Army Men: A TTRPG Where The Book Is The Most Expensive Part of The Game

There's a lie all of us fans of TTRPGs have heard at least once, and which many of us have probably said it to someone looking to get into the hobby. "Oh, how much does it cost?" they ask. "Not that much," we say, lying. "All you need is a book, some dice, a pencil, some paper, and your imagination!"

Those of us who've been in the life for a while, of course, know that this is a technical truth at best. Because the more you play, the more stuff you tend to acquire. From extra dice sets, to battle mats, to dice towers, the accessories add up... and nowhere do a lot of us spend more money than when it comes to miniatures (and sometimes) set dressing.

Now, a lot of us will use creative substitutions as our physical representations, and while they get the job done, it can sometimes scratch the paint on our immersion. For Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, though, I wanted those cheap phys reps and Dollar Store plastic figures to be accurate representations of the field you see before you!

Pictured: A World-Accurate Miniature

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Spill Out The Toy Box!

A lot of us likely remember the days of the old Army Men toy soldiers from when we were little... well, they're still in production! Not only that, but they come in a wider variety than ever before, and their price is still pretty far below what you'd pay for most gaming-specific minis. For example, a classic, 400-piece collection of armies that has the green, gray, red, and tan soldiers (leaving out only the blue from the RPG itself) only runs you about $18. Detailed, action sculpts different from the standard soldiers of yesteryear are a little more expensive, but you still get 100 troopers for about $14. There are even packs of Army Women which, while a little pricier at $15 for 36 figures, have some pretty great detail that will really make them pop on the board!

There are even sets that have towers, bridges, tanks, tents, sand bag walls, and more, all for significantly less than you might pay if you went shopping for miniatures terrain that you'd see in a war gaming store. The Ikasus set and the Flexzion set are perfect examples, especially when you consider that both are under $20!

What about the enemies?

While some missions will have you fighting other resinous persons (whether it's dealing with those under the effects of mind control, squabbles between nations within the Federation, or simply dealing with unscrupulous mercenaries), a lot of the monsters your squad will fight in this game are other members of the discount toy aisle that a lot of us likely had sitting in our toy boxes as kids. The Vespoids are insectoid creatures that range from medium-sized, all the way up to huge, which lets you break out most of the giant spiders, ants, wasps, and other weird plastic bugs you might have. There's also the plastic dinosaurs, which are in the base book's bestiary (though I haven't disclosed where one might find them just yet)!

And if you're one of the folks who has picked up the expanded enemies and creatures found in Army Men: Threat Assessments, this trend continues. Creatures like the newly introduced mechanical menaces the Mekanauts can be easily replicated with the Futuristic Space Battle Toy Set, which has all the robots, droids, and alien creatures you could want! And if you look very closely at the illustration on the cover of Threat Assessments, then you might see why having some alien miniatures on-hand for future missions for Army Men might just be a good investment.

A Last Tip on Mini Preparation

It is perfectly acceptable to take the minis I've mentioned out of the bag, and play with them as-is. They'll be perfect represenations of the setting with no further work on your part... however, if you want to add a little bit of extra to your minis, consider grabbing some Nuln oil and giving your small soldiers a wash to really make the details on them pop! Vallejo black wash will do the job just as well, if you're keeping an eye on your budget, too, and you can get a lot of minis done with just one bottle... though putting a seal on them to protect the wash is a good idea, too.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Affordable Metal Minis? Nano MetalFigs Has You Covered!

It's been a while since I've talked about my weekly craft night projects on here, but I started one recently that I'm pretty pleased with. Partly because it's my first ever miniature project, but also because it involves something I picked up at a local Dollar Tree. Because I was just grabbing some necessities one day, and I decided to swing by the toy aisle to see what they had on-hand... when I noticed they had a diecast figure of the Undertaker! At just over an inch and a half tall, and for about $1.50, there was no way I wasn't going to take him home. I was barely out the door before I was scrolling through my mental archive, and trying to decide which character I was going to use him for.

After making sure I had a very small brush (which got trimmed even smaller to get into the nooks and crannies), and borrowing some green paint, I got to work on modifying this figure to show up at my table. While it might not be much, I'm still pretty pleased with how it's turned out so far.

Never talk shit about a greenskin inquisitor, my friend.

While the photo isn't great (sadly, all I have on-hand for taking them is my phone), all I did was paint the face, neck, and chest the virulent green we tend to associate with orcs. A few coats of that paint, and then a sealer, and bam, I had a shiny, metal mini all my own to bring to the battle.

There was, however, one more modification I needed to make. The bases for these figures are pretty wide, and tend to stick out past the single square we're used to using. However, if you have a dremel tool in your work space you can quickly shave those sides down with no real trouble. As long as you keep them even, you're good to go in maybe twenty minutes or so (less if you're used to this kind of mod).

