I do appreciate a combat encounter with interesting objectives that are not simply “defeat all monsters”. Some sweet encounter design that made for an entertaining action scene. Exciting stuff.
Roll up your Green Seeker green sleeves, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 16!
The List
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Mats by Mars Tabletop Mat Shattered Soil
Dwarven Forge Mountain Elevation Pack
Dwarven Forge Mountain Peak Pack
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep Underdoom
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep Encounter 13 - Crystal Cavern
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep Stairway To Violence
Dwarven Forge Magnetic Trap Stand
Axe N Shield Single Flyer Risers - Clear Mithril
Arcknight Spell Effects
Custom Campaign 3 Party Minis
Waterdeep Dragon Heist #15 Darkling
Invisible Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Epic Level Starter Set
Resin printed Shade Mother miniature painted by Iron Tusk Painting
Jewelry chain
Assorted scatter terrain
Favorite Mini of the Ep
The Shade Mother Resin printed miniature painted by Iron Tusk Painting Mini image sourced from the Critical Role Twitter photo by Chris Lockey Printing image sourced from Iron Tusk Painting
What a fearsome, gruesome, and awesome foe. Obviously I gotta award the Shade Mother favorite/best mini of the ep. What really strikes me about this totally custom resin printed Critical Role design is the stark contrast between the spindly torso and the rest of the bulky form. Very effective in instilling unease and fear in the players (and the audience).
Rip the Shade Mother’s fourth arm. Alas, resin printed models tend to be a tad delicate. Should be an easy fix though. In my experience, resin models break pretty cleanly. Just a bit of glue and she’ll be in fighting shape for the next boss battle.
Least Favorite Mini of the Ep
Green Seeker Gus Blood War #43 Red Hand War Sorcerer Mini images sourced from minisgallery.com
A Green Seeker not wearing green? This is an outrage! Worst miniature of the episode by far. haha, I joke of course, I’m actually very fond of this DDM sculpt. I just sorta picked this miniature because I’ve reviewed most of the other episode miniatures in previous blog posts. And I wanted to talk about this one. Though I have not reviewed this mini in the past, it has appeared in a past CR episode and can be seen in the background of C2E1.
What I really like about the Red Hand War Sorcerer miniature is that the pose concept is very boring and yet it looks so good. It’s a very epic and dramatic take on “spellcaster holds up staff”. My compliments to the sculptor. Lots of rich details, including a rad goatee and pair of bushy eyebrows, all the better for Green Seekin’ (+2 eyebrow perception bonus for sure).
Returning Minis
Green Seeker Olly Lightfoot Halfing Rogue Epic Level Starter Set Mini images sourced from minisgallery.com
Olly’s miniature first appeared as Iron Shepard Protto in C2E27. This miniature is pretty aight. Glad to see one of the Green Seekers wearing green. Branding is important.
Shade Creeper Hive HusksMonster Menagerie 2 #08 Ghast and Elemental Evil #009 Ghoul Mini images sourced from minisgallery.com
What are these creatures called? Husks? They seem like a couple of husk-like dudes. idk- Anyway, these two minis were used in the C2E67 zombie horde. Not especially good models, but interestingly, these two undead are dressed almost identically. These two have better branding than the Green Seeker minis, good on ‘em!
Closing Thoughts
I so enjoy player interactions with terrain. Orym using the mining machinery to knock over the big rock pillar was outstanding! Hope to see more of this terrain-based-tomfoolery in future episodes.
That’s a lot of shade creepers! What do you call a group of shade creepers anyway? Let’s just assume it’s a gaggle, a “gaggle of shade creepers”. So many shade creepers in fact, that other miniatures had to be leveraged.
Express elevator going down, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 15!
The List
Campaign Coins DEVEN RUE COMPASS ROSE
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Mats by Mars Tabletop Mat Shattered Soil
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep
WizKids Deep Cuts Unpainted Minis: W6 Cage
Jewelry chain
Arcknight Spell Effects
Waterdeep Dragon Heist #15 Darkling
Tomb of Annihilation Su-Monster
Invisible Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Epic Level Starter Set
Critical Role Monsters of Wildemount 1 Core Spawn Crawler
Custom Cloven Crystal Mini/Sphere of Annihilation
Lords of Madness #34 Neogi Slaver
Assorted scatter terrain
Favorite Mini of the Ep
Apex Shade Creeper Monsters of Wildemount 1 Core Spawn Crawler Mini images sourced from minisgallery.com
Core Spawn are cool critters. Aesthetically, very much in the vein of xenomorphs, zerg, and the like. Very fond of this alien creature design. Makes for a cool miniature. As with Lady Emoth, it’s not totally clear to me whether this is an intentional miniature choice. Is this a core spawn crawler or just a shade creeper that looks like a core spawn crawler? Probably the latter.
