know that it came from a huge. Simply compare her head to the storm giant and it is clear as day! She is a very nice mini and the detail is fantastic. However, I wish Paizo would work with Wizkids on the next set in getting the scale a bit better. WotC was ripped apart for issues like this so I think it is only fair to mention this to Paizo. You may say it is only 1 mini, but wait. I have more! Both B.

The Lamia! OMG! Look at the size of this mini! This is worse than the Chimera from Heroes and Monsters! Please Paizo, correct this moving forward as it really takes away from such a potentially cool mini as the Lamia! You can fit another 3 of her on the base before it gets crowded! I actually got 3!!! If she was larger she could have been awesome. I hate to say it, but I do wonder who let this one pass through review during production? I would have thought Paizo would have stopped this one in its tracks and asked Wizkids to modify it. D!!!

Sticking with the size issue I wonder if the Ogre is supposed to be the young of either the Ogre Brute or Jagraath Kreeg! The Ogre is about half their size? I am honestly curious as to how they made three ogres (which all look fantastic I must add) and one being so much smaller than the rest? Maybe it is supposed to be because of the RotR Adventure Path, but if not there is a serious problem with the ogre’s size! I must say that the ogre’s are one of my favorite minis in the set. They are each painted beautifully and have so much detail, expression and character! Truly outstanding, however, the size differential takes away from my overall love of the three! However, I will still give them an A taking into consideration that the Ogre is a child!

Again I must mention the size issue! The Young Red Dragon has the same issue! Just compare it to the WotC dragons and you will see what I mean. I like the mini, like the detail, like the sculpt, but its size is very uninspiring! Are we seeing a bit of a pattern yet? C.

Now, after saying all of that about size issues let me move on and hit some positives. There are many!

Yeti: Awesome mini. Got 2 and wanted many more (if you read above got it from my last 2 boosters). Some may not like the loin cloth considering Yeti are more “wild” but the mini itself is outstanding! I need many more. A.

All the Stone Giants: They are great. I didn’t look at my WotC ones to compare, but it appears they have a similar look with the lanky muscular build. I think they scored big with these minis. Some may hate the added scenery (rocks for 2 of the 3 minis), but I think it is great! You can see that Mokmurian is smaller than the others. However, I am going to hold it to the fact that he is a spell caster and took this class route because of his size (I am trying to be reasonable here as I really don’t know if his smaller size is becasue he is a spell caster or they just messed up again with size). However, oddly his head is not as squared as the others (being round). In the end, however, these three minis still get a thumbs up! A.

Dire Bear: Very nice mini. Dire? I don’t know, but it certainly fills in for a natural looking grizzly or something. Got three, which I didn’t really need, but at least it’s a nice minis. For a simple brown paint scheme it has some depth to it! Beefy and bulky it might be my favorite bear mini to date! A.

Forgefiend: Besides having no idea what this creature is I think it is well executed. The translucent orange belly makes the mini standout and without that it would simply be a C. One of mine was detached from its base, but after gluing it all is fine. I guess there was only so much they could do with the paint for this mini, but gladly they did it right with the stomach! B.

Lamia Matriarch: Can’t complain here. I think it is nice. It’s torso is much thinner than the snake-like WotC minis, but it still represents size with its lengthy coils on the large base. It gives a different impression than the Dark Naga and such with it appearing long and lanky! B.

Malfeshkekor: What the hell is this? Don’t know but I like. Not only is it intimidating in size it has this malevolent smile upon its face which just screams evil. Awesome mini. Got three and I am very happy about that. A.

Stone Golem: Now, to me this is not really a stone golem. I understand that they can be created with any look wanted, but it just appears undead! However, this is a good thing! This mini is quite creepy! You want to use it as a stone golem, go ahead. You want to use it as some undead, go ahead. It has quite a bit of versatility! Love it as all stone golems simply looked like….stone golems before this creepy dude! In the end, one of my favorites! A.

