Blacklist Miniatures Fantasy Series 1 Unboxing & Review from Someone Who Didn't Back the Kickstarter

[@JohnnyLeyenda]

I backed this and honestly I almost wish I hadn’t. Still haven’t received my pledge and the company has been less than transparent with some of the delays for the last shipments and their overall project status. I know it’s partly bad luck but I am still pretty disappointed. I feel that once I finally get my hands on my boxes (if I ever will) I’ll forget the whole thing but still, the fact that some people got theirs months and months ago just hurts. Anyway! Nice video as always, your nice image quality helps the minis a lot!

[@breandan3280]

Are you in North America? I am, and I haven't received my pledge yet either. I feel like twice the fool since I backed Fantasy Series 2 as well, thinking Series 1 would have arrived by now. Oh well.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Sorry to hear you still haven't received your rewards. If it makes you feel any better, I think you will be happy when it arrives, because I think it's a really good set. Hopefully they can iron out all the distribution challenges soon.

[@JohnnyLeyenda]

@@breandan3280 South America, but I'm waiting on the North America containers since my pledge is in those, so it'll be even longer for me to get it, I'm hoping August this year or something, ahahaha

[@LeakysTV]

@@JohnnyLeyenda have you try to contact them by kickstarter? i got easy answer there

[@JohnnyLeyenda]

@@LeakysTV I did, the issue is that my copy is in the last shipments they still haven't been able to send out. Plus it's been over a month now since their last update anyway.

[@brianhickey7968]

Can’t wait to see you paint these!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I will take them on as and when I need them, so videos should pop up intermittently for them.

[@666lupine666]

You manage to make announcement videos and unboxing videos informative and engaging. not sure how you do it, but please keep up the great work!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. That means a lot. I really just try to include all the information I would want myself!

[@Anerist]

Thanks for the video, I enjoyed the casual, conversational approach to the unboxing. 👍 I'm someone who backed the Kickstarter (UK based) and is slowly getting around to painting the minis at the moment (currently on the mummys - they're not bad, just very basic - they look good with a simple wash over the bandages). It's a lovely set of minis, plenty of options to use in the 5e campaign I'm playing in, as well as numerous other fantasy games. It's pretty rough that there are still people that haven't received their pledges, the global container crisis seems to have hit these guys particularly hard. Fingers crossed they'll arrive soon and you'll enjoy the set for what it is: a pile of good quality minis at a bargain price.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I don’t think any of the miniatures are bad. Just a few that are either not to my taste or just seem inferior to the really excellent ones. The mummies suffer because I have some amazing mummy miniatures on my collection already so they have tough competition.

[@TheFatalT]

Those are some wonderful minis, and for that price…just wow.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think they are excellent for the price point. It's a very exciting set.

[@SPACEB0YZER0]

Yes but USA backers aren’t getting them…

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@SPACEB0YZER0 I wasn’t a backer. My wife bought these on the secondary market so we’re talking about the price she paid.

[@lynnmoore3684]

Blacklist finally started fulfillment in the US 3 days ago. They're going through QML for fulfillment and they're demanding you complete their shipping pledge manager within 3 weeks or you'll never get your miniatures. Also, QML is charging $31+ for shipping when we've paid Blacklist shipping fees already.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Ouch. That's awful. My wife bought my set on the secondary market as a gift so I had no idea there were so many issues surrounding fulfillment when I received mine last year. I hope you're happy with the miniatures when they finally arrive. There is some great stuff in there.

[@lynnmoore3684]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring We'll see. Just did my $31 and also sent an email to Blacklist requesting a refund of the $19 and change I paid them for shipping 2 years ago.

[@the_Sleepy_Druid]

Those really are some nicely styled sculpts. Very useful creature sets

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I was really surprised how nice most of them are. And yes, it's a really useful selection.

[@TheLooneyChick]

Still waiting to get these to the backers in the US, thanks for the taste of what's hopefully still coming

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Sorry to hear they still haven't got your rewards to you. That sucks. It will be worth the wait though!

[@TheDrewjameson]

I love those mechanical minis! These look quite good over all. If I didn't already have a decent supply of minis, I would definitely buy this to get started playing witt minis.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's a really good box of minis. The variety is excellent.

