A little more than a week ago I purchased two Dungeons & Dragons: Battle for the Underdark Master Sets from one of the sponsors of this site. After digging into the box and looking through all the figures, terrain, and other materials, I’ve decided to sit down and write a review for those thinking of purchasing one. This review will be broken into three parts: The Terrain, The Figures, and Miscellaneous Materials. Now onto part two…
The Figures
Quality and quantity. Unfortunately both are lacking in this master set. Let’s start with the latter. Previous master sets included a wealth of great unique figures. This new set, as far as the total figure count goes, is only on par with the Marvel Master Set. Here are the numbers:
What about quality? I’m sure most of you know that Wizards of the Coast (WotC) did not create any new figures for this master set. They simply used pre-existing D&D miniatures stuck on HeroScape bases. Again, a great business plan for WotC. Personally, I feel Wizards’ figures do not compare in quality to those Hasbro produced for HeroScape. The figures in both boxes I bought have quite visible mold lines, bent swords, and poor paint jobs. Granted, in the past, I’ve gotten some (not many) Hasbro figures with lousy paint jobs. However, both sets of figures from the sets I purchased will need a touch-up paint job.
The Drow Runt
Scale is also a problem with the WotC miniatures. I’m not sure what scale the D&D miniatures are and I’m not quite sure WotC knows either. For example, the Drow squad seems to have a couple different sized figures among them. For the most part, Hasbro miniatures dwarf the WotC miniatures; except, strangely, for the dwarf. (?) Othkurik the Black Dragon is the currently smallest dragon in HeroScape (except for Sonlen’s pal, of course). I know he’s supposed to be a young dragon and all but oddly enough the WotC calls the original figure a “Large Black Dragon”.
Tiny Black Dragon
What about the Feral Troll? It appears very different from our troll buddy Krug, possibly because it was summoned from another planet. Krug is arguably the best sculpt in the whole world of Valhalla. The Feral Troll, however, is not a pretty sight. Also, this troll unnaturally leans back on its stand, threatening to topple over at any minute. Largely, the stances the Underdark figures take on are mediocre at best. Hasbro’s miniatures look like they’re in the heat of battle, WotC’s just look like they’re waiting for something.
Distant Relatives
The Figures
Quality and quantity. Unfortunately both are lacking in this master set. Let’s start with the latter. Previous master sets included a wealth of great unique figures. This new set, as far as the total figure count goes, is only on par with the Marvel Master Set. Here are the numbers:
Figure Counts
I find it upsetting that they included only one Uncommon Hero and only one Common Squad. The only way you’re going to get more is to purchase a whole other master set. (Which is why I ended up buying two, by the way.) Great for marketing, bad for your loyal customers. At least the Swarm of the Marro included two of each squad. - Rise of the Valkyrie – 10 Unique Heroes, 6 Unique Squads = 30 Figures Total
- Swarm of the Marro – 6 Unique Heroes, 1 Marro Hive, 6 Unique Squads = 25 Figures Total
- Battle for the Underdark – 6 Unique Heroes, 1 Uncommon Hero, 1 Common Squad = 10 Figures Total
- Marvel: The Conflict Begins – 10 Unique Heroes = 10 Figures Total
What about quality? I’m sure most of you know that Wizards of the Coast (WotC) did not create any new figures for this master set. They simply used pre-existing D&D miniatures stuck on HeroScape bases. Again, a great business plan for WotC. Personally, I feel Wizards’ figures do not compare in quality to those Hasbro produced for HeroScape. The figures in both boxes I bought have quite visible mold lines, bent swords, and poor paint jobs. Granted, in the past, I’ve gotten some (not many) Hasbro figures with lousy paint jobs. However, both sets of figures from the sets I purchased will need a touch-up paint job.
The Drow Runt
Scale is also a problem with the WotC miniatures. I’m not sure what scale the D&D miniatures are and I’m not quite sure WotC knows either. For example, the Drow squad seems to have a couple different sized figures among them. For the most part, Hasbro miniatures dwarf the WotC miniatures; except, strangely, for the dwarf. (?) Othkurik the Black Dragon is the currently smallest dragon in HeroScape (except for Sonlen’s pal, of course). I know he’s supposed to be a young dragon and all but oddly enough the WotC calls the original figure a “Large Black Dragon”.
Tiny Black Dragon
What about the Feral Troll? It appears very different from our troll buddy Krug, possibly because it was summoned from another planet. Krug is arguably the best sculpt in the whole world of Valhalla. The Feral Troll, however, is not a pretty sight. Also, this troll unnaturally leans back on its stand, threatening to topple over at any minute. Largely, the stances the Underdark figures take on are mediocre at best. Hasbro’s miniatures look like they’re in the heat of battle, WotC’s just look like they’re waiting for something.
Distant Relatives
Figure Verdict: Not enough figures, too few (Un-) Commons; bent swords, leaning trolls, and poor paint jobs. All the makings of a master set made a cheaply as possible.
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