miniatures – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com The best place on earth for nerds. Thu, 22 Sep 2022 18:28:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-nerds_head_thumb2-100x100.png miniatures – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com 32 32 All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, under one umbrella. We create short run podcasts for nerds, covering D&D, Marvel, Starfinder, and more! You vote for your favorite shows and they just might get a second season. miniatures – Nerds on Earth false episodic miniatures – Nerds on Earth jason.sansbury@nerdsonearth.com podcast All the podcasts from NerdsonEarth.com, the best place on Earth for nerds. miniatures – Nerds on Earth https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/noe-podcast-logo.png https://nerdsonearth.com/blog/ Elden Ring Board Game on the Way via Steamforged Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2022/09/elden-ring-board-game-on-the-way-via-steamforged-games/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 18:28:28 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=39555 Elden Ring Board Game

Elden Ring: The Board Game is coming from Steamforged Games! We discuss the announcement and our thoughts on the Dark Souls RPG Miniatures!

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Elden Ring Board Game

Steamforged Games recently announced an upcoming Elden Ring: The Board Game that will be released through a future Kickstarter campaign. If you’ve followed Steamforged Games at all, you know that they are constantly in the conversation when discussing gorgeous miniatures, as evidence by some of their other products like Epic Encounters or Adventures & Academia.

It’s important to note that this isn’t the first foray into popular IP board games for Steamforged Games. We’ve previous written about the Horizon Zero Dawn Board Game and the Resident Evil 3 Board Game here at Nerds on Earth, so check those out if you want to see some examples of minis pulled from a digital universe.

Elden Ring: The Board Game is designed for 1-4 Tarnished players as they venture through the Lands Between. There’s promise of familiar locations and enemies that will be directly pulled from the highly-acclaimed video game, Elden Ring. Combat in the game will be dice-free, taking away the randomization of dice and opting in favor of adjusting strategies to defeat your foes.

Despite having not played games in the Dark Souls series before – at least not to completion – I was pleasantly surprised at how impressed I was with the Elden Ring video game. There were intense challenges, deft puzzles, and immersive lore that has firmly planted Elden Ring up with my favorite video games of all time.

If you aren’t familiar with Elden Ring, you might have heard of the Dark Souls series from the same studio. The games are notorious for their high difficulty and unforgiving encounters, so you can expect that the Steamforged Games version of Elden Ring will be in a similar vein. As luck would have it, Steamforged Games previously released Dark Souls: The Board Game, so they’re quite familiar with the mechanics and translating the feel of the video game to the tabletop.

Recently, Steamforged Games made the Dark Souls miniatures from the board game available as standalone purchases to assist in the promotion of their Dark Souls Roleplaying Game (RPG). Since Elden Ring is a similar game, we thought it would be nice to give you some detailed information on those Dark Souls RPG miniatures so you can get a sense of the quality that we’ll be expecting from the Elden Ring: The Board Game Kickstarter.

Here are the products that we’ll detail out below:

  • Silver Knight Greatbowmen
  • Hollow Crossbowmen
  • The Silver & The Dead
  • Unkindled Heroes Packs 1 & 2
  • Guardian Dragon

Elden Ring: The Board Game: Let’s Look at the Dark Souls RPG Miniatures

We have a lot of Dark Souls miniatures to cover, so let’s jump right into it, starting with the Silver Knight Greatbowmen! These miniatures feature thick, chunky greatbows complete with massive projectiles that are more akin to spears than arrows. This is an armored miniature, so break out those metallic paints as you work through chainmail and layered platemail. You’ll also get a chance to perfect your cloak-shading techniques with the backside of the miniature.

Overall, this is a really excellent starting miniature for someone new to the hobby because of the variety of textures and surfaces that you get to paint: armor, cloth, and wood. Plus you don’t have to paint any eyes, which is my worst miniature painting skill!

Next up are the Hollow Crossbowmen. Hollow refers to the zombie-like figures in the Dark Souls universe, which makes this miniature pocked with torn fabric and rotting flesh. There are several layers of clothing to paint, along with the crossbow and Hollow skin.

I actually found this miniature to be difficult to paint because of the structure of the layers. There’s a layer of chainmail against the skin, followed by a shirt and armor. But it’s honestly sort of a mystery how some of the layers fall, so I should have looked up a reference photo to get a better idea. This miniature is small and intricate, and favors a steady hand.

Now let’s combine the two sets of miniatures for The Silver & The Dead set! You get two Silver Knights and two Hollow Soldiers to paint, which are variations of the Crossbowmen and Greatbowmen referenced above. The Silver Knights trade in their bow for an intricately-engraved shield and greatsword, while the Hollow Soldiers ditch the crossbow in favor of a round shield and blade.

I really like the shields on both of these miniatures, because they aren’t just your standard wooden shield rimmed with steel. This allows you to customize your miniature with your interpretation of the runic symbols and whatever color scheme you pick out for the various fabrics. On the Silver Knights you may have some trouble pushing that brush between the armor and the shield, but the stance of the Hollow Soldiers is a perfect action-pose for paints.

