Not quite a whole set--and Dragon Queen review
Well, my cases arrived, and I was pretty pleased. A very nice selection with not that many duplicates I wanted to sell...though a few of the duplicates are very nice and when I get around to putting them on eBay should bring a nice penny or two. Aspect of Bahamut is already up around $35 and the minis just came out today.
Here is my product review...any listed minis in RED are ones I don't have and really want to get ASAP.
WAR OF THE DRAGON QUEEN
First of all, I think a better name for this set would be Battle of the Azer Fighters and the War Apes, because I sure got a lot of those!
01 Aasimar Fighter - Common
Not a bad fig, but in that pose you can't really use multiple duplicates. Who wants 30 Aasimar fighters all pointing at something...or worse, all of them pointing in different directions. Dumb pose for a common mini.
02 Aspect of Bahumut - Huge Rare
This is a great figure. Well painted, excellent pose. Nice to have duplicates of.
03 Cleric of Syreth - Uncommon
I like it, good pose, nice crossbow. Clerics with crossbows isn't very 2nd edition, but I still like it. I'm somewhat flexible on easing those restrictions.
04 Dragonborn Fighter - Rare
05 Golden Protector - Rare
Only got one, but it is nice. Face looks like my High School Speech Teacher, Harvey Green, though.
06 Meepo, Dragon Lord - Rare
I like these kobold variations, mostly because they remind me of the little side kick from Neverwinter Nights that got more dragony as he went up in levels.
07 Slaughterstone Eviscerator - Rare
This mini wins the prize for most likely inspired by Dr. Who. I'm not crazy about the Warforged or the Slaughterstones...but I'm glad they didn't make the huge slaughterstone guardian thing. If I have to have a slaughterston, the eviscerator is ok. Only got one, happy with that, will let the dwarves go into battle with it. Might be very useful against trolls...more so if the thing had a flame thower or the blades were enchanted to flame.
08 Tordek, Dwarf Champion - Rare
Was sorry not to get this guy in any of my cases.
09 War Weaver - Rare
Got two of these, one looked really nice, but the other one had really poorly painted eyes...like Don Knotts stung by a bee.
10 Bonded Fire Summoner - Uncommon
A nice fig to go with the two fire elementals in this set.
11 Clawfoot Rider - Rare
I got two of these, but wish I had six or seven. It has a halfling rider on it, and I'm wondering what in halfling culture drives them to capture, train, and ride clawed lizards? Anyway, an interesting fig, if not very useful in my campaign. I think, looking at the lizard closely, that there is a jagged edge blanket under the saddle and running up to the harness and under the tail harness that is painted like skin rather than like a blanket.
12 Goliath Cleric of Kavaki - Rare
The Goliaths are pretty nice, this one and the Goliath Barbarian from a previous set. I don't know much about them, but they're going to work their way into my world somehow.
13 Griffon Cavalry - Rare
This mini gets my vote for stupidest design ever. Sure, it is a dynamic in-flight pose, but for casting in flexible plastic it is just dumb. Let me know if any of you ever have one of these that actually stands up for longer than two minutes before bending under its own weight and falling over. If it were cast in metal, it would be a great miniature, but in this medium it is just plain dumb. Thank god I only got one of them. The idea of "cavalry" suggests that you want a half dozen or so to swoop into your game. If you did, you'd have a half dozen griffons flopping around like they caught avian flu or something. Waste of plastic and paint.
14 Small Copper Dragon - Uncommon
Cute little bugger, ain't it?
15 Spellscale Sorcerer - Rare
Have no idea what this is, but if I ever need a purple skinned wizard, now I got it covered.
16 Storm Archer - Uncommon
A nice elf archer, not sure what the magic blue bow will be in my world, but I'll think of something.
17 Tavern Brawler - Common
This is a great and whimsical mini. I don't need more than one, but I'm glad that they are doing a few more "townsfolk" figs. I know people hated the henchman with lantern, because what use is he on the battlemat, but here you can have a drunken brawler screw up your combat or tip the balance as a wild card variable. I guess. I don't actually play that game, and I actually have a lot of use for townspeople in my campaign.
18 Warden of the Wood - Uncommon
This is a really nice mini, and I hope she gets chosen by a player for a PC, it would be a shame to waste her as an infrequent NPC.
19 Azer Fighter - Common
I got around 8 of these, and I don't mind. I like the Azers, and the Azer Fighter makes a good army of duplicates.
