We have received a tremendous amount of feedback from fans regarding the D&D Miniatures line, and have made some exciting changes for 2009. Here's what's coming to a shelf near you!
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures - Player’s Handbook Heroes
More than anything else, D&D players have been asking us for more PC (player character) minis. The D&D Heroes line features high-quality miniatures representing iconic player character races and classes described in the Player's Handbook and Player's Handbook 2 core rulebooks. Now players will be able to find the miniature that best represents their PC, and Dungeon Masters can use these figures to represent non-player characters in their adventures.
Launching in Spring 2009, the first D&D Heroes series features six different packs (18 figures total):
Martial Heroes 1
Martial Heroes 2
Arcane Heroes 1
Arcane Heroes 2
Divine Heroes 1
Primal Heroes 1
Each package contains three PC minis: two males and one female, and three unique power cards featuring brand-new class powers. All three of the figures in the package will be visible so you'll know exactly which pack to pick for your game.
The D&D Heroes will be refreshed regularly in order to continue to deliver new PC options to players. There are two series scheduled for 2009 and three scheduled for 2010. MSRP $10.99 USD
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures - Monster Manual
Also new to the 2009 lineup are Monster Manual themed releases. These sets are designed to be what every Dungeon Master (or D&D enthusiast) needs to create riveting adventures and exciting encounters at all levels of play.
Releasing in Spring 2009, the first D&D Monsters set is called Monster Manual: Dangerous Delves. This will be a 40-miniature set containing both medium- and large-sized figures. Each semi-randomized “booster” box contains five minis: one visible figure, one rare figure, one uncommon figure and two common figures, as well as full-color D&D Dungeon Delve stat cards for each miniature. MSRP $14.99 USD
Upon the release of D&D Monsters and D&D Heroes, we will no longer package the D&D Miniatures line in its current configuration (fully randomized booster packs and huge packs). This means that November’s set - D&D Miniatures: Demonweb - will be the final release sold in fully randomized booster packs.
What does this mean for the skirmish game?
Wizards of the Coast has chosen to concentrate its D&D miniatures-creation efforts on an accessory line optimized for D&D roleplaying game use. November’s release of Demonweb will be the last new set that includes skirmish statistics. We will continue to update all miniatures stats from previous sets to the current D&D Miniatures ruleset as promised, with the conclusion of that process scheduled for mid-2009.
In addition, official sanctioning of D&D Miniatures skirmish events will cease right after D&D Experience in February. We hope to see skirmish play continue at the grassroots level, using the hundreds of miniatures produced for the game over the past six years and encouraged by the passionate fan sites that exist for the D&D Miniatures skirmish game.
The skirmish game has many dedicated fans, and we appreciate the years of enthusiastic support that these players have shown to the line. Unfortunately, despite this enthusiasm, the number of skirmish players has been dropping steadily over the past couple of years. We had hoped that improvements implemented during 2007 and 2008 would change that trend, but they have not accomplished enough toward that end. At this point, we can no longer justify the design, development, and production resources required to support the skirmish game.