Onto the Unkindled Heroes Packs! Pack 1 comes with the Knight, Warrior, Assassin, and Herald miniatures, each using their own martial weapon. All of these miniatures would be perfect for your fantasy RPG characters in any evergreen fantasy game. I also appreciate the spacing between the components, as the only real painting challenge will be some of the tighter spaces on the Knight miniature up by the raised arms. The Warrior miniature is one of my favorites of the set, holding out the halberd wide while their cloak billows towards the opposite side. Exceptional.

Unkindled Heroes Pack 2 features six miniatures: Pyromancer, Cleric, Thief, Sorcerer, Mercenary, and The Deprived. This might be the best pack for you to pick up if you’re looking for a variety of character miniatures, as you have a hooden figure, roguish figure, and even a triumphant axe-wielding hero. If you want more swords, Pack 1 will be your friend, but you certainly can’t go wrong with the pair. The Pyromancer is my favorite here, with lots of detail and a powerful stance.

Last up is a single miniature in the Guardian Dragon box. This one stands on a large 110mm base and requires that you assemble the wings and tail to the body. In some cases it’s easier to paint separate parts prior to assembly, but the spread wings of this draconid miniature ensures that it won’t be a challenge to paint after it’s all together.

And wow – this is one awesome dragon miniature! It features a huge open mouth with plenty of teeth to cover in a gradient of goldenrod dental plaque, and dozens of sharp spikes along its spinal ridge. All of the key features of the miniature are spread out enough that I would say this makes for an excellent ‘starter dragon’ miniature. You’ll be able to practice your scales shading, plate-like chitin, and extended claws. Additionally, the eyes are big enough to be forgiving in your experimentation.

It can also be easy to miss, but be sure to check behind the spooky backdrop of the box for a sleeve that contains Stat cards for the Dark Souls miniatures! I almost threw the boxes away before I saw them listed on the contents, so don’t make that mistake! If you’re using these Dark Souls miniatures for their intended purpose – the Dark Souls RPG – then these will be invaluable little aids for you.

Join the Board Gamers, As Family!

If the Dark Souls RPG Miniatures are any indication of what we can expect from Elden Ring: The Board Game, I think it’s safe to say that this might be a Day 1 backing for me! Even if it’s just for the miniatures alone, I can’t wait to see the detail on someone like Godrick the Grafted or maybe even Rykard: God-Devouring Serpent!

We don’t have exact details on the Kickstarter launch date yet, so we’ll just have to sit tight. In the meantime, you can sign up to be notified of the Elden Ring: The Board Game Kickstarter Launch by following this link.

See you in the Lands Between, Tarnished.

[Disclaimer: Nerds on Earth was supplied a copy of several Dark Souls miniatures products from Steamforged Games in exchange for an honest review.]

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Upgrade Your Campaigns with Epic Encounters from Steamforged Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2022/07/upgrade-your-campaigns-with-epic-encounters-from-steamforged-games/ Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=39038 Epic Encounters by Steamforged Games

The Epic Encounters line from Steamforged includes some awesome miniatures and a 5E compatible adventure pamphlet!

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Epic Encounters by Steamforged Games

Steamforged Games is the king of miniatures, especially when it comes to the Epic Encounters line of products. Why just purchase miniatures when you can get a whole bunch of extra content with which to use them? Today we’re taking a look at two boxes – Epic Encounters: Hive of the Ghoul-kin and Epic Encounters: Barrow of the Corpse-Crawler.

Epic Encounters by Steamforged Games

The entire idea of the Epic Encounters line is that you get gorgeous miniatures, a double-sided battlemap, and bound pamphlet detailing the encounters. They’re designed so that you can pick up the box and immediately hit the ground running as a Gamemaster.

I’ve found that running these Epic Encounters frees up a lot of my prep time as a Gamemaster too, because I can plug-and-play these anywhere within my adventure. Now, obviously, there is some nuance to the process because you couldn’t just throw an undead encounter just ANYWHERE. Or…could you?

Instead of spending all my time focusing on building encounters, balancing them, finding maps, locating minis, I can instead focus on the roleplay that will come out of the encounter. It’s like having a setpiece that you can just slide in wherever it makes the most sense.

On top of that, all of the Epic Encounters products are 5E compatible. That means the statblocks and everything are going to line right up with the most popular roleplaying game on the market right now. Of course, you can also chop and screw the encounter to make it fit most tabletop roleplaying games, or steal the lore and motivations from the pamphlet to suit your liking.

Sure, that sounds like a bunch of extra work, but all of the groundwork is already done! It’s like someone handing you a freshly-baked cake and saying alright, go decorate it. You don’t have to go through the steps of mixing the ingredients, baking the cake, and letting it cool. You get to do the fun part!

All that being said, the Epic Encounters give me everything I need to run several awesome encounters. These are battles with interesting enemies and maps with locales that will keep your players guessing. Plus, everything is presented in a clean, modern looking package that sets itself well apart from the layouts of traditional TTRPG books.

Let’s take a peek at the contents of Epic Encounters: Hive of the Ghoul-kin and Epic Encounters: Barrow of the Corpse-Crawler!

