I'm a fan of pieces of paper or card and plastic stands. They are cheap and easy to use. Once you know you are gpoing to do this hobby seriously then you can start going for plastic minis, and maybe even get into painting them yourself.
For actual figs my first check is Reaper Miniature. You can choose to get either detailed pewter or lower detail (and cheaper) plastic. https://www.reapermini.com/
I have also punched out MAGIC card pics or other printed pics and mounted them on 1" washers or nickels.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it, but Coolstuffinc.com is where almost all of my shopping is done. It has tons of minis from tons of games and as far as I know isn't generally extremely expensive. Also, the service is great, a couple of times a mini I've received was broken and they'll send you a new one and let you keep the broken one.
I would spend some money for better bases for your player characters, and then take the thin bases that are included. Number them all differently and you have any monster you want, but it is less immersive.
<snip> You might find something nice enough and less expensive if you try looking for minis intended for a game called Age of Sigmar (formerly called Warhammer Fantasy). That game is by a company called Games Workshop which is owned by Hasbro, the same company that owned WotC. It’s a miniature war game so it requires a loottt of minis, and GW’s stuff is really nice and really expensive. (Like, $35 for 20 unassembled, unpainted goblins, when you would need closer to 100 minis to start half of an army.😱) So there are lots of smaller companies that make pretty nice yet less expensive minis “absolutely not intended to infringe on GW’s IP at all” (wink, nudge, hinthint). <snip>
For the record... Hasbro does not own Games Workshop. Games Workshop is a separate publicly traded company.
Pathfinder Pawns were mentioned a few times, and I wholeheartedly agree. Pawns are great... they are inexpensive and easy to store/transport. Although I will say that they are hard to find right now for the more typical monsters, which would be the Bestiary pawn box (as opposed to Bestiary 2 or Bestiary 3, which are easier to find but have more obscure monsters). However, Paizo is going to be releasing a new "Monster Core" pawn set later this summer that should cover most of the non-D&D specific Monster Manual foes.
In addition, Kobold Press's Tales of the Valiant is also releasing pawns for their Monster Vault, which is their equivalent of the Monster Manual. Unfortunately, they don't have a date for that set yet.
Kobold Press also has pawns for their Tome of Beasts series.
If only WotC produced/authorized pawn boxes of their monsters.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
=========================== Laugh at life or life will laugh at you.
Current D&D Characters: Kromen Flintfist, Hill Dwarf Order of the Scribes Wizard/Armorer Artificer Eiphrok, Half-Orc Oath of Glory Paladin/Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer
I know this is not exactly on topic - but these days with ai - ai map generation - ai monster creation - free online token makers - its so much more creative and imo a better player experience to just go digital.
I have done both and the players seem to like digital whether in person on a big tv or online or a hybrid mix of both using a free vtt like owlbear and google meet - although many folks prefer roll20 or discord over meet i think meet is way better. If hybrid I set up the big screen with the map and a medium size cheap $100 tv as a 2nd monitor for a laptop for the google meet so everyone can see each other and also see the map.
I run the game off a laptop and keep all my npc stats in D&D Beyond up on a Chromebook.
So its ends up being a 2 TV - 2 laptop - 1 Chromebook setup but these days who doesn't have an old laptop lying around to just run google meet off of plugged into a tv.
Once you consider the costs of minis, maps, other odds and ends the digital setup while more expensive off the bat is way more flexible in the long run.
Craft stores have cheap figurines. Some of them include paint so if you're new to minis, I would start there for practice.
If you just want something to throw on the grid, I suggest looking on Amazon for "medieval soldiers."
They're similar to the green army guys but with medieval weapons. Some are even on horseback! So that's kind of neat. I love visual aids and having a battle table but at the same time, I am not trying invest in all of that either.
I've been known to use pebbles, poker chips, coins, etc. Anything small that gets the job done.
Looks like this is a necroed thread, but it does have some good info. This is one of those topics that the actual rulebooks are very tight lipped about, so new players may not really know where to start if they're interested in using minis in their game.
