How to get started collecting miniatures for your games of Dungeons and Dragons

[@shirleylyn11]

I've been collecting minatures since 1977. My father took me and a friend to Hobby Hangout in Easton Pa. We painted the figures(They were Grenader) with Testors model paints.

[@YourFriendlyNeighborhoodNinja]

What a wonderful memory, I'll never forget the first time my dad took me to the comic shop. Be Blessed.

[@nicolaiitchenko7610]

After the 23rd mention of "you know" I felt it imperative to let you know that I do not... I do however appreciate the intro to mini collecting (at least I DID appreciate until I now have about 470+ minis and about 300+ still to paint...) There is truly no end in sight - In Australia, the Ravenloft and Asherdon and Drizzt boxes are about $100 each so, unlike the, say, 38 quid in the UK or the 50 bucks in the US, for us it is still an investment. But at least we have KZbin, You and the Crafters Guild along with many mini painter experts showing us how...Thank you

[@fhuber7507]

The problem is... once you get going, there is no end. To keep from going broke buying $2.98 to $150.00 each minis... I have a 3D printer cranking them out for appx 25 cents an ounce (about 4 human fighters an ounce)

[@theDMsCraft]

When I made the vid printers were not a everyday option...3D printers have changed the game and are a great tool.

[@patrickrichert4150]

If you find them in the reuse bin I'd advise against simply painting black over them, it'll mute features. Usually if you soak them in Pine-Sol for a day or two, that'll strip the paint (mostly) from the mini. You can scrub them after with a toothbrush. Then just primer and paint as normal. I used a mason jar, filled it with Pine-Sol, plunked down about 4-5 minis, and sealed the jar. This also works for minis you paint and then look at later thinking "What the hell was I thinking with those colors!?"

[@theDMsCraft]

A great place to start is reaper miniatures. They have all different kinds of races and classes.

[@PossiblyNic]

I recently found a sale on Dreamblade minis at a little collectors store that was going under. 20 of them for $15. :D I rebased all the small ones so they fit in a single square and left the big ones alone, but might paint the bases later. They work really well and look sweet.

[@theDMsCraft]

awesome, I really like them.

[@tompaulson6251]

A lady that I work with gave me about 200 miniatures. Her husband worked for TSR in the 80s and had a ton of miniatures. Before we were using heroscape miniatures. They were fun, but now it should be more fun.

[@TheMantisOfPraying]

I know this video is a bit old and everything, but I just wanted to say that the stuff you make is always rad and you've inspired me to buy a few modest figures and craft them up a little.

[@scottbroadbent6402]

I've used the characters and monsters from Hero Quest (an old Milton Bradley/Games Workshop board game from the 80's/90's). Ral Partha is also another miniatures company. I tried to get into miniatures painting, but I just didn't seem to have a knack for it, so I appreciated the pre-painted D&D minis, even if their paint jobs weren't great.

[@Glitchoone]

Scotty i love your channel, i am never disappointed when I come here, sometimes I just have an idea for D&D and I come straight here to see if you did it and most of the time you have and your video is great! Thank you

[@theDMsCraft]

Very welcome, glad I helped.

[@Crust218]

I've been buying minis for use at the table since 2010. I use ebay and Troll and Toad. Those sites have allowed me to pick and choose exactly what I need, including mats, tile sets, accessories, etc. After 20 years of gaming using only paper, pencil, and a chalkboard/whiteboard, upgrading to minis has been an incredible experience for me and my players.

[@VioletDeliriums]

I like that advice -- just get what you need for what you will be doing. I got started by getting some board games (like Descent & the Dungeons & Dragons board games) and I then saw that people paint them. So I decided to try and I am really happy with the results. I do think it's neat when people play up the spectacle of the game like you do. I do not plan to make big sets like you do, but I do like how some people use the maps as game boards and I think when you combine it with acting out the characters some, you get the spectacle and narrative elements -- I think your analogy of actors and stage are good! :)

[@theDMsCraft]

thanks =)...game on

[@breakinginferno6774]

if you can find a way to travel back in time to before heroscape products' prices shot through the roof, the first two master sets (ironically not the d&d-based one) had a ton of very well painted minis, alot of them weren't exactly fantasy minis, but they were close enough that it was still a good deal at the time. plus, you got one of the best war games in history.