Least Favorite Mini of the Ep
Shade Creeper Tomb of Annihilation Su-Monster
The Su-Monster looks like some sorta b-movie gorilla suit based monster costume. Not great. If you’ve followed this post series at all, you may be aware of my extreme dislike of the Tomb of Annihilation miniature series. This model isn’t extremely bad, but it is extremely boring. A boring miniature based on a boring creature design.
Closing Thoughts and Predictions
The description of the cliffhanger giant creature brings to mind Great Old One Mashaaf by Reaper Miniatures. The sheer size of the monster may require a custom miniature/terrain piece however. I expect we’ll find out right at the top of next episode.
Pretty pivotal episode character and plotwise. In terms of miniatures, we’ve got more Darkling shade creepers and some City Guard miniatures that appeared a few times in Campaign 2. Good guard mini picks, they look fairly regal and fit with this encounter setting. On the map front, the rooms at this ball are quite extraordinary. Real cozy.
Who needs floors when you can skitter on the ceiling, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 14!
The List
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Dwarven Forge Dungeon
Dwarven Forge Dungeon of Doom
Dwarven Forge LED Walls and Corners
Dwarven Forge Small Curved Crenellation
Dwarven Forge Tavern Accessories Fireplace
WizKids Warlock Dungeon Tiles: Dungeon Dressings Bed
Tiny Furniture Bookshelf Old Version
Tiny Furniture Bedroom set v.2 wardrobe
Dungeon Lair Desk
Dungeon Lair Treasure Chest
Deadly Foes Dressing: Candelabra
Halaster’s Lab Candles
Tiny Furniture Animal Skins Bear
Mantic Games Terrain Crate Long Carpet
Mantic Games Wizard’s Study Comfy Chair
Custom Campaign 3 Party Minis
Dungeons of Dread #23 Vampire Spawn
Waterdeep Dragon Heist #04a City Guard
Waterdeep Dragon Heist #15 Darkling
Assorted furniture and scatter terrain
The Villains
Lady Emoth Dungeons of Dread #23 Vampire Spawn
Not sure how literal we are meant to take the miniature choice here. It doesn’t seem like Lady Emoth is an actual vampire spawn. Though the ceiling skitter certainly feels on-brand for vampire tomfoolery. Probably, just a miniature pick based on the aesthetic and not the creature type.
I reckon this is a pretty good miniature despite a few shortcomings. The pose, though expressive, is a tad stilted and the paint is kind of basic. The sculpt has a good amount of detail on it and could really be taken to the next level with a little extra paint.
Closing Thoughts and Predictions
A quick crackpot prediction, Lady Emoth’s Vampire Spawn miniature is a common grade of DDM mini, which means there are a lot of them in circulation. I would guess the Critical Role miniature collection contains quite a few of these Vampire Spawn models. This choice of miniature may be intentional, in preparation for a future combat in which the party fights multiple Lady Emoths. The explanation being that she possesses slime-like abilities similar to Dugger. And as we all know, slimes love splitting into multiples.
Dorian and Dorian’s miniature will be missed. Here’s to hoping he will return in a future campaign plotline.
@dndeed as soon as I saw these two mini shots, I immediately had to grab screen caps! I don’t think you could ask for a better shot to ID this Waterdeep Dragon Heist guard mini, hahaha.
Also interesting to note: the Chetney mini is Small, but the Werewolf Chetney mini is Medium. Huh.
Edit: I just realized that if you zoom in, Mister’s mini has a ribbon bow around his neck that matches Fearne’s cloak.
Appreciate the screen caps! Couldn’t hope for clearer shots. Very convenient.
Huh, that is curious. Perhaps there is a lore explanation? I appreciate the scale different, really amps up the contrast between his two forms.