Miniatures are a hobby in their own right and the minis you use (and the terrain that goes with it) can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be. Full set pieces with Dwarven Forge terrain and hand painted miniatures can run you thousands. Or you can put some poker chips on a grid and run with it. And there's lots of options in between those extremes, so it's all about finding the time and money investment that's right for your group. Does high quality, well painted miniatures add something to the experience? I think it definitely does - when you set a stunning dragon in front of your players and it towers over their fully painted miniatures standing in a full representation of the dragon's lair, it adds a certain spice to the encounter that you can't quite replicate using only imagination. But do you need all that stuff to have fun? Absolutely not. It's just a tool to help clarify positioning, so anything above that is just flair. That being said, if you are interested in gaming with minis, here's a few sources of miniatures so you can determine what's right for you:
1. I feel like the official Wizkids D&D miniatures have to be mentioned first. Wizkids produces the officially licensed D&D (and Pathfinder) miniatures in randomized boxes. On the plus side, they're pre-painted and relatively durable. You just take them out of the box and they're good to go. The downsides are mainly price related - they're pretty expensive for what they are and the fact that they're random make the price even more of a sticking point. The paint jobs are serviceable but not amazing - even with no experience you could easily do better with a bit a patience. That's going to be the case with any pre-painted minis though. Still, you can't beat the convenience and cracking open a box to see what you get has all the usual dopamine hits that come with gambling.
2. Reaper Miniatures has a lot of variety and they're sold in blister packs so you can select the individual ones you want. They have a lot of different lines at various price points. I prefer their Bones Black line because they show a decent amount of detail but the minis are still pretty durable. They aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than the Wizkids stuff. They do come unpainted with some minor assembly for certain models so be prepared for that. They have some really cool unique minis though, so if the painting doesn't scare you I would consider Reaper at least as a supplemental source. The variety makes them great for PCs too.
3. If you want to truly immerse yourself in the miniatures hobby, you can also look at using wargaming miniatures (like the stuff Games Workshop produces for Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, etc.) They're usually made of resin or high impact polystyrene (HIPS) plastic. They show detail beautifully and they're an absolute pleasure to assemble and paint, which is good because they come completely unassembled on sprues. The downside is that they're very brittle - you can't just throw them in a box or the swords and stuff will snap. You need foam trays to transport them. They're also quite expensive - but they do look incredible.
4. 2D minis have become popular since they're much cheaper than 3D minis. Skinny Minis (which has been mentioned in this thread already) is the brand I know of, although I've never used them before so I can't speak for how well they look on the table. They are A LOT cheaper than traditional minis and easy to store as well since they're flat. The art looks great at least from the images I've seen so I think it's worth considering for sure.
5. Hero Forge does customized 3D printed miniatures, although I think that's more targeted at players to use for their PCs. Never really looked into them or even seem them on the table so I'm not sure how they compare. I do know you can "make your own" using their website and they're 3D printed. The sheer amount of customization would be the biggest selling point here.
There's plenty of other sources of minis as well. Like I said, it's just about finding the solution that works for you. At the end of the day, it should be fun. If you despise painting, for the love of god don't buy a bunch of unpainted minis and force yourself to paint them because you're just going to get frustrated. However, if you find you enjoy painting then it's a good way to get a little extra mileage out of your hobby outside of your weekly gaming session.
Another option, if you really want to go nuts, is a 3d printer and then make your own. Heroforge minis are good, (and downloading an .stl file is way cheaper than having them print it for you. But there’s lots of other options. If you google around you can find minis (and terrain) for free, or pretty cheap. Theres some people out there with patreons who do modeling.
And if you have your own printer, Titan Craft is really worth a look. (I don’t work there or have any interest in them, financially.) In their version, you don’t buy a mini, you buy the assets. Models for equipment, weapons, gear, textures, etc. Then you can mix and match the parts you own freely to design new minis at no extra cost.
If you don’t like the randomness, you can purchase the Wizkids minis on the secondary market. I use coolstuffinc for that kind of thing. That way you aren’t buying randomized boxes hoping for the one you need. Cost per mini is still going to fairly high though (as with any collectible).
I was intrigued when I saw skinny minis as well. If I was starting fresh I’d really consider them. I have so many minis already though, so I’m not really the target audience.
I am also fond of paper/cardstock figs.
I use these: https://www.printableheroes.com/
There are also Pathfinder cardboard figs.
For actual figs my first check is Reaper Miniature. You can choose to get either detailed pewter or lower detail (and cheaper) plastic. https://www.reapermini.com/
I have also punched out MAGIC card pics or other printed pics and mounted them on 1" washers or nickels.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it, but Coolstuffinc.com is where almost all of my shopping is done. It has tons of minis from tons of games and as far as I know isn't generally extremely expensive. Also, the service is great, a couple of times a mini I've received was broken and they'll send you a new one and let you keep the broken one.
