Substitute miniatures

[Milk]

I've bought a few of the d&d minis expansion packs, and all of the ones i've bought have only come with tiny, small or medium figures. I've only gotten 1 large mini out of 3 packs which was a giant scorpion (takes up 2x2 squares) the mediums (or what i believe are mediums, take up 1x2 - i have a few wolves myself which are quite nice). All minis larger than large i think only come in packs that are specifically based around giant-sized creatures, at least from what i've seen - but i might be wrong.

I think the d&d packs make for a nice addition of monsters, however, the downside, if you only buy the expansions, it could be several purchases before you get a duplicate of a given monster, especially since you can't see what comes in the box and there about 100 different minis in each collection, of which you get, what is it, 10 or 12 in a box? ebay is definitely the way to go to try and retrieve multiples of a given enemy.

[AerynB]

I've bought a few of the d&d minis expansion packs, and all of the ones i've bought have only come with tiny, small or medium figures. I've only gotten 1 large mini out of 3 packs which was a giant scorpion (takes up 2x2 squares) the mediums (or what i believe are mediums, take up 1x2 - i have a few wolves myself which are quite nice). All minis larger than large i think only come in packs that are specifically based around giant-sized creatures, at least from what i've seen - but i might be wrong.

I think the mediums fit on a square...well, the base does go off the edges of the square a little, and sometimes the mini has a weapon or elbow sticking out or something, but so do the HQ figures, so they're a pretty good fit.

I think the d&d packs make for a nice addition of monsters, however, the downside, if you only buy the expansions, it could be several purchases before you get a duplicate of a given monster, especially since you can't see what comes in the box and there about 100 different minis in each collection, of which you get, what is it, 10 or 12 in a box? ebay is definitely the way to go to try and retrieve multiples of a given enemy.

I'm responding because I finally got some of my d&d minis from ebay today. It's not such a bad place to buy individual minis, and a lot of sellers do sell the common ones for right around $1.

Here are some of my picks for compatible-looking d&d minis.
OGRES:
Howling Orc War Drums #52/60 : OK, not really an ogre species, but it looks big and scary-looking *shrugs*
Troglodyte Bonecrusher Dungeons of Dread #27/60 : Yeah, yeah, not really an ogre species either, but big and scary-looking, sorta... hey, pretty much all the actual d&d ogres are too big, so I'm making do with what fits. I've got better ones, promise.

HIGH MAGE:
There are quite a few varieties for this guy, I think. Someone already mentioned the Blood of Vol Cultist (Blood War #29/60) and it's a really good fit, but I also like the Archmage (Angelfire #14/60). I wanted to make him the Archmage from the EQP, til I read more closely and realized the Archmage in that game is the Elf Queen's sister. *snap* Still, I like this guy's staff and evil mustache/goatee, and his rainbow cape is kickass. Too bad he's a rare d&d figure...I think I bought him for around $7 on ebay. Anyway, I think the rainbow cape was worth it.

Red Hand War Sorcerer Blood War #43/60 : He's got your typical evil sorcerer long beard, long hair, neat staff, cool robes, but he could also pass for the Orc Shaman possibly.

NECROMANCER:
Skeletal Reaper Blood War #58/60 : OK, probably not a wizard at all, but he's got the 'necro' thing going for him, sorta. Maybe I'll build a quest around this figure and make him like a skeleton boss or something... who knows.

STORM MASTER:
Male Human Invoker Divine Heroes 3 : Part of the Player's Handbook Heroes Series 2, so technically he's a hero, but I picked him up in a pack of 3 minis with a good enough passing princess mini, so I'm trying to find a good role for him. I think he fits here.

ORC SHAMAN:
Orc Wizard Blood War #56/60 : This is probably the best fit; orc, semblance of robes, staff, some kind of knife maybe. Clearly a good match.

Warforged Cleric Divine Heroes 2 : This one also came in a PHH package with two other minis I liked so I'm trying to find a place for him. He looks a little alien-ish, a little reptilian or orc-ish maybe. I'll probably use him for this role since I have no other job for him, but I still like the Orc Wizard the best.

SWORDSMAN:
There could be a ton of these, any humanoid type with a sword and/or shield would probably work. For instance, Regdar, Adventurer Giants of Legend #12/72 : This guy came in the D&D Basic Game I bought a year or two ago when I thought my husband and I might play it. Unfortunately we were a bit confused by the complexity of the rules and such, and decided to stick with HQ (to my great delight! ) But this figure from the game would pass for a mercenary excellently.

