It’s rather easy to get a little accessory burnout when you’re in a long-standing game group. You know the drill. The DM drops down the same old bridge piece, stone alter or outdoor terrain and some here-we-go-again-kind-of-tude exudes from the group.

Ben is constantly scouring the earth for new spins on classic accessories. And a great place to start is with your hit location dice. Of course, we all dig the traditional hit in the…left arm, right leg, etc but sometimes we need some extra pizzazz.

Enter Gamestation.net and their rag tag crew of innovators (most notably, JW). Ben contacted several companies off his “custom dice” Google search results and these guys were the clear choice. Gamestation.net provided amazing customer service and a speedy fulfillment turnaround time.

Ben surprised his group with a 25 mm custom hit die that included unique body locations like Coin Purse, Pride and Niblets. Since Ben had to order three dice to cover the minimum charge, so he did one in Black, red and dark blue lettering.

The minimum order is $40 plus shipping so it’s about $48 when it’s all said and done. That may be a little out of your budget but can you ever really put a price on fun?

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Initial quests are handed out as the group begins its journey to the Labyrinth. Pull up a chair and say hello to new module characters including Vickers and Brugg the Enforcer.

Stand down! We got ogres ahead! Ah yes – another sensational find from the Gamers’ Inn miniatures case. These babies didn’t even make it onto the shop floor. Ben caught them counter-side (sometimes one needs to be all specials-ops and shit).

Games Workshop actually makes a whole slew of ogres as part of their Kingdoms line. And while Ben is mesmerized by their amazing detail, he came to terms with his own personal miniature painting skills many moons ago. Walls and such are no problem but faces and body parts require too steady a hand. The easier move is to simply to find ‘em and buy ‘em all gussied up.

You have to truly love the details of this find. Everything from the ground cover on the base to the fancy weaponry to the min goblin squad leader on the basket of the flag pole signifies the work of a master craftsman.

Ben used a few of these “guys” to assist Brugg in the initial party confrontation inside the Seven-Pillared Hall of Thunderspire Labyrinth. A final showdown seems likely.

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There’s just no fancy or right way to describe this week’s entry. They’re perturbed skeletons and well, they’re really big. Ben doesn’t have a manufacturer, official, product name, or even a link.

This type of back-alley acquisition happens from time to time though. Whether you spot a prized addition in your local game store’s trade-in case, get a b-day gift from a fellow gamer (thanks Presto), or uncover the item at a distant garage sale, your item still deserves its props.

Ben used these guys as animated statues in the Chamber of Statues room (Area 16, pg. 72) of the Keep on the Shadowfell module. It worked really well and received some well-deserved “oh’s and ah’s” from the game group.

Ben’s particularly partial to the archer and his actual stringed bow in terms of looks but thinks the dude with the ax would deliver the biggest blow.

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How good are Hirst Arts rubber molds? They are so good that they made our inaugural post (a homage of sorts). Ben has cast the magic white powder countless times to build amazing modular dungeons…most notably for our 4E campaigns including Keep on the Shadowfell and now Thunderspire Labyrinth.

One mold that has gotten particular creative attention is the Cavern Accessory Mold #85. It’s got boxes, buckets, barrels, bridges, crates, chests, campfires, coin stacks, crystal balls, caldrons, grain sacks, jewels, flames, levers, lion’s head, pedestals, and stone doors. Too much? Nah – where would your rooms be without the finer details?

Even better, with so many painting combinations, touch-up (such as weathering and blood spattering) and assembly options, it really feels like the mold that keeps on giving and giving and giving.

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