Turns Out, There's More of These Figures On The Market

I kept poking my head in at the store for a few weeks after, seeing if any more of these figures had come in, but it seemed I grabbed one of the last ones. However, since I was curious, I popped onto Amazon to see what models were around, and how much work they'd take to get them ready for some action at a game of mine.

Ask and ye shall receive, I suppose...

Turns out that not only are there a lot more figures like the one I found out there, but they're not really all that expensive if you're looking to get your hands on them (particularly considering what metal minis tend to run, if that's your jam). A full set of WWE diecast figures goes for just over $25, coming out to about what I paid for my one individual mini. Of course, if wrestlers aren't your jam, then you might find the Marvel hero figures or the X-Men figures to be more up your alley.

One problem you'll run into with some of these figures is that the wide base is really needed to accommodate their pose, so you won't be able to just shave down the base to make it fit. However, plenty of figures don't need such a wide surface to stand on, and they hold up just fine with a quarter of an inch or so ground off either side. While you might need to rough up the finish on the figure if you want to do a more extensive paint re-touching, if you just want to add a splash of color here, or change a detail there, it's surprisingly easy.

And, for my two cents, it's a lot less intimidating than getting a totally blank mini and trying to do a ground-up paint job on your first try. Might just be the way my brain works, but making small alterations to a mostly complete piece gave me a lot more confidence than trying to do a full figure on my first try.

Though I might still try that out in the future. More on that later if I decide to dive down that rabbit hole!

Interested in More Gaming DIY?

If you're interested in more tabletop DIY (or just finding cheap ways to get a lot of figures, dice, etc. for your table), then you might want to take a look at some of the following posts:

- Want Cheap Minis? Wizards of The Coast and 5 Below Are Here To Help!

- 4 Tools To Help You Control Your Dice at The Table

- Towering Defenses Against My Chronic Bad Rolls (Dice Tower DIY)

- Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

- Organize Your Spell Cards With a Portable Spellbook!

And, of course, if there's a topic I haven't covered yet that you'd like to see show up, feel free to leave a comment below!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Need Cheap Minis? SCS Direct Has You Covered!

If you're a dungeon master, then you know exactly how expensive miniatures can get. While there's nothing wrong with using tokens or cardboard minis (the sort you could download from Paper Forge, for example), there is something a little more real about using three-dimensional miniatures for your beasties. Especially if you want to assemble a small army of zombies at one end of the table, or you want to make it abundantly clear that the entire deck of the opposing ship is swarming with pirates.

Buying that many miniatures isn't cheap, though... unless you hit up SCS Direct, that is.

Roll initiative.

What Is SCS Direct?

You know how everyone always tells you to shop for minis on the Internet, because that's where you find good deals? Well, SCS Direct is one of those digital storefronts I found on Amazon that has all kinds of awesome minis. Not only that, but it offers you packs of them for less than $20!

A brief sample of the minis packs I found include:

- 100 Fantasy Creatures (with wizards, two-headed ogres, unicorns, dragons, and other sundries)

- 100 Zombies (with traditional zombies, zombie pets, graveyard terrain, and other undead things)

- 100 Glow-In-The-Dark Zombies (same as above, but in green, and glowing in the dark)

- Humans VS Aliens (an equal assortment of civilians, and Cthonian horrors ideal for aberrations)

- 52 Robots (a slew of mechanical monsters, ready to populate a sci-game game or tinker's dungeon)

No matter what kind of game you're playing, these minis are something most DMs can afford, and even better they're made from durable plastic. You won't have to worry about fragile parts breaking off every time you move a mini, and they're distinct enough that there's no worrying about separating the monsters from the heroes. A major advantage if you like to run hoard battle scenarios.

If you like more detailed minis then you might be a bit happier with the offerings in the Arena of The Planeswalker game produced by Wizards of the Coast, especially if you can find it and its additional packs like Battle For Zendikar or Shadows Over Innistrad at a fairly cheap price. But if you need bad guys to beef up your map, then the big buckets of goons might be just what the doctor ordered for your next campaign!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post! If you've got a hot tip for getting cheap minis (or other bargain supplies for gaming) leave them in the comments below! If you'd like to see more of my work, head over to my Vocal archive, or just click my Gamers page to see only my tabletop articles. You should also consider heading over to the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio, where I work with other talented gamers making videos for players and DMs alike!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. If you'd like to support me, you could either Buy Me A Ko-Fi, go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron, or check in at My Amazon Author Page where you can buy my books... like a copy of my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife!

