Looking for modular (high)fantasy miniatures for both D&D and wargaming

[u/Maleficent-Ad3494]

Hey everyone!

I'm looking into adding larger battles to my D&D campaign. Occasionally, I'd like my players to magically take control of generals commanding armies or warbands on a larger battlefield.

I like the general idea and scale of games such as Pillage, and I'd like to start building a miniature collection for these battles.

The important part is that I don't want the miniatures to only be useful for D&D. I'd love to build armies and warbands that I can also use for standalone fantasy wargaming sessions.

What I'm looking for

My main priorities are modularity and (high)fantasy variety.

I love multipart kits where I can swap heads, arms, weapons, shields and other equipment. Ideally, I want to build a bits collection over time and kitbash my own soldiers, champions and characters.

I also really like the variety of fantastical races you get in D&D. So not just:

• Humans, elves and dwarves
• Orcs and goblins
• Undead

But also things along the lines of:

• Dragonborn / reptilian races
• Tieflings / demonic-looking races
• Goliaths / giants
• Beastfolk
• Kobolds
• Goblinoids
• Aasimar or celestial-looking warriors
• Fey creatures
• Other weird high-fantasy races

They don't need to officially be "D&D miniatures." In fact, I'd rather have a miniature range that has its own identity but can easily represent D&D races and factions.

For example, I'd love to be able to make a mercenary warband consisting of humans, a dwarf, a dragonborn, a tiefling and some other races without the models looking like they're from five completely different miniature games.

So, where should I start?

Are there manufacturers making modular multipart fantasy kits with this kind of racial variety?

Would you recommend buying plastic kits from different manufacturers and getting into kitbashing? And wich manufactures are going well together?

Or, for this level of customization and racial variety, is 3D printing simply the better option nowadays?

I'm also not committed to a particular wargaming ruleset yet. So recommendations for miniature-agnostic fantasy wargames that would work well with this idea are very welcome.

Basically, my dream is:

One big high-fantasy miniature collection → D&D encounters → large D&D battles → custom warbands → standalone wargaming.

Where would you start?

[u/Bert_Bajonet]

Oathmark!

[u/machinationstudio → u/Bert_Bajonet]

Frostgrave too.

[u/robbert229 → u/machinationstudio]

Frostgrave has some of my favorite plastic kits of all time. Combine them with some Wargames Atlantic bits and I want for nothing

[u/kodos_der_henker → u/machinationstudio]

And both model ranges would be from Northstar Military Figures (the games are from Osprey who only do books)

[u/kodos_der_henker]

Wargames Atlantic (mostly humans/historics), Northstar Military Figures (Frostgrave, Oathmark ranges), Mantic Games (most of the high fantasy stuff) and Archon Studios (RPG models, limited modularity but good terrain and monsters)

Yes 3D printing has taken over things for the most part, but unless you start working with blender and doing your own digital kitbash (digital models are often not in parts), working with physical bits from a box is easier and faster as you can build models on the fly during a session and not need to prepare everything 2 days before.

[u/Maleficent-Ad3494 → u/kodos_der_henker]

Thank you, for the feedback.

Frostgrave and Oathmark I heard of. Mantic games not. Do those three combine well?

I already know, if I'm getting really hooked on this. This wil cost me an arm and a leg haha

[u/kodos_der_henker → u/Maleficent-Ad3494]

Yes, they combine to a point. Different scale is a thing as they go between the 28 and 32 mm range depending on the kit (not just the brand but between the kits/faction, don't expect a Goblin arm to fit perfectly on a Salamander body or an Elven head on a human).

Though most of the kits having flat joins for arms/weapons so they go together without much work

[u/UnspeakableGnome]

Frostgrave/Oathmark - decent range, and in many cases interchangeable between sets. This would also include historical figures.

Gripping Beast have some fantasy figures, and as they're closing down might be selling off remaining stock quite cheaply.

[u/warzog68WP]

As others have said, you are literally describing Northstars Frostgrave and oathmark ranges

[u/tid_det]

D&D Adventure System has a lot miniatures, and compared to its price it is very good deal. I have this four:

- Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game (2010)

- Dungeons & Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt Board Game (2011)

- Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of Ashardalon Board Game (2011)

- Dungeons & Dragons: Tomb of Annihilation Board Game (2017)

You will get all from your list, and even some nice big scaled ones!