Everything But The Kitchen Sink

  As John said in the comments...

I hope the plunderer on #331 has a companion to assist him when he falls on his back and can't get back on his feet. :)

In case you really, really want to play that guy, here's some minis made just for you!

 

 

OK, so everything plus the kitchen sink!

Grenadier 2013: Adventuring Party

  This set has two versions, each exactly the same.  The earlier version is from Grenadier's D&D line, while the later version (The Adventurers of the Golden Quest)  is labeled as part of their Dragon Lords series once T$R decided to manufacture their own line of miniatures and took away Grenadier's license.  The D&D version has the superior artwork, though in this case that's not saying much.  The fighter is using his two-handed sword to ... trim the bushes?  Inquiring minds want to know.

  The Dragon Lords box shows a close-up of the half-elf, who is having the worst hair day of his career.  Is the Golden Quest for some conditioner and magic hair spray?  If this is what happens when an elf and a human mates, then no wonder there are no quarter-elves running around.  An evolutionary dead end and fashion faux pas in one package.  The gods really are cruel.

  The inserts are about the same, but the Dragon Lords version comes with a nifty bonus, a product endorsement from one of the founders of D&D, Dave Arneson himself!

 I have many problems with the individual figures themselves. The dwarf looks too tall(and no visible beard!?),  the monk has his face covered like a ninja, the halfling looks more monk than the monk, and then there's Choff.  She is supposed to be a ranger, though her helmet looks like something she borrowed from the kitchen.  And she is flat chested, I mean FLAT chested.  If the insert didn't say so, who would know she's a woman?

  Now, Mr. Hedge Trimmer is done very nice, and the other figures are of Grenadier's usual nice quality, but I just don't picture this as  a set many people would get to use a lot.  Your money is probably better spent elsewhere, unless you have a thing for flat chested women, then this is right up your alley.  And remember, It's Dave Arneson approved!

2 Stars Overall

TSR 5501 Star Frontiers Player Characters

  This set from1983 is a decent starter set for a Star Frontiers campaign, but the title is a little misleading.  Called Player Characters, this set of twelve figures includes two Sathar, which are assuredly not PC's in the Star Frontiers game.  That doesn't mean that a creative GM couldn't have Sathar PC's, just that other figures would probably been more appropriate.

  You get two each of Yazirians, Vrusk, and Dralasites, one with, and one without spacesuits.  There are four humans, three males and one female, but the human in a spacesuit that is rocketing off the surface is just about useless.  Yes, it looks nice, but as a playing piece it's utility is limited.  It's nice to see the scale of the different races, (the Sathar are HUGE), especially the Vrusk.  

  The figures are average in their presentation, with no real standout among the lot.  Personally, I would have liked to have seen the Sathar and the rocket dude replace with more PC oriented figures, which would have pushed the utility of the set up a notch or two.  It's a great set if you can get it cheap.

Three of Five Overall

TSR 5603 Ogre And Cyclopskin Miniatures

  The mailman delivered this today, so I thought a little product review was in order.  You can still get these blister packs on eBay relatively cheap.  I wanted an ogre for an upcoming gaming session, so this was my choice.  The models are decent, with several nice touches.  The cyclopskin has some holes in his jerkin, a spike on the club (metal or bone), and a 70's mullet hairdo (just back from the disco?).  The ogre is nicely detailed as well, with a necklace featuring three skulls,  and metal shin guards (hurts when you run into them little halflings!).

  The ogre has a much better stance than the clyclopskin, who looks like he's posing for his high school yearbook photo (captain of the golf team, voted most likely to pillage).  The mold likes are fairly obvious in some spots, although that's a fairly common fault on miniatures.  I don't have a close FLGS (friendly local gaming shop), so it's nice to be able to find things like this on eBay  for $7.19 (FREE shipping!).  I'd say worth the price especially since you get both figures.

Four of Five Overall