#projectalpha

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLi-Fwqc-ib9M67avzp1WZMR7UpEe2M9b

Made to bring the studies of photovoltaic energy closer to us, Experimental Model #011 has the ability of creating basketball-sized fireballs via quantic fusion with the thermal controllers on both of its user’s hands. It was also projected to allow the user to fly and manipulate fire, allowing them to quickly take the quantic fireball away from the scene should it endanger people or the environment.

With Andrew Harshman

An archive and review of the minis used on Critical Role.

The DM-bloodlust rush triggered when you oneshot the Creative Director of Dungeons and Dragons must be incalculable. What a power move. Here Chris Perkins, take this CR nothin’ monster, hope you brought your luckiest death save dice. Better get to creatively directing your own funeral!

I kid of course, everything went down in a most cordial and well meaning manner. It’s unfortunate CR is taking a week off. I know exactly how I’ll be spending my free time though, refining my Scorpion on a Stick Hexblade build. But that can wait, for now, let’s look at the full list of minis in this episode.

Stop, drop and roll, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 50!

The List

Dungeons and Dragons Condition Markers by thelukec

Mats by Mars: Shattered Soil

Dwarven Forge Caverns

Dwarven Forge Caverns Chasm Pack

Dwarven Forge Stone Bridge Pack

Dwarven Forge Mine Entrance

Dwarven Forge Wicked Cavern Pack

Dwarven Forge Natural Bridge Pack

Dwarven Forge Erinthor Mountains Set

Dungeons & Dragons Spell Effects: Arcane Fury & Divine Might

Dwarven Forge Terrain Tray Multi-Pack (Rough Stone/Lava)

Dwarven Forge Terrain Tray Multi-Pack (Rough Stone/Water)

Dwarven Forge Caverns Elevation Pack

Desert of Desolation #32 Rot Scarab Swarm

Monster Menagerie #021 Bryn Lightfingers (Invisible)

Rusty Dragon Inn #025 Riding Horse

Maze of Death #029 Deep Lurker

Rage of Demons #028 Roper

Storm King's Thunder #032a Fire Giant (Hammer) (U)

Monster Menagerie 3 #030 Fire Giant Dreadnought

Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Prototype Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Suspected Steamforged Nugget Miniature

The Characters

Nugget Suspected Steamforged Nugget Miniature

Pending confirmation, I believe this is Steamforged based on the base. It’s definitely not an official blink dog, it’s far too adorable. Traditional blink dogs look more like zerglings than puppers. Tough to comment on this figure due to the distance from the camera. He was on screen for just a moment, blink and you would have missed it.

The Monsters

Ropers Rage of Demons #028 Roper

The easiest way to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites is this: Stalactites are on the ceiling because they hang stalactight to the top of a cave and stalagmites are on the ground because they stalagmight come to life and eat you!

There are quite a few prepainted roper minis. Three D&D brand figures and one Pathfinder equivalent called the Zavackuul. They are all solid miniatures with their own virtues. The best aspects of Rage of Demons #028 Roper are its scale and functionality. It is the largest roper miniature and the one with the most pronounced and usable arms.

Great for hanging PC figures, as seen above. Pretty rad roper with a pretty unsettling appearance. An excellent choice for this underground encounter.

Fire Giants Storm King's Thunder #032a Fire Giant (Hammer) (U) and Monster Menagerie 3 #030 Fire Giant Dreadnought 

These two minis really pack a punch, just like their in-game stats. Impressive size (they are giants after all) and nice looking sculpts. The paint is a little basic on the hammer wielding giant and a tad sloppy on the dreadnought shields. But it’s nothing egregious. 

On the note of paint, for this post I reviewed the dreadnought 5E artwork and noticed that the giant is sporting a braided ponytail, which can be seen sticking out of their armor. Much to my surprise, this is actually in the sculpt as well, but it’s just painted the same color as the armor. I had never noticed this. It should be noted that the armor on both minis looks top notch.

Polymorphed Giants Dungeons & Dragons Spell Effects: Arcane Fury & Divine Might Phantom Steed, Rusty Dragon Inn #025 Riding Horse, and Maze of Death #029 Deep Lurker  Mini photo from Wizkids.com

Of the three polymorph forms, just the one is new to campaign 2, the Arcane Fury & Divine Might Phantom Steed. So this is a great steed. But the saddle might be even better. Look at all that detail! It has the appearance of such a believable object. Although I’m unsure why a horse made of magic would require a saddle. If you’re a wizard penning a spell, surely you could correct that outstanding anatomical horse design flaw.

This new mini has great spell effects to boot. Quite the magical figure. I must lodge one complaint with this set of Spell Effects though. The bases are done in a translucent style and you can see the text on the bottom through the top of the base. Kinda sloppy.

The Spell Effects

Statuses Dungeons and Dragons Condition Markers by thelukec

We really could have used some condition markers like this back in the 4E days. In fact, 3D printers could have helped in a lot of ways during 4th Edition. Could have 3D printed a new edition for example, am I right folks!? Just joking around of course, I’m very fond of 4E actually. Anyway, these conditional markers are beautiful. And they are set at a truly beautiful price, free over on Thingverse.

Closing Thoughts and Predictions

I’m confident there will continue to be plenty of DF Caverns on CR. Hoping to see some Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Game era drow next episode. There are loads of brilliant drow sculpts from that line of figures. But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. After all, The Mighty Nein has like another fiscal quarter’s worth of walking left before they get to Xhorhas.

But We’re Alive: Frontier is amazing. While I get survival horror isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I highly recommend it if anyone paid for Alpha.

They’ve got a show called “Sagas of Sundry”, and the first season is 5 ppl playing Dread (which, if you don’t know, is a tabletop game where basically anything major you do is decided by pulling a block out of a jenga tower) and it’s basically 5 friends from high school a year after they had a really horrifying experience in the woods their senior year, in the 1980s, and Matt Mercer and Taliesin Jaffe are in it, and two of the girls are playing lesbians who dated but had a falling out in the wake of the woods trauma, and guys i am fucking LIVING for this.

it’s really really good, so yeah if you haven’t discovered it and have access to alpha (or can sign up for the 30 day free trial at least), and you like real play, tabletop, TAZ, critrole, or whatever, just.