[@charleswatson2605]

I'm eagerly awaiting my box!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's really good. I hope you're happy with it.

[@daviddupont517]

That's a lovely gift

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

She saw it and bought it without really knowing what it was, if she had got a good deal, or if I would like it. I told her she did okay!

[@daviddupont517]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring the love had talk though

[@kevinhill8032]

I use them for heroquest avalon hill version as homebrew they fit well tbh

[@TheFatalT]

I was able to find a full pledge down here in Australia for a pretty decent price and picked it up. Absolutely amazing. Will come in very handy for Five Leagues from the Borderlands.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

That's great. It's a really good collection of miniatures.

[@robins5314]

Good stuff, looking forward to seeing them painted up.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Thanks. These will get painted as I need them (or as I feel like it). I'm not going to tackle it as a painting project in its own right.

[@robins5314]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Yes of course, it would be a huge time consuming project.

[@rey-o]

It’s nice that many are one piece models. I find those are easier to paint than multi part kits. Bonus points that the others are preassembled.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's always nice to have some miniatures that you can get to the table relatively quickly. For DMs, who tend to spend a lot more time working on stories and adventures than on painting and assembling miniatures, this sort of miniature pack is really useful.

[@Trencher1375]

Happy painting! Good deal!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

This will be something I paint up as and when I need specific things for different games, so it will probably be years before I've got it all done!

[@blackraptor311]

The werewolves...are just...nice.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I thought you might like those.

[@madmerlinsart]

Oh wow. They look great and I can see myself picking up a set.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Surprisingly excellent for the price point. There are a few that aren't great, but on the whole I am very happy with them.

[@madmerlinsart]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I had a quick look this morning seeing as it's going to be a quiet year (for the moment) 40k wise I might have some spare money to splash on other game systems.

[@danroberts007]

I vaguely remember this Kickstarter from when it launched. I don’t play D&D often enough to need the whole Bestiary on-hand, but for the asking price that was a hell of a deal. Even the after-market price your wife got them for is still a good deal. That’ll keep you busy, should you decide to paint them up, no doubt! I did back the last Dungeons & Lasers Kickstarter which is for clip-together plastic dungeon terrain… but it also came with a ton of fantasy miniatures as stretch goals in hard styrene, not pvc. It was a mix of villagers, city guard and heroes with some monsters sprinkled in. Won’t get it ‘til summertime but their past work looks good, so hopefully I’ll be happy with it when it arrives. 🤞

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

You just aren't going to get miniatures like this for less than 50p each. It's a great deal. Even relatively cheap miniatures lines like Nolzur's ask £12-£15 for a giant on its own. I saw the Dungeons and Lasers stuff on Kickstarter. It looked really neat, so I hope it turns out as well as expected.

[@LinkorbGaming]

I backed this and still haven't received my minis. Yeah, great deal

[@TaylorWeston]

This FINALLY came in for me in NA.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm pleased to hear you finally got it. My goodness that took a long time! It's a really nice set of miniatures, so I hope you enjoy them now you have them.

[@Mailed-Knight]

It is cool set. Great vid.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think it's a great set. Just loads of stuff that's really useful a lot of the time.

[@quakeSanchez]

Looks like an amazing gift! It would be great to see them in a painting video or a battle report. About the zombies: I've recently purchased a box of undead warriors from Fireforge Games. They look quite nice and remind me somewhat of Warhammer FB models (legs and torso are a single peace, though). There are plenty of options for customization + you get two sets of bases: round and square ones. Perhaps those might appeal to you.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

These miniatures will turn up all over the place, mainly in D&D and Rangers of Shadow Deep. I'll be doing painting videos for them as I need them, so they should be dotted here and there on the channel going forwards. I just looked up the Fireforge undead - I assume it's the set where they are wearing armour - those are pretty cool. I hadn't seen them before. They're certainly nicer than the ones in this set, and I like them more than the weird Cursed City ones too.

[@worlds-in-conflict]

A buddy of mine showed me this a couple of months ago. Really wish I had backed this.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

It's a great selection of useful miniatures. I'm really pleased with it.

