Hey,

this thread is meant to be some sort of petition for FFG to release Miniatures for Familiars.

Now that FFG decided to release Lieutenants and Monster Collections, I think it is not too absurd, if they also released miniatures for familiars, like the Rocks for the Geomancer, the Skeleton for the Necromancer, the Wolf, etc.

These Miniatures could easily be released in either one of the above mentioned expansions or as a collective box, including several of them.

The only problem I see, is that FFG wants every expansion to only require the base set. But not every familiar came with the base set. I have no spontaneous solution to this issue. But I would like to have such miniatures anyway

Tokens are stupid in a miniatures game, and I don't like my faithful wolf companion to be represented by a token ^^

I, too, think token is absurd in a miniature game.

But, some familiars are not meant to have mini (Skye, Pico, Brightblaze, the shadow soul, image tokens, and some more)

So, in fact, only 2 familiars need a miniature (and I do think the mini SHOULD have been in the box with it, but it's another story), and theses are Wolf and Reanimate. Geomancer token's are particuliar since they only blocks MVT and LOS and are not really treated as minis.

BUT, the base game as also tokens for "civilans" that could be multiple things. And since it's not always clear if thoses are treated as minis, obstacle, or not, a pack with some minis and clarification of rules, and with minis for familiars, can be a good idea, since it would be compatible with the base game (the wolf and the geomancer's stone would be of no use for the ones who don't have it, but it could also push people to buy thoses expansions if not)

In the other hand, wolf and reanimate could be sold as separated box at 5-7$ each and I'm almost sure it would sell really good !

But I doubt this would ever happen, and if it does in "familiar box" it would be when the game would be sure to have no expansion so a box of around 5 minis of familiars would be of some use and logic from FFG.

So, since that day, do as everybody : use mini from another game

I use a heroquest skeleton for the reanimate. Nothing for the wolf just yet, but I've used an actual rock for the geomancer stones lol. But yea I agree the problem with most familiars is what rugal hit on: Most of them can occupy the same space as a figure and are designed not to need a figure. I'll find a good wolf figure somewhere soon. Strangely enough though, in all my playthroughs with Descent, no one has EVER chosen beastmaster, hah!

This really strange, because beastmaster is really cool, and maybe played almost at each campaign.

But, for the case of reanimate, and wolf, they should have been as minis in their respective boxes (and I'm sure that 1 more mini in the base game wouldn't have been so difficult to add)

So, now, except so pricey boxes with solo minis in each for blinded fans as us, I don't see the point

I'm one of those people that really doesn't mind tokens- in fact aside from how cool the sculpts are (and how it would make "treated as a figure" rules seem arbitrary,) I wouldn't really mind if heroes only had tokens as well. Familiar-treated-as-a-figure figures would be cool, but certainly not on the top of my wishlist. Hero/ OL classes get that distinction for me. (Even if there are already potentially over 600 4 class teams of 1 archetype each, and over 100,000 if you don't limit yourself that way.)

Blasphemer !!! Tokens for hero ? What the point to play a "miniature game" with tokens ?

I'm one of the first to be chocked familiars-figures and lieutenant are not minis in the first place !

Those of you interested in replacements for familiars, etc., may want to read and follow this thread on BGG:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/959242/descent-replacing-tokens-challenge-pictures-update

The only problem I see, is that FFG wants every expansion to only require the base set. But not every familiar came with the base set. I have no spontaneous solution to this issue. But I would like to have such miniatures anyway

Most familiars are associated to a hero class, so one way around this would be to include the class cards in the pack with the familiar token. People who already own the expansion would just end up with extra cards for homebrew/replacements.

Or they could make an entirely new class that also happens to use that familiar (although that would cause trouble if people wanted to use both "wolf classes" at once.) They could release TWO familiar sculpts for each, along with a new class that uses it. That way people with both could use both and those who only have one class could choose which sculpt to use!

If that's not excessively expansionist enough for this game, I don't know what is. =P

I think the only familiars associated to a hero are the 3 from D1E (Skye, Pico and Brightblaze.) Have any of those 3 heroes been re-released in a rehash pack yet? I honestly haven't been paying attention to those. Assuming not, figs for those familiars could be included with the new hero sculpts that match.

Although, having said all this, I do agree that tokens make more sense for those familiars who are allowed to coexist in the same space as a figure. I also have no particular interest in buying such a thing even if it did get made.