Wendigo: I will say that this freakish mini is awesome. Nice paint, nice sculpt and love the size! Having it perched on the translucent base is a plus as the creature from what I recall has no legs (or something to that effect). Got 3 and although that is too many to put against any reasonable party I am happy! A.

MEDIUMS and SMALLS

Yeth Hound and Goblin Dog: Both minis are great. We all needed a Yeth Hound and the Goblin Dog can serve any purpose you want from a feral wild dog to well...a goblin dog. Great minis! The two of these look great together as well in regards to size. However, both strangely are on a circular base glued to the actual base which is almost equal in size. I would love to know the reason for this as well? A. (I do, however, want to give both a minus because of the extra “base”). Paizo, please explain!

Sinspawn and Sinspawn Axeman: Think both are superb. I know not what they are, but I can certainly find a place for them in my world. The axeman is the better of the two, but they both look so similar that a group of each rampaging towards any party would look great! Very good minis! A.

Bugbear Hero and Ogrekin: Absolutely two of the best minis in the set. The detail on the bugbear is fantastic as well as the paint scheme. Both are truly superb and some of my favorite minis! That malformed face on the Ogrekin is great! A.

Alu-Demon: Pretty good. I guess I can’t complain and most will say nice. However, I have had enough of these minis and am getting a bit bored even with this one having the sweet webbing covering her arse! B.

Goblin Commando on Goblin Dog: You really can’t ask for any more in a mini! I got three and want more. Both the goblin and dog are well done. Each can, if seperated in a battle, be substituted for other minis in this set! Really good mini! A.

Faceless Stalker: For a simple mini I like it. It has pads on its feet which is a negative, but it still gets my OK. Don’t expect too much from this mini as it can only offer so much with the paint and sculpt! However, for what it can offer it is quite nice! B.

Wrath: Eh! I get them trying to add a little something with the hair and all, but in the end there is something lacking with this mini. Doesn’t give a wrath-like feeling! Paint is bland and just doesn’t feel all that “undead” and scary! Funny thing is even though I don’t love the mini I can see myself using it often! C.

Lamia Kuchrima: Certainly one of the aces of the set! The minis sculpt is awesome. Paint scheme is pretty good, but it simply comes down to its use. Add this to the WotC vrocks and you have one hell of a party! A.

Warchief Ripnugget: This is one hell of a mini! I am not a fan of mounted minis, but this goblin and lizard take the cake! Really solid mini overall. I would have liked a bit more shading on the lizard which holds it back a bit. B.

Harpy: When I saw the previews I thought I would hate this mini. However, now in hand I have changed my mind. The detail on the face of the mini is quite outstanding! The shaded wings look quite good and the size makes up for a missing spot with all the WotC harpies. Very nice surprise, but I only got 1! A.

Ghoul: Maybe it’s me, but I just don’t like my ghoul’s blue! Why this color I don’t know, but I must say it doesn’t look good. The skull in hand looks a bit silly and at the end of the day although I love undead the minis is not really great! C.

Shining Child: So I know that there was a great deal of effort that went into this mini and I am thankful that they created it. But, to be fair it is only so, so. I think it is good for what it is and in truth am happy I got 3 (would have liked more). It is clear plastic which is hard to really see due to the minis small size. I would have liked a better wash on the hair maybe to blend in better with the minis clear plastic, purple body. I still rate it fairly high. B.

Redcap: Simply love this little guy! Maybe I have a routing effort for the “little” guy, but in the end this mini needed to be made for the longest time. Love the oversized axe it carries and for such a small mini the detail is great! You can’t really make out all the detail on this guy due to his size, but because of the red cap and the large axe your focus is drawn to these areas thus making the detail obscured. I want more!!! A.

Goblin Commando and Goblin Warchanter: Of the two which is better? Well, maybe the Warchanter because of his open mouth displaying his teeth. However, once again Paizo has hit it out of the park with their goblins. A definite must have as they are both great! I have not used goblins in my game for years, but when I do I am certainly pulling out these! Great! A.