20 Huge Fire Elemental - Huge Uncommon
I ended up getting a couple of these, and though it would be cool to throw three or four of them at an opposing army of trolls....I think I can get by with just one. Great use of the clear plastic.
21 Purple Worm - Huge Uncommon
This is a really good figure too. Not quite as nice as the Reaper metal version of the Purple Worm, but really scary looking and pretty close to the old artwork. I got several of them.
22 War Ape - Common
What am I going to do with all these war apes? It is like Planet of the War Apes in my basement. I'll keep two or three, and see if I can get rid of the rest if I put them up on eBay two or three sets down the road.
23 Wizened Elder Watcher - Rare
I only got one of these, but I'm glad I did. It is a really nice mini. I like the animated trees.
24 Aspect of Tiamat - Huge Rare
Was happier than I expected with this mini, because the preview images didn't do it justice. It was great. I don't remember Tiamat having wings from the old Bloodstone modules, but I don't mind her having wings. And I got two of this figure. Sweet.
25 Blackguard on Nightmare - Rare
Only got one of these, which is too bad, as they are a nice fig--much better idea for calvarly than that stupid griffon rider. Did I mention that I hated that figure's design?
26 Bluespawn Godslayer - Huge Uncommon
I didn't need two of these...really didn't need three, but it isn't a bad fig to have one of. There is a trick I learned which you will need for this miniature, though. Even though thy did put a cardboard sheath on the blade it carries, it still was all bent up. If you pour boiling water on these minis, over the bent area, they get very flexible. Without burning your hand, straigten out the area you want to change and then quickly soak it in ice water. This will cause it to go rigid again in the new position. It doesn't always last, but you can repeat the process. My sword bent back but I think that was mostly because I had it under hot lights while I photographed it.
27 Cadaver Collector - Rare
I wish this mini were bigger and that it had bodies stuck to it instead of just a bunch of skulls. It doesn't seem like a very accurate depiction of the creature as described in the monster manual. Yes, I bought some 3E books. But only to use to help convert the stats to 2E versions! I swear!
28 Diseased Dire Rat - Common
I don't know why you'd need a diseased version of the dire rat, but if you did, this is a good fig. I actually like it better than the regular dire rat.
29 Displacer Beast Pack Lord - Huge Uncommon
What is the point of this thing? Well, now I've got some dispalcer beasts with six legs, some with four and a giant one with four big legs and two itty bitty ones.
30 Doom Fist Monk - Uncommon
I like my half-orcs. Why do so many half-orcs get interested in martial arts?
31 Dracolich - Huge Rare
An excellent figure. I love the blue dragon flesh still clinging to the bones.
32 Dragonwrought Kobold - Uncommon
Like it, for the same reasons mentioned for Meepo.
33 Dread Warrior - Common
This is a pretty cool mini, but again, not great for a common because duplicates who all have the same sword stuck in their gut doen't make a lot of sense. I wish that with common minis they would push for more generic positions so that you don't feel stuck with the duplicates.
34 Eldritch Giant - Huge Rare
This is by far the best mini in the set. It is awesome. The paint job wasn't perfect, but nothing too major--just some of his red loin cloth painted silver and flecks of silver from his armor in his hair.
35 Greenspawn Razorfiend - Uncommon
Cross a dragon with a grasshopper and give it straight razors for arms.
36 Hobgoblin Talon of Tiamat - Rare
An interesting figure. I'm glad to get some monsters which have individual personalities.
37 Kobold Zombie - Common
Now, this was a pretty good common mini. I'm keeping nearly every one I got. Can't wait to see the disgusted faces on my PCs when they think they hit a kobold nest and find out it is much nastier than they thought.
38 Large Green Dragon - Rare
I've been waiting for a large green dragon for a long time, and am not disappointed. Worth the wait!
39 Wererat Rogue - Uncommon
I thought almost all wererats were rogues, but this chap is a pretty burly example.
40 Poison Dusk Lizardfolk - Uncommon
Only got one of these, but was glad about it. Nice looking lizard guy.
41 Witchknife - Common
What the heck is this? And why do I have so many of them?
42 Blackspawn Exterminator - Uncommon
I doubt that I will use too many of these dragon spawn, but this is an interesting figure. Might be compelled to use him.
43 Cleric of Laogzed - Common
Kind of spindly for a Troglodyte, I guess thats why he went into the priesthood.
44 Cloudreaver - Common
Nice figure, fits in well with my growing collection of pirates from Reaper.
