I picked up Wizkids’ Dwarf Cleric last night from my FLGS, and I’m seriously looking forward to painting them. The older I get, the more I appreciate dwarves and their aesthetic, not to mention their outlook on life in general.

These guys do not disappoint. Dwarf Clerics are something of a trope; back in the day, they were pretty much part of the standard-issue adventuring party, along with the Elf Ranger, Human Fighter, and Halfling Thief. Naturally, with that legacy, you’d expect the official D&D Minis version of that archetype to be on point, and they most certainly are.

First impressions of these guys are solid, stout, and implacable. They’re on the smaller side, naturally, but they’re blocky and dense, in a good way. The design cues are very dwarven, without being all angles and corners in the way Peter Jackson approaches it (which I also love; don’t get me wrong). They feel like dwarves, and most importantly, they feel like Dungeons and Dragons dwarves, which sounds like a silly distinction to make, seeing as these are the official D&D line, but I’ve seen more than a few minis that miss the mark in that regard. One is in the middle of casting a spell, while the other is swinging his two-handed hammer in combat, which is a nice nod to the fact that clerics can and often do mix it up in combat.

The poses are dynamic; even though the fellow casting his spells is planted with his arms up, his cloak billows behind him like it’s being kicked up by arcane energy. This is the first one I’ve picked up that has the clear magic effects included, so I’m anxious to see what I can do with some clear paints on it. Our more aggressive friend is in mid-swing with a two-handed hammer, and again, though he’s planted, it’s easy to see that hammer continuing its arc right on top of a goblin’s head. He even has a little prayer box tied to his forehead, which is a nice touch, and sets him apart from a fighter or even a paladin (though he could definitely serve as a mini for one of the martial classes, in a pinch).

The details are excellent; one thing I’ve noticed about these minis are the propensity for details to be a bit washed out on the faces (the Female Dwarf Barbarian and the Githyanki are two I’ve noticed with this issue), but these have very strong features that should pop with even just a wash and basic highlight. Other small details are distinct enough to cause analysis paralysis; both have aprons which appear to hold many small tools, which could easily be painted different colors (but since this is about making sure the minis look Okay we won’t be killing ourselves to make sure each one is a different color not used anywhere else– but you could). The two-handed hammer has a skull on its face, which is a nice touch, and the aforementioned prayer box is a detail I’ve not seen on a mini, which is cool.

My only quibble is the beards. I know 5E goes in a new direction aesthetically, but I feel like the beards should be a little more prominent than they are. They have them, and they look good (and one is mostly just hidden by the pose of holding a giant hammer), but they are not exactly the central point of the figure that they should be. It does make the figures feel more grounded in realism, but it also feels like they’re missing out on making them just a bit more fun.

Looking closer at the quality and the primer reveals few mold lines or goopy areas where the primer collected, but I did find two imperfections which are pretty significant.

The first is an improperly seated hand on the caster. They molded both hands in clear plastic and then glued them onto the opaque body, but didn’t quite get the right one lined up. Given that these are mass-produced and only cost about five bucks, this is an understandable and forgivable mistake, and I will be researching the best way to correct this for painting. Even still, if you’re buying from a store, it’s something to keep in mind to double-check before you take it to the counter.

The second is a significant bit of flash under the belt pouch of the hammer swinger, but again, five dollar mini (technically two-and-a-half-dollar mini, really), and easy enough to remedy with an X-acto knife.

Overall, I very much like these figs. The detail is excellent, the poses are dynamic and appropriate for adventurers, and with one or two exceptions, pretty much ready to paint right out of the pack. For the price, they are an excellent value, and it would be very hard to go wrong with these guys, even if you just plop them on the battlemat unpainted. I’ll be enjoying a nice stout while I paint these guys up for you.

Happy painting!