Looking For Deals on Terrain and Minis? Don't Go To Your FLGS

If you're a gamer, then you've likely seen those grand set ups at conventions, or on YouTube campaigns where the DM has an entire spread of appropriate map terrain. A whole, miniature world whether it's a dungeon, the town square, or an entire army that's being battled. It looks like a dream come true, but that dream quickly turns into a nightmare when you see how much dealers sell some of that terrain for.

How much!? I could put a down payment on a REAL house for that.

While advances in technology like 3D printing have made it easier to get custom designs, most of us still can't afford to have one of those little miracles in our basement. Don't worry, though, there are plenty of places you can go to find interesting additions to your map.

Head To The Dollar Store

Whether it's the Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Five Below, or some other brand of store where they sell stuff for cheap, pop in there are take a good look around. Specifically, you need to walk down the toy aisle. In the super cheap dollar stores, you'll find bags of plastic toys that are perfect for map deployment. Over-sized wolves, hulking zombies, skeletons, pirates, cannons, catapults, knights, and the list goes on and on. While a lot of these minis won't quite fit in a single space, and they have some trouble standing up, you can easily glue them to a pre-existing base. And if you don't have any bases lying around unused, you can easily cut some from cardboard or plastic. Take a Sharpie to blacken the base, and you have adventurers, monsters, and all sorts of props that could be cluttering up your dungeon. You can even add some small stones or moss onto the base, if you're super dedicated.

It won't be Games Workshop quality, but hey, you're not paying Games Workshop prices, either.

In addition to just looking for those $1 bags of cheap toys, though, give a long, hard look to the board games on offer. Because as I mentioned awhile back in Want Cheap Minis? Wizards and Five Below Are Here To Help! these stores often get games like Arena of The Planeswalkers (which has over 30 miniatures in it, as well as some useful map terrain like boulders, ice walls, etc.). And even if it's not a cast-off from Wizards, board games with interesting minis, a crap load of dice, or even a dice tower, can often be picked up for a handful of change.

Even if you don't find something in the toy aisle, relax. Instead, swing by the craft section, and the home and garden aisle if they have one. You know that red dragon "mini" that's about a foot tall? Well, if you don't mind it having a ceramic glisten, you may be able to find one for $5 or so that's meant to go in your garden. It will be pretty heavy, and will require a base, but you'll see the same look of utter panic on your players' faces when you deploy it, and that's what matters. In addition to colossal beasties the size of a house cat, though, home and garden aisles in these stores are replete with tiny cottages, wells, castles, and other stuff for people who want to build little outdoor scenes in their gardens.

And remember, if the castle you find looks too cheery, all it takes is a coat of black gloss spray paint to turn it into the decaying tower of the wizard Karthandrel.

If That Doesn't Work, Head To Michael's

Chances are you've been in a Michael's craft store at some point. However, unless you went all the way to the back aisles, you may have missed their miniatures crafting section. While it's meant for model train enthusiasts, dioramas, and other miniature still-life art, these aisles can be a godsend for DMs who want to spice up the map.

They literally have everything you could want back there. You want dragons? Got em. Stone walls to mark out dungeon barriers? There are probably half-a-dozen varieties there. You want a grassy mat you can mark off into five-foot-squares? Giants? Sea creatures? Done, done, and done. Some things may require a little bit of constructive trimming and gluing to be made into game-ready pieces, but they won't cost anywhere near as much as what you'd find at a convention.

Especially if you get a store membership.

Michael's has a program where, if you're a member, they send you daily coupons, weekly specials, and birthday perks. So even if that hydra you're looking at is $15, well, you can get it for less than a 10-spot if you wait for a 50% off coupon... which you'll get pretty quick. And while you're there you could pick up some paints and brushes to make each head a different color... you know, in case your players have earned you wroth.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday update. Hopefully you find the advice helpful, and if you know of any specific stores that always seem to have the goods feel free to share them in the comments. For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or just go to my Gamers profile to see only my RPG stuff. You could also stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help out. To stay on top of all my releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to help me keep getting good content to you, then consider leaving my a small tip by Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or becoming a regular patron over on The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. Every little bit helps, and there's free stuff in it for you as well!

Want Cheap Minis? Wizards and Five Below Are Here To Help!

If you are part of any online gaming groups, chances are you've heard about Magic The Gathering's Arena of The Planeswalkers board game. It allows two to four players to take on the role of planeswalkers, gives you cards to play, map tiles to place on the board, and a small legion of minions to call upon in order to crush your enemies.

All in all, a fun way to spend a few hours.

While this game is just fine on its own, it's all the components that come with it that caught my eye. There the five planeswalker minis you can see on the front, but there are also thirty monster minis, map terrain, and a black D20. Which, for what I paid for it, makes it one hell of a haul.

That is some serious swag for $5.

