Yes, Mom, I Need Another Mini

People who are not into hobbies or collections can think that owning miniatures is just a waste of money and time. But not assessing the importance of externalizing our internal preferences can be really detrimental, even to our mental health. Ok, you read the title and thought you want another mini, and so it would be all fun and puns right? But we teachers always find an opportunity to dive a little bit deeper!

If you play RPG miniatures can be a must depending on how you play and how your friends interact with them. I used to play GURPS a long time ago, and I remember how much you could get involved with the maps and the minis, because they were essential for the experience of playing. Fighting a huge boss in a dungeon is completely different from fighting a horde of small monsters. And when you have minis to represent both of the situations, you instantly prepare yourself differently for both of them. But, honestly, what happens? Why do we change by the fact we have a material object representing a fantastic world?

A History of Miniatures

Humans have been creating miniatures since the beginning of time. In tribes, they could represent their gods and goddesses, their wishes, family or even toys. Materials of all kinds were used to embellish and give form to a diverse number of small objects. We maintained this habit through ages, and now, even being adults, we stay in line for hours to grab the chance of collecting a rare action figure or a new limited set of miniatures from our favorite games. From porcelain dolls to great construction sites reduced in scale, this mini-world fever can spark creativity, comfort and happy thoughts in anyone. And some experts already call this phenomena miniaturism.

We dive into this tiny world because maybe this gives us a feeling of power and control we can’t find in the real world. We submerge in it, and we also can learn. Museums and schools have been using them for fun and learning purposes for quite some time too. When you prototype a new product, building or event planning, watching it from a distant perspective can make you face the idea in reality before it’s done, so it’s perfect for correcting mistakes and making changes before spending all your money and effort into it.

I still have fond memories of a car collection I used to have when I was five. They were all vintage cars I inherited from my grandpa, and I still regret not keeping them until nowadays, just for the sake of having good memories attached to them. What I’m trying to say here is that this fascination is not a geek-only thing, it’s human. So don’t feel bad if you want more minis, that’s just natural!

Let’s explore a little bit more the importance of them on our RPG quests.

Game Flow and Overall Experience

On any quest, you have to collaborate and change ideas with all your quest friends. But if you have minis showing how far you are from the monster, if there are any NPC’s on the dungeon with you or if you want to plan the next attack based on the actions from your friends, minis are there just to help you! We all know that every quest is really happening in our minds, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t their value. Additionally, the use of miniatures can improve communication among players, as they can more easily discuss the placement and actions of characters. By fostering better teamwork and communication, miniatures can lead to a more enjoyable and collaborative gaming experience, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for!

Systems can be extremely peculiar, demanding different strategies from creating your character to surviving a hostile apocalyptic world. Some of them are time-consuming and have complex ways to fight, move and interact in the game. Miniatures can make this flow smoother when used to solve specifically these concerns. The miniatures act as visual aids, reducing time spent on logistics and speeding everything up. Less time on logistics, more time on world exploration and advancing on your journey!

Visualization

If you are an experienced RPG player, you probably have worked your imagination a lot already. But for newbies, having miniatures, scenarios, maps and props can help them to enhance the visualization of this imaginary world.

Some may argue that minis can restrict imagination, because they make you stuck on the appearance of the ones you own. I totally understand the idea, but usually I perceive that when we use videos or screen displays for any purpose, like illustrating the scenario or the characters. We’re not playing exactly a board game, I mean, you don’t have to go for the minis the entire gameplay. But having them in a three-dimensional space can be quite effective. It sparks creativity and enhances visualization in ways that videos and pictures on-screen just can’t.

Collectible Value

Many miniatures are highly detailed, turning them into beautiful pieces of art. They are so well crafted that they give a sense of realism and detail to our game worlds. This value is way more than visual or emotional – it’s money honey! The simple act of collecting them as a hobby can grow their value as years go by, and out of the blue, you may have a wealthy collection in the purest meaning of the word. Check out here some amazing minis you could be collecting right now.

Versatility – or Lack of It

Yes, you will probably reuse that nice goblin of yours many times and in many different quests. But the versatility of the minis is not exactly always like that. If you are like me, someone who enjoys traveling from medieval eras to steampunk sci-fi or vampires in the contemporary world, you won’t enjoy that versatility so much. And that’s exactly why you need more minis! The bigger variety you choose to acquire, the more interesting your adventures will be. If you ever checked any monsters and creatures guide of any system you enjoy, you’ll understand exactly what I’m saying here!

Storage and Final Thoughts

Yes, they are marvelous and I wish I could look at them all day long too! But minis aren’t exactly good for you to let them in the wild. They can be tiny, but have an amazing ability to collect dust, fall from any surface you decide to rest them on or simply disappear! Having said that, I strongly advise you to keep them safe and protected from any bad incidents. Drawers can be amazing, if you use dividers to maintain the organization. They are highly customisable so they adapt as your collection evolves. You can separate them into different styles or genres, main characters, NPCs and monsters, and so on. There’s another post about some props you could be collecting as well.

Miniatures can be purchased from many different sources, including specialty game stores, online retailers, and hobby shops/events. Or they can be 3D printed, a much cheaper option. Some famous RPGs also offer their own line of miniatures, designed specifically for use with their game system, but it’s really up to you if you like this idea or not. If you choose to use a 3D printer, you may have to remove support marks, but you can paint them just like you’ve imagined, making it truly unique!

Have fun with your collection, take care of them and enjoy a gaming experience to be remembered for ages and ages!

Loot Studios can help you print highly detailed minis, statues and props. Choose your favorite bundle from our previous releases or sign up for Fantasy or Sci-Fi to receive a new bundle every month. You can also check out some tips at our YouTube Channel.