[@WASD20]

Really nice primer to miniature collection. I'm pretty new to the hobby and you have some good tips here. I will say, I think tokens are totally fine. Or for a step up, the paizo pawns are amazing. Ideally you'd have miniatures for every monster and PC but I think that is unrealistic for newcomers as it requires hundreds of dollars (and eventually even thousands). I started with the pawns, but since I actually really enjoy painting I've started getting more Reaper Bones. Also, I'll say I'd rather have a token than a miniature that doesn't quite represent what you want it to. I won't shy away from using tokens here and there.

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad it helped.

[@rusty8785]

THANK YOU!! my group has been using paper minis for a long time and we were wondering what we were gonna do.

[@utsavbasu4998]

In India they don't sell minis or anything related to D&D. As a result I have to make my own sculpted minis and make the whole game myself. PS: Hardly anyone plays the game itself.

[@theDMsCraft]

Kudos to you.

[@utsavbasu4998]

Was that sarcastic?

[@theDMsCraft]

Nope, I am praising you for making your own. It is not an easy task.

[@utsavbasu4998]

I see...not many Americans showcase such chivalry.

[@azufendei544]

I can sympathize, its really hard getting and even if you manage to get a deal, they are way expensive. I have made some tank miniatures myself not of any war game although I do have an interest in tabletop.But i m unable to decide which game to start with which is of reasonable price. :( not to mention no one in my locality doesnt even know what tabletop gaming is.

[@johnr7279]

This video is pretty darn old but just as relevant now. For the last 3 months or so I've been putting together a strange and eclectic collection of minis. With everything from dollar store figures, Mage Knight, Hero Quest, Dream Blade, HeroClix, etc., I've been having a blast rebasing, painting, applying washes, and adapting them. I was also genuinely surprised how little I paid across the board. In some cases, I've gotten minis for less than a quarter each just by being a judicious (and cheap!) buyer. Yes, Mage Knight minis tend to have the worst quality paint jobs but stlll very good for the game table for NPCs and monsters. Dream Blade minis are seemingly cemented to their bases. Each has it's own unique qualities and it just makes it a fun challenge. I've also resold what I did not use--easy peasy. As always, your videos are just what the doctor ordered and I hope you keep up the great work!

[@theDMsCraft]

they sell miniature bases online or you can use 1" washers if you cover up the hole in the center. Also many craft stores sell round wood shapes you can use as bases. A medium size (average person) will fit on a 1" base.

[@EdAllen]

Fender washers are better than regular washers. They come in a variety of sizes and have tiny holes. Bought in boxes of 100 they can be reasonably cheap. For one inch bases, I also sometimes buy Remington washers with no hole in the middle for use with nail guns. Wargame figures from companies that do historicals tend to be cheaper than RPG figures, and Ancients, Dark Ages, Medievals, and Renaissance can all provide useful figures for D&D. Some brands to look for in plastics are Gripping Beast, Warlord Games, Perry, Fireforge Games, Wargames Factory , Northstar(including some nice cheap fantasy for Frostgrave), and Mantic (fantasy). Several of these and many others also do metal.

[@Eblan85]

Thank you so much for all the info. Im so glad I found your channel, I had no idea how to start my miniatures collection for a campaign Im playing for my friends. Now thanks to you I got lots of options!

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad you found the vid helpful. Welcome to my channel.

[@BlaineIsLame]

There was a nearby gaming store that my father worked for, and they had boughten the molds for the original D&D miniatures.

[@theDMsCraft]

+SanghnCat Very cool =)

[@BlaineIsLame]

this was in the 90s. i wish everything held up it would've made a great business.

[@cursebop6055]

+SanghnCat Boughten? xD

[@lastdollarfilms]

For repainting to clean off old paint soak them in simple green for about a week or two. This is safe for plastic minis. I had some old battletech mechs that I wanted to repaint. It was two different kinds of plastic and neither kind got soft like it can with pine sol. It just lifts the paint off..

