You know what's missing from most miniature representations of dungeon adventurers? Backpacks, sacks, and friggin' light sources. On a lark I combed through the Lost Minis Wiki to see what I could dig up in the way of minis that looked like they were properly equipped for dungeoneering. Below is every photo I found.
Adiken Miniatures, Nin-Gonost line,
AF-040, "Eric, Squire with Lantern"
Asgard Miniatures, Dungeon Adventurers
DA-33, "Human Magic-User"
Is that a coil of rope maybe? That would be cool.
As I recall a fair number of other Asgard figures came with backpacks and other equipment.
Grenadier and later EM-4 Miniatures, Fantasy Warriors Blister Packs
906, "Fighters and Companions"
Heritage/Game Figures Inc., Dungeon Dwellers Figure Sets
1215, "Henchmen"
They also appear in Heritage's Dungeon Dwellers box 3501 Adventuring Characters.
Grenadier, Small Boxed Set
2004, "Hirelings" (also Dragon Lords 2004, "Hireling Crew")
These guys are awesome. James Maliszewski talked about them here. Hireling H is pounding in an iron spike. Isn't that great? I have yet to see another guy like that. Several figures here also appear in the Grenadier large box 5001 Dungeon Explorers.
Dude with torch about to throw a flask! Sweet!
"Magsman w/ oil"
Unidentified figure with a great array of equipment.
How do you get the bard to stop playing his damn lute?
Make him hold the torch!
I don't know what all this guy is carrying,
but here sure has a lot of it!
but the little weird dude also has great pouches.
This duo are based upon the classic Elmore piece below.
Ral Partha, Larry Elmore Collector Series
Boxed Set 10-310 Silver and Steel
"Female Warrior with Sword & Torch"
Reaper
02572, "Overladen Henchman"
Reaper
02638, "Adventuring Accessories"
Add some useful equipment to other figures!
906, "Fighters and Companions"
1215, "Henchmen"
They also appear in Heritage's Dungeon Dwellers box 3501 Adventuring Characters.
2004, "Hirelings" (also Dragon Lords 2004, "Hireling Crew")
These guys are awesome. James Maliszewski talked about them here. Hireling H is pounding in an iron spike. Isn't that great? I have yet to see another guy like that. Several figures here also appear in the Grenadier large box 5001 Dungeon Explorers.
"Magsman w/ oil"
from Grenadier Small Boxed Set 2008, "Thieves"
I like the substantive backpack on this guy,
Ral Partha, Fantasy Adventurers
03-081 or 61-050 or FA06 (appeared in 3 different production runs)
"Thief with Longsword in Ambush"
"Thief with Longsword in Ambush"
Make him hold the torch!
Ral Partha, Fantasy Adventurers
61-006, "Bard with Sword/Lute"
Ral Partha, Fantasy Adventurers
FA37, "Questing Ranger with Torch and Sword "
Ral Partha, Fantasy Tribes Fighters
Boxed Set FTF300 Defenders of Law
FTF55, unnamed I don't know what all this guy is carrying,
but here sure has a lot of it!
Ral Partha, Larry Elmore Collector Series
02-802 "Journey to the Gathering"
The sacks these two are carrying aren't much,but the little weird dude also has great pouches.
This duo are based upon the classic Elmore piece below.
Boxed Set 10-310 Silver and Steel
"Female Warrior with Sword & Torch"
Ral Partha, Weird Fantasy line
WF-03 "The Complete Adventurer"
Probably the most realistic D&D mini ever made.
02572, "Overladen Henchman"
02638, "Adventuring Accessories"
Add some useful equipment to other figures!
There are a few more properly figures out there. The HackMaster mini line features a few hirelings carrying substantive gear. I think I've seen a Grenadier figure with a 10' pole at some point. I'm pretty sure the Iron Wind Metals store (who now sell a bunch of Ral Partha's old designs) carries at least one fighter with a torch not in the Lost Minis Wiki. The D&D type comic Nodwick got a figure line at one point and the Nodwick mini is hauling a bunch of stuff on his back. The Rafm Custom Character line is woefully under documented on the internet, but several figures in that line came with all sorts of great equipment. Back in the day my buddy Dave had one Custom Character that had a big ol' wineskin. We loved that. Many CC figs also came with backpacks. And I haven't really sifted through the complete Reaper line yet. I love Reaper's sculpts, but the fact that torch or lantern aren't even options in their awesome Figure Finder is not a good sign.
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Good finds. The accessories are perfect. You can sculpt this stuff yourself too, from materials like greenstuff. Here's a good tutorial for that particular material, but the techniques are general.
ReplyDeletehttp://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/2009/07/working-with-greenstuff-how-to.html
It's much easier and much more fun than it might look.
Very nifty designs, but none of these are available anymore, right? On a related note, "have you EVER seen any paper minis with these type of accessories?"
ReplyDeleteWarhammer plastic minis come with extra sprues of "stuff." I mix mine all up so I can't tell you where they are from, but I have backpacks, sacks, extra weapons, torches, lanterns and lanterns on poles, quivers (seriously, how many minis do you find with missile weapons but no missiles?), etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteI tend to trick out my "adventurer" minis with them.
Plus someone just mentioned the hirelings on my blog, and I'm in the middle of painting one of them right now.
A bunch of Citadels also have light sources.
ReplyDeleteAll female minis based on Larry Elmore work are carrying two large sacks.
ReplyDeleteHiyo!
Ahahahaaa! Wait-- you're serious? XD
ReplyDeleteAs for that Asguard wizard, he does in fact have a lovely coil of rope, along with a backpack, and if I remember, either a wineskin or a droopy sack too. I'm pretty sure all of the adventurers/PC figures in Asguard's line had backpacks and stuff.
My adventurers aren't too bad off, but I've got a lot more monsters than I do half-determined humans.
Great post,and something that I have been thinking about myself lately, since I have been converting a few figures (ok, lots of figures) for a New Years Eve game.
ReplyDeleteRed box games miniatures tend to be pretty heavily laden, which is a feature that I enjoy about them. Not many torches though. Maybe they hire torch bearers?
I was just about to mention Red Box Miniatures as well. Especially Fat Fergus, the Friar - he's got a lantern.
ReplyDeleteI remember one figure my dad had that was a dude with lots of equipment on his back, but it wasn't the "Complete Adventurer" because he had a rounder and shaven face. That little dude was hilarious. He even had a treasure chest up there near the top.
ReplyDeleteI just painted up a great female adventurer with a torch. The only problem is that I forgot where I purchased her. If any of your readers are miniature experts then please stop by my blog and help me ID this mini. It's driving me crazy typing in ever possible search term to find her online (which is how I found your blog btw... Glad I found it. I'll definitely be back).
ReplyDeletehttp://blackwarden.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-minis-and-help-me-id-this-miniature.html