Mister and Fearne are color coordinating their outfits? That’s spectacular! Good find.
did some redraws of these jester / nott portraits from 2019 during tonight’s stream! i’m so happy with how the new ones look and how far my art’s come,,
Another tense fight in a long line of recent tense fights. Reviewing the combat footage I was struck by how upbeat everyone was at the sight of the wonderful map. And then how suddenly that mood changed. Very dramatic shift in tone and very dramatic episode in general.
Half damage is still damage, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 129!
The List
Mats by Mars: Molten Crust Tabletop Wargaming Play Mat
Baldur’s Gate Descent Into Avernus #034 Sylvira Savikas
Crown of Fangs #008 Halfling Rogue
Unknown Yeza miniature
Maze of Death - Fire Elemental Lord
Elemental Evil #028 Fire Elemental
The Terrain
I predicted Dwarven Forge Hellscape for episode 101. What a prediction, a mere 28 sessions off, lol. I’ll take a “within 1/5th of the campaign” margin of error. Well this episode we actually got some Hellscape lava Episode III action.
To summarize, this map is scatter terrain from Tiny Furniture, Mantic Games, Pathfinder Battles, Dwarven Forge, on various DF Hellscape sets, magnetized to metal DF Terrain Trays, all atop… you guessed it, A MATS BY MARS RPG MAT! Mats by Mars: Molten Crust to be exactly. And what a glamorously treacherous mat it is. Use my code: DNDEED0321for 10% off your matsbymars.com order.
But back to the 3D elements of this Battle Matt battle map, Hellscape is an awesome Dwarven Forge set recently Kickstarted and current available in their webstore. All the pieces in the set mix and match together super seamlessly and also pair well with the older DF cave sets. It’s also a surprisingly useful set. Adventuring parties are constantly going to hellish, lava filled locations. And constantly falling into lava, I’ve lost two barbarians this way.
The Nonplayer Characters
Luc Brenatto Crown of Fangs #008 Halfling Rogue Mini image sourced from paizo.com Marion Lavorre Baldur’s Gate Descent Into Avernus #034 Sylvira Savikas Mini image sourced from minigallery.com Yeza BrenattoUnknown
Wow, “Halfling Rogue”, what a creative name. There are so many minis called “Halfling Rogue”. There are already several Halfing Rogue models that have been used in Campaign 2. Toya from Episode 1 and 3 is portrayed by another Halfling Rogue model for example. This specific Pathfinder Halfling Rogue was actually used as one of the circus crowd minis in the Campaign 2 premiere. It’s a fun model. Cool hat, cool muttonchops, even cool halfling foot muttonchops.
Regarding Yeza’s mini, I have no idea what model this is (it’s the one barely visible to the right of Marion). It’s very tough to see on the ol’ DF B-Cam. It’s a small size category base, probably a halfling or gnome. But really the size category hardly narrows it down, could be a svirfneblin or gerblin… or svirfgerblinfor all I know. I browsed through a list of D&D and PF models with halfling/gnome in their name, and couldn’t really find anything that seemed to match. So, while I do not have a formal Yesa mini identification, I do have a formal Yesa mini recommendation: Kingmaker #014 Jubilost, Gnome Alchemist.
Jubilost, Gnome Alchemist image sourced from minigallery.com
I put together and ran an adventure entitled Attack on Felderwin for the summer of 2019 Seattle Critters One Shot Meetup. Here’s a copy paste of the adventure overview:
The Dynasty’s intelligence network has identified a target of extreme strategic importance. A war criminal and Dwendalian Empire collaborator known as the Vile Alchemist. Intel indicates that this individual (known locally as Yeza Brenatto) has partnered with imperial arcanists to develop a weapon that perverts the dunamantic power of the Luxon. This blasphemy shall not stand. As Krynn Dynasty Shadowhand operatives, it is up to you to locate, capture, and exfiltrate this target from his last known location in the imperial municipality of Felderwin. Good luck and light be with you!
It was great fun with a great group and featured a purple worm powered beachhead assault, the gravity well compression of an entire detachment of townguards, a duel with the Archmage of Antiquity herself, and a visit to the notorious Brenatto basement alchemy lab (including a sighting of the infamous chair). As you can see, Jubilost, Gnome Alchemist is the right scale, is a literal alchemist, has a beard, and is bespectacled. I’m not actually sure if Yeza has a full beard, but at the very least he has sideburns. A lot of fan art and cosplay features some facial hair. Now onto a miniature I do know the identity of.