Epic Encounters: Hive of the Ghoul-kin

Contents

  • 8 Ghoul-kin Reaver minis
  • 2 Ghoul-kin Stalker minis
  • 2 Ghoul-kin Bulwark minis
  • 2 Ghoul-kin Hivewarden on Corpse-Chewer minis
  • 1 Ghoul-kin Broodsire mini
  • A2 double-sided Mat
  • Encounter booklet

The Hive of the Ghoul-kin is a cesspool of disease and waste. In this Epic Encounter box, you can take your players to the Crypt and the Brood-sire’s Laboratory. Both are equally creepy and rotten, perfect for those skeletal games of grotesque horror. These abominations are anything but natural, and they are mindless in their hunger for the flesh of the living.

These encounters feature a lot of bile, exploding pustules, disease, and acid. Everything is putrid and kind of gross, which makes it a nice and creepy atmosphere. Without giving too much away, the Broodsire is behind all this madness, using his laboratory to keep the stream of undead steady.

What I really like about this Epic Encounter set is that the environment and status effects play such a huge role. I’m a nut for damage over time effects in games, and so poison or persistent damage is always something I like to dabble with. Players tend to overexplore areas – or at least mine do – and if they’re not careful they’ll find themselves quickly overwhelmed with the disease and ghoul-kin that create it.

As expected, these miniatures are every bit as gruesome as their names imply. The Ghoul-kin Broodsire is the crown-jewel of the mix, with danging chains and a massive cleaver for a hand which is held on by fleshy tendrils. The Bulwarks are the actual abominations, with their bat-like flaps, chitin, and claws that could rend any foe obsolete.

I also appreciate that these Steamforged minis have some basing already applied to the sculpt. It really adds an extra layer and dimension to the Stalker, which is mid-sprint. And how could I forget about the Corpse-Chewer?! Riding a toothy-mawed worm into battle?

The Epic Encounters: Hive of the Ghoul-kin set is unsettling in the best way.

Epic Encounters: Barrow of the Corpse-Crawler

Contents

  • 1 Corpse Crawler mini (MASSIVE)
  • 12x Ghoul-kin Reaver tokens
  • A2 Double-sided Mat

The main difference between the Barrow of the Corpse-Crawler and the Hive of the Ghoul-kin is that this pack only comes with one plastic miniature. Although, to be fair, it is a HUGE miniature with a 10cm base, standing 12cm tall. And the sculpt on this mini, the Corpse Crawler, is so intricately detailed.

There’s a nice mottling on the top of the chitin, along with pock-marks in the spinal spikes. There are so many little teeth to paint, folds to shadow, and a rocky base that helps emphasize the scale of this creature. It’ll definitely make your PC minis reel back in terror!

What else is nice is that the encounter booklet is just as long as the Hive of the Ghoul-kin pamphlet, even though there’s a single mini. That’s because this huge Dune-adjacent worm has some really deadly ‘heroic’ actions that can really alter the tide of battle. Don’t be afraid to use them and knock down the party’s bravado a couple pegs.

The other emphasis in this encounter box is that terrain plays such a huge role in the fight. Just think about it – this gigantic worm is tunneling all over the place. Of course there’s a threat of collapsing dirt from the ceiling! Incorporating different levels of terrain and hazards like this is something of a blindspot for me as a Gamemaster, so I really appreciate the detail on this front.

As cool as the Corpse Crawler mini is, I do wish the box included one or two of the Reavers instead of just supplying 12 tokens. I’d gladly pay a couple more bucks to have those other matching and relevant minis to add to the encounter. Even still, this box pairs perfectly with the Hive of the Ghoul-kin box, as the same art and references can be seen in both pamphlets.

All in all, this is a fantastic box to slot in for your BIG boss-level encounters. And who knows – maybe the Corpse Crawler will slink away to fight another day…

Epic Encounters: Upgrade Your Prep Game!

If you’re a fan of one-stop encounter shopping, then you should really check out the Epic Encounters line from Steamforged Games! They’re constantly expanding the lineup, including having just wrapped up a successful Kickstarter campaign for Epic Encounters: Local Legends.

Now, if I could only perfect my Corpse Crawler voice…

[Disclaimer: Nerds on Earth was supplied a copy of the Epic Encounters: Barrow of the Corpse Crawler and Epic Encounters: Hive of the Ghoul-kin from Steamforged Games in exchange for an honest review.]

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Visit All the Taverns with the Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter from Steamforged Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2022/06/visit-all-the-taverns-with-the-epic-encounters-local-legends-kickstarter-from-steamforged-games/ Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=38683 Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged

The Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter from Steamforged Games is live! Miniatures and 5E-compatible taverns ready for your campaigns!

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Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged

Steamforged Games is doing some awesome things, especially when it comes to the Epic Encounters line of products. And they’re only adding to it with the launch of the Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter that went live on June 28th!

As you probably know by now, Steamforged Games has built their sterling reputation for high-quality, gorgeous miniatures. Epic Encounters: Local Legends will definitely give you more of what you’ve come to love and expect, on top of even more evergreen content.