Merchant Guard Desert of Desolation #12/60 : Very mercenary-looking, especially with the heavy armor. He does have a shield though, so he could pass for a scout if you like.

SCOUT:
Male Genasi Paladin Divine Heroes 3 : Another case of a PHH2 hero who came in a set of 3 I bought on a whim and I'm just trying to find him a job. He's got the sword and shield and pretty good armor for a mercenary, even if he's not technically human.

FEMALE BARBARIAN:
Female Human Avenger Divine Heroes 2 : Also picked her up in PHH 3-pack before I started looking over the DnD gallery website. I suppose there could be others that fit the bill better, but she's gonna be the one I use.

FEMALE ELF:
Elf Warmage Blood War #5/60 : I like this one a lot. Definitely an elf, has a nice dagger/short sword weapon. Who cares if 'mage' is in the name?

PRINCESS MILLANDRIEL:
Other people have been talking about using minis to replace the Hero-werewolf tiles in the EQP and I thought wouldn't it be neat to have princess and prospector minis to represent those characters intstead of tiles. So I started looking. Female Human Cleric Divine Heroes 3 : May not be the best fit, but she came in a PHH 3-pack. Number 1: I like purple, number 2: she could be wearing a tiara-type thing, number 3: eh, I don't have a number three, but she could pass for a damsel in distress, I think.

GIANT WOLF:
Timber Wolf Deathknell #27/60 : I think someone else mentioned this before. I imagine that it is smaller than the HQ giant wolves since the timber wolf only takes up one square, but I think it will work in a pinch. And it's a common figure, so it's not that expensive.

WEREWOLF:
Werewolf Harbinger #79/80 : I like this one to replace a Hero/Werewolf tile, 'specially 'cause it's standing up and ... you know ... werewolfish. Problem is it's uncommon, so you'll spend $4 to $5 on it, probably. That is a bummer.

ELVEN ARCHER:
Lyrandar Skyfire Captain Unhallowed #20/60 : Can't remember if someone mentioned this figure or not, but I kinda like it. Looks a little Elvish, nice bow, cool cape...what more do you want? (And even though he's listed as rare, I was able to get him for $3. All in all, not too bad.)

Well, those are my prizes for today. I have a whole bunch more figures that I think would make good substitutes, but I'm not sure if I've rambled too much already. *bites lip* I'll probably list the others when they come in the mail this week.

Til next time.

[drathe]

I think the mediums fit on a square...well, the base does go off the edges of the square a little, and sometimes the mini has a weapon or elbow sticking out or something, but so do the HQ figures, so they're a pretty good fit.

Sounds very similar to the actually HeroQuest Ogres. Their bases are about 2mm wider and 4mm longer (that's about 1/16" and 1/8"). Plus they're big dudes with arms and bellies hanging all over the place.

I may have to consider expanding my miniatures by purchasing some various hordes from D&D.

[AerynB]

I forgot to mention, the D&D stock photos on the website gallery look really, really nice... ... ... when you get 'em in your hot little hands, well, I understand why people like to paint the minis themselves. I can't explain it, just something kinda...cheap about them, I guess. And the plastic is pretty flimsy once you thin it out to make a weapon. Things like swords and staffs which are supposed to be straight can get curved if they're laying on their side too long or something like that.

I shouldn't complain too much, they look nice and weren't that expensive. I guess I'm just wishing that the actual HQ expansion packs and figures weren't so prohibitively expensive. *shrugs* Oh well.

Just thought I'd give you all both sides of the argument. I'll probably go back to gushing all over them when I get more in the mail.

[drathe]

We've had a similar discussion about using HeroScape miniatures in HeroQuest. Same flaws. They look like cheap action figures, but they do the job of expanding the hordes without breaking the bank. Also decent for those who aren't into painting like someone I know really well here.

[AerynB]

Okie dokie, got some more minis in the mail, and I think I'm gonna try to organize this post better. Since I can't seem to get individual pics of the D&D minis, only the main D&D gallery website, I'm just gonna give you that site once and if you want to search around for the mini I'm talking about, you can do that. 'K
http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mix/gallery

And as I posted before in this thread, http://ddmdb.com/ is a great site for searching out individual D&D minis.

So on with my thoughts.