45 Demonic Gnoll Archer - Uncommon
An excellent additon to my growing pack of Gnolls.
46 Huge Fiendish Spider - Huge Uncommon
Why does this thing have white boney fangs and fore legs? I can see the boney spikes on its backside, but...whatever.
47 Hunting Hyena - Common
These are great, and much better than the old hyenas that had some kind of leather harness on them. What was up with that?
48 Large Fang Dragon - Rare
A nice figure of a dragon, but I am unfamiliar with the breed.
49 Magma Hurler - Rare
This is a figure I really wanted, very sad not to get it.
50 Mountain Troll - Huge Uncommon
Second favorite figure in the set, got two of them, and would love to have an army of them.
51 Ogre Skirmisher - Uncommon
I don't care for the WOTC ogres. They look like demonic horse people. And his javeline was all twisted up, refused to straighten out even with my hot/cold water technique.
52 Redspawn Firebelcher - Rare
53 Small Black Dragon - Uncommon
I don't like the pose, but they're cute when they're young, aren't they?
54 Small Fire Elemental - Uncommon
Nice to have, but really, haven't we got enough fire elementals now? There must be some more unique way to play with the clear plastic than just endless fire elementals recast.
55 Sorcerer on Black Dragon - Huge Rare
Would like to get my hands on this.
56 Stirge - Uncommon
It sucks so much that they make the most common monsters uncommon or rare figures. Three cases and only one stirge? Crap, is all I have to say.
57 Tundra Scout - Huge Rare
This was the most disappointing figure of all. It was the one I most wanted and expected to be my favorite. The image on the Gallery page is fantastic, with such amazing detail in the paint. What came out of my bos was totally lame paint, the tusks were all bent weird and they had put a plastic protector on the spear to keep it from bending, but what is the point if the protector is so small that the spear looks like a bow inside it? Honset to god, I thought he was holding a bow when I took it out of the box. It made me very sad.
58 Twig Blight - Common
This was a good choice for a common. Hardly any detail needed for the paint, generic pose, and I'm happy to keep every one of them that I got.
59 Whitespawn Hordeling - Common
Same as above, but I don't know what I'll use it for.
60 Yuan-Ti Halfblood Sorcerer - Uncommon
This was a really nice figure, and I'm glad to have it.
There you go, not the most comprehensive review, but with 60 minis, did you really want me to write more?
Here is my product review...any listed minis in RED are ones I don't have and really want to get ASAP.
WAR OF THE DRAGON QUEEN
First of all, I think a better name for this set would be Battle of the Azer Fighters and the War Apes, because I sure got a lot of those!
01 Aasimar Fighter - Common
Not a bad fig, but in that pose you can't really use multiple duplicates. Who wants 30 Aasimar fighters all pointing at something...or worse, all of them pointing in different directions. Dumb pose for a common mini.
02 Aspect of Bahumut - Huge Rare
This is a great figure. Well painted, excellent pose. Nice to have duplicates of.
03 Cleric of Syreth - Uncommon
I like it, good pose, nice crossbow. Clerics with crossbows isn't very 2nd edition, but I still like it. I'm somewhat flexible on easing those restrictions.
04 Dragonborn Fighter - Rare
05 Golden Protector - Rare
Only got one, but it is nice. Face looks like my High School Speech Teacher, Harvey Green, though.
06 Meepo, Dragon Lord - Rare
I like these kobold variations, mostly because they remind me of the little side kick from Neverwinter Nights that got more dragony as he went up in levels.
07 Slaughterstone Eviscerator - Rare
This mini wins the prize for most likely inspired by Dr. Who. I'm not crazy about the Warforged or the Slaughterstones...but I'm glad they didn't make the huge slaughterstone guardian thing. If I have to have a slaughterston, the eviscerator is ok. Only got one, happy with that, will let the dwarves go into battle with it. Might be very useful against trolls...more so if the thing had a flame thower or the blades were enchanted to flame.
08 Tordek, Dwarf Champion - Rare
Was sorry not to get this guy in any of my cases.
09 War Weaver - Rare
Got two of these, one looked really nice, but the other one had really poorly painted eyes...like Don Knotts stung by a bee.
10 Bonded Fire Summoner - Uncommon
A nice fig to go with the two fire elementals in this set.