We’ll have an overview of some other Epic Encounters products in the near future, including the Barrow of the Corpse Crawler and the Hive of the Ghoul-kin boxes. However, Epic Encounters: Local Legends takes what you know about Epic Encounters and gives it more of a setting focus in addition to the miniatures.

Let’s find out what Epic Encounters: Local Legends has going on!

Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged

Epic Encounters Local Legends – What’s It All About?

You know that so many fantasy tabletop roleplaying games begin with the adventurers meeting in a tavern. It’s a well-known trope that’s a borderline meme, because it’s so effective! Where else is the party going to get a never-ending slew of plot hooks about dragons and dungeons?

Through the 10-day Epic Encounters: Local Legends campaign, you’re getting 10 specific taverns that are immediately plantable into your fantasy campaigns. And, what’s better yet, is that they’re all usable in your 5E campaigns and adventures!

That’s my favorite part about the Epic Encounters line. Everything you need to present your players with a unique encounter or situation is right there in the box. It severely cuts down on the Gamemaster preparation time and lets you instead focus on breathing life into the world. Instead of searching for statblocks, dreaming up memorable battles, and sifting through piles of miniatures to find the ones you need, you’ll be able to spend more time crafting an awesome battle speech or perfecting your character voices.

Each Tavern in Epic Encounters: Local Legends has a unique name and is pre-populated with NPCs. Steamforged takes it a step further by providing NPC cards that lists out the backstories and motivations of each NPC individually as well. We’ve all had our fills of random tables and NPC generators; sometimes I just want someone to hand me an NPC with some bullet points and let me run with it. I just need the high-level detail, which is exactly what you’re going to get.

Additionally, each tavern has its own isometric map. Isometric isn’t a standard choice for most tabletop roleplaying game maps; people generally prefer to have their maps as a part of a 2D battle grid. However, with the rising popularity of theater of the mind and indie RPGs, isometric maps are on the rise.

By showing the tavern inside in three dimensions, prepare to spark the creativity of your players. Oh, there’s a low-hanging rafter? Now that becomes a set-piece that your players can use to swing onto or launch an attack from. Plus, you get the full sense of depth and scale that you simply can’t get from a two-dimensional map.

Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged

On top of that, each tavern has a unique creature miniature that’s central to that tavern’s mythos or rumors. For example, one tavern might have a ferocious owlbear and another has twist on a scaled green dragon. These are classic monsters and creatures that you won’t have any trouble dropping into your adventures from the get-go.

Something I really love is that the Epic Encounters: Local Legends features taverns of all kinds. Each one is so much different than the last, and ensures that you’ll have a tavern no matter where your players find themselves. Need a seedy dockside bar? Local Legends has you covered. What about a tavern centered around the thrill of the hunt? The Huntsman’s Stag is just the place to hang your hat.

And that’s the real strength of Epic Encounters: Local Legends: it’s universal. The more games that I play, the more I appreciate the abundance of resources out in the world for Gamemasters and Dungeonmasters to tap into. As shows like the Glass Cannon Network or Critical Role continue to elevate storytelling, players want more and more from their beloved GMs. But this means that GMs are expected to prepare and come to the table with innumerable ways to blow the minds of their players.

With products like Epic Encounters: Local Legends, the pressure is off for a number of reasons:

  • Preparation doesn’t feel like an extra job for me to do
  • I know that what comes in the box is going to delight my players and myself
  • Everything is RIGHT there! There are even GM tips and reminders to run the encounters

Epic Encounters: Local Legends – Campaign Ends July 7th!

The Epic Encounters: Local Legends Kickstarter campaign ends July 7th! This is your opportunity to pick up 10 wonderfully-crafted taverns to slot in your 5E games or any other tabletop roleplaying game application.

Once again, you can find the link to the Kickstarter right here. Be sure to take a peep at the slideshow below, showcasing the look of a few of the taverns from the campaign! It’s an exciting time to be a Gamemaster, and Epic Encounters: Local Legends helps ensure you’ll be at the top of your game. And I can cheers to that!

  • Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged
  • Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged
  • Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged
  • Epic Encounters Local Legends Steamforged
  • Draughty Rabbit Steamforged

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School’s In Session with the Adventures & Academia: First Class Kickstarter from Steamforged Games! https://nerdsonearth.com/2021/12/schools-in-session-with-the-adventures-academia-first-class-kickstarter-from-steamforged-games/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=37561 Adventures & Academia: First Class

The Adventures & Academia: First Class Kickstarter from Steamforged Games is live until December 7th! Miniatures, 5E-compatible adventure, and more!

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Adventures & Academia: First Class
Adventures & Academia First Class

When I’m not actively playing tabletop roleplaying games, you’ll often find me daydreaming about tabletop roleplaying games. That’s especially true when it comes to thinking up character concepts and ideas for the next time I sit at the table. So, when I saw the Adventures & Academia: First Class Kickstarter from Steamforged Games, my wheels began turning!

Steamforged Games is well-known for producing high-quality miniatures, and that’s just a portion of what you’ll find in the Kickstarter campaign. The creators of Animal Adventures and Epic Encounters bring us 12 magical college characters that will easily slide right into any game, but are particularly compatible with 5E roleplaying adventures.

