More Pathfinder Pre-Painted Minis Coming from Wizkids

In the wake of the recent announcement of the Pathfinder Beginner Box: Heroes set of pre-painted miniatures for the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game, Wizkids and Paizo Publishing issued a press release today announcing they've got more miniatures in the works. Read on!

Paizo Publishing and WizKids Games announce Pathfinder Battles, a new ongoing prepainted miniatures brand to debut in December with Heroes & Monsters, a blind-packed, randomized set of 40 miniatures based on the smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Additional sets will follow throughout 2012 and beyond, including a 60-figure Rise of the Runelords set scheduled for June 2012. These sets join the already announced Pathfinder Beginner Box Heroes pack of four high-quality non-random prepainted plastic miniatures, due in October 2011.

“Response to our initial Pathfinder Beginner Box Heroes set has been overwhelming,” said Lax Chandra, President of WizKids Games, “A full line of Pathfinder Battles miniatures will enable us to provide gamers with a huge variety of figures based on the award-winning imagery of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.”

“WizKids continues to blow us away with their sculpts for the Beginner Box Heroes and Heroes & Monsters sets,” said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. “Every day we’ve been getting amazing images from the WizKids sculptors, and we cannot wait until these figures hit gaming tables all around the world.”

Pathfinder Battles prepainted fantasy miniatures will be available at Paizo.com and through WizKids distribution partners worldwide starting in December 2011.

Origins 2011: The Miniatures Hall

The Miniatures Hall at the 2011 Origins Game Fair was hopping with activity this year. I seem to recall the Hall being fairly vacant last year. This year looked much more full in general.


The quarter of a century old Battletech game of mechanized combat was well represented. Catalyst Game Labs is doing such a fantastic job with Battletech. I think their products are the strongest the line has seen since the original FASA days.


Speaking of giant mechs waging war, Heavy Gear games were also going on in the miniatures room. While manufacturer Dream Pod 9 was not present at Origins, the fans were carrying the banner for the game. This is a game that has picqued my curiosity every year at Gen Con. They just released new 2 player starter boxes. This might be the year I cave in and pick it up.


Wizkids had a presence at Origins this year. Unfortunately, they didn't have a booth (I was disappointed by this) but Heroclix was going strong. I love this game, and really need to play more often. It was great to see to see so many players enjoying the game at the con.



A game that has become a staple of the miniatures room over the past few years is Sailpower. Sailpower is produced by a small company, Sea Dog Game Studios based in Columbus, Ohio. They've been making 15mm resin ships as well as a ruleset and commanding the high seas on huge tables at the convention for awhile now and always draw a big crowd. They recently introduced a second game, TechCommander featuring giant mechs fighting for the domination of your tabletop.


Of course, the grandaddy of all minaiture wargames was also being played at Origins: Warhammer! Both Fantasy and 40K games were going on towards the back of the hall. Most of the games, if not all, were organized by 40Korigins.com, which is a group dedicated to running Warhammer and 40K games at Origins. Check out their site for more pictures from the games going on there.


That's it for today, folks. Come back tomorrow for an interview with Steve Cole of Amarillo Design Bureau, makers of Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander and more!

Never Say Never

I don't think you can be a gamer, and not be at least tangentially aware of Warhammer. The venerable miniatures game from Games Workshop is something of a lightning rod in the gaming community. It seems like one of those games you either love it, or you hate it. And, sometimes, those feelings have little to do with the game itself and more to do with your feelings about the company behind the game.

I remember seeing Warhammer products on the shelves of D&J Hobbies in Campbell, California back in the 80s (the game debuted in 1983) and loving the over the top artwork adorning the packaging and books. It was a stark contrast to the other fantasy game artwork at the time, especially what was coming out of TSR, makers of Dungeons & Dragons. But, I never bought it, or played it.

Even in the last few years when I had my store, I had zero interest in the game, nor it's futuristic sibling, Warhammer 40K. My indifference was mostly due to my disinterest in modeling and painting, which are a huge part of the Warhammer hobby. I thought the models were cool. I picked up the odd issue of White Dwarf magazine here or there. But, that's about as far as it went.

That is, until word of the Warhammer Fantasy Battles 8th Edition rules came out. Suddenly, the game had piqued my interest. Of course, it helps tremendously that my buddy Dan, with whom I play AT-43, also plays Warhammer fantasy..thereby overcoming the massive hurdle of finding someone with whom to play!

Then, that massive, gorgeous tome came out. Locally, The Guardtower had a fantastic deal on the rulebook that I just couldn't pass up! As I began to read the book, my enthusiasm for the world of Warhammer began to grow, and I began thinking about which army I would begin to (slowly) put together.

I settled on the Wood Elves. I figured that was a suitable army for a rural gamer!

So, first the first time in years I am looking forward to breaking out the paint and glue and brushes and building me some miniatures. It'll likely be a slow process, as I don't have a lot of time and/or money to spare on an army right now.

So, here I am excited about a game I swore that I'd never play. Just goes to show you: never say never.