[@terrainaholic]

I see you got in on the bones kick starter as well:)!!!! What are your thoughts on mantic? We love Ronnie and hope he can give GW a run for their money. The undead army box set is less than a buck a fig. I think its like 110 figs for 70ish bucks.

[@viktorkolaric4156]

This video is a wonderful little time capsule about how things worked before we all just 3d printed everything.

[@theDMsCraft]

So true =)

[@oneeye589]

Mage Knight and Heroclix is the way to go. You can get mass amounts for 50 cents each, then get a pack of D&D size bases and glue them on. Easy, and gives you a huge range of options.

[@ExBruinsFan]

+oneeye589 I agree. Mage Knight (especially MK Dungeons) is a good source, and some of the Herocllx are, too (like the LeatherHead figure from the new TMNT set.) I like the painted Dungeon Command figures, as well.

[@darklyXlit]

where are you finding the figures for that cheap?

[@oneeye589]

I was using Troll and Toad, they just took down their Mage Knights though. They have tons of Heroclix for cheap that will do the job.

[@SenseiBlackShadow]

I am just starting to learn how to DM and you have been a big help.

[@theDMsCraft]

You can buy 25mm bases at most hobby stores or online retailers but for a really cheap alternative glue your minis to 1" washers.

[@Jonatron101]

For insane amounts of Goblins, Orcs and Undead the Caesar's 1/72th miniatures are excellent value. The undead particularly since you get skeletons, necromancers, vampires, cloaked skeletons (could pass for masked cultists). The sets have 35+ figures and RRP for around £9/$9 They also have lizardmen, too. A similar brand with many more options is Alliance! Problem with 1/72th scale is it can be slightly smaller than "28mm" which are often larger than they should be but for swarming enemies should be fine.

[@Diabolik771]

Anyone remember the "Official D&D" miniatures sets (Monks, Bards and Thieves, etc) in the 80's from TSR? Sculpting was wretched but they were "Official" BIG WOW! Newbs, use ANY figure as long as it is cool.

[@ExplodingMarmalade]

The best thing I've found for stripping paint off of miniatures is Simple Green. What I've noticed with the Reaper Bones stuff though is that if you paint something and decide you don't like the paint job and strip it, the paint stains them. I'm not sure if it stains badly enough to show through yet (since I haven't repainted the one I stripped). Also, the Bones line doesn't take primer very well.

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks for tips.

[@jessicapink9352]

12:00 that ogre is fantastically painted! gw figures are best found on ebay/2nd hand where possible unless you are actually wanting specific things or collecting a huge army. I love reaper minis! the new bones line is incredibly good value for the detail you get.

[@WOLFE221]

EBAY is good for finding large lots of minis at a fraction of retail cost. As far as Reaper minis are concerned, you can get more for your buck at Miniature Giant, They sell Reapers at a discounted price. I also like CSI (CoolStuffInc) for buying new plastic minis. If you want ALOT of minis cheap I suggest looking for Games Workshop lots (and LOTR lots) on EBAY or a good proxy for GW is Mantic Miniatures. I bought a lot of 50 undead (revenants and skeletons) plus a set of ghouls and two skeletal catapults units a few years ago, all for under $50.

[@theDMsCraft]

Very true

[@WOLFE221]

I totally forgot about FireForge's miniatures. those are pretty awesome too. 12 28mm Templar or Teutonic knights on horseback for under $30.

[@adamnerden]

you can use warhammer figureins too :P my big brother use them :P

[@johnward9063]

Warhammer minis are great for monsters that tend to attack as groups or be tribal (lizardmen, orcs, goblins, humans, elves, dwarves). I prefer metal but for (NPC) canon-fodder foes plastic is fine. I also encourage my players to provide miniatures for their own (PC) characters; it makes their mini more personal and saves me money. Also I gift a miniature(s) to the DMs I play under; it helps them build their collections, improves everyone's game experience and is just a nice gesture.

