#wark wark

Tiefling Cleric, number 24 in the Desert of Desolation Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Game set. Just look at this figure. It’s a thing of beauty. The pose, the clothing details, the rich color scheme, and not to mention that fantastic hairdo. Without question, Tiefling Cleric is among my top 5 favorite tiefling minis. What perplexes me is why this character is holding their own tail. To make sure it’s still attached? To keep it from dragging on the ground and getting dirty? Or perhaps, just as this character very sensibly pulled their hair back to keep it from getting in the way during combat, they also hold onto their tail. To keep it from getting mangled in a melee. 

The Aasimar Fighter of War of the Dragon Queen is likely one of the best Common humanoid D&D miniatures ever. Without even brandishing a weapon the figure is able to command so much attention and respect on the battlemat. The pose is simple and direct. Dramatic and intimidating. The detailing on the armor is most elegant, particularly for a Common. I like this mini so much, in 4th edition I chose it to represent my character Thuul Elhazred Cleric of Arawai. Despite being of lowly Common rarity, Aasimar Fighter defies the odds and is truly great. As my cleric once said “Where there’s a will there is Arawai!”

I was positively thrilled to find so many mounted miniatures in one outing. In the entire Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures library there are fairly few mount riding figures. Pathfinder Battles has helped add to the tiny pool, but the total number is still small. Fortunately, what they lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.

Orc Banebreaker Rider is a rare miniature that I hardly knew existed, which is a real tragedy given how radical it is. An orc riding atop a rhino, are you kidding me?! That’s amazing! How is this not a staple in every campaign? Forget dire mounts, the rhino is the one creature that is dire by default! Could this piece get any better? Oh by the way, the orc is dual wielding! Wow.

The Blackguard on Nightmare is a spectacular use of translucent plastic. The nightmare’s flaming hooves, tail, and mane are left unpainted to display the stunning, semitransparent red. While the black that makes up the steed’s coat is somewhat flat, I think it takes very little away from the piece and helps keep the focus on the fire and the rider. This mini is a dream to behold!

To obtain the chocobo figure shown above, I traded one kenku, one dragon, and one pirate. So if you ever needed to know the chocobo Final Fantasy to Dungeons and Dragons exchange rate, now you know. I traded directly with one of the operators of Etsy storefront DragonWorkshop. They print and paint items using a resin printer, which means no 3D print lines fouling up their miniatures. Impressive technology to be certain. 

Another sculpt to reappear in Dungeon Command is the Skeletal Courser. Which, in addition to being a snappy name is a real snazzy miniature. All the details and accessories on it are quite nice, right down to the one shoulder pad the skeleton is wearing. The rider is carrying a spear, so perhaps this single piece of shoulder armor is part of some jousting getup. If that is the case, that means there is probably an entire ring of competitive skeletal jousting tournaments! That I gotta see.

Thundertusk Cavalry out of the Blood War series. An axe swinging, tri-braid beard sporting, dwarven warrior riding a four horned thundertusk boar. What more needs to be said? Robert’s Rebellion would have been real short if House Targaryen had had a few of these rough riders. 

Valiant Cavalry is another figure with an underwhelming horse hair paint job. But that hardly matters when the rest of the sculpting and painting is so handsome. Why the saddle and deftly brushed mustache alone are worth the price of entry. This figure too has a spear, so maybe we’ve found the Skeletal Courser’s jousting partner.