Custom Miniatures for Less? Reviewing Hero Forge’s New Standees

Hero Forge sent us miniatures for the purpose of this review. As always, all opinions are entirely our own.

New Hero Forge Standees

Hero Forge has been a staple in the tabletop gaming industry for years now. They began offering custom 3D miniatures in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Then, they upgraded their offering with color miniatures that don’t require a Dexterity of 20 combined with a proficiency in Sleight of Hand to make presentable.

They recently introduced 2D colored Standees as a cost-effective option for budget-conscious players, and this new offering is what we’ll be covering today!

What Are Hero Forge Standees?

Coming in at $12.99, Standees are Hero Forge’s most affordable physical option. The next step up is a non-colored Plastic miniature at $19.99, so these Standees are a great entry point without losing much in the way of aesthetics.

They’re also uniquely positioned in price point because they’re fully colored. The next least expensive color option is the Color Plastic miniatures, which are $39.99, so this is a considerably more budget-friendly option for players who don’t have the time or means to paint their own miniature.

The Standees are 2D and come with a front and backside. Like the rest of Hero Forge’s miniatures, you can build them using their custom online builder. Then, you take a snapshot of the front and back, and that’s what displays on the miniature’s two sides.

Each miniature is 1/8″ thick and made of clear acrylic. You can see a thin clear acrylic border around your miniature. They’re standard-sized 30mm miniatures on a 1 1/6″ base, so they’re perfect for traditional battle map setups.

My Experience

The second I popped open the box, I was blown away by the two Hero Forge Standees I designed for this review.

These Standees are seriously well-made. The clear acrylic they’re crafted from feels super strong, and the artwork itself is printed in sharp detail with super bold colors. The colors were amazing, and you really don’t lose any of the details that were shown on their online builder.

Display on a Table (4.5 out of 5)

The transparent border allows your eye to pass right over it, which gives the illusion that the character is fully 3D from certain perspectives. This is especially true when the Standee is on a battle map surrounded by other miniatures.

The only angle that these minis lose their effectiveness is if you’re looking on from the side. This is due to the fact that the decal is on the front and back of the miniature, so looking on from the side you don’t see any of the color. Instead, all you see is transparent plastic.

Durability (5 out of 5)

I did a drop test from 4 feet (approximately table height) and 6 feet (the highest reasonable distance I could think of), and both miniatures survived without any breakage. This is probably equal parts due to the high-durability acrylic and the fact that they are very light.

The decal also will not scratch off unless a sharp implement is used to intentionally damage the mini, so your characters are bound to last a full campaign and more.

Bang For Your Buck (5 out of 5)

Getting a colored, custom miniature for less than $15 is an absolute steal. Obviously, this is still on the expensive side when compared to non-custom miniatures. But, for players looking to create their characters exactly how they picture them, there’s nothing better on the market.

Comparison: Online Editor vs Physical Minis

As you can see from the screenshot above comparing the digital minis to the physical Standees, the details are perfect. I would say they’re even sharper than the 3D color miniatures Hero Forge offers, as they don’t have any smoothing due to the 3D printing process.

I’ll take this opportunity to plug Hero Forge’s custom miniature builder because I love using it to create all of my D&D characters, whether I’ll be buying a miniature or not. It’s like the character builder at the beginning of an RPG on steroids. You can completely customize all the aspects of your character, down to the color of their boots.

Final Verdict

For the price, you really can’t beat Hero Forge Standees. They’re high quality, they look fantastic, and they’re way cheaper than other custom miniature options. If you’re looking for a way to spruce up your tabletop games without breaking the bank, these are absolutely the way to go.

Whether you’re a seasoned Dungeon Master or a total tabletop newbie, these Standees will add a whole new layer of excitement and immersion to your campaigns.