What’s great about miniature collections like this is that they can be used anywhere. I mean, I’ll be first to admit that I’ve used my Marvel United miniatures to try out the Crisis Protocol ruleset and the Marvel Super Heroes RPG. The miniatures from Adventures & Academia: First Class have their own character folios, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t reinvent their backstories to fit your dreams.

After all, I want to be using these beautiful minis as much as possible!

Adventures & Academia: First Class – What’s Included?

As with any Kickstarter, it’s important to know what’s included when you’re a backer. One really nice thing about this campaign is that Adventures & Academia: First Class only has one Pledge level. You don’t need to worry about missing out on Ultra Deluxe Super Tricked Out Editions; everyone gets everything they see.

This includes:

  • 12 Student Miniatures
  • 1 Kickstarter-Exclusive Professor Dog Miniature
  • 13 Kickstarter-Exclusive Fold-Out Character Folios
  • PDF One-Shot Adventure at the Grand Academy
  • PDF Battle Maps
  • PDF Character Sheet
  • Special items and abilities tailored to the magical school setting

In today’s age, it’s important that roleplaying content can be used, even in a digital setting. In fact, the majority of the tabletop games that I play in are digital. Now, that doesn’t necessarily help when I want to use ALL THE MINIS, but I appreciate that there are plenty of digital PDFs that come with the campaign. That way, I’m covered no matter how I play!

It’s also important to note that even though the pictures below are painted minis, the ones that you’ll receive as a part of the campaign come unpainted. But feel free to use the images as reference shots if you really like the style! Check them out at the bottom of this article!

Adventures & Academia First Class

Adventures & Academia: First Class – The Houses and Characters

All of the characters in the campaign belong to one of the four Houses of the Grand Academy. As you might expect, each House has different traits that they hold in highest regard, and the characters reflect their ideals.

  • House Might – Focus on finding the strength within oneself, and bettering the physical body to house the gifts held inside.
  • House Cunning – Emphasis on creative problem-solving and unraveling secrets to understand the proper application of magic.
  • House Arcane – Magic is powerful and is capable of fixing any situation, so we should study to expand our limitations.
  • House Divine – Balance resides in everything, and only through contemplation can we comprehend both sides of the coin.

Each of the characters also has an extended backstory to help get you into the character’s shoes. You’ll get a short vignette story that helps describe the origins of their abilities, as well as an insight into what they’ve been up to since joining the Grand Academy. These stories offer wide-ranging, inclusive narratives that still leave plenty of room for you to fill in the gaps.

And the miniatures! There is such a wide variety of personalities and representation in the sculpts, and they’re impressive to look at. Who knew that so much detail could be packed into a plastic miniature? Steamforged knew ?

Adventures & Academia: First Class – Campaign Ends December 7th!

The Adventures & Academia First Class Kickstarter campaign ends December 7th! That’s right; it only lasts a week! You don’t want to caught sleeping in class on this one, that’s for sure!

Once again, you can find the link to the Kickstarter right here. And be sure to check out the painted minis below – they’re gorgeous! I’m really looking forward to bringing these miniatures to the table, and to try out the adventure included in a campaign. Magical schools are still all the rage, and this is your chance to enroll some top students to your games!

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We Unbox a Gift Box! And There is a Story Behind What’s Inside! https://nerdsonearth.com/2021/10/we-unbox-a-gift-box-and-there-is-a-story-behind-whats-inside/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 21:15:13 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=37044

We Unbox a Gift Box! And There is a Story Behind What's Inside!

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Nerds on Earth receives a lot of items from companies and publishers that want us to show their products to our audience. About a year ago I got a set of dice and I shared a picture on social media, then didn’t think anything else about it.

Months later I received an email. A guy named Mike wondered if I still had the dice. He collects dice and that set had proven difficult for him to track down.

I said sure and we made a quick deal. As a thank you, he offered to paint a mini for me because he learned through our back and forth that I’m not able to paint much anymore because my eyes don’t allow it.

Weeks later I received a gift box from Mike…

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How D&D Miniatures Get Made https://nerdsonearth.com/2021/03/how-dnd-miniatures-get-made/ Thu, 11 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=34684

How are miniatures made? Nerds on Earth takes a look, focusing on the Pathfinder Battles line from Wizkids and Paizo Publishing.

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I love maker shows like the excellent I Like to Make Stuff. I enjoy the elements of craftsmanship and engineering they highlight.

I also believe we too often take craftsmanship for granted in the products we use and consume. We plop down our $5, then proceed to pick nits and complain, never pausing to appreciate all the processes and people that were involved in bringing that $5 product to market for us.

In particular, I want to devote some words to how miniatures get made.

How D&D Miniatures Get Made

Before we get going, we need to acknowledge how darned cool minis are. Miniatures (and their cousins action figures, etc.) are an iconic part of nerd culture. From old school pewter minis, Micro Machines, or Kenner Boba Fett action figures of yesteryear to Marvel Legends, or Star Wars X-Wing minis of today, us nerds love us some small things to play with (not a euphemism).

And while all miniatures are lovely, we’ll be focusing on how the D&D and Pathfinder prepainted miniatures from Wizkids get made, since those have taking over our present day game shops.

