D&D publishes its third and final miniatures set of 2009 in the new box format – Monster Manual: Savage Encounters.

Ben digs this Monster Manual theme as it reaps an absolute bountiful harvest of miniature goodness. Each booster mini count is still the same as its 2009 predecessors (5 per pack, 1 visible, 8 different packs in all).

So here’s our Savage top five: Sorrowsworn Reaper (put the “bad” in “bad ass”), Tiefling Necromancer (total package: great pose, paint job and detail), Zombie Hulk (green is in), Death Giant (an adventurer’s first instinct is to run away), and the Angel of Valor Legionnaire (perfect use of clear plastic).

And here’s our un-saveagely bottom five: Bloodspike Behemoth (dinosaurs are for dime stores), Bodak Skulk (looks like an alien sighting from the deep south), Githyanki Mindslicer (enough already on this lame race), Legion Devil Legionnaire (think a toy eraser from the school store), and the Skeletal Tiefling (a total leaner – too thin).

With no Players Handbook Heroes III set anywhere to be found (last released on July 2009) but rumored to be set for release in February 2010, it seems likely that a shuffle of the overall format might again occur in 2010. Still, it’s been a great year and let’s just hope miniatures stick around for another one.

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Every DM reaches a point in their game where they decide to throw up a terrain Hail Marry. For Ben, he wanted to seal the deal on his Thunderspire Chamber of Eyes dungeon with a memorable piece of terror.

The assembly components touched on all the building basics including:

▪ Dire Vampire Wolf: D&D Miniatures Unhallowed.
▪ Rocks: Concrete Rubble Mix from GaleForce nine.
▪ Floor terrain & Accessories: Hirst Arts molds (#203 & #85)
▪ Chain: Michaels Craft Store
▪ Paints: Games Workshop series (Graveyard Earth, Silver, Blood Red, & Chaos Black)
▪ Flock: Grass and Dirt ground cover from Skullcrafts.

Ben’s finishing touches included body parts from the land of misfit minis (the bit box at Gamers’ Inn). He also grabbed an old toothbrush (and not his wife’s existing one) for the ominous blood spatter effect.

So now Torog’s Shrine has a focal terrain piece that is sure to make the party shat themselves. Pick a big battle in your own module and one up, Ben. If he can do it, so can you.

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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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