This episode features the Ruby of the Sea portrayed by Baldur’s Gate Descent Into Avernus #034 Sylvira Savikas. Also a figure that was in a previous episode. It’s a good model which showed up in the Episode 89 fight club:
I own this model myself, I like it quite a bit. Crisp sculpt, tidy paint, overall delightful character design. Looking forward to the return of in-person gaming so I can shoehorn a well dressed tiefling NPC into a session. A very lucky random booster pull.
Guardian of the Sanctum Maze of Death - Fire Elemental Lord Mini image sourced from wizkids.com
The studio lighting really gave this figure a glow up, please pardon the pun. A rather righteous miniature with an unexciting factory paint job. This mini was originally bundled with an air elemental in a Pathfinder Battles Case Incentive set, this model is now also available as part of the unpainted Pathfinder line. The one on the show looks to be the prepainted version. It’s really awesome to see a powerful feminine elemental form. Fire elementals are generally beastial or man-ish looking. Hashtag I Need Diverse Games. And that extends to vaguely humanoid elementals as well. I’m here for this guardian elemental.
Guardian Triple Flame Form Elemental Evil #028 Fire Elemental Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
This registers somewhere on the beast-like segment of the elemental scale. I’m not a huge fan of the Elemental Evil D&D Wizkids set, but they do deliver on some good elementals, as the set title would suggest. I love the swirling, erupting, gas cloud explosion sort of appearance this sculpt and paint creates. Mighty fine fire elemental.
Closing Thoughts and Predictions
Maybe I’ll get another shot at IDing Yeza. But that may be unlikely, as I predict that the Mighty Nein will be doubling their efforts to protect their family members. Hopefully Yeza, Luc, and Marion won’t fine themselves on a battle map any time soon. In terms of map and mini usage predictions, I’m really not sure. Maybe some snow maps? At the very least that would be a refreshing change of climate and temperature.
Well it’s not the first time the Mighty Nein has been on the run. This will be a short post. The same list of terrain and minis as in the final scene of the previous episode plus a recurring villain model. I’m pretty sure that Trent Ikithon’s mini is a Hero Forge figure. I’m kinda shooting from the hip with this mini identification, but the scale seems right as does the base design. I messaged Hero Forge via their FB page and received a somewhat vague answer. Trent is sure to return and I’ll reanalyze the mini then, hopefully with some higher resolution reference images.
Well that’s basically the post, if you’re in the market for tabletop mats, use my code DNDEED0321for 10% off your matsbymars.com order, and see you next post!
Two episodes in a row with no combat. No miniatures to document or review.
-But check out the flames on the soon to be released Ember Roc! This epically sized raptor has translucent fire on their feathers, that’s amazing. I had not noticed this fantastic-feather-feature until I watched the Wizkids streaming show Model Behavior. Hostess Jessa Blackthorne was good enough to point this awesome detail out. And lemme tell ya, I’m quite impressed. With the flame effects, but also the mini in general. Looks to be a well executed elementally-infused model design. Quite the righteous roc.
Mini images sourced from wizkids.com
With 5 new Wizkids Critical Role box sets and 2 premium figures releasing shortly, hopefully we’ll be treated to a sighting of some of these new models in an upcoming episode.
Anonymous submitted: Hello! I have a question/request/suggestion. Are you planning on reviewing the wizkids critical role miniatures? I’ve just been made aware that the have a bunch of new packs I didn’t know about. I know you have reviewed their aeorian monsters and PC minis before but I was wondering if you intend to do the others, and if you don’t, suggest that it might be a nice thing to talk about on weeks with no combat in the episode. Either way, I hope you’re doing well, have a nice day :)
Excellent suggestion! Thank you for the submission. Episode 8 is in fact one of those weeks with no combat in the episode. I agree, this certainly seems like good content for mini-less weeks. The line of Critical Role Wizkids miniatures is alreadypretty expansive and there is a lot to cover. For now, I’ll just share my general thoughts.