First, is the sculpting. When thinking about how miniatures get made, it’s important to recognize the artistry that goes into turning a two dimensional character mockup into a little 3D thing of beauty. Sculptors are undeniably artisans and craftsmen.

Sculpting was certainly more tactile as it was physically created out of clay or whatever. But today the work is almost always done digitally. After all, it’s easier for a freelance sculptor to email a file than it is to FedEx a figure. (For more on sculpting, check out our interview with miniatures sculptor legend Bobby Jackson.)

Wizkids uses a program called ZBrush to create digital models of all the cool miniatures us Nerds love, like the Pathfinder Battles minis that we use on our grid maps. In that instance, they would work in relationship with the art directors at Paizo (makers of Pathfinder), who give them feedback on if the goblin arm might be a smudge too long or that elf bowman might have ears with not quite the correct point.

That’s a consistent back and forth collaboration, with the art director working with the digital sculptor in order to get the 3D digital render of the 2D art looking perfect in ZBrush.

But the bonus is that the main sculpt looks just right, it can be re-posed in ZBrush to maybe create two orcs, one with a bow and one with a falcion for example. That’s what we see from WizKids in their unpainted two packs. The hard work on that primary digital render can be used for their pre-painted line, then modified slightly for use in their unpainted lines, efficiency in action.

Next, the digital sculpts are then turned into molds. We don’t yet live in a world where it is economically or practically feasible to 3D print thousands of miniatures for mass consumption, although that technology is present for one-off printing in customized services like Hero Forge or Eldritch Foundry.

For the mass market, molds are still needed, which is to say forms that the plastic material the mini is made out of can be poured into. But molds are an expensive upfront cost that is spent before any revenue from sales comes back in. Think about it this way: let’s say the mold is $1,000 while the actual cost of the plastic for the mini is a nickel. You need to mark up that nickel manufacture cost to make back your initial $1,000 mold investment.

The next step is manufacturing. This is pretty basic stuff, namely a factory in China where the cost can be kept down to a nickel and not the quarter that it would take to manufacture elsewhere. You of course have boat time, but it’s not like there are factories in Sheboygan, Wisconsin that have the tooling equipment to craft plastic miniatures anyway. They are busy making bratwurst and cheese.

Let’s not skip over painting. Most of us aren’t the kind of nerds who want to paint our own miniatures, although that hobby is seeing growth. Most Nerds want something ready for game play. So the painting process is where the real magic happens.

But think about what painting involves: These pieces of plastic are only about an inch high, yet have incredibly detailed painting themes. And in many ways, you can think of each of those little minis as “hand painted.” Specifically, the process isn’t fully automated as it doesn’t involve billion dollar robots like those that would machine-build an iPhone. Sure, there is some of that, but it’s also a combination of some clever masking techniques.

It often works like this: A little template covers up the parts you don’t want painted and leaves open the places you want painted. Then some painting elements are old school Henry Ford assembly-lined by humans who sprays a minuscule among of paint to get it crisp with no over-sprays. After they are painted they receive a “wash,” which is a dark inky-like paint that settles into the folds and crevices, giving the figure an appearance of more depth.

It is remarkable that miniatures can get made and then sold to you for about $4.

Now a quick sidebar about the quality, which is due largely to Erik Mona, the Publisher at Paizo. Although there are a variety of minis on the market, the best in class for fantasy gaming is the Pathfinder Battles line by Wizkids. These minis have been coming out since 2012, and Erik Mona (who is a confessed miniatures nerd) has bent over backwards the first few years of that partnership in order to ensure the quality control was of the highest standard.

Each new wave would get incrementally better, like painting around eyes going from a tiny blob of paint to a precise shape with a visible eyebrow. Remarkable.

Plus, income from initial waves allowed technology and equipment investments that have provided huge quality benefits to later lines. Who knows, we may be seeing our minis tooled with the precision of our iPhones before you know it. A nerd can dream!

Then the miniatures come to you. Wizkids has a clever business strategy that allows a full line of miniatures to be produced. Remember when we talked about the $1,000 mold? Well, you’d never get enough nickels back on some obscure D&D monster or character that wouldn’t be purchased individually in high quantities. But if you bundle that with highly popular figures, you can diffuse the cost across the line and make it financially possible.

So Wizkids sells blind boosters of four figures. You don’t know what exact minis you’ll get, other than the likelihood of one of the more popular figures, plus an opportunity of one of the rarer ones. The side benefit is it makes you feel like a kid to open boxes, trying and get the figure you want.

So that’s how miniatures get made. Hopefully this brings an appreciation both of the craftsmanship as well as the manufacturing logistics involved. But more than that, I hope this encourages you to go to your local FLGS and buy a couple minis. They really are cool.

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I Built It: Incredible New Model Kits that Double as Cool D&D Terrain https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/09/i-built-it-incredible-new-model-kits-that-double-as-cool-dd-terrain/ Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=32870

Coming soon to Kickstarter, I Built It kits offer historically and architecturally accurate 28mm buildings that make excellent RPG terrain! We got our hands on a couple for review.

