Pathfinder Battles Preview: The Golems' Got It!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Earlier this week WizKids brought by the case incentive miniature for the upcoming Shattered Star set of prepainted Pathfinder Battles miniatures. In the previous set, Rise of the Runelords, the incentive miniature was the enormous Rune Giant, which lorded over the rest of the set and looked absolutely amazing doing it.

I can't say what the case incentive figure will be for Shattered Star yet (because I want to show you a painted sculpture for extra jaw-droppage, and we're not quite there yet), but when we got a look at it, our excitement for this set exploded to the next level, which is something I didn't even think possible (we like the Shattered Star set an awful lot).

So I can't show off that incredible miniature just yet. But I do have a couple of other incredible figures this week to make up for it!

Up first this week is the Iron Golem. This Large figure is based on a great illustration by Tyler Walpole that I think captures a classic look for this iconic dungeon monster. The paint job on this guy is relatively simple, but WizKids has made subtle choices that make the simplicity work for it. The color of the creature's “iron” skin has a sheen to it that really sells the metal effect, similar to the way the Karzoug Statue in Rise of the Runelords really looked like it could have been made of stone. Even better, the Iron Golem's eyes and mouth are painted in a sort of pearlescent orange, giving the effect of smoldering fire within the sockets. WizKids brought by a production sample of this figure at this week's meeting, and everyone commented on how much they liked it. I think you'll like it too.

The Alchemical Golem from Bestiary 2 is one of my favorite golems in the game, so it's fitting that the Alchemical Golem from the Shattered Star set is one of my favorite prepainted plastic miniatures in any set. This Large miniature is SERIOUSLY cool.

I count FIVE different colors of clear plastic on this figure, from the green goo that fuels its body to the varicolored potions in its syringe fingers. Best of all (and not really visible in this preview photo, alas), the clear dome of the Alchemical Golem's head actually contains a little brain! Gross!

Expect preorder pages for the Shattered Star set to appear very shortly here on paizo.com, and it's not too early to ask your local retailer to make sure they order enough copies of this set from their distributor.

It's going to be a great one!

More next week.

Erik Mona
Publisher

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Miniatures Pathfinder Adventure Path Pathfinder Battles Shattered Star
Dark Archive

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

mmmm.... Purdy!


Excellent work on both sculpts.

Shadow Lodge

If each syringe/potion thing is one then I count 6... You forgot the clear dome methinks? :)

Grand Lodge

I'm barely recovering from the awesomeness that is the rune giant (though i painted his pants an off white and was a bit happier with it) and you've already got me drooling over the next incentive mini and i don't even know what it is yet! Very excited for this set. Between this coming out in January and my 250+ minis from Reaper's kickstarter coming in march I'm going to have a mini for almost any occasion! My players shall fear the collection of monsters I've accrued!

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

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I have been immortalized in plastic!

Well, as if being a brain in a jar didn't make me immortal enough already.


The Iron Golem is a good looking sculpt. I've already got more Iron Golems than I'm ever likely to use, but I certainly won't mind adding it to my collection.

I always thought that the Alchemical Golem in Bestiary II was a little bit goofy looking, but I have to admit that that mini looks great, and I am excited that I'll have the chance to use it. It may be the lack of little floating eyeballs that makes the difference for me.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

alchemical golem ftw!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Does this set have a release date (as apx as month) yet?

Hopefully not Jafebruary because those releases are prone to weather issues.

Dark Archive

How many figures are in this set?

Paizo Employee

That alchemical golem is over-the-top amazing. Wow. Great work.

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

Release date is January 2013. 55 minis in the set (including the Gargantuan case incentive). No Huges this time around. Standard Booster contains 4 figures, one Large and three Mediums or Smalls.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Erik Mona wrote:
Release date is January 2013. 55 minis in the set (including the Gargantuan case incentive). No Huges this time around. Standard Booster contains 4 figures, one Large and three Mediums or Smalls.

Whenever I see a release date a few months away, I always imagine being able to give modified Star Trek deadlines.....

Picard: Picard to La Forge, bring that warp core online immediately!

La Forge: Captain, it'll take at least 3 weeks to recalibrate the trilithium crystals!

Picard: You have 7 hours, Geordie. Notify me when you're done. Picard out.


Wooooow! Alchemical Golem?? Awesome!