I would spend some money for better bases for your player characters, and then take the thin bases that are included. Number them all differently and you have any monster you want, but it is less immersive.
TL:DR
Reaper Bones are an economical option. Assuming you also want to paint them. ;-)
For the record... Hasbro does not own Games Workshop. Games Workshop is a separate publicly traded company.
Pathfinder Pawns were mentioned a few times, and I wholeheartedly agree. Pawns are great... they are inexpensive and easy to store/transport. Although I will say that they are hard to find right now for the more typical monsters, which would be the Bestiary pawn box (as opposed to Bestiary 2 or Bestiary 3, which are easier to find but have more obscure monsters). However, Paizo is going to be releasing a new "Monster Core" pawn set later this summer that should cover most of the non-D&D specific Monster Manual foes.
In addition, Kobold Press's Tales of the Valiant is also releasing pawns for their Monster Vault, which is their equivalent of the Monster Manual. Unfortunately, they don't have a date for that set yet.
Kobold Press also has pawns for their Tome of Beasts series.
If only WotC produced/authorized pawn boxes of their monsters.
===========================
Laugh at life or life will laugh at you.
Current D&D Characters:
Kromen Flintfist, Hill Dwarf Order of the Scribes Wizard/Armorer Artificer
Eiphrok, Half-Orc Oath of Glory Paladin/Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer
If your looking for cheap great quality high amount of minis I recommend this https://www.amazon.com/Wanderers-Emporium-Cardboard-Miniatures-Dungeons/dp/B0BYW5TJD4?ref_=ast_sto_dp and if 36 for 10 bucks isn’t enough for you they have a bigger box https://www.amazon.com/Wanderers-Emporium-Miniatures-Dungeons-Standees/dp/B0CXVG9GLZ?ref_=ast_sto_dp#immersive-view_1732075296495 this one comes with 180 something and is only 60 bucks
You can just use dice of different colors and sizes. I like d6s for the player characters. You can buy cheap dice with this link to amazon.
You are winning the game. Good job! Oh wait...
There's always making your own. With this you can choose what you get and make it yourself. Or I also use chess pieces when I didn't have minis.
My ideas are OP and insane. Don't judge.
I know this is not exactly on topic - but these days with ai - ai map generation - ai monster creation - free online token makers - its so much more creative and imo a better player experience to just go digital.
I have done both and the players seem to like digital whether in person on a big tv or online or a hybrid mix of both using a free vtt like owlbear and google meet - although many folks prefer roll20 or discord over meet i think meet is way better. If hybrid I set up the big screen with the map and a medium size cheap $100 tv as a 2nd monitor for a laptop for the google meet so everyone can see each other and also see the map.
I run the game off a laptop and keep all my npc stats in D&D Beyond up on a Chromebook.
So its ends up being a 2 TV - 2 laptop - 1 Chromebook setup but these days who doesn't have an old laptop lying around to just run google meet off of plugged into a tv.
Once you consider the costs of minis, maps, other odds and ends the digital setup while more expensive off the bat is way more flexible in the long run.
Meh, online gaming is fun but it misses out on the interaction you get between the group.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Craft stores have cheap figurines. Some of them include paint so if you're new to minis, I would start there for practice.
If you just want something to throw on the grid, I suggest looking on Amazon for "medieval soldiers."
They're similar to the green army guys but with medieval weapons. Some are even on horseback! So that's kind of neat. I love visual aids and having a battle table but at the same time, I am not trying invest in all of that either.
I've been known to use pebbles, poker chips, coins, etc. Anything small that gets the job done.
Looks like this is a necroed thread, but it does have some good info. This is one of those topics that the actual rulebooks are very tight lipped about, so new players may not really know where to start if they're interested in using minis in their game.
