Best of the Best (Giants of Legend)

[berk the black]

This set was awesome. My initial draw to it were the huge minis. But not only did it introduce the first huge minis, it also gave us the first tiny, the quait. We never got many tiny minis, and to this day there are more I would really like (cat, shocker lizard). By the end of DDM, the had been eliminated.

But, when I had to pick my favorite, it came down to a large and a medium. In the end I had to go with the Rakshasa. He is, in my opinion, still the best out of all that have been made, although I am missing a couple from my collection:


Rakshasa, Giants of Legend #38

I really like his tiger colored dreadlocks in the back, which you don’t often get to see in the online store pictures, and from that vantage you can really tell his hands are indeed backwards:


Rakshasa, Giants of Legend #38

Here’s a comparison withe the others I do have:


Left to Right
Mahadi, Descent into Avernus #24
Zakya Rakshasa, War Drums #43
Rakshasa, Giants of Legend #38
Rakshasa, Monster Menagerie #36
Rakshasa, Crown of Fangs #33
Not Pictured
Rakshasa Assassin, Demonweb #7
Rakshasa Baron, Dungeons of Dread #22

I am fond of the Otyugh, too. He’s my runner up. Otyughs are such a wonderfully disgusting creation, and the Giants of Legend version has survived the test of time. The Lifeleech version just doesn’t come off as dirty and the Sewer Beast is too small and has an even less inspiring paint job:


Otyugh, Giants of Legend #27


Left to Right
Lifeleech Otyugh, Night Below #44
Otyugh, Giants of Legend #27
Sewer Beast, Deadly Foes #29

And an honorable mention goes to the quasit, the only quasit correctly made as a tiny and the first tiny ever offered:


Quasit, Giants of Legend #57


Left to Right
Quasit, Rage of Demons #5
Demonic Familiar, Wrath of the Righteous #16
Quasit, Giants of Legend #57
Yeenognhu’s Quasit, Descent into Avernus #1
Gimcrak, Wrath of the Righteous #38

[coyotee]

I am fond of the Otyugh, too. He’s my runner up. Otyughs are such a wonderfully disgusting creation, and the Giants of Legend version has survived the test of time. The Lifeleech version just doesn’t come off as dirty and the Sewer Beast is too small and has an even less inspiring paint job:

We are only a couple sets in, and I find myself repeating the same thing "the first mini is so much better than everything that has come out since", and the Otyugh is another good example of that,

I get that there will be differences if a specific mini is changed from common/uncommon/rare, but I feel that difference should be in the paint job, not the sculpt.
The sculpts should all be the same level of quality, but just change how many different colours/dry brush/washes are used from common to rare.

There have been a few very basically painted minis that were able to be touched up with simple highlights and drybrushes, because the sculpt was solid, and had dept to it (bumps, grooves, layers, items and objects) so I had something to work with when repainting.

[berk the black]

... We are only a couple sets in, and I find myself repeating the same thing "the first mini is so much better than everything that has come out since", and the Otyugh is another good example of that, ...

A couple of thing in regard to this.

First, we are talking about the best pieces in each of these sets. If we were talking about the worst or even the middle of the road, I don’t think they would be better than everything else that has been made. It will be interesting to see the selections in later sets. There a quite a few pieces that I feel are definite improvements over their earlier counterparts.

Second, these minis started coming out during D&D 3rd edition. As a long time player, I happened to be playing this edition when I started collecting. I haven’t felt the need to move on to the subsequent rule sets, even though DDM and now Icons of the Realms kept up with the latest edition. Stuff has changed between these editions, most noticeably artwork. Since I’m still stuck in 3.5, the older sets actually match that editions artwork better. So I have a bias in many cases to them. Not everyone is such a throwback as me.

[coyotee]

First, we are talking about the best pieces in each of these sets. If we were talking about the worst or even the middle of the road, I don’t think they would be better than everything else that has been made. It will be interesting to see the selections in later sets. There a quite a few pieces that I feel are definite improvements over their earlier counterparts.

Second, these minis started coming out during D&D 3rd edition. As a long time player, I happened to be playing this edition when I started collecting. I haven’t felt the need to move on to the subsequent rule sets, even though DDM and now Icons of the Realms kept up with the latest edition. Stuff has changed between these editions, most noticeably artwork. Since I’m still stuck in 3.5, the older sets actually match that editions artwork better. So I have a bias in many cases to them. Not everyone is such a throwback as me.

I do see what you are saying but I just cant get on board with that.

Regardless if we are comparing the best of a mini to the worst... IMO, if a mini starts out awesome, there is no reason for it to turn to crap down the road.Even if the art is different, there is no call for a sculpt to diminish in quality , lacking detail and shape. I dont think it is wrong to expect quality to be going up with each set from then to now.

I understand if they cut the number of paint colours/layers, but the sculpt should be on par.

[BBShockwave]

This set has some amazing Huges. I waited ages to get the Red Dragon, but even after that I feel the Huge Gold Dragon is the best, the paint and sculpt is amazing. I love the Behir too, but I wish it had a properly sculpted open mouth instead of it being painted black.
I have a painted version of the Otyugh myself, a friend painted it and Ashardalon from that board game set. I too like that one over the Lifeleech as it looks less spikey and evil. Otyughs are disgusting and weird but not really evil, so this one with the cute 3 eyes on the stalk looks better. Heck, I often wondered if the Day of the Tentacle alien was inspired by them?