Sovereign Court

Those golems look awfully good. Excellent additions to a GM's arsenal!

Contributor

So here's a question, Erik. Are all of the sets going to be Adventure Path themed from here on out? If so, will they always be new Adventure Paths? (Someone would have to hold me down to stop me from throwing my money at you for a Carrion Crown set!)

Grand Lodge

SERIOUSLY!!! :)

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

Many of the sets will be inspired by Adventure Paths, certainly.

But not all of them. We have two sets beyond this one currently in the planning stages. One supports an AP, while the other is much more general. I'm not currently certain which one will happen next.

Given the enormous pain in the rear that organizing a set to release concurrent (or close enough) to the "current" AP, I think it's probably a safe bet that we will do sets themed around older APs in the future at least as often as we do sets that tie into the current AP.

Maybe even more often.

Shadow Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder PF Special Edition Subscriber
Erik Mona wrote:

I think it's probably a safe bet that we will do sets themed around older APs in the future at least as often as we do sets that tie into the current AP.

Maybe even more often.

Awesome news. I know I'd welcome a carrion crown and legacy of fire mini set

:
Garg Xontani the Firebleeded! or a Jabberwock!

These two are amazing minis. LIke a poster above I have many Iron golems already, it was one of my favourite DDM minis, but this one will gladly be added to the fold, it looks fantastic - could use a few rust spots along seams though, so I may need to add them.
As for the alchemical golem - I have wanted a mini since I saw the art in Bestiary 2. This mini alone simple skyrockets the production quality - 6 clear plastics - my god.
This is shaping up to be a dream set - do you have a small parasite in my brain sucking up my dreams? Mite, gug, derro, alchemical golem. Now I just need my deep ones (skum), migo, dark young, mite on spider, hound of tindalos, Froghemoth, Oni, More ogres of a smaller size, athtach, catoblepus...Oh the list seems endless?

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

1 person marked this as a favorite.

At least a couple of those are yet to come in future Shattered Star previews...


My vote (it's going to be determined via popularity, right?):

Legacy of Fire with a Xotani incentive.

Lots of hard-to-substitute minis there. I'd love to see some Pathfinder gnolls (and pugwampis - it goes without saying!)


The Iron Golem looks GREAT!!!


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Erik Mona wrote:

Many of the sets will be inspired by Adventure Paths, certainly.

But not all of them. We have two sets beyond this one currently in the planning stages. One supports an AP, while the other is much more general. I'm not currently certain which one will happen next.

Given the enormous pain in the rear that organizing a set to release concurrent (or close enough) to the "current" AP, I think it's probably a safe bet that we will do sets themed around older APs in the future at least as often as we do sets that tie into the current AP.

Maybe even more often.

Excellent news! I would love to see sets for Carrion Crown or Curse of the Crimson Throne. I just wish we could know farther in advance what was coming, so I could schedule my next APs better. If I had known the incredible amount of RotRL support material that would come out this year, I wouldn't have started the AP two years ago (luckily real life conspired against/for me and we're just about to start book 4).

I know it's been said that the RotRL Anniversary edition was a one time type of thing, but an update/PF conversion alongside a mini set would be pretty cool for any of the other pre-PF APs.

On a related topic, there was some mention (at GenCon?) of a huge White Dragon mini that got cut from the RotRL set but might someday show up in an encounter pack. Are there actually any solid plans for this, or is it a "someday" thing? I would sure love to have that figure before I make it to that point in the AP.

I also just want to let you know that these AP specific minis (along with the pawns) have finally, after long years, convinced me to start collecting/using minis. I love having such a large portion of the appropriate figures assembled in one easy set. I'm not even sure if I'll be running Shattered Star or not (I want to, but my players get a say too), but I'll be pre-ordering this set the moment it's posted.

PS: Make me an Aboleth mini and I will love you forever.

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

1) White Dragon is coming, though plans have not fully solidified, so I can't promise it will be out in time for your game. It's sweet though, I've got to say.

2) Glad to hear you're enjoying the minis! I started using them religiously near the tail end of second edition AD&D, and haven't really looked back since.

3) I do so love to be loved.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Erik Mona wrote:

1) White Dragon is coming, though plans have not fully solidified, so I can't promise it will be out in time for your game. It's sweet though, I've got to say.