[@StormWildSpace]

Still waiting in the states

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Hopefully all the distribution issues will be resolved soon. I hope you are happy with it when it arrives; I thought it was a really good set.

[@stephenoshea3471]

I picked up two copies of this on the second hand market, it's mind boggling what you get for the price. I've also backed Series 2. Feel bad for those in NA yet to receive their pledges, from what I've read a lot of them are stuck in shipping containers at a port in LA somewhere. Mine will be turning up in Rangers of Shadow Deep (thanks to your channel!) and Frostgrave. Speaking of which, is that something you've played and/or would cover on the channel? Great vids as always, thank you.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yeah, American backers got hammered by the port issues. Hopefully they won't be waiting too much longer. I don't play Frostgrave, and I don't intend to. Frostgrave is something I would almost certainly end up playing solo (in other words, controlling both sides) and as I already play Rangers I feel like I already have a better fit for that type of rules set, freeing me up to play different skirmish games.

[@stephenoshea3471]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Ah makes sense, it's a huge undertaking. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on skirmish games in general and which ones you like. Keep up the great work!

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

@@stephenoshea3471 The ones I play the most are the ones I tend to talk about on the channel. The big ones are Anima Tactics, Burrows and Badgers, and Moonstone. To a lesser extent, there's Bot War, AvP, and Aeronautica Imperialis, and I play 40K at small scales. I used to play Doctor Who Exterminate, Necromunda, Kill Team, and Shadow War, but I don't really touch those anymore.

[@elijahherstal776]

This would be a good buy, lots of potential use for those miniatures. Right off the bat it takes out a chunk of what you need for Rangers of Shadow Deep. I'd say after viewing this, my personal assessment: If you're getting into fantasy tabletop RPG's or skirmish games, this is probably a fantastic starting point for a collection. Not a whole lot of 'variety boxes' out there with good value and quality, and no one gets excited to go out and buy a box of spiders or rats (miniatures, buying the real ones can make for an interesting game night if you're brave enough).

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I can never get the spiders to stand still for long enough. This is a really good box, and so useful for someone trying to get a good foundation of common enemy types. I plan on getting Lasting Tales eventually which is from Blacklist Games, and the fantasy miniatures are built for that.

[@robertmacneish4470]

I'm a North America backer, and as of May 2022, I still have not received mine. These minnis look amazing, and I really hope they actually come through, but the company is still being extremely vague with their project status and timeline details

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm sorry to hear they still haven't managed to get things out to the US. I hope you get your rewards soon. I am sure you will be pleased with them when they finally arrive.

[@joemontmeny4684]

Literally just got mine today, January 27, 2023

[@hatefuldisplay]

Nice set. As another backer from the States, I'm in and out of motivation on this one. I completely agree with your thoughts on the skeletons. They'll probably be one of the last ones I paint when I get my set. I'm also in dire need of Gnolls for my table. As for the zombies, they'll give me a chance to try out my Scale 75 Undead Flesh paint so I'm excited about that. Will you be doing a video of painted models if you do painting?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I do simple tabletop painting guides for things as I need them, so these will be popping up on the channel as and when I intend to use something from the set for the first time (unless I'm going to paint something using a scheme or method I've already shown in a video).

[@renegadedalek778]

I've got altar quest so these minis are similar apart from the bigger ones, there pretty decent especially when there painted

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

There is actually a pack of lurker cards for Altar Quest in with these miniatures.

[@nsnsls]

As a newbie (older) use to the lead figures of plenty I have painted. How does this and the other “plastics” minis compare? I am looking into getting back and have just recently got a set from a polish kickstarter that looks pretty incredible for plastic. What’s the best way to look at all these types of minis out there? Different plastics different glues so much makes your head spin?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm not really sure what you are asking. There are so many miniatures companies now. Some are using pewter (Oathsworn Miniatures), some resin (Goblin King Games, TTCombat), some use HIPs (Archon Studio, Games Workshop) which are hard plastic kits, and then you get the plastic miniatures like the ones in this video which are preassembled and usually a bit flexible. There are also lots of independent sellers who are running off miniatures on 3D printers. It's a big old world for hobbyists and there's lots to explore. If you just start Googling the type of thing you are interested in you will quickly find some companies that are doing the sort of thing you like.