(and I'm sure that 1 more mini in the base game wouldn't have been so difficult to add)

I see people say this kind of thing a lot (similar to statements about the Lieutenants not being in the games). While I admit I'm not privy to the details of how the game is made or how much things cost to make and add, I suspect it's probably more "difficult" than it may seem from the outside. Every card, every piece of cardboard, every miniature has a cost, big or small, and there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and I would guess that often that line is a very thin one in terms of having to pare down certain things.

(and I'm sure that 1 more mini in the base game wouldn't have been so difficult to add)

I see people say this kind of thing a lot (similar to statements about the Lieutenants not being in the games). While I admit I'm not privy to the details of how the game is made or how much things cost to make and add, I suspect it's probably more "difficult" than it may seem from the outside. Every card, every piece of cardboard, every miniature has a cost, big or small, and there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and I would guess that often that line is a very thin one in terms of having to pare down certain things.

Or maybe FFG already had plans for the LT packs and decided they would make more money by selling them seperately

I'm sure that lieutenant were made at start to be sold separatedly.

But for familiars, I would have paid the box some dollars more for the familiars as a figure.

Blasphemer !!! Tokens for hero ? What the point to play a "miniature game" with tokens ?

I'm one of the first to be chocked familiars-figures and lieutenant are not minis in the first place !

Sure, but I wonder how much of this sentiment is because some things are minis and others are not. Would descent be that awful if it were all tokens- monsters, heroes, LT's, familiars, all of it? I'm not denying the sculpts are really cool- I'm just saying it wouldn't ruin the game for me if it were otherwise, and as such I don't mind not having figures for some things. (For example, I'm not really planning to collect the LT packs- since most or all of the plot decks would go unused, I'm basically just paying $8-$15 per mini.)

(and I'm sure that 1 more mini in the base game wouldn't have been so difficult to add)

I see people say this kind of thing a lot (similar to statements about the Lieutenants not being in the games). While I admit I'm not privy to the details of how the game is made or how much things cost to make and add, I suspect it's probably more "difficult" than it may seem from the outside. Every card, every piece of cardboard, every miniature has a cost, big or small, and there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and I would guess that often that line is a very thin one in terms of having to pare down certain things.

Or maybe FFG already had plans for the LT packs and decided they would make more money by selling them seperately

That's entirely possible and likely, but that doesn't discount the idea that including them in the main game would have made it cost more. I think part of the reason it took so long for the Lieutenants to be released after the main game itself was because they had to find a way to make them "add" something to the game (which they did by adding some extra gameplay mechanics in the form of the plot decks), rather than just having them be a plain-old miniature and nothing else.

But for familiars, I would have paid the box some dollars more for the familiars as a figure.

I'm sure many would, but there were probably many factors in the decision of whether to include them or not that we just won't be privy to.

I use a heroquest skeleton for the reanimate. Nothing for the wolf just yet, but I've used an actual rock for the geomancer stones lol. But yea I agree the problem with most familiars is what rugal hit on: Most of them can occupy the same space as a figure and are designed not to need a figure. I'll find a good wolf figure somewhere soon. Strangely enough though, in all my playthroughs with Descent, no one has EVER chosen beastmaster, hah!

Boo yeah! This is what I do too. For the Wolf figure, try Castle Ravenloft by the DnD guys.

(Also, isn't it high time FF secured the rights to actual HeroQuest and reprinted that sh*t)?

Sure, but I wonder how much of this sentiment is because some things are minis and others are not. Would descent be that awful if it were all tokens- monsters, heroes, LT's, familiars, all of it?

If you're asking me : YES, it would !

As I always says : "no miniature, no game". I own no game without miniature, even if they are sometimes totaly unusefull (like guilds of cadwallon, or cave troll), but they are undoubtedly needed to me to be able to play, as stupids as it could, but I assume it totaly !

Depending on how a familiar pack is implemented I would surely consider a purchase.

Depending on how a familiar pack is implemented I would surely consider a purchase.

what do you expect ?

I would definitely like familiar miniatures. Miniatures for all the things!

I'd love to see maybe a box set that contains all the familiars and NPCs in mini form.

They could release them as "lieutenant" packs, the caveat for summoning into a quest for the OL them is they cannot be used in a game that uses their respective class.

They could release them as "lieutenant" packs, the caveat for summoning into a quest for the OL them is they cannot be used in a game that uses their respective class.

strange, but cool idea, and could be fun

I would definitely pay money for a collection of miniatures of the class familiars.

They could release them as "lieutenant" packs, the caveat for summoning into a quest for the OL them is they cannot be used in a game that uses their respective class.

strange, but cool idea, and could be fun

The more I think of it, the more I that a wolf as a "pet" or a dark familiars like ravens could be really fun to play.