Images sourced from the Crit Role Shop website
Personally, I only own the three Factions of Wildemount character miniature sets. When it came time to submit a preorder, I held off on purchasing any of the Monster of Wildemount, choosing to prioritize unique NPC/PC models over creatures. I have an expansive collection and I feel confident that if I run any Wildemount monsters, I could find a relatively accurate proxy miniature. With the possible exception of the Aesorian Absorber (lol, that eyeball cat aesthetic is puh-rettyspecific). But even at that, I would probably just use a displacer beast mini and make a point of clearly describing the creature to my players.
I am always on the lookout for unique, interesting, and diverse prepainted character miniatures. And the Factions of Wildemount series has that in spades! I appreciate the variety of classes, skin tones, and body types represented.
The bases are clear plastic, the new Wizkids standard. Which is a base aesthetic I’m partial to. The sculpt detail is generally good, with a tad bit of resolution lost in some of the hands and fiddly bits. I’m pretty pleased with the miniature manufacturing quality overall. The sets I received even have crisp looking eyeballs, which is a good indicator of prepaint quality.
Regarding the package manufacturing, something I found interesting is that the Dungeons & Dragons logo appears to be a sticker that was presumably added post-printing. I’m curious what the production story is here.
Particularly excited for the new episode as things ended with quite the dramatic bit of cliffhangery. I’m crossing my fingers for a battle map right outta the gate, but I can see this forthcoming encounter/challenge being run entirely narratively.
Why aren’t there more adventures set in theaters?! Such a fun setting for questing! So many interesting and intuitive applications of skills and mechanics. Mid-stage performance also seems like a good place to start a campaign and for a party to meet. Will need to remember this next time I start a game. Interestingly, for all that D&Ding potential in the theater, the combat took place outside. Let us discuss.
Break a leg, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 7!
The Episode Mini List
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Miniature Building Authority Corner Townhouse II
Miniature Building Authority Witt House
Dwarven Forge City Builder System
Dwarven Forge Cottage Set - Stone
Dwarven Forge Cottage Set - Tudor
Dwarven Forge Wicked City Accessory Add-On Pack Stone Gargoyle Corner Post
Custom Campaign 3 Party Minis
Suspected Custom Little Mister Mini
Snowbound #27 Spitting Mimic
Assorted crates and scatter terrain
The Monsters
Wall Mimic Snowbound #27 Spitting Mimic Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
Imagine what an amazing stage set you could design with a team of tamed mimics! Any backdrop or prop you need, mimic’s got ya covered. Heck-the stage itself could be a mimic! And the building too- why not?? It’s mimics all the way down! Alas, this wall mimic did not seem to be a fan of the arts.
I reckon this is a pretty memorable mimi, a quite good figure. The rocky texture looks very nice and contrasts sharply with the fantastical mimic maw and pseudopods (obligatory “BUT it’s not even a real pod!”). Many mimic miniatures have this sort of transition between the monstrous bits of the creature and the object they are mimicking. It’s cool to see a mimic that is more divided in its form. Half object and half creature, brings to mind old school D&D mimic creature artwork.
Speaking of artwork and art direction, I would have preferred a different form for this mimic. To me, this model looks too much like an eyeless roper. Pretending to be a stalagmite is the domain of the roper. Find something else to shapeshift into! Take this same mouth and tentacles and slap it on a wall, or pillar, or archwa. That’d make for an even more marvelous mimic mini.
The Mister
Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
Our main man Mister has his very own custom miniature. In Exandria Unlimited, Mr. Mister appeared as a prepainted mini. Monkey Minister often appeared onscreen represented by The Lost Coast Small Fire Elemental. Which is a solid little fig, but it’s nice to see there is a more monkey looking model now. The camera never gets very close to the new figure, but as a member of the main cast, I’m confident we will soon get a better look at Diddy Kong Racing in his newly sculpted miniature form. Exciting.
Final Thoughts
Critical Role is really getting there money’s worth outta their Dwarven Forge Cities terrain. I wonder how long the campaign with stay in the city. I’m game to hang here for awhile. Loads to explore in a monolith fantasy city.
Aside from a brutally visceral music battle, this episode of Critical Role contains no combat and as a result, no miniatures. But collectible figures seem very much related to matters of minis. I’m feelin’ this Gilmore statue. An impressively kinetic and flowy pose. The sculpting on the clothing and hair looks outstanding. Quite the figure.
Howdy party people, it’s been a long two week break. Not a ton to talk about in this post. Not much in the way of new miniatures. But we do have the first Mats by Mars mat of the campaign! Shattered Soil, a Campaign 2 staple. A most welcome sight.