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I love miniatures and I love terrain, and have since I was a kid. In fact, my primary gaming is with kids and I love watching their yes light up when I unveil a cool map or a sweet piece of terrain.

I Built It is a new company that is designing architecturally accurate models of medieval structures. The sets are laser cut model kits that fit together without glue or materials, and they are 28mm scale, meaning they pair wonderfully with all the D&D miniatures you likely have.

Nerds on Earth was sent a few sets to sample before I Built It’s upcoming Kickstarter. I won’t bury the lede: They are amazing.

The photos below walk you through the last build my 12-year-old and I did, the CREAKY TIMBERS kit that was rated as 2 stars on the 5 star difficulty scale.

Click any photo to embiggen.

I Built It kits are meticulously designed. We’ve all known the feeling when you open a box and you realize you are staring at a bunch of flimsy junk. When I opened the I Built It kits, I immediately knew I was staring at a finely crafted product.

All the materials are well-suited to their place in the design. The framework is laser cut from sturdy wood. Fine details like shingles are laser cut from a thinner, lighter material that I think is some sort of vinyl.

In short, it’s obvious that every single little step and part of the kit was meticulously designed with care taken to get it just right.

I Built It kits are designed so no tools are needed. I found this to be 100% accurate. Being laser cut, the pieces come off the spurs clean. And they snap tightly together, so no glue is necessary.

But I couldn’t help myself. As my daughter would work through the steps, I took a little time to clean everything up with a hobby knife. Again, this wasn’t necessary, but I’m a nerd and can’t help myself.

I also used a little tacky glue in places. Again, this wasn’t necessary. Indeed, being that the kit is modular, you want to be careful that you don’t glue it together. But I wanted to put a tiny drop of tacky glue in a few places, such as tacking down the shingles. This way each module feels nice and sturdy, yet I’m still free to mix and match them, or feel comfortable banging them around at the table.

These models take care to be historically and architecturally accurate, but an enthusiastic market for the kits will be D&D and Pathfinder players. If there is a village you frequent in your campaign, then the modular approach allows you to build it!

There is a line of kits for towns and villages, but there is also a fantastic line for castles and similar structures. Higher level campaigns that may feature a Stronghold or Keep will be perfect for the castle line. It absolutely phenomenal.

I loved the I Built It kits I’ve assembled. They aren’t overwhelming but they certainly aren’t slap it together affairs. My daughter and I spent a couple hours on the simple cottage above. And every step was enjoyable. We had a great time with it.

I love terrain, so I was predestined to enjoy these kits. But I also do other modeling, like Hirst plaster molds. Other hobbyists dabble in 3D printing for terrain. I can see I Built It kits being an interesting product in those categories. I think some folks will want it simply because it’s so cool.

It’s scientifically proven that terrain enhances D&D games. Just trust me on that fact. Don’t Google it, there are a lot of lies out there. One thing that is certainly true: I Built It is a great new product for hobbyists. Promise me you’ll give it a look.

Here is the I Built It website. Here is the Kickstarter link. It will be launched mid month. Please consider backing it because I really, really, really want the inn.


[Disclosure: Nerds on Earth received a couple of I Built It kits in exchange for an honest review of the product.]

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Preview: Pathfinder Battles: City of Lost Omens Miniatures from WizKids https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/07/preview-pathfinder-battles-city-of-lost-omens-miniatures-from-wizkids/ Sun, 19 Jul 2020 20:55:51 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=31990

Nerds on Earth has an early preview of the Pathfinder Battles City of Lost Omens miniature set from Wizkids.

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It’s the little things in life, isn’t it? Well, things don’t come much smaller than the Pathfinder Battles miniatures from Wizkids.

A smattering of several of the minis from the City of Lost Omens set.
Click any photo to embiggen.

City of Lost Omens is Absalom, the city at the center of Golarion, the world that serves as the setting for the excellent Pathfinder roleplaying game. Absalom is brining with adventure, its metropolitan streets filled with all sorts of fantastical characters. Wizkids has created a mega-set of miniatures to go with it: Pathfinder Battles: City of Lost Omens.

Sold in blind boosters at your local game shop, each booster will run you about $15 but comes with one larger pre-painted miniature and three small to medium pre-painted miniatures, giving you great value. In addition, there might be a sneaky set piece tossed into the box.

Wizkids’ City of Lost Omens set releases Summer 2020, but Nerds on Earth has a little preview for you.

See below for the unboxing preview video. (NOTE: We unboxed a full case, meaning you get a look at the entire 44 figure set.)

You can pre-order the miniatures here. Or get the Pathfinder 2 Core Rulebook here. Better yet, ask for them at your FLGS.

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We Don’t Deserve Danny, But He’s Made Every D&D Monster Available to Us Anyway https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/05/3d-print-dd-monsters/ Thu, 07 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=30314

Danny of 3D Printed Tabletop is here to teach you how to use a 3D printer and find all the files for your tabletop gaming needs.

The post We Don’t Deserve Danny, But He’s Made Every D&D Monster Available to Us Anyway appeared first on Nerds on Earth.