That Rakshasa is so hilarious. I mean, great detail, but... he has dreadlock hair and he seems to be doing some MC Hammer "Can't touch this!" pose.

3rd)Gotta love a low level demon / devil (as I may have mentioned elsewhere...) and the Lemure fills that niche.

I gotta disagree sadly, Lemures are supposed to be quivering masses of flesh. This guy looks like some sort of hellish ice-cream. Tutti frutti, maybe? I wish it was more formless and less cone-shaped. The PFB and especially the new Avernus mini really knock it out of the park.

2nd) I play 2nd Edition so am unaware of what a Crucian is. It doesn't look like a 2nd Ed Crabman so I made up stats and had a wonderfully memorable adventure with my group.
A great figure in my mind.

Like the Bright Naga, Abyssal Eviscerator, Nothic or the Rhek and Equiceph, they were created for the 3E miniature game and are in the miniature handbook. They are basically anthropomorph crab-turtle things but with some BDSM inspired leather caps.

3E Crucian.jpg (581.67 KiB) Viewed 4207 times

3rd) Nearly the Treant (not enough bush if you ask me) so the lack of foliage means that the Demon takes it again!
Even with the goofy grin I love this figure:

glabrezu.jpg

I do love the Glabrezu myself. Managed to finally get one in trade from Ryan a few years ago. Apart from the black inside of the mouth it has few flaws. Online photos do it no justice showing how dog-like the face is!

Glabrezu.jpg (530.89 KiB) Viewed 4207 times

[English Wizard]

Thanks for the updates and education BBShockwave

[WillieSwoopes]

This is so tough to pick only three in this set!

I picked the Glabrezu for it's playability. I like/have the Behir but the demon is more RPG useful.
Large - King Snurre again great RPG use and the stance! "Punny Human!"
Medium - The Rakshasa's backwards hands are character correct! Great pose sculpt, paint and usefullness

Bill

[coyotee]

Changed my vote. Dropped Snurr in Favor of Warforged Titan. Snurr is great but the Titan is so unique and well done; good sculpt, good paint, and unlike Snurr / Fire Giants, the Titan is the only option for huge mech.

[berk the black]

I agree that the Warforged Titan is the best huge of the group. But I felt Warforged in general are a little to niche to be the best of the best. I actually didn’t pick any huges in my top three, even with the titan and the dragons in the set.

[Plastic Finn]

Giants of Legend and Archfiends are sets that, in my opinion, stand head and shoulders above others. Fabulous sculpts and painting tops in the history of the line. It feels unfair to give only three votes each, compared to other sets, but it is what it is... If I was to make a top 100 DDM list based on sculpt and paint job alone, these two sets would probably take 20% of it at the very least. The next two for me would probably be Underdark and Lords of Madness.

Anyway, I don't mean to derail my own post... My best in this set is Behir. Of the larges, King Snurre or Otyugh. Of mediums, Rakshasa and Lord Soth. And Quasit is great! The list is endless. I paint a lot and sometimes it feels like it's hard or unnecessary to improve on some of the paint jobs with these. So I just do the base and touch up the miniature.

Kudos for the voting (along with everything else here)! Always fun to see these and participate.

[berk the black]

Welcome Plastic Finn, it’s always good to see old DDMSpoilers users join the community.

[Plastic Finn]

Welcome Plastic Finn, it’s always good to see old DDMSpoilers users join the community.

Thanks, Berk! Indeed, I've been around for a long time and have actually followed this site too since its inception, basically. Just got around to going through the registration a short while ago. Still enjoying the hobby a lot, through playing DDM skirmish and collecting, painting etc. A site as great as this certainly helps, too! Good to see familiar user names around. Very fond of this community - lots of good people.

[Kezghan]

Welcome Plastic Finn, it’s always good to see old DDMSpoilers users join the community.

Seconded! Good to see you Finn!

[Plastic Finn]

Welcome Plastic Finn, it’s always good to see old DDMSpoilers users join the community.

Seconded! Good to see you Finn!

Thanks, Kez! You too!

Any DDM (skirmish) itch left? We've got a Guild league going at the Guild site, you know... or if not that, then just an even more casual Vassal game? (But here I am again, drifting away from the subject of the thread...)

[BadeaCelRau]

This set is so so good, I still lack some minis. I could easily pick half the set as my favourites (warforgeds, drows, giants, basilisk, wyrmlings) but since it's a huge set filled with flashy stuff that simply can't go unnoticed :

Numero uno! I only own this in the unpainted version but I've admired it for years in the window of a local game store. Best huge red to date in prepainted, far better than the Elder Red Dragon and maybe only shadowed in sculpt by the 16 year younger Nolzur version but that's completely another discussion.


Best Behir to date, painted unpainted whatever, plus it's huge even on it's huge base.


I don't like his mouth filled with plastic (same issue with the Behir) but this guy makes a point when he comes on the table (and laughs at 5e large glabrezus).

Honourable mention : Treant. I didn't pick him because he lacks bushes but I'm not sure if it's fair. I've yet to see a treant mini with bushing. I guess it's far too costly and makes a weird balance with too much weight on top to be effective.