Let’s do some D&D-B&E, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 5!
The Episode Mini List
Mats by Mars Tabletop Mat Shattered Soil
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Dwarven Forge City Builder System
Dwarven Forge Cottage Set - Stone
Dwarven Forge Cottage Set - Tudor
Dwarven Forge Wicked City Accessory Add-On Pack Stone Gargoyle Corner Post
Dwarven Forge Mountain Elevation Pack
Dwarven Forge Mountain Peak Pack
Dwarven Forge Mountain Cliffs
Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Crates
Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Barrels
Tiny Furniture Noble’s Bedroom
Tiny Furniture Bedroom set v.2 wardrobe
Tiny Furniture Mason Stone Wall
Dungeon Lair Chair
Pathfinder Battles Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Crate
Pathfinder Battles Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Table
D&D Icons of the Realms Miniatures: Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage - Halaster’s Lab Premium Set Table
Many terrain bits on this map. Most of them are familiar, but there are a few mystery pieces. There are a series of squat barrels (such as the far right barrel pictured above) that have eluded identification. The Critical Role studio barrel collection must be getting quite massive at this point.
The interior of the building is populated by scatter terrain and furniture of many types. I’m finding it pretty tricky to differentiate between the different Wizkids furniture. They have/do produce miniature furniture across four different lines of products: D&D Icons of the Realms, Pathfinder Battles Miniatures, Wizkids 4D Settings, andWizkids Warlock Tiles. And they are all aesthetically very similar. Take for example the Wizkids Warlock (pictured left) Chest, Crate, and Round Table and the Wizkids Pathfinder Battles (pictured right) Chest, Crate, and Round Table:
The design differences are quite subtle and tough to make out on the Battle Cam. I love these sorts minis though. When the Pathfinder Battles Dungeon Dressing pieces were first being released, they was really tough to get ahold of because they were doled out in random boosters. But now Wizkids is making similar products more widely available and easily purchasable. This is most welcome indeed.
The Wild Shapes
RatMonster Menagerie 2 #001 Giant Rat
Hey, I recognize that rat! The Mighty Nein fought this very same rat miniature in the sewers of Zadash. It’s pretty alright. Level 1 adventurers need giant rats to slay and it’s good to see that giant rat models are still being produced to fulfill that duty.
Final Thoughts
This dynamic lighting business is interesting. But Critical Role has been awfully blue recently. Looking forward to more daytime adventuring and some fresh lighting tones. And hopefully some fresh minis in the next ep.
Wowie, that deluxe edish of Tal'dorei Reborn has some fine accessories. Plenty of maps with which to place miniatures upon. However, there are no miniatures to be found this episode, so I’ll be answering some questions instead.
Anonymous submitted: Hi! I have a thing I’ve always wondered, do you work with minis, or are they just a hobby?
Firstly, thanks for your questions. Appreciate your interest. I am not a member of the miniature manufacturing industry. Minis are a big hobby of mine and this post series is a way for me to exercise my enthusiasm and an enjoyable way to contribute to the CR fandom.
How in the world can you recognize such small pieces that are usually turned away and in shadow? Do you look at it on an 100 inch screen playing the stream at full hd?
A 100 inch dedicated mini view screen sounds great, I should look into that. Even at full HD, some miniatures are too far away or too obscured to get a proper look at. And in those instances, I have to record them as unknown. Other times, when there’s a clear shot of a model that I do not recognize (or cannot find through research), I take to FB or Reddit to ask for assistance from the community.
Most of the time, I have a pretty solid sense of which miniatures are which. This is due in large part to the typesof miniatures used on Critical Role. The majority of them are prepainted minis from three product lines: the discontinued Hasbro Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Game (DDM), active Wizkids D&D Icons of the Realms, and active Wizkids Pathfinders Battles.
I have spent years collecting and gaming with these prepaints, so these sculpts are pretty well imbedded in my memory and I recognize most of them at a glance. I do not always recall the miniature’s exactly title. But I recognize the miniature visually and then confirm the name using miniature sites such as MinisGallery.com
That curiosity aside, when do you think they’ll tell us who made this campaign minis?