Miniatures are a hobby in their own right and the minis you use (and the terrain that goes with it) can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be. Full set pieces with Dwarven Forge terrain and hand painted miniatures can run you thousands. Or you can put some poker chips on a grid and run with it. And there's lots of options in between those extremes, so it's all about finding the time and money investment that's right for your group. Does high quality, well painted miniatures add something to the experience? I think it definitely does - when you set a stunning dragon in front of your players and it towers over their fully painted miniatures standing in a full representation of the dragon's lair, it adds a certain spice to the encounter that you can't quite replicate using only imagination. But do you need all that stuff to have fun? Absolutely not. It's just a tool to help clarify positioning, so anything above that is just flair. That being said, if you are interested in gaming with minis, here's a few sources of miniatures so you can determine what's right for you:
1. I feel like the official Wizkids D&D miniatures have to be mentioned first. Wizkids produces the officially licensed D&D (and Pathfinder) miniatures in randomized boxes. On the plus side, they're pre-painted and relatively durable. You just take them out of the box and they're good to go. The downsides are mainly price related - they're pretty expensive for what they are and the fact that they're random make the price even more of a sticking point. The paint jobs are serviceable but not amazing - even with no experience you could easily do better with a bit a patience. That's going to be the case with any pre-painted minis though. Still, you can't beat the convenience and cracking open a box to see what you get has all the usual dopamine hits that come with gambling.
2. Reaper Miniatures has a lot of variety and they're sold in blister packs so you can select the individual ones you want. They have a lot of different lines at various price points. I prefer their Bones Black line because they show a decent amount of detail but the minis are still pretty durable. They aren't cheap, but they are cheaper than the Wizkids stuff. They do come unpainted with some minor assembly for certain models so be prepared for that. They have some really cool unique minis though, so if the painting doesn't scare you I would consider Reaper at least as a supplemental source. The variety makes them great for PCs too.
3. If you want to truly immerse yourself in the miniatures hobby, you can also look at using wargaming miniatures (like the stuff Games Workshop produces for Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, etc.) They're usually made of resin or high impact polystyrene (HIPS) plastic. They show detail beautifully and they're an absolute pleasure to assemble and paint, which is good because they come completely unassembled on sprues. The downside is that they're very brittle - you can't just throw them in a box or the swords and stuff will snap. You need foam trays to transport them. They're also quite expensive - but they do look incredible.
4. 2D minis have become popular since they're much cheaper than 3D minis. Skinny Minis (which has been mentioned in this thread already) is the brand I know of, although I've never used them before so I can't speak for how well they look on the table. They are A LOT cheaper than traditional minis and easy to store as well since they're flat. The art looks great at least from the images I've seen so I think it's worth considering for sure.
5. Hero Forge does customized 3D printed miniatures, although I think that's more targeted at players to use for their PCs. Never really looked into them or even seem them on the table so I'm not sure how they compare. I do know you can "make your own" using their website and they're 3D printed. The sheer amount of customization would be the biggest selling point here.
There's plenty of other sources of minis as well. Like I said, it's just about finding the solution that works for you. At the end of the day, it should be fun. If you despise painting, for the love of god don't buy a bunch of unpainted minis and force yourself to paint them because you're just going to get frustrated. However, if you find you enjoy painting then it's a good way to get a little extra mileage out of your hobby outside of your weekly gaming session.
Good luck and happy gaming!
@DraxiusII your post is amazing!
I like Wizkids D&D miniatures, but I wish there were more options to buy sets with specific minis instead of the random boxes.
Thank you for mentioning Skinny Minis. I didn't know about them, and now I'm tempted to buy something from them :D
Another option, if you really want to go nuts, is a 3d printer and then make your own. Heroforge minis are good, (and downloading an .stl file is way cheaper than having them print it for you. But there’s lots of other options. If you google around you can find minis (and terrain) for free, or pretty cheap. Theres some people out there with patreons who do modeling.
And if you have your own printer, Titan Craft is really worth a look. (I don’t work there or have any interest in them, financially.) In their version, you don’t buy a mini, you buy the assets. Models for equipment, weapons, gear, textures, etc. Then you can mix and match the parts you own freely to design new minis at no extra cost.
Thanks! I appreciate that!
If you don’t like the randomness, you can purchase the Wizkids minis on the secondary market. I use coolstuffinc for that kind of thing. That way you aren’t buying randomized boxes hoping for the one you need. Cost per mini is still going to fairly high though (as with any collectible).
I was intrigued when I saw skinny minis as well. If I was starting fresh I’d really consider them. I have so many minis already though, so I’m not really the target audience.
I'm not from the USA, but no problem, I can find similar websites around here :D
Thank you again for sharing your suggestions!