The Wargamer

Miniatures gaming is something that I only recently have come to appreciate. Whether unpainted, pre-painted, or something I did myself, miniatures serve a dual purpose for me: they decorate my office when not in use, and they add to the level of immersion to games that I play. Board and tabletop gaming has never been about graphical presentation, it’s always been about the quality of gameplay. But it has been my observation that those games that offer both great gameplay and a high quality visual presentation are generally better received than those that lack it. Adding miniatures to a game elevates the experience to a different level, and again in my experience, games that include miniatures, as either part of the game or an optional upgrade, seem to be spearheading a boardgaming renaissance.

Thus it follows that if adding miniatures to a game increases the level of immersion, then adding terrain will augment the experience even more. Hard core miniatures gamers will expend enormous amounts of effort in creating terrain to create or replicate a landscape. But even a modest investment in terrain can reap great satisfaction. Historical gaming is, of course, constrained by the battlefields of history. But sci-fi and fantasy miniatures, of course, don’t have a history they are forced to replicate. Instead they face a different issue: to make a setting appear fantastic, or at least out of the ordinary, it helps to have terrain that goes beyond the ordinary tree, rock, or medieval castle.

The Wargamer recently had the opportunity to check out one of Kobblestone Miniature’s creations for fantasy miniatures gaming, the DemonBeast. The DemonBeast diorama is richly detailed, and every aspect of it has a flourish that invites closer inspection. Seemingly carved out of a mountain, it depicts the bust of a demon that seems to be reigning from a rocky throne just below the surface. Its look is that of an entrance to some ancient temple carved out a mountain. Standing just shy of eight inches high with a base of about eight by eleven inches, the scale is perfect for any miniatures under about 30mm, including Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures and Warhammer. There are six different heights around the diorama, which can make for some great battles that incorporate height differences in their combat rules.

The detail and numerous heights are secondary take a back seat to the artistic impact of the DemonBeast. This is about the “Wow!” factor. When I pulled it out and showed it to my gaming group the reaction was unanimous and positive. The DemonBeast is perfect for a boss-level encounter, though it will server perfectly well for something more mundane. Its visual impact, depth of detail, and unique design will make gaming around it memorable.

About the Author

Jim Zabek started playing D&D in high school when a group broke off of the Chess Club seeking more interesting gaming material. Already an avid wargamer, having bought his first Avalon Hill wargame at age 10, D&D provided an alternative form of entertainment from the hexes and counters he was accustomed to. Though he briefly played the original version of D&D, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons was released not long after as he started playing with a group, and that was the version that he played until chasing girls became his primary hobby. Fast forward a couple of decades and he started playing version 3.5 at the invitation of a fellow wargamer, failed his Will save and now buys almost anything with the Wizards of the Coast logo without checking for price or content, including D&D, D&D Minis, Star Wars Minis, Axis & Allies Minis, and then there are those new Star Wars Space Battles Minis…