All week I’ve been posting my favorite Hero Forage miniatures. Today, I reveal my number one pick.
It really is tough to pick 7 miniatures that stand above the rest. There are a lot of very talented and inventive people displaying their skills in the Hero Forage library. I make the selection based on innovative techniques and/or how effective the designer was in reaching a design goal.
There is a huge variety of options you can choose from on Hero Forage, and there are a lot of people out there pushing every button to the extreme. These weekly contests will showcase their unique approach to designing miniatures on that platform.
There are also designers that take a direct, subtle but detailed approach. They make scenes and creatures that feel like they belong in a campaign or just jumped out of a module. That understated approach to detail brings these creations to life.
Ultimately, this is a fan letter to these designers. We created a countdown for what we consider to be the best, but, frankly, each and every one of these Miniature Masterpieces represents an outstanding example of imagination.
Oshimidara Kirin
By Luca Zoqui
I’ve spotlighted several of Luca Zoqui’s creations over the last few weeks, and here’s a good example of why. They are amazing! This took a little work and ingenuity. If you are not familiar with the hero forage system, how he created this might be a bit of a mystery to you. If you have a subscription to Hero Forage, I recommend downloading this one from their public library. You can learn a lot from this particular Miniature Masterpiece.
Polly Kelnes Ascended
By Astavan
Though this piece is a little risqué, I wanted to include it in this week’s Miniature Masterpiece line up. This one has a lot going on. The coloring is excellent. Especially the vibrant pink on the spell glyph. The wings are amazing, but of course I have to address the craftsmanship regarding her provocative clothing.
Astavan needed to create a second figure and place it inside the primary figure in order to produce 4 wings on the miniature. The hidden figure also has four arms and skeletal hands… Yep, that’s how they made her clothing. I haven’t seen this done on another creation, so I have to give this ingenuity and originality it’s due.
S Corrupted Monk
By Luca Zoqui
Yet another Miniature Masterpiece concocted by the mind of Luca Zoqui. What I love about this miniature is the attention to detail. The stance, the clothes, the color, not only produce a visually striking creation, but it conveys character. If a Dungeon Master showed his table this image, the PCs would instantly have a sense of who and what they were looking at. The cliché goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so I would say the “Corrupted Monk” is a novel onto itself.
Spider Queen
By Altraferne
I’ve been wanting to post this one for some time. I actually have a large stack of miniatures ready to be posted. This one has been on the list for quite a while, and I’m very happy I am finally able to talk about it.
This was one of the first spider creations of this type I saw in the Hero Forage public library. Because of the excellent use of color blending, it’s almost impossible to tell that the Spider Queen’s legs are actually 4 arms holding archaic swords. They seamlessly blend together creating the illusion that each leg is in fact a twisted and abominable appendage sprouting from this horrifying monstrosity. The attention to detail absolutely qualifies the Spider Queen for this week’s Hero Forage Miniature Masterpiece countdown.
Yennefer of Vengerberg
By Robin Herr von Karpfenstein
I’m a huge fan of the Witcher novels and television series but must admit I’ve never played the video games. When I stumbled across this creation, I instantly recognized her for who she was, Yennefer of Vengerberg. I didn’t even need to look at the name. Because Robin Herr von Karpfenstein so perfectly captured the character, this figure made it into the 5th spot in this week’s Miniature Masterpiece countdown.
Plumber Bros
By Red Bird
Oh, come on! How could I not include this one?!? The Super Mario Brothers was a childhood favorite of mine, and seeing them reimagined as heroes that could be played in a TTRPG was amazing. As soon as I stumbled across these figures, I saw the personality of the videogame characters. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but these Miniature Masterpieces just express so much personality to me. That’s why there second place in this week’s Miniature Masterpiece countdown.
Thistlegrowl
By Pachaga
Where do I begin? I can’t imagine how much time Pachaga spent on this creation. If you have a subscription to Hero Forage, I suggest looking for Thistlegrowl in their public library. This creation has a lot going on and can teach you a ton of tricks.
For example, there are multiple figures placed within each other which allows certain effects and techniques to be employed. The treetop above this Etn’s head is actually a spell prop coming out of the hand of the second figure. Because of Pachaga’s excellent use of coloring, the spikes and swirls appear to be a canopy of leaves.
All the added props and assets give this creation so much character and texture. The level of attention given to the color palette can’t be overlooked either. This is truly an excellent example of how far you can push the boundaries in Hero Forge’s system.
That’s why Thistlegrowl is number one in this week’s Miniature Masterpiece Countdown!
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