OGRES: First of all, I think the Battle Master Ogre is really the most compatible-looking. I just need to get it on a flat base somehow. But these other figures might work.
Bugbear Gang Leader (Unhallowed #48/60) : Not necessarily an Ogre species but it's big and scary-looking. Might work as an Ogre Chieftain or Ogre Lord since it carries two weapons.
Grimlock Barbarian (Underdark #49/60) : Technically a large human, I guess, but still big and scary-looking. Might be simple enough to pass as the run-of-the-mill Ogre (Warrior) type.
Orc Wolf Shaman (Angelfire #58/60) : I like this one for Ogre Chieftain or Ogre Lord, as if the wolf mantle makes him a leader of some kind.

HIGH MAGE:
Doomdreamer (Legendary Evils #11/40) : He's got good mage-type robes and hood, with a neat wand tucked in his belt.
Raistlin Majere (Night Below #14/60) : I tended to pick guys with neat robes and wands or staffs, therefore this guy fit the bill. No hood or beard though, that could be a downside. Problem is, he's a rare figure so I haven't found one under $10 yet. I've got lots of others who will be good High Mages, I just wanted to list him here because he looked kinda cool.
Adventuring Wizard (Aberrations #12/60) : Has the typical long wizard beard and staff. Could possibly pass for the Storm Master as well. But this guy's rare too, so it's hard to find an inexpensive one. Thought I'd list him anyway.

NECROMANCER:
Skull Lord (Demonweb #27/60) : More wizard-like than the Skeletal Reaper I listed before. Skull Lord's got the scary-skull staff and robes, and definitely has the 'necro' thing going.

SWORDSMAN:
Human Fighter (Dungeons of Dread #35/60) : Big sword, good armor. What more can you ask?
Male Human Paladin (Player's Handbook Heroes Series: Divine Heroes 2) : Even though he's part of the PHH series and technically a hero, he looks scary enough to be a member of Chaos. I might use him as one of the Zargon-controlled swordsman mercenaries.
Dread Guard (Archfiends #31/60) : Another one that could pass for a Chaos Zargon-controlled swordsman.
Man-at-Arms (Aberrations #8/60) : This is a very good mercenary-type, though it does have a shield and would also make a good scout.

SCOUT:
Arcanix Guard (War Drums #2/60) : Has a shield, but weird sword-type weapon, if it is a sword, might not be. This figure might not work as well as I first thought.
Man-at-Arms (Harbinger #10/80) : Another man-at-arms figure. Got the shield, so that's good. Could go as a swordsman too, I suppose.
Mercenary Sergeant (Underdark #27/60) : I think I put him in the Scout group because of the shield, but he could probably pass for a swordsman as well. Either way, he looks like a good mercenary.

CROSSBOWMAN:
Human Crossbowman (Dragoneye #5/60) : Probably the best fit in all of the D&D world. I got a couple.
Dwarf Raider (Angelfire #3/60) : Yeah, he's a dwarf, but he's got a crossbow and some prety heavy-duty armor. Looks like a mercenary in my book. And who says a dwarf can't be a mercenary.
Vampire Hunter (Unhallowed #11/60) : I wasn't too keen on this mini (probably because of the hood and cape), but he does wield a crossbow. But as I thought about it more, he could pass for a good Zargon-controlled crossbowman, he looks kinda evil.

HALBERDIER: I didn't even know what a halberd was before I saw these guys in the game. Not many D&D minis use these weapons either.
Phalanx Soldier (Unhallowed #7/60) : Good armor, spear-like weapon, held horizontally. Best fit in my opinion.
Royal Guard (Underdark #11/60) : Also good armor, long spear-like weapon. And since his helmet has a face mask, he could possibly pass for a Zargon-controlled halberdier.

YETI:
Taer (Aberrations #58/60) : I really like this one. White, animal-like, does have a club-type weapon but he could probably abandon it if he wanted to hug a Hero. Again, I really like him!

POLAR WARBEAR:
Bugbear Strangler (Demonweb #32/60) : Animal-like, but I can't tell what kind of weapon he has... Maybe he could be a Yeti. *shrugs*
Bugbear Warrior (Demonweb #33/60) : Also animal-like, with a club-type weapon, probably a better fit. If only it were white.
Orc Warrior (Harbinger #75/80) : Two of these came with my D&D Basic Game that I mentioned before so I'm just trying to find a good fit for them. Polar Warbear seemed like the best place.