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I don’t have a 3D printer, although I did ask for one for Christmas once. My wife looked at me and said, “What the heck is that?” Needless, to say, Santa didn’t deliver that year.

It would be easy to blame my lack of a 3D printer on my wife, but as Jimmy Buffet learned, it’s my own d@µn fault. I don’t have a 3D printer because they’ve always intimidated me.

Would I be able to fiddle with the software? How do I set the nozzle aperture? What is a nozzle aperture? Would do you find the digital files? Which 3D printer is the best to even buy if you are a beginner?!!?

We Don’t Deserve Danny of 3D Printed Tabletop

Enter Danny of 3D Printed Tabletop. I don’t deserve a YouTube instructor as soft-spoken and encouraging as Danny, but his 3D Printed Tabletop channel was the exact thing I needed to get over the barriers of entry with 3D printing.

While other YouTube channels are yelling at you to SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON, there are none more wholesome than Danny. He simply offers wonderful tips for getting into the hobby.

For example, see the video below. As a beginner to the hobby, I can’t imagine spending more than $500 or so on my first printer. So here Danny walks through the best entry level printers, exactly what I needed:

One does not post videos on YouTube and not be greeted with Thoughts and Opinions® from the comments, yet Danny intereacts with grace and gentleness. He’s a warm guy to listen to and it’s also clear he’s a stand-up human.

But that’s not what we need. We need killer tips! Well, Danny gives that and then some. Perform even a shallow dive on his channel and you learn the following:

  • Best printers to buy.
  • Different types of printers and the supplies they use.
  • Hobby adjacent stuff like painting tips after they are printed.
  • How to tweak your machine for better results.

He also shows you where to find digital files to print, like the following video that shows you where to get the files to print each and every monster in the D&D 5e Monster Manual!


That’s all I got for you for now. Dive into Danny’s channel if you are on the fence about 3D printing. Us nerds at Nerds on Earth are using COVID-19 as an opportunity to dive into new hobbies that we may have been putting off, like drawing, tabletop game design, and action figure photography.

3D printing is that area for me, and I can’t wait to get started. Because of Danny, I’m ready.

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Custom Designed Miniatures: Eldritch Foundry https://nerdsonearth.com/2020/03/eldritch-foundry/ Sat, 28 Mar 2020 01:24:11 +0000 https://nerdsonearth.com/?p=29836

Eldritch Foundry allows you to create custom designed miniatures for your D&D or Pathfinder games.

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I love minis. I love painting minis and I love buying pre-painted minis.

But one thing I have never done is order a custom 3D-printed mini. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I’ve wanted to. I run my daughter and nephews through a campaign and I had the thought to design them a custom mini of their characters for Christmas. Unfortunately, I never got around to it.

So, you can image how pleased I was to get some sample Eldritch Foundry miniatures for review. Let’s take a look at some photos below, then I’ll share some thoughts.

Eldritch Foundry

Eldritch Foundry

Eldritch Foundry minis are nice. Even with my grandpa eyes, I could see the texture of the hair, the layers of the fabric, features on the face, and all the little accoutrements that make minis really nice and special.

The tin they come in is a really nice touch as well.

Normal mini “stuff” applies. They are covered with the oily residue that is typical of minis, so you’ll want to dip them in some warm water and dish soap, then use an old toothbrush to clean them up. That’s a normal thing for minis and part of the creation process.

After that, hit them with a coat of primer and they are ready to paint! Or play with them unpainted. They look sharp that way as well.

It comes down to the software. Being that these were review figures, I didn’t custom create the designs myself. But I knew that to authentically endorse Eldritch Foundry, I’d need to kick the tires of the software.

You can do so yourself at eldritch-foundry.com.

Some of the names of the base races weren’t familiar to me, like Vantar and Aeth, but I saw there is a lore page, which gave some of the background. Honestly, you will find many of your favorite, recognizable archetypes like orcs, elves, etc.

You select the race from a carousel of options. Operation and scrolling was smooth and responsive. You can get a 360-degree view of everything, letting you see the glorious shadows from each of those six packs.

From there you select “Body and Face,” which allows you a nice variety of options. I gave my bro a beard. Next up is “Clothing.” What’s a mini without all the delightful gear and trappings to go with it?

You round it out with Items, Pose, and Base.

Let’s be honest, the best thing about customizable figures is the opportunity to buy goof figures of your friends. I’m telling you, you can create a likeness of your friends to be as goofy or realistic as you want it to be. Pants optional.

It makes sense for me to mention the market leader, Hero Forge. I haven’t personally used Hero Forge, but my colleague has and enjoyed the mini he designed. Hero Forge was first to market, so they seem to have more options at this point, but those additional skins should be something that will be added to Eldritch Foundry quickly, I’d assume.

It’s good to have market competition. And it seems like Eldritch Foundry is doing some things in their business plan to differentiate themselves. One example is a sincere effort to bring Eldritch Foundry local by investing in shops.

Eldritch Foundry is a great entrant to the market! Us nerds need more options for minis and the custom variety is certainly a growing trend. Give the design process a spin at eldritch-foundry.com. Start, of course, by designing the likeness of one of your friends.

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