11 Clawfoot Rider - Rare
I got two of these, but wish I had six or seven. It has a halfling rider on it, and I'm wondering what in halfling culture drives them to capture, train, and ride clawed lizards? Anyway, an interesting fig, if not very useful in my campaign. I think, looking at the lizard closely, that there is a jagged edge blanket under the saddle and running up to the harness and under the tail harness that is painted like skin rather than like a blanket.
12 Goliath Cleric of Kavaki - Rare
The Goliaths are pretty nice, this one and the Goliath Barbarian from a previous set. I don't know much about them, but they're going to work their way into my world somehow.
13 Griffon Cavalry - Rare
This mini gets my vote for stupidest design ever. Sure, it is a dynamic in-flight pose, but for casting in flexible plastic it is just dumb. Let me know if any of you ever have one of these that actually stands up for longer than two minutes before bending under its own weight and falling over. If it were cast in metal, it would be a great miniature, but in this medium it is just plain dumb. Thank god I only got one of them. The idea of "cavalry" suggests that you want a half dozen or so to swoop into your game. If you did, you'd have a half dozen griffons flopping around like they caught avian flu or something. Waste of plastic and paint.
14 Small Copper Dragon - Uncommon
Cute little bugger, ain't it?
15 Spellscale Sorcerer - Rare
Have no idea what this is, but if I ever need a purple skinned wizard, now I got it covered.
16 Storm Archer - Uncommon
A nice elf archer, not sure what the magic blue bow will be in my world, but I'll think of something.
17 Tavern Brawler - Common
This is a great and whimsical mini. I don't need more than one, but I'm glad that they are doing a few more "townsfolk" figs. I know people hated the henchman with lantern, because what use is he on the battlemat, but here you can have a drunken brawler screw up your combat or tip the balance as a wild card variable. I guess. I don't actually play that game, and I actually have a lot of use for townspeople in my campaign.
18 Warden of the Wood - Uncommon
This is a really nice mini, and I hope she gets chosen by a player for a PC, it would be a shame to waste her as an infrequent NPC.
19 Azer Fighter - Common
I got around 8 of these, and I don't mind. I like the Azers, and the Azer Fighter makes a good army of duplicates.
20 Huge Fire Elemental - Huge Uncommon
I ended up getting a couple of these, and though it would be cool to throw three or four of them at an opposing army of trolls....I think I can get by with just one. Great use of the clear plastic.
21 Purple Worm - Huge Uncommon
This is a really good figure too. Not quite as nice as the Reaper metal version of the Purple Worm, but really scary looking and pretty close to the old artwork. I got several of them.
22 War Ape - Common
What am I going to do with all these war apes? It is like Planet of the War Apes in my basement. I'll keep two or three, and see if I can get rid of the rest if I put them up on eBay two or three sets down the road.
23 Wizened Elder Watcher - Rare
I only got one of these, but I'm glad I did. It is a really nice mini. I like the animated trees.
24 Aspect of Tiamat - Huge Rare
Was happier than I expected with this mini, because the preview images didn't do it justice. It was great. I don't remember Tiamat having wings from the old Bloodstone modules, but I don't mind her having wings. And I got two of this figure. Sweet.
25 Blackguard on Nightmare - Rare
Only got one of these, which is too bad, as they are a nice fig--much better idea for calvarly than that stupid griffon rider. Did I mention that I hated that figure's design?
26 Bluespawn Godslayer - Huge Uncommon
I didn't need two of these...really didn't need three, but it isn't a bad fig to have one of. There is a trick I learned which you will need for this miniature, though. Even though thy did put a cardboard sheath on the blade it carries, it still was all bent up. If you pour boiling water on these minis, over the bent area, they get very flexible. Without burning your hand, straigten out the area you want to change and then quickly soak it in ice water. This will cause it to go rigid again in the new position. It doesn't always last, but you can repeat the process. My sword bent back but I think that was mostly because I had it under hot lights while I photographed it.
27 Cadaver Collector - Rare
I wish this mini were bigger and that it had bodies stuck to it instead of just a bunch of skulls. It doesn't seem like a very accurate depiction of the creature as described in the monster manual. Yes, I bought some 3E books. But only to use to help convert the stats to 2E versions! I swear!
28 Diseased Dire Rat - Common
I don't know why you'd need a diseased version of the dire rat, but if you did, this is a good fig. I actually like it better than the regular dire rat.
29 Displacer Beast Pack Lord - Huge Uncommon
What is the point of this thing? Well, now I've got some dispalcer beasts with six legs, some with four and a giant one with four big legs and two itty bitty ones.
