Baldur’s Gate 3 Miniatures: Not Really Winning Any Beauty Contests
So, Baldur’s Gate 3 recently dropped a line of pre-painted miniatures, and let’s just say they’re not exactly winning any beauty contests. These little guys were created by Wizkids in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, but it seems like they missed the mark big time. And, I mean, I get it – Larian Studios didn’t really have much to do with these monstrosities since Hasbro is calling the shots now. But, man, these miniatures have faces that only a Mindflayer could love. (Image credit: @HighLODLar on X)
Wizkids Offers Full Refunds: Oopsie Daisy
In a move that can only be described as a reckoning for Wizkids, the mini-making company is now offering full refunds for these disappointing miniatures. They even put out an announcement on their website, admitting that they totally missed the mark with the D&D Icons of the Realms: Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Boxed Set. If you bought these little guys online, you can hit up customerservice@wizkids.com to get your refund. And if you snagged a box from a retailer, you can swing by and return it for a full refund too. Wizkids is even offering replacements if you’re not satisfied, but let’s be real, they’re probably not gonna have a huge line forming for those.
Not Really Sure Why This Matters, But…
I’m not really sure why this matters, but most folks in the TTRPG space aren’t super surprised by this whole debacle. I mean, pre-painted miniatures are usually not top-notch quality, especially for the price tag that Wizkids was slapping on these babies. Painting those tiny figures with all the little details is a pain in the butt and costs a pretty penny, so you’re either looking at something super expensive or something that looks like it melted in the sun. At $50 a box with 7 miniatures inside (roughly $7.10 per figure), it was kind of a given that these things weren’t gonna be masterpieces. But hey, that doesn’t mean much to someone who’s shelling out their hard-earned cash—especially if they’re new to the whole miniatures game and got into it because of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Wizards of the Coast Misstep: Oops, They Did It Again
While Wizkids definitely deserves some of the blame here, I can’t help but think that Wizards of the Coast dropped the ball too. I mean, sure, people want miniatures of the Baldur’s Gate 3 crew, but they want them to look good and represent the characters properly. Not like a failed True Polymorph experiment. There’s definitely a market for cheap and slightly wonky pre-painted minis for folks who just need some basic pieces for a game night, but the Baldur’s Gate 3 gang is special. If you’re gonna make official miniatures of them, maybe don’t go with the company known for their “affordable, but kinda smudgy-faced” products.
In conclusion, it’s clear that the Baldur’s Gate 3 miniatures missed the mark big time. Wizkids offering full refunds is a step in the right direction, but it’s a reminder that quality can’t be sacrificed for convenience. Hopefully, this experience will lead to better products down the line for fans of the game and tabletop gaming in general.