[@TheInconsistenBreton]

Also, for bases, large plastic buttons work very well. I usually use 30mm ones which retail for around $0.05 a pop. =P

[@carllewis166]

didnt know about the bones collection thanks again for more new knowledge

[@theDMsCraft]

I got mine from a bargin bin in a hobby store. might be able to find them on sale online.

[@elijahs9274]

the rebasing looks amazing! thanks for helping me understand miniatures!

[@theDMsCraft]

So very welcome

[@AureliaKai]

Its hard to find npc minis, especially unpainted ones for less than 10$ each. My D&D party doesn't use them because we can't find them, and I think they would love if I found and painted some. Thanks for the tips! A great thing is that the game sessions are hosted by the public library, and our DM works at the library, which they have a 3d printer, If you bring your own filament, it costs very little to use it.

[@theDMsCraft]

I need to do a updated vid. NPCs would be a great topic...thanks.

[@AureliaKai]

@@theDMsCraft :D that would be awesome!

[@jonathansmith7607]

Kickstarter can be a great place to get minis in bulk. You might get more than you need, but the deals are usually very good. and if you see that Reaper is running one while you look, by all that is good about RPG's get in on it. the two bones kickstarter campaigns raised over $3 million each and were giving their backers a 70 - 80% discount over the eventual retail price.

[@theDMsCraft]

Good tip

[@blackbarnz]

Barnz advice, familiarize yourself with the gaming miniatures that been produced by different companies at different times then decide which ones you want, or all of them. I'd go for all of them but you choose. Then find out which ones are considered collectibles and are currently rising in value and buy those 1st. You'll probably be doing a lot of back collecting as well so availability is a factor. Keep those criteria in mind when you start, availability and current value to collectors.

[@theDMsCraft]

True, any boardgame miniatures can work for your games.

[@theDMsCraft]

Very true. It can be easy to over buy minis you think are cool but may not necessarily need.

[@PsyckoSama]

Old Battle Masters boxed sets are a wonderful source of mass numbers of figures

[@theDMsCraft]

Sure is...nice job

[@theDMsCraft]

A great place for beginners to start is with the D&D red box. Look online and you will find it.

[@tilldain5]

Havnt got my rules done yet but Ive been collecting Bones and holding onto choice Warhammer models from the armies I am dropping.

[@morenorristhannorris]

For PC minis, I recommend Talisman 4th edition. It's only about $40 and it come with like 20 unpainted minis that could be used for pretty much any standard archetype. Like, if you just want some generic-looking Wizard or Rogue, they're pretty good.

[@theDMsCraft]

True but the minis in FF version are smaller than 28mm scale.

[@miniwars123]

Also for GW, Ebay can be a huge life saver for some cool minis.

[@theDMsCraft]

Nothing wrong with using paper minis for all the reasons you mention. I feel using "real" minis really adds to the coolness and immersion in the game but if you are cash strapped or do not have room to store them then the papers are fine.Nothing like a player having a mini of their own character especially if it is custom painted.

[@theDMsCraft]

I hear that. I was trying to advise new collectors to only start with what they need for the next adventure =)

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad to hear it, welcome to RPGs.

[@theDMsCraft]

Yep, I love old Warhammer minis as well as the new ones.

[@elchu88]

Ok thank you! It is that your videos are so cool I was wondering what would you do in the situation. I'll try to search for some online as you say. Peace!

[@DontSayHastur]

Also, the Gargoyle is from Castle Ravenloft. Not all of the boardgame minis are from the DDM line. There's a few sculpts that are unique to the boardgames.

[@skmunro]

Interesting video! One notpicky correction, the pathfinder miniatures have no affiliation with Wizard of the Coast, they're made by Wizkids, licensed for paizo for their pathfinder RPG.

[@Nergling]

Lovely stuff!

[@theDMsCraft]

I wasn't aware of that. Most look like old sculpts.

[@theDMsCraft]

I use fishing tackle boxes to store and sort my minis.

[@theDMsCraft]

Might have some luck with the Reaper Chronoscape line.