If you've seen this game lurking around your friendly local gaming store, or up on a shelf in one of the few toy stores we still have, you likely saw a pretty big price tag on it. However, if you are fortunate enough to have a Five Below near you (which I do, and this tip was what got me to go in there in the first place), you might be able to grab one of these for a fraction of what it should cost.

So, whether you're just looking to add some monsters to your collection, get some cheap minis, or you genuinely want to try the game on for size, keep your eyes peeled for it. I don't know why it is so cheap, if it just didn't move copies or something, but it's at a bargain basement price now.

Also, if you don't happen to have it near you, it's possible to grab a copy over on Amazon. It's a little more expensive, but if you've got Prime, you can still get all this for a little more than a ten-spot.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. The Internet tipped me off to this find, so I thought I'd do my part to spread the word. If you'd like to see more of my work, go check out my Vocal archive, or stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I and other local gamers get together to make videos on gaming advice, skits, and lore for the world of Evora. If you want to stay on top of all my latest releases, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. And, if you want to support my work here on Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, or click here to Buy Me A Coffee! Either way, I'll shoot you some sweet gaming swag as a thanks for your help.

Post-Apocalyptic LARP Accessories That Won't Break The Bank? Check Out Karol B!

As I've mentioned a few times in the past, in addition to being an avid tabletop gamer, I tend to show my face at LARPs from time to time. And while there's a certain thrill that comes with costuming a character, that thrill often butts up against my pocket book. Which means I either have to find ways to create cool costuming gear on the cheap, or limit my concepts to things I already own.

Which is why I was thrilled when I stumbled across Karol B.

You see that? It's $15!

What Makes Karol B So Great?

You see that leg drop bag? I bought one for myself as a Christmas indulgence, and with shipping and handling it cost me less than $20. Getting a similar design from other companies, but particularly from boutique costumers, could easily cost double, triple, or quintuple that amount.

If you poke around Karol B, you'll see that same kind of shocking difference in cost all over the place. Have you ever wanted a custom, post-apocalyptic backpack complete with your own war boy logo? Well, would you pay $49.99 for it? Particularly when the same sort of bag would easily run you two to three times that from another location? How about vintage WWII accessories for under $10? You know, the sorts of things you scour Ebay for at 2 in the morning to complete your costume, and the only auction you find is already $25 more than what you'd be willing to pay.

Do I really need to eat for the next week?

Aside from consistently low prices, cool gear, and a changing lineup of stuff, Karol B is a small business that caters to what we in the geeky world are looking for. So, as a satisfied customer, I reached out to the site's owner Karol Bartoszynski and asked him if he'd be willing to answer a few questions. He was, and here is the result!

Question #1: What Made You Open Your Store?

I opened an Etsy store a few years ago as mostly a way to try selling a few handmade items now & then, with mixed results. It wasn't until 2012, after losing yet another soulless, dissatisfying job in Los Angeles, that I finally decided enough was enough.

I resolved to pursue my passion for costume & clothing design as a living, and not work for anyone again. It wasn't long before I was sewing custom jackets & pants in my friend's garage.

Then, things really picked up when I started selling my backpacks. I never knew backpacks were so popular. That's when I started selling them on my own personal site, KarolB.com.

Question #2: Are You Looking To Expand Your Product Lines in The Future?

I'm always trying new things & definitely hoping to one day return to focusing on clothing. But right now, making accessories & patches is easier to manage. My next plan is to offer unique baseball caps.

Question #3: What Would You Say Are The Reasons Customers Keep Coming Back?

I think customers come back because I offer things that are unique & you can't find anywhere else. There are so many companies manufacturing the same old indistinguishable dress shirts, bags, etc. I'd rather stand out in the crowd & offer something that makes you feel like you're dressed to be in your favorite movie, video game, or rock band.

Question #4: Are There Any Particular Fandoms or Groups (LARPers, cosplayers, etc.) Who Find Your Gear A Perfect Fit?

I have found cosplayers to be my best audience. My stuff tends to walk the edge of daily clothing & costume, which perhaps helps cosplayers bring their hobby into their daily lives. I'm also a really big post-apocalypse fan (I am one of the founders of Wasteland Weekend, the world's largest post-apocalyptic festival), so there's definitely a focus on that in my stuff, especially with Mad Max & Fallout. I also run the Mad Max costume reference site, MadMaxCostumes.com, so some of my accessories are really screen-accurate & targeted at serious fans.

So, what are you waiting for? Go check out Karol B today, and see if they have that piece you've been looking for. And, while you're at it, follow Karol B on Facebook, too.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday update. Hopefully there are some folks out there who enjoyed this little signal boost. If you'd like to support Improved Initiative, all you have to do is go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, and toss a little change in my jar. And there's free swag in it for everyone who chooses to support! Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, why not do it today?