Stop Ben if you’ve heard these kinds annoying lines in one of your 4E games. “Who is weakened? Did we bloody that chump yet? I forgot he was marked.” All those new 4E conditions are nifty but they do require some tricky tracking.

Being keenly aware of those conditions and strategically playing to them correctly can sometimes mean the difference in a battle. Thankfully, the crew over at Dragon Fire Laser Craft has gone all crafty on us. They’ve made 32 colored tiles that show the different conditions from 4th Edition D&D.

The squares are just under an inch on each side so they fit easily on 1″ gridded maps. Ben’s a fan and incorporated them into many a game but would like to see them a little more on the heavy side and with distinct color-coded edges. Still, these tiles make a tough job easier for any DM.

Be sure to check out their other tile sets: Bloodied, Death Save Tokens, and Action Points…just to name a few.

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Prior to the first D&D Miniatures Harbinger set back in November 2003, a role player’s only true option was to go the metal figure route (where Reaper sat at the head of the table). With the Wizards of the Coast’s pre-painted miniatures line taking some unexplainable twist and turns, hand painted metal miniatures are making a bit of a comeback.

Metal miniatures take painstaking amounts of patience and care to paint properly. They’re also trickier to store and transport. And accidental chips are always a heartbreaker.

Still, a really well done hand painted mini is a one of kind and adds a bit of nostalgia to one’s collection. The key is to know where and when to look. Lots of artisans are trading their original precious pieces for new games or quick cash.

In this multi-part installment, we take a gander at a human fighter, an orc commander, an elf fighter, and a pair of angry eaters.

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Another Dungeons and Dragons character supplement hits the streets but this time the warlock and wizard get some much-needed magical power boosting love (along with the 4E entries of the bard, sorcerer and swordmage).

Ben’s group had one character utilize this new book and that honor went to the wizard. Bookman chose the Pinioning Vortex encounter power but there was some initial remorse on this choice.

After trying it for the first time in an actual game session, this power seemed kinda lame. However, a quick post to the 4E Rules Q&A forum revealed that this power works quite well in tight hallways. The power allows you to toss a blocking baddy out of the way so that you can rush the enemy’s back line. So, it is actually very cool but how about noting that nugget in the power’s description?

Decent book but Ben wonders how many of these classes you will play outside the lovable wizard.

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This Dungeons and Dragons supplement presents an avalanche of new powers, feats, paragon paths and epic destinies designed for the fighter, rogue, and warlord classes. Since leveling up is still a major rush, getting more killing and dodging tactics to choose from is off-the-hook satisfying.

Ben’s group selected some nice new encounter powers for level three. Magnum, the rogue, selected Nasty Backswing (get another swing with sneak attack damage on your own miss). Red Dawn, the warlord, chose Bloody Ending (dish out heavy damage to a bloodied foe). And Crag McBeard, the fighter, picked Parry and Riposte (take an immediate swing on an enemy’s missed attack).

Ben wishes the actual power cards accessory to complement the hardcover book was available at the book’s release. Also, each power description would get a nice little boost if it added a tactical suggestion to its description.

Still, it’s good reading and gives the hero in each one of us some welcomed options.

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