Any day now. I imagine they have a bunch of glamour shots of the assembled campaign player character minis. I would guess they have been waiting for the introduction of all the PCs before the grand photo and source reveal. That being said, it’s taking a little longer than I expected. So perhaps there are bigger campaign mini related plans in the works? Or they simply don’t realize there’s a fair bit of public interest?
And do you think they will get a custom nightmare king? Sometimes I think the don’t have reason to fight him again and other times I think he will be the first arc’s boss.
I think we will definitely see the Nightmare King again and he will definitely get a custom mini. Given his knowledge of Fearne and his involvement in various plots, I think he’s too embedded in the fabric of the campaign to not reappear. The only way I see the Nightmare King not getting a custom miniature, is if the party makes finding him their main priority and they kill him before Matt can commission a mini.
And lastly, would you maybe consider opening the askbox for anonymous questions to make my life easier?
They talked about easter eggs in Gilmore’s shop, and here’s one that they haven’t talked about: There’s an Exandria map in the shop,
but it’s not an accurate map! Notice that Wildemount lacks Blightshore and the Greying Wildlands. That’s because it’s this map!
A fan made map, whose origin is unfortunately unknown, but is an interpretation of the first hand-drawn, and extremely blurry, Exandria map shown on Critical Role.
Ooooo that’s some sweet cartography investigative work.
Just realised that the C3 art reel actually has a pretty important function - it promotes the _artists_ that created the art used in the Taldorei Reborn book!
Lots of action and plot development this sesh! New villain, new miniatures, new moon, and new questing horizons. Plenty of plastic and resin on display this episode, let us analyze the new models.
Buy yourself a chisel and bark at the moon, it’s time for Crit Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 11!
Chest and Trove 5E Condition Rings
Dwarven Forge Dungeons
Dwarven Forge Dungeons of Doom
Dwarven Forge Chair
Dwarven Forge Castle Stone Stairs
Dwarven Forge Dungeons of Doom Cages
Dwarven Forge Dungeons of Doom Vaulted Open Arch Wall
Dwarven Forge Dungeons of Doom Vaulted Large Curved Walls
Pathfinder Battles Crown of Fangs: Court of the Crimson Throne Torch Pillars
Terrain Crate Round Table
Terrain Crate Torture Rack
Terrain Crate Debris Barricades
Dungeon Lair Chair
Hirst Arts Large Crate
Halaster’s Lab Candles and Summoning Circle
Tiny Furniture Dark Magister Workplace (barrel on top shelf iteration)
Arcknight Spell Effects
Custom Campaign 3 Party Minis
D&D® Icons of the Realms: Spell Effects: Mighty Conjurations Arcane Eye Spiritual Weapon - Warhammer
Volo & Mordenkainen’s Foes #27 Boneclaw
Night Below #42 Trained Carrion Crawler
Mythic Odysseys of Theros #03 Oracle
Monster Menagerie #20 Werewolf
Flaming Sphere - Blood War #27 Living Flaming Sphere
Monster Menagerie 2 #001 Giant Rat
Assorted scatter terrain
The Heroes
At last, there’s our boy! Chetney’s miniature looks amazing. Quite the imposing pose. And the paint looks very good from over here.
Like the rest of the party figures, Chetney’s werewolf form appears to also be custom. A very nice werewolf mini, Joe Manganiello would surely approve. But you know what would take this wolfmangnome to the next level? The werewolf’s shorts should really be the same colorful pattern as Chetney’s beanie. Ah what fun that would be.
The Villains
Nightmare King Volo & Mordenkainen’s Foes #27 Boneclaw Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
Zoinks Scoob, it’s a BUH-BUH-BUH-BUH-BONECLAW! Spoopy. Say, this is a pretty good model. With impressive table presence that makes for an intense looking boss monster, despite the rather flat paint. And for some reason the boneclaw’s skirt looks like it’s made of black pudding ooze:
Screenshot from C2E116
The Nonplayer Characters
Gurge Human Form Mythic Odysseys of Theros #03 Oracle Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
Wildman Gurge is lookin’ fit. And he’s got that sweet championship belt. No wonder he’s famous, this man’s got an impressive aesthetic. I like this character and I like this miniature.
Gurge Werewolf Form Monster Menagerie #20 Werewolf Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
Well will you look at that, Matt Mercer picked two miniatures with matching poses. That’s clever as all get out! Well played dungeon master. Not an especially engaging werewolf miniature, but I’ll give it a pass for the pose matching. Spectacular. Inspired mini picks.