FEMALE ELF:
Autumn Wind Ranger (Demonweb #37/60) : Not sure if she's an elf, but she looks kinda cool. But I *think* I may still go with the Elf Warmage mentioned before.

PROSPECTOR:
Dwarf Artificer (Deathknell #3/60) : There aren't a lot of good minis that could pass for a prospector, my criteria being kinda short, kinda fat, no weapon, bag of goods or something like that. This guy sorta fits the bill for short and fat. *shrugs*

GIANT WOLF: by far the best fit is probably the Battle Masters wolves since they take up 2 spaces on a HQ board. But like the Ogre, I need to find a good base for 'em.
Worg (Harbinger #80/80) : A little bit more scruffy, evil-looking wolf than the Timber Wolf mentioned above. It's listed as uncommon but I was still able to find one under $5.
Guenhwyvar (Underdark #17/60) : Ok, not technically a wolf, but it has that sortof pouncing pose. And even though the base takes up a square the pose itself carries well into the second square, so it could pass for the Giant Wolves in a pinch, I think. It is listed as uncommon, but I found one for $2.50, so, not so bad.

WEREWOLF:
Werewolf (Giants of Legend #60/72) : Here's another werewolf monster to substitute for your heroes instead of the HQ werewolf tiles. He's also uncommon, but I found one for a little over $3.

ELVEN ARCHER:
Free League Ranger (Blood War #16/60) : I think someone else mentioned this one, but I'm seconding the motion. This guy looks like a pretty good elven archer.

ELVEN SWORDSMAN:
Devotee of the Silver Flame (Unhallowed #4/60) : I think he looks kinda elfish, and he's got the sword and the armor. He gets my vote.
Wild Elf Raider (Angelfire #29/60) : Pretty sure someone the first guy mentioned this one, but I agree with him, this is a good elf swordsman.

ARCHMAGE SINESTRA:
Golden Wyvern Initiate (Against the Giants #46/60) : She's got some pretty cool robes and a neat looking staff. Her hair's kinda funny though. *shrugs* Listed as uncommon, but I got her for a dollar, so that's cool.
Evermeet Wizard (Archfiends #15/60) : Not sure why I was drawn to this mini. Doesn't really look very evil-looking or anything. Maybe it was the pinkish-purple outfit. Who knows?

Well, there's the end of my list. Hope I was able to help a few people. I know I'm gonna have a blast playing the expansion packs now.

Later,
~Erin

[drathe]

A lot of people like using the D&D miniatures in HeroQuest. Jon Usiak's life-long HeroQuest project is compiling a stats chart, rules and HeroQuest Icons for every D&D miniature. I think he's half-way through on the stats and rules. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a big variety of D&D in my area. There's a couple good Warhammer places if'n you're into overly expensive, albeit highly detailed stuff.

The Battle Masters Ogre is actually very large compared to the HeroQuest ones. Would make a good 4x4 square Ogre, but not 1x1 like the HQ Ogres. Definitely not good in a room with furnishings. The BM wolves would be great. Even with their goblin riders. That's something I'd like to add to a quest somethetime. The rest of the BM minis are similar enough to work without looking too out of place. They're a little smaller, but some of the extra variety makes a good addition, not just as substitutes, but as new characters. The Chaos Archers, Beastmen, Crossbowmen and Men-at-Arms especially.

Good list. I think that Vampire Hunter would make a great Hero type too!

[Tott]

Ive been looking for new models to sub for the main heroes and found these:
Barbarian:

http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Celtos/The%20Gaels/CLT-301.html


http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Celtos/The%20Gaels/CLT-306.html


http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Celtos/The%20Gaels/CLT-334.html

Wizard

http://www.fenryll.com/product.php?id_product=52

[Tott]

this would make a great wizard: http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat490053a&prodId=prod1120075



this pack here gives you 16 dwarves for £18! http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440055a&prodId=prod780873


ive had a play with this and there are so many customisation options that you can make 16 completley different dwarves, even if you're not great at painting and assembling theyre still cheap and easy ways of getting lots of new dwarf models. game workshop do lots of other dwarven models too (not too mention big packs of orcs, goblins, skeletons, chaos warriors etc etc)

[Tott]

another mage: http://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/miniatures/red-box-games/aurelius-the-adept.html


this might make a good gargoyle: http://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/miniatures/wyrd-miniatures/neverborn/liliths-brood-mature-nephilim.html


and finaly an assassin/rogue type character http://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/miniatures/red-box-games/shadowblade-reyviande.html