[@kaidenggsjsjjenf]

Maaaaan I am so jealous, that is one awesome set. Nice sculpts, very good selection, and it’s way cheaper then GW or D&D Nolzur’s miniatures. Will you do painting guides for any of these?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I do painting guides for most things I paint, but these are most likely to get done as I need them so they will probably pop up here and there.

[@MentatOfDune]

I remember backing this initially but cancelled my pledge when the stretch goals got so big. I couldn't see how they could deliver all this at the price point so it reminded me of HQ25. Happy they did get produced (even though pledge fulfilment is still an issue for some I believe).

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yeah. Fulfillment started in 2021 but it's ongoing for some. I know what you mean about the stretch goals. It's one of those campaigns where you think it's either going to buckle under the strain or they are going to cut every corner and produce something low quality.

[@MentatOfDune]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring buckle or low quality - That was what I was thinking. Surprised that wasn't the case. If I could pick all that up for £100 now I'd be very happy with that.

[@thomasgross8289]

No north or south American people have received thier minies yet

[@synns6898]

Great box set for a D&d player or other miniature games. I was abit disappointed with the smaller minis like the goblins, etc. but for the price you can’t complain really.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

The goblins aren't the strongest. My least favorite are the mummies, zombies, and skeletons, but I think they are all good, and most are really good. As you say, for the price point, I think they're all great.

[@yodaflyz]

Looks Cool.

[@chriscreativecontent]

These minis look amazing :)

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm really impressed with how good most of them are.

[@eldritchmorgasm4018]

😏 That IS some very nice stuff 👍🏻

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm really looking forward to using them.

[@1981troyboy]

the zombies from zombiecide black plague were pretty good fantasy zombies

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

They were pretty nice, but they had that sort of cartoony, animated style. Definitely some of the better ones though. At this point, CMoN can do zombies with their eyes shut.

[@furbs178]

Maybe you would like mantic zombies/ghouls

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

No. I'm not a big fan of Mantic miniatures in general. I don't really care for their zombies from Kings of War, Dungeon Saga, or Walking Dead. I think I'm just fussy when it comes to my zombies.

[@Rathammergames]

Great stuff, waiting for Fantasy Series 2!!! Are the minis less "rubbery" than DnD minis?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yes, they aren't rubbery at all.

[@EnDungeoned]

"You're not getting GW quality" nope, you're getting something much better

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Games Workshop quality is just better. There's really no comparison there. But of course, the "better" option for someone depends on what they want. Games Workshop is superior sculpting, hard plastic, and comes in kit form so you have the hobby of building and customising thrown in. Blacklist Miniatures are preassembled, dramatically cheaper, more generic, and quicker and easier to paint.

[@EnDungeoned]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Sorry but I simply can't agree, GW are not good high quality in their sculpts or design. The only thing high about them is their prices and the hype put out by their fan-base.

[@Rogiervdberg]

Hi i seem to not be able to find answers. How big is an humanoid mini in reality? Is it 30/32 mm? Scale is 28mm but this is for every company different... Will mix them up with dark souls, Sword and sorcery and warhammer units

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Humanoids are around 32mm from the top of the base to eye level. From tabletop to top of head you are looking around 38mm.

[@blackraptor311]

Also, the beetles would make a good stand in for the giant flies in Rangers of Shadowdeep. Beetles can fly.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

That's a very good point. Also a little bit more intimidating and creepy than flies!

[@blackraptor311]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring Depending on the species of course.

[@corvus_moore]

Would've been nice to see them alongside an official dnd mini for comparison.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

D&D official miniatures aren't consistent in scale in my opinion. But these are 28mm scale, and sit comfortably alongside other lines that are supposed to be 28mm.

[@jasonlivesey6033]

Just a quick question will these miniatures work with the new heroquest .

