Might as Well Face It, You're Addicted to Lead...

I love miniatures. I have for years and years, but much of the time that I loved them (back in college, for example), I couldn't really afford them. Let's face it, miniatures are expensive. Speaking of which, here's a little known bit of trivia: in the sidebar on page 13 of the DMG, where I discuss miniatures and counters, there was once a bit longer part on "alternate miniatures" that discussed using cardboard counters, buttons, etc. because miniatures were so expensive. The head of miniatures at Wizards at the time found out what the book said and apparently had a fit, calling me a few choice names in some meeting. We couldn't publish a book that said miniatures were expensive! Next thing you know, that part was taken out. Ah, corporate culture.

Despite the expense, however, I've chosen to invest heavily in miniatures. I don't just do it for gaming purposes -- I really enjoy assembling and painting them. I'm no professional miniatures painter, although I could probably do better if I devoted more time to each figure. I like to think, though, that I have achieved a balance between nice-looking figures and speed. I'd rather have five nicely done miniatures than one awesome one.

I also like to "kit-bash" and chop up miniatures to make my own unique ones. This basically means altering the figure by cutting off an arm or a weapon and replacing it with others. This is particularly easy for miniatures that come unassembled. If I have to stick on the miniature's arm anyway, why not make it an arm that I really like? Games Workshop puts out lots of boxes of plastic miniatures that are essentially just boxes of body parts and weapons to be assembled. That's great for a guy like me.

I have devoted a part of one room of our house (some people would say that it's the whole room) to my miniatures. I have a big shelf where I have organized all the unpainted ones (yes, there are a lot of those) and a worktable with a nice lamp. Painted miniatures get placed all around the room, which serves as our gaming room as well. There are... a lot of miniatures in there. It's easy to see how someone might think they take over the whole room. My wife Sue calls it the little "kingdom of lead."

All this fun has drawbacks of its own, however. As I type this I do it with nine fingers because my left thumb is wrapped in a thick bandage. It turns out that there's nothing sharper in the world than a brand new X-acto knife (for those of you that don't know, that's basically a razor blade with a long handle). I was cutting a plastic base to a new size and slipped -- just about took the whole tip of my thumb off. I guess it just goes to show how much I love miniatures, though, because the next day, there I was at my table cutting away at the base again.

It's an extra bonus that what I do for art fun is also directly useful in the games I run. It's a great feeling to put down a miniature on the grid that I have on my table (it's a Chessex Mega Mat) and say "you see this" when the PCs meet a new foe, or even a new ally. All the PCs, of course, have their own miniature, but these get used and handled so much that even though I spray them with sealant, I'm continually touching them up where paint rubs off. As a play-aid, miniatures are invaluable. They show the players the exact positions of everyone involved in an encounter, so there's no question of who is next to who, who is nearest the monster, who is caught in the fireball, and so on. Plus it just looks great on the table.

There are drawbacks, though. I think using miniatures heavily encourages a more combat-oriented game. I try to be very aware of that as a DM, and make sure that the "tactical display" doesn't immediately force people into a fight. Miniatures also can channel creativity. There's no better movie than the one going on in your own imagination while you're playing a roleplaying game. Miniatures sometimes encourage people not to imagine, but to simply observe. Occasionally, for a change of pace and to shake us out of both these hazards, I stop using miniatures for an encounter or two. I think that helps.

If you're interested in getting into miniatures, I recommend the following companies or miniatures lines:

Reaper. These are wonderfully rendered and perfect for D&D. Can't say enough good things about them.

Chronopia. These miniatures are off-beat and more heroic than realistic, but very high on the "cool" factor -- not just your typical fighter with a sword or orc with a bow.

Confrontation. Made by a French company (called Rakham), these fantasy miniatures are hard to find but oh-so-wonderful. With striking poses and atypical looks, these are likely to make any miniatures fan "ooh" and "ahh" for quite a while.

Fenryll. Another French company, these guys make miniatures out of resin rather than metal. They have some very nice sculpts, and resin is nice to work with (easy to shape and glue).

Crocodile Games. These guys make very cool Egyptian-style miniatures. I love them.

Vampire Wars. A British company, fairly new I think, produces cool gothic miniatures. Some are better than others, but if you're looking for werewolves, vampires, flesh golems, or townspeople, they do them well.

Games Workshop. Okay, these are overpriced and a mixed bag as far as miniatures go. Their sci-fi miniatures are better than their fantasy ones. What I really recommend is their paint. It's head and shoulders above any other paint I've used. They also have some cool Lord of the Rings miniatures. I don't have any, but they look pretty good.

Many of the above links will take you to New Wave Mail Order (mostly where I couldn't find a specific link for that company). I have no affiliation with them, but I have ordered from them and like dealing with them. In fact, I have no connection with any of the above companies, except that I'm a big fan.

Happy painting!