suggest a character from a miniature

[J. S.]

For fun...

Has anyone else built a character to match a cool looking miniature they ran across?

Here's an example http://www.sgmm.biz/ND1-Dwarf-King-and-Guards_p_339.html (Of course they could all be fighters, but let's be more creative.) I'm thinking:
*Hornblower--maybe a skald, maybe a summoner, maybe some fog-like area of effect spell could billow forth from the horn when he blows it?
*Standard bearer--some type of inspirational buffer?
*King w/ sword and shield--fighter archetype that lends teamwork feats to other fighters?

Not sure how I'd build any of them.

What direction would you take the different figures? Or share a cool example of your own.

[Wheldrake]

The only really limiting element of a figurine is the armor and weapons and other gear it is or isn't portrayed as wearing and holding.

I prefer starting with the character and then finding a miniature to correspond to it - more or less difficult depending on how extensive your miniature collection is.

[dharkus]

standard bearer works well with cavalier or bard, lending teamwork feats to others is also a cavalier thing - or you could play an inquisitor and delude yourself into thinking everyone else has the teamwork feats you do and acting as if that's the case

[J. S.]

MIniature -> character instead of character -> miniature may be an atypical approach or even bassackwards. For me, sometimes visuals spark creativity.

Cavaliers seem to be focused around mounts, and the dwarf cha penalty might be difficult for a bard. Both might be tricky builds, but could be fun.

[Imbicatus]

The hornblower would make a good Herald of the Horn skald.

For the Standard Bearer, an exemplar brawler with a longspear, flagbearer feat, and the banner of ancient kings.

[Fromper]

When I was still new to Pathfinder, I wanted to make a sorcerer. Because they have high charisma and good social skills, I tried to find a mini that would look more like an unarmed noble type than a casty wizard type, but I couldn't find any male human minis like that. So the character ended up being female, just because it was easier to find a mini of a human woman in a nice dress.

[Decimus Drake]

I think finding a mini that inspires you and then building a character around that around that can be a good idea. I know there's a mini a friend of mine want to base an assassin/rogue character on. I'd link it but can't recall what it was called.

Trying to find a mini based on a character concept can be an exercise in frustration if that character falls too far outside the standard fantasy tropes.

I spent ages trying to find a mini for a male half-orc witch not covered in spikes and bones. I had considered using a naked Celtic druid mini from Warlord games and painting them green but instead, for a little while, I used this mini:
Go to Quosk Ravensire.

I was never really happy with it because when developing my character I had a clear mental image of what he would look like and who he would be, it was tough trying to fore myself to change this image. Furthermore my GM wouldn't let me take a raven familiar and I didn't want to cause too much damage to the mini my removing the raven on the arm (staff raven wasn't a problem).

My mini problem was solved when a friend showed me Hero Forge and I was able to make my witch as I imagined him:

Go to Hero Forge.

Fortunately the change in outfit matched up with the events of the campaign. When the party first met him he was being kept prisoner in an orc war camp having been captured while travelling through orc lands. The "rustic" outfit was an attempt at blending in as an "indigenous" half orc. By the time we made it to civilisation I had my new mini and Casimir could change into his usual attire.