Test Subject Monster Night Below #42 Trained Carrion Crawler Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com
A carrion crawler with a beanie, what fun! A bit puzzling, but fun. When I started collecting prepainted D&D miniatures, I kept encountering this model and notpurchasing it. Cuz like, when I’m building a miniature collection, I don’t want a trained carrion crawler. I want a buck wild, ferocious carrion crawler! Kind of a curious sculpt with limited uses. But it just so happens that one of those uses is in a fey villain’s secret laboratory. Another great miniature pick.
Closing Thoughts
The mini rain is here after a three episode drought and it feels so refreshing! Now that all the PCs and their miniatures have been revealed, I expect some promotional miniature photos to appear on the Critical Role social media pages. Excited to get a closer look see at these fine figures.
One day, we mightget the “Critical Role Date Night Battle Map” I so wish for. Love is a battlefield and it deserves to be on the a grid, if for nothing else but the gag. Joking aside, it might actually be a legit useful tabletop reference to track the location of characters if some sorta shenanigans are afoot.
Lacking a date-map to discuss, let us delve again into the Critical Role prepainted line. Last post was about one premium figure, let’s talk about the other one, Dieter the beloved and feared dragon turtle.
Mini images sourced from wizkids.com
A miniature with a whole lot of table presence. Ooooo the DM satisfaction of plopping down a big ol’ monster model. Satisfying for sure. Deploying Dieter to the battle mat is sure to be a thrill when this big ol’ shelly boy releases in January 2022. I also like how the pose sorta makes it look like he’s trying to tell you a secret, holding a hand up to whisper in your ear. Except the whispered secret is A BREATH WEAPON!
Surely, we can’t go another session without seeing a map and minis. Surely, we will see one right at the top of the ep. Here’s hopin’.
I often worry that the format of this post series is not clear. That format being: I list all the miniatures and terrain components and then analyze/review any new miniatures. With that being reiterated, there’s not much to talk about in this stress laden sesh.
As we learned this episode, game mats deliver the much needed tabletop contrast needed to see miniatures from across the room. Save yourself the eye strain, head to the Mats by Mars website and use my code: DNDEED0321for 10% off your MBM order. All mat designs are now printed on zero shine vinyl material.
The List
Mats by Mars: Winter’s Wrath Tabletop Wargaming Play Mat
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep Natural Bridge
Dwarven Forge Caverns Deep Stairway To Violence
Dwarven Forge Stalagmite
Steamforged Mighty Nein Miniatures
Reaper Miniatures Familiars Cat painted by Iron Tusk Miniature Painting
Pathfinder Battles Iconic Heroes Set 4 Jirelle half-elf swashbuckler
Dragoneye #09 Stonechild
Axe N Shield Single Flyer Risers - Clear Mithril
Axe N Shield 3D Combat Risers – Deluxe Set – Clear Mithril
D&D Spell Effects: Arcane Fury & Divine Might Mage Hand
Tomb of Annihilation #021b Tabaxi Hunter
Crown of Fangs #010 Halfling Archer
Deadly Foes #032 Giant Eagle
Monster Menagerie 2 #043 Androsphinx
D&D Icons - Gargantuan White Dragon
Icewind Dale Rime of the Frostmaiden #032 Mammoth
Model Snow Found at Hobby Shops
The Villains and Terrain
I discussed the Icing Death 4x4 dragon way back in Episode 75. Predictably, my opinion has not changed, it is an amazing figure. As for the terrain, many of the Dwarven Forge cavern pieces are available in both a cavern and ice cavern color scheme. Due to the strong studio lighting, I’m not sure which are being used here.
Closing Thoughts and Predictions
The forthcoming meetup with Essek suggests there will be an Essek miniature. Perhaps we’ll get to see a production prototype from the Wizkids Critical Role miniatures line. FACTIONS OF WILDEMOUNT - KRYN DYNASTY & XHORHAS Dark Elf Rogue would make for a pretty accurate Essek if you ask me.
Drew my favorite from this season of critical role, jester! I seriously love this show if anyone out there hasn’t seen it highly recommend it. Inspired me to join my first DnD game at a nearby shop and I am having a ton of fun! Really happy to meet cool people too since I just moved and knew nobody in Austin before that.
