For the 50th Anniversary of D&D, WizKids has released a set of Icons of the Realms figures representing creatures from 1st ed. AD&D and the current 5th ed. of the game.
I picked up a few of the miniatures that I felt I could use alongside 1/72 scale figures, the first being the Classic Red Dragon, which is probably the size of a typical young dragon in the current line of miniatures.
The miniature represents the red dragon from the cover of the original D&D Basic Set from 1977.
I think it's a great representation of the artwork, though I wish they would have made the wings a little more in proportion to its body (certainly they were able to alter the appearance of other miniatures, so I don't know why they couldn't have made changes to make this miniature look better).
I also bought a Gold Dragon which is based on the 5th ed. ampersand logo.
This miniature is a Young Gold Dragon (50th Anniversary #50), which is the equivalent size I use for adult dragons in 1/72 scale. This particular miniature seems to sell on eBay for ~US$50, which is way overpriced. You can find it for much cheaper by shopping around.
The next miniature is an efreet based on the cover of the 1st ed. AD&D DMG.
The Efreeti (50th Anniversary #47) has been modified to suit modern tastes, with the damsel in distress replaced by a ball of fire. The sword arm is a separate part, and the seam line where it is attached to the body is quite glaring. I do like how the sunburst eyes from the artwork are replicated in the miniature though.
I was also surprised to learn that Super7 makes a similarly sized 3.75" action figure of the efreet (along with various other figures). Note how the left hand is conveniently cropped from the blister card art.
There is also a US$250 12" resin figure produced by WizKids that represents the "advanced scene" on the DMG cover after the scantily clad damsel has convinced the efreet that the knight is a much better candidate for his attentions.
Next are a pair of goblins. The 1E version is based on Dave Trampier's art from the AD&D Monster Manual.
The 1E Goblin (50th Anniversary #6) is similar to the art, with the main difference being the helmet (because of the way it is painted). The 5E Goblin (50th Anniversary #5) is an archer that is firing his bow.
Next are a pair of Shadow Demons, with the 1E version based on the art from the Fiend Folio.
The 1E Shadow Demon (50th Anniversary #17) mimics the artwork too faithfully, with its brows painted white. I'm pretty sure in the artwork, it is just a stylistic technique used to suggest some semblance of shape to the head of the demon. The 5E Shadow Demon (50th Anniversary #18) is just completely black except for its eyes and teeth.
The last two miniatures are a Pit Fiend (50th Anniversary #31) and a Glabrezu (50th Anniversary #25).
I wish the Icons Pit Fiend was closer to the original Trampier artwork, with half-furled wings partially cloaking his body, since the miniature is similar in appearance to the conversion I made using a Reaper Pit Fiend.
Unfortunately, my Icons Pit Fiend is missing his tail, so it looks like he has a huge tear in his pants.
Finally, I really would have liked to get the demon idol miniature, but it looked like it was more suitable in scale for 15mm figures.
And here the first photos from the dioramica
17 hours ago