IN THE SPOTLIGHT - HERO FORGE CUSTOM MINIATURES

ok i caught light of this only the other day over at ye olde inn as part of a discussion on kickstarters for gaming aids and the likes.

now with the current advancements in 3d printing it is now becoming more and more available through the use of your pc to create/sculpt your own minis.
this in particular caught my eye as it allows literally anybody to click through a selection of models/adjust parameters etc to create your own figures.
go give it a try
HERO FORGE

this give you an intuitive computer game style character creation tool that allows various items to equip your figures. how to pose them and so on. there is a great deal of choice in there and i think for people that like to play D&D or heroquest or anything similar where they play as a singular character, this is a great tool. its not as cheap as it would cost to say purchase a singular figure from somewhere like GW, but based on what you are getting. it is a damn sight cheaper than commissioning someone to sculpt you a figure

a 30mm mini will cost you $25+$PP

this for me in the UK takes the price upto 26 quid. which doesnt make it an option really for me. i cant justify spending that money on 1 figure. especially when i can sculpt myself.

but the tool itself what it offers and the cost versus paying for commision work heavily outweighs in its favour and makes this a very good option for people wanting to create their own heroes for the gaming table.

i decided to put it to the test and attempt to make a few builds

so i decided to take a shot at the base HQ heroes..barbarian didnt turn out too bad. one thing the poses do lack are 2 handed weapon poses. but considering the amount of options available. they have to give options that work with all the choices you make. still it wouldnt hurt to have a extra menu of poses

 dwarfs arent great and follow the D&D physique for dwarfs. whereas i prefer the bulkier barrel shaped dwarfs with huge noses.

 elves look pretty good and with different ear options as well you can decide how pointy their ears are

 there are a lot of options for wizards too with fireball effects and such shooting from their hands.
would be nice to have more weapons to choose from. but im sure they add new things all of the time

halflings look great. but again some halfling feet would be a nice option

all in all. its a great tool for those that arent skilled in the arts of sculpting. and can really help you define your hero. whilst its not perfect and the price for 1 figure may be viewed as steep. i imagine a year down the line this will be even better. if they do add further options.

and possibly newer models (dwarf being first i noticed needing its only model type)

this could really be a new wave for miniature companies. yes its a specialised service. but yes its also crazy cool way to bring your heroes to life.

so go check it out. id love to see peoples creations somewhere down the line and wish these guys the best of luck