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Alas, 2024 is behind us, and much like our Biden-Harris 2024 t-shirts and our faith that Greenland will belong to Denmark, it is time to put the past behind us and move boldly into the future.

If you're new to these threads, Reaper Miniatures emerged in the late 90s doing life counters for Magic the Gathering and when other fantasy mini companies stumbled and fell as lead was shunned or outright banned, Reaper made the transition to pewter and became a reliable supplier for whenever you needed a wizard with a staff or a barbarian with an axe model.

In addition to fantasy stalwarts they would also throw in completely random things like oh, a nativity scene or a dwarf pirate wereshark, just to keep things interesting.

In recent years they've continued to innovate with casting mediums, they moved first to PVC plastics "Bones" and now to 3d printed models.

You can see the 2024 thread here:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/812609.page

So what do they have for us in the Distance Future Year of 2025 as the War Against the AIs begins? Let's see.

https://www.reapermini.com/newreleases

This month's freeby (with $40 purchase) is a bard with a lute and a highly slappable face



More of Werner Klocke's models are showing up as 3d prints



A young wizard set to recover any magical rocks or open any closets of mystery you might have.



Another young wizard and his goblin guide and, y'know that's a really cool figure.



And finally a sorceress, and I would just love a tutorial on how to paint those stockings, I mean wow, just look at them!

So the year is off to a good start with models I never knew I wanted but now I need.

Huh, kind of crazy that it seems Freebooter Miniatures is selling off their older sculpts that they aren't using in their game to Reaper. Those are some fantastic Werner Klocke sculpts.

All bards have highly slappable faces. Ever see the Movie "Animal House"? John Belushi's treatment of the guitar player, well his guitar... Bards, all bards, are that guy playing the guitar. However the Reaper mini bard's lute only has 4 strings, so I guess it is a bass lute. Apparently, lutes have an insane number of strings. I just looked that up. The bard mini looks like it would be a fine D&D character mini. Just detailed enough to be interesting without being too much of a challenge to paint.

I painted up the Reaper Nativity scene last year, and it was my third one. They make great gifts for friends and family, if they are into that. I look forward to doing it again this November/December.

Brilliant! I look forward to learning how to paint stockings in 2025!

My Reaper order arrived today including my bonus bard mini. He will join the three other civilians for games of Deth Wizards ... I doubt he 'll be much missed when my Undead minions rise up and destroy the village.

Similarly, he and the others will see use in Guard's of Traitor's Toil should I buy into that game.

Rest of my order was the undead types I did not previously own and now need for Deth Wizards. Reaper Bones is good for filling gaps in a collection.

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
Huh, kind of crazy that it seems Freebooter Miniatures is selling off their older sculpts that they aren't using in their game to Reaper. Those are some fantastic Werner Klocke sculpts.

Were all of the Freebooter Miniatures sculpts pirate themed?

I just got my order with Freebooter Steam Punk Lady. Great model and you can barely tell it's a 3D print. Ditto my free Bard. Very cool stuff.

Looks like January will be a light month new releases-wise but I did see two new ones.



First off we have this fearsome Undead Hunter. With his skull-like visage, evil talisman, and accursed blade I know I would hate to have this revenant hunting me!



And a female Landsnar- Landshre- Landshir- LandPoofyShirtPerson just in time for the big Empire relaunch!

Both are bones plastics and I can see uses for either.

How brittle are Reaper's 3D prints?

I have some 3D printed models and they are harder to transport without incident than my other plastic and metal models.

From my experience with a couple I'd say fairly resilient - they survive being mailed in an unpadded blister in a box with a few of those air cushion things people use instead of packing peanuts.

I wouldn't try to bounce one off the floor or anything, but I think they'll hold up to normal use.

OK, I missed something. Is Reaper doing 3d prints now? Someone please catch me up.

 Eilif wrote:
OK, I missed something. Is Reaper doing 3d prints now? Someone please catch me up.