Kobold Champion: This guy is superb. Simply look at the paint detail. The shading is phenomenal and the sculpt is truly great. He would fit in nicely with all other kobold minis which is a bonus as well. A.

Let me move on the PEOPLE TYPE SCULPTS.

The Best? Well there are many. I think at times Paizo does better with their minis representing “people” than the monsters. I think part of the reason is that “people” are all the basic same size!!

Anyways, here are all the pc type minis rated best to the worst (many are superb):

1) Seoni, Human Sorcerer: And it’s not because of her garb! It is simply an amazing minis). A.

2) Azaven: Can be used for a human or some sort of undead. Detail is incredible! A.

3) The Mithral Mage: The staff in his hands with the clear tip gem looks great. The mini overall is one of the best! A.

4) Runelord Karzoug: Love the color, love the detail and love the green flame. Some may not like this mini because of this, but I can’t help but think that it is one which should be a major npc! Face looks great! A.

5) Lamatar Bayden: Maybe undead and belongs with the creatures above, but this guy I love no matter where he belongs! A.

6) Khalib: Got three of this guy, but his paint and detail are really on the mark. A.

7) Vale Temros: Love that Paizo has added many npc’s of color. The figure is cool and the detail is excellent! A.

8) The Scribbler: Falling in at #8 he still is at the A level. Strangely I can’t really put my finger on what I like about him. A.

9) Denizen of Leng: Maybe should have been under creatures, but looks humanoid enough to me. Great mini with all detail. Love it, but only got 2! I need and want many more! A.

10) Ameiko Kajitsu: Very good looking mini with the tattoos on her arm for detail. Love the shading on the hair (gray stripe). A.

11) Aldern Foxglove: Very regal looking mini. Nice addition. A.

12) Lucrecia: Great barkeep mini for any game. Very nice detail as well. A.

13) Shalelu Andosana: Very nice mini but I am still trying to figure out what that two-pronged white thing is sticking out of her hair? Someone please tell me? B. (found out from Cylyria on Plasticrypt that they are feathers).

14) Tsuto Kaijitsu: Asian I guess. I do think it looks good. B.

15) Lyrie Akenja: Like this mini a lot, but the cat takes away from it overall. Would have been an A if not for the white cat at her feet. B.

16) Highlady Athroxis: Great mini, but I rated it so low because of a couple of things. First, the weapon takes up too much space around her interfering with potential other minis on a game board. Second, I don’t love the pose. Nice mini for many I am guessing, but I am not in love with it. B.

17) Orik Vancaskerkin: The shield makes the mini overall quite nice. In truth could have ranked him much higher. Very good, but he might be suffering from my “late night syndrome as I have been writing this for god knows how long”. B.

18) Viorian Dekanti: One of the last of the B minis. This is another that could have been rated higher. It is truly fantastic. B.

19) Vraxeris: Although great detail the paint scheme just seems a bit “off.” Can’t really explain it, but see for yourself. B.

20) Jakardros: Really good mini. Nothing outstanding like many of the other minis outlined before, but you have to love a simple mini with an eye patch and a bow like this. B.

Going to try and speed these through with simple ratings!

21) Kaven Windstrike: Detail really good. Like it a lot! B.

22) Harsk, Dwarf Ranger: Pretty nice dwarf overall. B.

23) Skinsaw Cultist: You need many of these minis to sort out your cult. Freakishly good for a common! B.

24) Warrior of Wrath: Another exceptionally good common. Love it for that. B.

25) Nualia: Nothing too good here. The connection between the torso and pants looks off. Just nothing here that would sell you as being a great mini! C.

26) The Skinsaw Man: Not only is he seriously leaning (which I can fix) the tongue looks silly especially in purple. Do skinsaw men have purple tongues? If they do then maybe I should raise the rating. However, in its current state I am not a fan! C.

Well there it is. Hope you enjoyed and got something out of this!