30 Doom Fist Monk - Uncommon
I like my half-orcs. Why do so many half-orcs get interested in martial arts?
31 Dracolich - Huge Rare
An excellent figure. I love the blue dragon flesh still clinging to the bones.
32 Dragonwrought Kobold - Uncommon
Like it, for the same reasons mentioned for Meepo.
33 Dread Warrior - Common
This is a pretty cool mini, but again, not great for a common because duplicates who all have the same sword stuck in their gut doen't make a lot of sense. I wish that with common minis they would push for more generic positions so that you don't feel stuck with the duplicates.
34 Eldritch Giant - Huge Rare
This is by far the best mini in the set. It is awesome. The paint job wasn't perfect, but nothing too major--just some of his red loin cloth painted silver and flecks of silver from his armor in his hair.
35 Greenspawn Razorfiend - Uncommon
Cross a dragon with a grasshopper and give it straight razors for arms.
36 Hobgoblin Talon of Tiamat - Rare
An interesting figure. I'm glad to get some monsters which have individual personalities.
37 Kobold Zombie - Common
Now, this was a pretty good common mini. I'm keeping nearly every one I got. Can't wait to see the disgusted faces on my PCs when they think they hit a kobold nest and find out it is much nastier than they thought.
38 Large Green Dragon - Rare
I've been waiting for a large green dragon for a long time, and am not disappointed. Worth the wait!
39 Wererat Rogue - Uncommon
I thought almost all wererats were rogues, but this chap is a pretty burly example.
40 Poison Dusk Lizardfolk - Uncommon
Only got one of these, but was glad about it. Nice looking lizard guy.
41 Witchknife - Common
What the heck is this? And why do I have so many of them?
42 Blackspawn Exterminator - Uncommon
I doubt that I will use too many of these dragon spawn, but this is an interesting figure. Might be compelled to use him.
43 Cleric of Laogzed - Common
Kind of spindly for a Troglodyte, I guess thats why he went into the priesthood.
44 Cloudreaver - Common
Nice figure, fits in well with my growing collection of pirates from Reaper.
45 Demonic Gnoll Archer - Uncommon
An excellent additon to my growing pack of Gnolls.
46 Huge Fiendish Spider - Huge Uncommon
Why does this thing have white boney fangs and fore legs? I can see the boney spikes on its backside, but...whatever.
47 Hunting Hyena - Common
These are great, and much better than the old hyenas that had some kind of leather harness on them. What was up with that?
48 Large Fang Dragon - Rare
A nice figure of a dragon, but I am unfamiliar with the breed.
49 Magma Hurler - Rare
This is a figure I really wanted, very sad not to get it.
50 Mountain Troll - Huge Uncommon
Second favorite figure in the set, got two of them, and would love to have an army of them.
51 Ogre Skirmisher - Uncommon
I don't care for the WOTC ogres. They look like demonic horse people. And his javeline was all twisted up, refused to straighten out even with my hot/cold water technique.
52 Redspawn Firebelcher - Rare
53 Small Black Dragon - Uncommon
I don't like the pose, but they're cute when they're young, aren't they?
54 Small Fire Elemental - Uncommon
Nice to have, but really, haven't we got enough fire elementals now? There must be some more unique way to play with the clear plastic than just endless fire elementals recast.
55 Sorcerer on Black Dragon - Huge Rare
Would like to get my hands on this.
56 Stirge - Uncommon
It sucks so much that they make the most common monsters uncommon or rare figures. Three cases and only one stirge? Crap, is all I have to say.
57 Tundra Scout - Huge Rare
This was the most disappointing figure of all. It was the one I most wanted and expected to be my favorite. The image on the Gallery page is fantastic, with such amazing detail in the paint. What came out of my bos was totally lame paint, the tusks were all bent weird and they had put a plastic protector on the spear to keep it from bending, but what is the point if the protector is so small that the spear looks like a bow inside it? Honset to god, I thought he was holding a bow when I took it out of the box. It made me very sad.
58 Twig Blight - Common
This was a good choice for a common. Hardly any detail needed for the paint, generic pose, and I'm happy to keep every one of them that I got.
59 Whitespawn Hordeling - Common
Same as above, but I don't know what I'll use it for.
60 Yuan-Ti Halfblood Sorcerer - Uncommon
This was a really nice figure, and I'm glad to have it.
There you go, not the most comprehensive review, but with 60 minis, did you really want me to write more?
posted by Shandar the Ashen at 9:32 AM
3 comments