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

The regular-sized pieces are on 25mm bases, the same as the new edition of HeroQuest, so they work fine on the board. You will find the Blacklist miniatures are slightly smaller in scale, so (for example) the orcs are just marginally smaller than the HeroQuest orcs. Not enough for it to be a concern though. I think all manufacturers are a bit loose with their scales these days, and at a glance it all looks right on the table.

[@jasonlivesey6033]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring brilliant, just thought I’d check before buying . Thanks for the help.

[@Bite.Size.Gaming]

Great vid, as usual.. on a different topic I’ve seen that Don’t Look Back by black site studios is coming to the UK with pre-order for Q1. Is this something that interests you, will u be reviewing it??

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I'm very interested in Don't Look Back (and have been since the first preorder that included the big cabin). I wanted to get it last year when they released the new edition but it wasn't easy to get in the UK and on the website it was quite dismissive of ever being available in the UK. Unfortunately, the timing is now off - I have Space Crusade, Dungeon Universalis, and the new edition of HeroQuest all queuing up in the production line so it might be a while until I can take on Don't Look Back. It's right up my street, though, so I would 't rule anything out.

[@bradp6452]

Reminds me of the reaper bones first kickstarters. I remember seeing this and being tempted since the value was so crazy but with already having hundreds of under used fantasy miniatures I let it pass by.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I like Reaper Bones but I think Blacklist have gone beyond that in terms of quality of materials and sculpts. I think, for people with a lot of fantasy miniatures, it does make sense to pass on this, but it's a great building block for a collection. I think I'm most excited about the variety of heroes and NPCs, and human enemies, I always seem to be lacking those when I need them.

[@1000jjwalker]

Some of those minis look excellent. Some... kinda look ... okay. But I wouldn't mind them.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I think they're all good or better, mostly better. I don't care for the zombies, skeletons, and mummies (which is a shame, as I love undead stuff), but the majority of pieces are excellent, especially for the price point.

[@1000jjwalker]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring I'm just not a fan of translucent plastic. I think it's a bit too gimmicky. And some of the monsters look a little week. As you said those zombies are just bla. And that troll I just don't get that model at all. But the heros are really good looking.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I generally prefer regular plastic over translucent stuff myself, but I can live with it, and just spray and paint if I want to. I understand why they do it. The troll is a very unusual pose. On the whole, I think you'd struggle to get better for the price.

[@1000jjwalker]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring totally your looking at something like 4$ us vs. Like .10cents from the box

[@commandoslayer]

Can you play Dungeons & Dragons with those figurines?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

You certainly can.

[@joshcara5345]

Maybe one day the us backers will get theirs

[@UnderTheSkin13]

The name and box art make it look and feel like a background asset in a copyright-free animation.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

I thought the box art was really nice. I think the name of the set is purposefully generic - I feel it accurately reflects the nature of the set, as it contains all very common enemy types from generic fantasy settings.

[@anonymouse8953]

have you painted your collection already?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Not yet. My intention is to paint them up as I need them, so it could be a very long time until everything in the box has paint on it.

[@anonymouse8953]

@@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring i do it the same way. nearly finished all the minions and big guys for my Dun Campaign

[@korr4000]

Does it heroquest??

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

You mean, are the miniatures a compatible scale? Pretty much. The giants and the like will be too big, but the regular sized models are on the same size bases as HeroQuest minis. They are scaled slightly smaller, but not really enough to show on the table.

[@korr4000]

@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring that was exactly what I wanted to know thank you!

[@lucasterable]

Where do you buy this in 2022?

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

This was a kickstarter and I believe they are still having issues completing fulfillment. The non-exclusive stuff might be available at retail eventually, but until then it's a case of hunting down a set on the secondary market like my wife did.

[@zombiedad]

ROUS! They don’t exist.

[@michaelpieters1844]

It seems most of these were kickstarter exclusives. Not interested in this set anymore.

[@AlwaysBoardNeverBoring]

Yes, the actual set is the 70 miniatures I showed in the main box, and then the second box I showed contained the stretch goals available through the Kickstarter. Sorry, I thought I had made that clear. Remember, I didn't back the Kickstarter and my wife got everything for less than £100, so you may be able to find a full pledge if you hunt around.