D&D Miniatures Starter Set now here in Manila!

Okay, so I found out when I went to Galleria last week that a Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Starter Set has finally arrived at Neutral Grounds. I admit, I let out a high-pitched squeal of geek joy upon knowing that I finally have a chance to get the new rules of the D&D Miniatures game.

So, I caved in and went to Trinoma this morning and got myself a starter. Speaking of caving in, I also bought a booster of Dungeons of Dread, cursing myself and my shit weak will.

It’s weird that I got all of these just now, considering that Dungeons of Dread and its accompanying Starter Set came out months ago (the first week of April to be exact). I don’t know the story, nor do I care, for I am now in possession of the latest Starter Set for this amazing game.

The packaging is actually pretty good. So good that I was seriously considering not opening it at all! All the figures can be seen clearly in the huge plastic bubble in front. And check out that awesome d20 in the middle! And it’s in my absolute favorite color! It’s fate, I tell you!

Not only that, I also got a free carrying case with my Starter purchase! It’s even got a slammin’ D&D logo up front!

Now that’s cool.

Anyway, inside the starter was all the stuff I need to begin playing: A rulebook, damage counters, character cards and two double-sided maps (the old starters only had map tiles that were confusing as hell to lay out, so this was a welcome change). The figs were in good shape, and have awesome sculpts (my Heroclix figs are pretty jealous right about now…maybe that’s why I’m losing games so much?). The Young Green Dragon in particular is amazing, with his chest scales painted one by one!

The new rules that govern the D&D Miniatures began with this Starter, so it was important that I got this version. But what that also means is that all the rules that the old figs used, along with the stats and powers in their character cards, are now obsolete. Funny isn’t it? Thankfully Wizards got around that by making updated character cards that now use the new rules for old sets, and offering them as free downloads on their website.

They’re working their way backwards from this latest set, and right now have completed updated character cards up to Unhallowed. After downloading the new cards, you can print them out and proxy them for real cards during tournaments. A minor inconvenience, but I’m willing to spend some printing moolah just to have my Shadowbane Inquisitor and Greater Barghest go toe-to-toe with the new figs!

Now, since I got a starter with the new rules, I figured why not get a booster of a latest set to see how it goes?

Nah, that wasn’t how it went. It was a battle of wills, with Will finally kicking the shit out of me and taking my money to buy a booster of Dungeons of Dread.

It wasn’t that bad (yes, that’s me rationalizing my purchase). Notable pulls include a Gnoll Marauder, a gargoyle, a Shade Knight, and my rare…a giant Ettin Jack-of-Irons. An ugly two-headed giant wasn’t my idea of a good rare, but hey, I’ll take any rare any day.

Oh, and did I mention the latest set, Against the Giants, is already here too? You are assured one Huge fig with every purchase, but it costs as much as a Starter.

The Starter cost P1, 100, which is surprising considering that a usual Heroclix starter set costs P1, 500 and up, and you get a chance to get fugly sculpts and what not. But I guess its okay since the D & D sculpts are smaller and have no dials or loose/separate elements to worry about mismatching. The Dungeons of Dread booster stays at the usual P750, so I guess for all the loot I got, including the sweet carrying case, it was worth it.

Now to find another player willing to play with me…