[@MrClassicor]

Oh, I am such a fan of the Bones line... I have been colecting miniatures, GW and others, for over two decades now, but the Bones line really graüs me for some reason. Another great source for monsters and tokens and the like are the Decent board games - not a fan of their hero miniatures, but I use their monsters a lot. And they have those nice corridor tiles and other markers :)

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

I'm doing a game I created myself so there are some elements that can't be matched by available miniatures so here's what I do. I have a really great printer so I print paper miniatures using hero machine and/or images I pull up online. They'er not as good as real miniatures but they get the job done. :) I've looked into a custom miniatures site but man they're really horrible expensive.

[@theDMsCraft]

+Chris McWilliams Very true, paper minis are a great alternative.

[@LibraGamesUnlimited]

theDMsCraft Yeah, they're not as good, being flat and all but my painting skills are terrible and my printer is pretty kick ass so, as long as I can find good images, they look good. I've also gotten pretty good and using Hero Machine, a great free program especially the current version.

[@GenesisMaximus]

Awesome video, great info. Subbed and liked. Just sharing: I've been collecting fantasy miniatures in general, and it's good to see other's doing the same to enhance their Fantasy Role-Playing experienced. It does cost a good bit of cash scrounging for figures online, probably spent about $400 ($20 here, and there every so often) going around ebay buying minis. The more detailed, and specific figures (cooler) cost more. The general low-quality, or popularity are better to get in bulk (15 plastic zombies vs 1 painted wizard). I started out with reaper minis (plastic and metal), but as my collection grew the need for better painted minis kept me from furthering getting them because my painting skills is amatuer at best. Pre-painted Pathfinder, and DND make up most of my collection. With Star Wars, and just other figures in General, if it can be added to the crew, it will. Just give it some lore, and stats and viola! Extra props/actors for the "play"/

[@theDMsCraft]

Thanks for the compliment. I love my minis too.

[@theDMsCraft]

There are a lot of free paper minis online. just print and glue together. Most have instructions.

[@MastertheGamerpg]

I love those LOTR Battle Game Minis! Who sells minis the cheapest usually?

[@WulfenLooseInLondon]

Fantastic video, great information and very useful :)

[@TheLastSane1]

Don't different systems use different measurements for miniatures? Different sizes. What would you recommend on that front and how do you determine these sizes without having to waste your money and buy it first.

[@theDMsCraft]

Very welcome

[@elchu88]

Hi Scotty. Any chance you will make a video about crafting good paper-minis? I'm from Argentina and it is really hard here (almost impossible, actually) to get any miniatures to play. So DM'ing with little coins or bottle taps gets kinda old and frustrating to keep track of type of units (is it an archer? a warrior?). Anyway, thank you for all your vids, really appreciate them.

[@justinwagers7440]

Was the Star Wars figure a rancor turned into a tarrasque? If so make me one and I'll buy it lol

[@Mordredt]

DM Scotty - Is the 8:05 Monster the one you were talking about in a different video, the boss that had an invisibillity, huge claws to burrow with, and lived in a den made from knocked down trees?

[@MoonfaceMartin88]

Thanks, I'll look it up.

[@theDMsCraft]

Fairly fast and it has a strong Initial bond.

[@thewaterless]

Can you please put the names of the different mini series in the description of the video? Thanks!

[@theDMsCraft]

I have purchased single figs from board games on Ebay.

[@positive_error5141]

War Hammer Quest Box Set had some good miniatures, too.

[@theDMsCraft]

+Guy Hermanson True, but hard to find these days.

[@MiniWarzone]

Fantastic channel and fantastic vids so subbed - nice work :)

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad to have you.

[@middleagedpikachu]

in the netherlands it's very .. very.. hard to find decent miniatures.. not only for PC's but also for NPC's, grunts and enemies.. :

[@theDMsCraft]

Sorry to hear that. Downloadable paper minis might be the answer in that case.

