Yippee!!!

November: Blood War Booster Packs

The eternal war between demons and devils spans across the multiverse, touching countless planes of existences, and now it invades booster packs for the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures game. In addition to a number of fiendish outsiders, and other extraplanar creatures, you'll also find a healthy number of home-grown heroes and monsters that call the Material Plane home. Back in August, I showed you the Ice Devil, Marilith, and Kobold Monk. Last month, you saw the Fire Giant Forgepriest and the Blood of Vol Cultist. This month, I have two more minis (out of the set's 60) to show off -- one from the expansive world of Eberron (though the mini could be made to feel at home elsewhere easily) and another from the rooftops and decorative niches of every campaign world.

Valenar Nomad Charger -- Getting from place to place in Eberron can be an adventure in and of itself. And, few minis capture that action-packed element of play quite like this Large, Rare mounted mini. The Valenar Nomad Charger thunders across open plains and treacherous battlefields astride a stout, white and chocolate brown paint horse. The steed is equipped with a decoratively functional bridle, blanket, and saddle, and its tail and mane are bound up, out of the way. The noble simplicity of the mount is complemented by the rider's bright armor and clothing -- billowing red shirt, pants, and headcloth, overlaid with an assortment of golden mail, breastplate, and helmet. Leaning slightly forward in the saddle, for speed and in anticipation of an imminent clash, the rider seems to be clutching the reins of his horse tightly, as if restraining the mount from breaking into an all-out gallop, yet. Held comfortably in his right hand is one of the most iconic Valenar weapons -- an elegant, but deadly, double scimitar. He's holding his weapon with arm extended far behind him, prepared to make a powerful slashing attack.

Earth Element Gargoyle -- Destined to cause nervousness and paranoia amongst players until revealed to be merely decorative in use, the Earth Element Gargoyle rests comfortably atop a greenish pedestal -- in wait. This Uncommon mini seems to be a depiction of the gargoyle illustrated on page 113 of your Monster Manual, just before it springs into action. Dark red pinpoints of lights in its deep eyesockets are all that warn of a forthcoming ambush, as the rest of the mottled gray stone creature seems to be nothing more than a grotesque piece of statuary. (That's what I like best about the mini -- its ability to serve as a monster as well as dungeon dressing.) Squatting upon its perch, its clawed toes and right hand grip the ledge while its pointed tail curls tightly around the base. Extended, but not fully unfurled, the Earth Element Gargoyle's heavy-looking wings create a menacing backdrop for the "sculpture" while enabling the creature to drop quickly into a swooping attack with minimal effort.

If you check out Steve Schubert's Minis Previews articles over on theD&D Minis page and pick up Dragon magazine every month, you'll get all sorts of other D&D minis