Yeah, their Bones USA range is a mix of Siocast and 3D printed minis these days.

 Eilif wrote:
OK, I missed something. Is Reaper doing 3d prints now? Someone please catch me up.

Yeah you have to look at the model listing, there's "Bones Classic" (white, bendy), Bones Black/Bones USA (grey, rigid), 3d Prints and of course the Lord's Own Casting Medium METAL

 aku-chan wrote:

 Eilif wrote:
OK, I missed something. Is Reaper doing 3d prints now? Someone please catch me up.

Yeah, their Bones USA range is a mix of Siocast and 3D printed minis these days.

Interesting. PIcked up some of their Bones Black and I like it well enough.

Is it weird that I'm not interested in Siocast or 3d printed Bones?

Honestly, I don't notice that much of a difference. The only issues I've had with the 3D prints is sometimes not seeing all the supports/flash until after I primed the model.

I also liked Bones Black.

The Bones USA I've had seem much more sturdy than 3D prints I've got (even the best ones). Better detail than Bones Classic and Black I've had, probably as strong or stronger than black.

The February freebee (with $40 purchase) is up!

It's...



A mysterious dude with a cloak and a hood and a doggie!

No doubt sitting in the corner of the inn with his eyes on the door. Despite the boisterous crowd there is an island of stillness around this mysterious figure, as though the regulars somehow know to steer clear of him. He puffs on his pipe and locks eyes with your character and smiles.

What do you do?

Oh his doggie wags his lil tail and munches on a bone.

I would not mind having said mysterious stranger; that's exactly the sort of ranger character I play in RPGs. However, I made one in Heroforge during the Black Friday sale and bought it along with a female elf mage. They are both seated on tree stumps and cooking their respective meals.

Another reason is I just spent $50 bucks on Reaper in January, and I'm not prepared to do so again so shortly. I'm sure the figure will be available for sale later if I need it.

February was a bit of a quiet month but there were a few interesting releases.



First off we have the #1 Wizard, obviously when you're the #1 Wizard you don't need such mundane accoutrements as chairs when you can just summon a comfy cloud formed from the spirits of the damned for you and your mammoth spell book.



The Imperial Captain is your go-to guy for battling Skaven in Mordheim or deploying AT-ATs on Hoth.



The overpopulation of Mercenaries has causes significant overgrazing in their natural habitats and threatens the entire ecosystem. Thankfully the Mercenary Huntress is on hand to cull the herds.



I just love this Ogre so much from the Rhino head on his head, to the hammer-glaive thing to the goblins on his base. A+ all around.



Reaper's Valentines release forwent the traditional Cupid's bow and went for Cupid's Ballista instead. When you want surefire results, go with Cupid's Ballista!



Cupids Ballista can be just the thing when you're courting a chibi red dragon!






Reaper's Steampunk Wizard of Oz characters also got a Bones USA release.



And as we jump into March we have have a new freeby! Prodo and his pony William!

I see their Steampunk Cowardly Lion isn't doing a Hellboy cosplay anymore.

At least he's still available if anyone really wants him:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:




And as we jump into March we have have a new freeby! Prodo and his pony William!

That's not Prodo, it's clearly Spamwise.

Maybe he was the.. Prodo-type.

 Dysartes wrote:
Maybe he was the.. Prodo-type.

where can I get the new ballista? is it on the online shop ?

Reaper apparently also has a new Succubus too this month:

I just painted up their Orcs of the Jagged Wound, 3d printed models from the recently delivered kickstarter, and they were... A bit rough.

Lots of nipples remained, where the supports detached, and two models (there were 6 in the set) had really distracting print lines. Luckily I was able to apply paint a wee bit thicker than I normally do, and that mostly took care of the lines. But I wasn't that impressed.

Has anyone else had issues with their 3d prints? Maybe these were just early prints, and they were getting used to the kinks in the system?

Is not that an old mini from Freebooter?