At the rate we play, and with Kingmaker and Carrion Crown taking up part of our time, there's plenty of time till we reach that point. So I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

Scarab Sages

Aww, so no Reign of Winter minis? I could already picture the Huge or Gargantuan "Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut" mini and the accompanying Map Pack depicting the interiors.

Dark Archive Contributor

I love that alchemical golem and look forward to more science-fantasy piece in the future.

As a player, I'd love to see sets that include some miniatures particular to past adventure paths mingled with new figures. It wouldn't have the same oomph as an AP-centric set, I realize, but over time it could supply us with the most needed figures from past APs while supporting new ones, modules, and other facets of the setting.


The Iron Golem is very nice! The Alchemical Golem looks amazing!! The detail on the the syringes and body is incredible. When is this out?! I need some of those Alchemical Golems for another AP that they're in... Awesome as always guys!


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Erik Mona wrote:

Many of the sets will be inspired by Adventure Paths, certainly.

But not all of them. We have two sets beyond this one currently in the planning stages. One supports an AP, while the other is much more general. I'm not currently certain which one will happen next.

Given the enormous pain in the rear that organizing a set to release concurrent (or close enough) to the "current" AP, I think it's probably a safe bet that we will do sets themed around older APs in the future at least as often as we do sets that tie into the current AP.

Maybe even more often.

Erik,

I'd love to see a "Jade Regent" minis set (or perhaps a Dragons Empires set instead), with male/female minis for the new races from the Dragon Empires, the new oni, the yai, ... hmm so please, please, let this "hypothetical" set allow for Huge-sized monsters. (I can think of one BBEG at the end that just NEEDS to be in a JR set ... and he's a Huge guy).

Heh, y'know while we're all wishing and hoping etc. :)

Nice preview by the way. I think the Iron Golem is my favorite thus far (although the Gug is awesome too).

PS: Since we've had a preview of Amiri (and already have minis for Kyra (Beginner Box) and Harsk (RotR) does that mean that Damiel is the 2nd iconic for the Shattered Star set)? If so, can we see him soon? Or next?

~Dean


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Steve Geddes wrote:

My vote (it's going to be determined via popularity, right?):

Legacy of Fire with a Xotani incentive.

Lots of hard-to-substitute minis there. I'd love to see some Pathfinder gnolls (and pugwampis - it goes without saying!)

And, oh Steve, that would be seriously AWESOME! I'll likely resubscribe for Shattered Star (hope so anyway) ... but a Legacy of Fire set ... WHOA! I'd be all over that one too! Especially if we got a Xotani; the Firebleeder case incentive. Mmm Hmm.

Okay... gonna drool over this other "hypothetical" minis set. ;)

Dean


You are really doing minis in a grand style! Is the incentive figure a Sea Serpent? That'd be cool!

Grand Lodge

Wisdom would guess that the incentive piece will be a Garg. Green, since we have already seen in PPM a Red, Black, White & Blue in Garg or Colossal size. Just saying!


Mazra wrote:
Wisdom would guess that the incentive piece will be a Garg. Green, since we have already seen in PPM a Red, Black, White & Blue in Garg or Colossal size. Just saying!

That is what I hope, but I suspect that Erik wants to have a gargantuan mini which is unique to Pathfinder and Shattered Star in particular. Personally, given the unique nature of a Gargantuan mini, I think that having it be one that would be usable across many different campaigns would be superior.


The_Minstrel_Wyrm wrote:


Since we've had a preview of Amiri (and already have minis for Kyra (Beginner Box) and Harsk (RotR) does that mean that Damiel is the 2nd iconic for the Shattered Star set)? If so, can we see him soon? Or next?

A while back it was reported that the Iconics for Shatter Star were Amiri and Lem. But that was a few months ago; things may have changed since then.

Regards,

V


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

Would LOVE to see all of the Oni's done!! Plus I have also been using minatures in my games starting back in 2nd Addition times, so I have quite the collection of both metal and plastic, painted and unpainted!


While we're making wish-lists, might as well add my 2c:

I'm getting ready to start a Kingmaker campaign, and given how slowly my players move, there's *lots* of time for you folks to bring me Kingmaker minis! In particular I'd love to see fey better represented; it's a category that none of the pre-existing pre-paint minis lines ever did much with. Pixies, dryads, spriggans, nymphs, etc.