[@middleagedpikachu]

Yeah I've been in several dozen shops and none of them had anything other than warhammer minis :v but yeah might use home made stuff.. like wooden carvings or something

[@MrLinguist88]

Same here in Germany... :/

[@middleagedpikachu]

***** send me some spares will ya :v

[@MrLinguist88]

***** D&D is still a very niche hobby. There are only about two comic book stores in Berlin which do anything related to it, like selling rule books and sometimes hostimg some gaming session, so there is even less miniatures :/

[@theDMsCraft]

A great alternative are paper minis

[@SunWoodMC]

Do you think warhammer classic miniatures are good in D&D settings too ? Not only for existing monsters but also for self made ones.

[@dlear85]

i have read through the icespire peak rules and book and looking to start a game for family but i think they will be more interested with minis, the problem is finding JUST the minis for all the monsters in this one adventure wil cost me a small fortune! dont know what to do

[@theDMsCraft]

Yes, it will. One option is to print pictures about the size of the creatures. glue them to some card and use a coin for a weighted base. That is a good option...check out paper minis. This video is quite old and there are many more options but a good outlay of money would still be required. Another option would be to pick up online only what you need for each game. That would spread the cost out quite a bit.

[@dlear85]

@@theDMsCraft is it ok to just change out monsters. For example one starter mission calls for 20 gnomes, but i cant find any affordable gnome minis, so could yoy just change them to human bandits. And again use skeletons instead of more expensive slime minis. Im ok to spend some money as i do enjoy painting. But some of the more unique figures are very expensive

[@theDMsCraft]

Glad it helped.

[@BannisterNicholas]

I find it curious that no-one has mentioned board games? For the same price for 50 minis from the video mentioned above, you can get 2-3 decent board games with 250-500 minis. Massive Darkness, Mythic Battles, Conan, would have gotten you all the classic monsters, heroes, and alot of extras, throw in Terrain Crates and Dungeon Tiles and you've got enough to last you years.

[@theDMsCraft]

I need to update this vid...board game minis have come a long way.

[@BannisterNicholas]

Do'h, I just noticed the date.

[@tamaruavanresseghem8227]

Tell me more .....

[@wyckedwyrm5656]

Do you know if you can use D&D wrath of ashardalon, castle ravenloft, and legend of drizzt miniatures for the D&D roll playing game

[@theDMsCraft]

Sure can, they are reprints of old D&D figs.

[@terrainaholic]

Whats the set time on goop?

[@rickabay]

Yep LOR miniatures still in production ++++ The hobit ones toooo ; )

[@wildandwackywade]

what was the company that made the purple based mini again? Wonderful other then that question.

[@Smiles4Kids]

I started using Hereoclix models for my first D&D experience

[@theDMsCraft]

Very cool!

[@P3T3R2001]

Hello DMScotty. I started playing Pathfinder with your tiles, and stuff. I wanted to know if I can use Warhammer Longbeards for Pathfinder? Are they the same size? Thanks

[@theDMsCraft]

I mix and match minis all the time. you sure can =)

[@P3T3R2001]

theDMsCraft Thank you :D

[@MadLadDesigns]

Be great to see how you paint your minis.

[@zelbarnap]

MadLadDesigns projectalpha painters guild

[@DontSayHastur]

Paizo sells all of their minis as singles on their website.

[@Chrisbo123]

The World of Warcraft Board game comes with a ton of Minis (unpainted though) and is really cheap

[@TheMonyarm]

I got started by buying an old D&D board game for 25$, it came with 40 miniatures, i then later found this doctor who board game that came with 6 dalecs and 1 tardis

[@theDMsCraft]

Nice

[@Gamefreak2x9]

Great advice!

[@geekchris105]

any recommendations on how to paint minis from scratch? im ok at touch-ups, buu

[@theDMsCraft]

Very true

[@evileraxis2625]

Brilliant sky has them in stock year round

[@treytolbert3310]

how hard is it to paint the mini's that already come in the board games like LODrizzt, CORavencroft ect..., they usually come with tons of figures, do acrylics work well?

[@treytolbert3310]

never mind, right after I asked that...you covered that in the video, guess I should have watched all the way through.

[@treytolbert3310]

do you think E6000 will work to glue the base? its similar to goop

[@SyntaxAI]

Do you have to use minatures for just d&d or can you use them for your own game

[@theDMsCraft]

Any game you want.