How to Choose Your First Set of D&D Miniatures

Quick answer

Buy one small, primed Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures figure first, such as the Raging Troll or Centaur, and paint it before buying more. If your group needs a shared table, add a WarLock Tiles: Accessory - Tavern set. If you play Magic: The Gathering, start with an unpainted Rakdos, Lord of Riots instead. Match the first set to how you will actually use it, not to the biggest box.

Your first D&D miniatures set should answer one question: will you paint it, play with it, or build a scene around it? Most beginners buy too much at once and end up with a shelf of unpainted plastic. A better first purchase is one or two figures that match the character or monster your group already uses.

This guide gives you decision rules for the three real starting paths: a cheap primed figure to learn painting, a terrain accessory to make encounters feel like a place, or a licensed Magic: The Gathering figure if that is the game on your table. Prices below come from the current WizKids Store catalog.

Start with one figure, not a full warband

A first set works best when it is small enough to finish. Painting one miniature teaches you priming, base coating, and sealing without turning a hobby into a backlog. Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures are a strong starting point because the figures arrive highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting. That means less prep before your first brushstroke.

Pick a figure you will actually use in play. A monster like the Raging Troll appears in many low-level encounters, while a Centaur can serve as an ally, enemy, or NPC. If your campaign has a Goliath player, the Female Goliath Barbarian gives that character a proper table presence. One finished figure beats five unopened boxes.

• Set a first-set budget of one to three figures, then stop until they are painted.
• Choose a monster or character your group has already met in play.
• Check that the figure is primed before buying if you want to skip a prep step.

Match the set to your table, not to the catalog

If your group plays theater of the mind, you may only need a single hero or villain miniature as a focal point. If you use a battle map, terrain matters as much as figures. The WarLock Tiles: Accessory - Tavern adds a bar, fireplace, keg barrel, tables, stools, and other scene pieces that turn a plain grid into a location your players remember.

If you play Magic: The Gathering rather than D&D, a D&D-branded figure may sit unused. The Magic: the Gathering Unpainted Miniatures - Rakdos, Lord of Riots is built for that universe and comes highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box. Buy for the game you actually play this month, not the one you might try later.

• Theater of the mind: one or two character figures is enough.
• Battle map: add a terrain accessory after your first painted figure.
• Magic players: choose MTG unpainted miniatures instead of D&D ones.

Read the box before you commit

Nolzur's packaging displays the miniatures in a clear and visible format, so you know exactly what you are getting. That matters because unpainted figures can look very different from the painted art on a website. Look at the actual sculpt, the number of figures in the pack, and whether the set includes scenery or only characters.

Some sets bundle two figures, such as the Silver Dragon Wyrmling & Female Halfling, which gives you a monster and a player-scale character in one purchase. Bundles are efficient, but only if you need both. A single figure you will paint this week is a better first set than a two-figure pack that sits in the box.

• Check the figure count before assuming a set is a bargain.
• Bundles save money only when you need every figure inside.
• Clear packaging lets you judge the sculpt before opening.

Set a realistic first-project scope

A first miniature project should take one or two evenings, not a month. Primed figures with deep cuts for easier painting reduce the hardest part of beginner painting: seeing where one color should stop and another should begin. That is why Nolzur's figures are often recommended as starter miniatures for D&D.

If you want a larger centerpiece, the Silver Dragon Wyrmling & Female Halfling gives you a dragon-scale monster plus a smaller character, but expect more time on the dragon. If you want a single dramatic piece for a villain reveal, Rakdos, Lord of Riots is a larger painting commitment. Choose scope based on the hours you actually have.

• Beginner scope: one small or medium figure, one or two sessions.
• Intermediate scope: a two-figure bundle with one large monster.
• Avoid starting with a display piece unless you already paint regularly.

Decision rules for your first D&D miniatures set

• If you mainly want to paint: Buy one primed Nolzur's figure, such as the Centaur or Raging Troll, and finish it before buying a second. One painted figure teaches more than five unopened boxes.
• If you mainly want to play on a map: Start with one character or monster figure, then add WarLock Tiles: Accessory - Tavern once your group uses terrain regularly. Terrain is an upgrade, not a replacement for your first figure.
• If you play Magic: The Gathering: Choose Magic: the Gathering Unpainted Miniatures - Rakdos, Lord of Riots instead of a D&D-branded figure. Buy for the game you actually play.
• If you want a bundle: The Silver Dragon Wyrmling & Female Halfling gives you a monster and a character, but the dragon takes longer to paint. Only bundle if you need both figures.

Catalog facts that affect your first buy

• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Raging Troll: Comes highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting and clear packaging. You can start painting immediately without priming, and the deep cuts help beginners keep colors separated.
• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Centaur: A Dungeons & Dragons Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures figure, highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box. A lower-cost single figure lets you test whether you enjoy painting before spending more.
• WarLock Tiles: Accessory - Tavern: Contents include a bar straight, bar L-shape, bar 45-degree angle, bear skin rug, beer tap, drink cabinet, stone fireplace, bartender, bread loaves, keg barrel, beds, stools, table, and rooster. Contents subject to change. This is a terrain set, not a character set, so it upgrades an existing battle map rather than replacing your first figure.
• Magic: the Gathering Unpainted Miniatures - Rakdos, Lord of Riots: Highly detailed, primed, and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting and clear packaging. Choose this if your actual game is Magic: The Gathering, so your first painted figure fits the table you already play at.

Who this first-set approach fits

Best for

• New painters who want a primed figure they can finish in one or two sessions
• Dungeon Masters who need one monster or NPC for an upcoming encounter
• Magic: The Gathering players who want a figure from their own game

Not for

• Collectors who want pre-painted display figures rather than unpainted ones
• Groups that already own a full miniature collection and need bulk monsters
• Players who want terrain first and no character figures at all

Your first D&D miniatures set should be small, matched to your table, and finished before you buy more. Start with one primed Nolzur's figure, add WarLock Tiles terrain when your group uses maps, and choose MTG unpainted miniatures if that is your game. One painted figure on the table is worth more than a shelf of maybes.