But as far as general strategy goes, if I were in *your* shoes and trying to maximize my sales, I'd be thinking about the following:

(1) What minis are already out there in forms that already fit Pathfinder's look? If WotC sets already fill the need, I'm not going to be all that motivated to buy PF minis. Examples: I wasn't terribly excited about minis like your Wolf or your Dire Bear. Got all the wolves and dire bears I need already. With creatures that PF has reinvented, like goblins, that's a different story, but there's lots of creatures where you folks have reinvented the wheel a little.

(2) What monsters are in your APs that are really hard to find good stand-ins for? For example, the pugwampis in Legacy of Fire aren't too hard to find subs for, since there's a number of WotC critters that can do the job (Lolthbound Goblins, for instance). But there are other creatures that no one has supplied good minis for yet, like the pixies I mentioned above. Or shocker lizards, small spiders, an elasmosaurus, and so on. Bonus points if the critter shows up in more than one AP.

(3) I think you could fill out a set's uncommons range with unique PC's and individual monsters from 3 or 4 APs rather than just one. For instance, it would be wonderful to have some pirates for Skull and Shackles (esp. since there aren't that many piratey prepaints out there); Nyrissa, the Stag Lord, and King Irovetti from Kingmaker; some faction leaders from Serpent's Skull, etc. (Some faction-themed commons might not be a bad idea too, to support your campaign setting.) But I think you'll sell more (and increase sales of a wider range of your APs) if you give carefully targeted support to particularly helpful minis from a handful of sets instead of tons of support for just one.

But fundamentally, I'm excited with all the new minis and their quality, and am looking forward to whatever you do next! (Just make your minis a little less brittle too! I know I'm not the only one who saw breakage issues in this last set....)

Grand Lodge

DonalGraeme wrote:
Mazra wrote:
Wisdom would guess that the incentive piece will be a Garg. Green, since we have already seen in PPM a Red, Black, White & Blue in Garg or Colossal size. Just saying!
That is what I hope, but I suspect that Erik wants to have a gargantuan mini which is unique to Pathfinder and Shattered Star in particular. Personally, given the unique nature of a Gargantuan mini, I think that having it be one that would be usable across many different campaigns would be superior.

The incentive piece in Heroes & Monsters was a Black Dragon. A White Dragon was planned but eventually scrapped for RotR. And only Paizo knows what lurks in the closing books of Shattered Star at this point. ;) Erik is "smarter than the average bear." I wouldn't be surprised if he and Paizo planned Shattered Star with what minis to produce in mind.

Looking from outside it is fun to guess at this sort of stuff. Honestly, any Garg. sized mini would be cool.

Cheers,

Mazra

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Still hoping for a nice large blue dragon (love Golarion Blues) and Arniset.

Sczarni

<Hopes for Jaggarre and Radavan as rares, even though they would never be used for themselves

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Cpt_kirstov wrote:

<Hopes for Jaggarre and Radavan as rares, even though they would never be used for themselves

Oh definately. I bought an Amiko just to have her for a bard.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Vernon Fults wrote:
The_Minstrel_Wyrm wrote:


Since we've had a preview of Amiri (and already have minis for Kyra (Beginner Box) and Harsk (RotR) does that mean that Damiel is the 2nd iconic for the Shattered Star set)? If so, can we see him soon? Or next?

A while back it was reported that the Iconics for Shatter Star were Amiri and Lem. But that was a few months ago; things may have changed since then.

Regards,

V

Hey there Vernon, thanks for the reply ... and the only reason I asked about Damiel for the Shattered Star AP minis was for the AP itself (according to the covers) the iconics are Amiri, Damiel, Harsk, and Kyra. That's why I thought it might be Damiel for the 2nd iconic in the set.

Lem would be cool also ...

Dean


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

I have a guess for the gargantuan promo mini ... (but don't get me wrong I would love a gargantuan green dragon as well).

But, is the Shattered Star gargantuan case incentive mini a Shemhazian Demon? (and I might be spelling it wrong). But, those bear-faced, insect-eyed, scaly-skinned demons are gargantuan-sized.

Here endth my speculation. (And I still wish we had Huge minis for this set too ... 50 of size small through large, 4 huge, and the gargantuan promo mini ... that's still 55 minis). :D

I know, I know ....

Dean

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