How to Choose Miniatures for Your Role Playing Game

Quick answer

For most tabletop RPG groups, start with a small set of 28–32mm miniatures that match your campaign's most common enemies and one hero per player. Choose plastic or pre-assembled figures if you want durability and low prep time, and buy used minis when you want to fill out a bestiary on a budget. Buy only what you will actually put on the table in the next few sessions.

A good RPG miniature does two jobs: it shows everyone where a character is standing, and it makes that character feel real. The trick is choosing figures that fit your table without turning your hobby room into a warehouse. This guide gives you concrete decision rules for scale, material, assembly, and storage so you can build a collection that earns its space.

You do not need a miniature for every monster in the book. Most groups get more value from a focused set of player characters, a handful of generic enemies, and one or two standout boss figures. The sections below walk through the trade-offs so you can decide what to buy first and what to skip.

Match scale to your table, not to the box art

Most fantasy and sci-fi RPGs assume miniatures in the 28–32mm range, measured roughly from foot to eye level. If your group already uses a battle mat with 1-inch squares, stick to that scale so a medium creature fills one square. Mixing scales is the fastest way to make a carefully painted warband look wrong next to a new purchase.

Before you buy, measure one figure you already own or check the grid on your mat. If you play theater-of-the-mind with occasional figures, scale matters less, and you can prioritize character over exact size. If you run grid combat every week, scale consistency is the rule that keeps play smooth.

• Measure from the base to the eyes, not to the tip of a raised weapon.
• Keep one scale for your whole campaign; add a second scale only for a separate game system.

Decide between new, used, and multi-part kits

New plastic miniatures usually come on a sprue and need assembly and sometimes cleanup. That is fine if you enjoy the building side of the hobby, but it adds hours before a figure ever hits the table. Single-piece or pre-assembled figures cost more per model but get you playing faster, which matters for a weekly group.

Used miniatures are the budget route to a deep roster. At Frontline Gaming, secondhand items are sold as-is and sales are final, so you are buying exactly what you see. That trade-off is worth it when you need ten goblins more than you need a pristine box. For a centerpiece hero, buy new so you control the build and the paint.

• Buy used for rank-and-file enemies; buy new for player characters and bosses.
• Check the listing photos closely on used figures, since condition varies.

Pick material by how you play, not by prestige

Plastic is light, durable, and easy to glue and paint, which makes it the default for most RPG minis. Resin holds crisp detail but is more brittle and needs careful handling and storage. Metal feels substantial and resists tipping, but it is heavier to carry and can chip paint if it knocks against other figures in a bag.

If your miniatures travel to a friend's house every week, favor plastic and a padded case. If they live on a shelf and come out for special sessions, resin or metal can be a reasonable upgrade. There is no single best material; there is only the material that survives your table.

• Plastic for travel and beginners; resin for display detail; metal for weight and stability.
• Match your carrying case to the material — heavy metal figures need more padding.

Buy for the encounters you actually run

A common mistake is buying a beautiful monster that never appears in your campaign. Instead, list the enemy types your group has fought most in the last month and buy two or three of each. Generic figures — bandits, skeletons, guards — get reused constantly, while a specific named villain may appear once.

For player characters, one figure per player is the baseline. If a player changes characters often, a neutral figure with a simple silhouette can stand in until the new sheet settles. This keeps your spending tied to what happens at the table rather than to what looks good in a web store.

• Track your last five sessions and buy the enemies that appeared most.
• Use one flexible stand-in figure for characters that change frequently.

Plan storage before you plan your next purchase

Miniatures that live loose in a box will chip, bend, and tangle. A foam or compartment case protects paint and keeps figures findable during a session. If you are buying multi-part kits, keep the spare arms and heads in a labeled bag so you can find them later instead of rebuying the whole kit.

Storage also sets a natural limit on your collection. When the case is full, either sell or trade figures you no longer use, or buy a second case with a clear purpose. That rule prevents the slow drift from a focused warband to an unmanageable pile.

• Store by faction or encounter type so you can pull a group in seconds.
• Keep a small repair kit with glue and a hobby knife for bent or loose parts.

Decision rules for buying RPG miniatures

• Rule 1: One scale for the whole table: Commit to 28–32mm and check it against your battle mat grid before buying anything new. If a figure does not match your existing scale, skip it unless you are starting a separate game.
• Rule 2: Used for crowds, new for characters: Buy secondhand figures for generic enemies and new kits for player characters and major villains. This keeps your budget low without sacrificing the figures you look at most.
• Rule 3: Buy what appeared last month: Base purchases on the encounters you actually ran, not on a wishlist of monsters you may never use. If you cannot name the session where a figure will appear, wait.
• Rule 4: Storage comes with the purchase: Budget for a case or foam tray at the same time you buy figures, especially if you paint them. A full case is your signal to trade or sell before buying more.

Product facts to know before you buy

• Chaos Space Marines: Master Of Executions: An intimidating HQ choice for the Chaos Space Marines, the bane of enemy Characters, augmented by powerful abilities to help him engage and execute targets of choice. Due to distribution restrictions, this product ships only to the United States. A strong pick if you want a single dramatic villain figure for a sci-fi RPG session. Check the shipping restriction before ordering from outside the US.
• Age of Sigmar Knight-Incantor HKA-25: Secondhand Shop product; sales are final and sold as-is. Items are what you see is what you get and are purchased exclusively from clients through the Secondhand Store Program. A low-cost way to add a spellcaster NPC to your table. Because sales are final, review the photos carefully and accept that condition may vary.
• Citadel: Skirmish Figure Case: Due to distribution restrictions we are only able to ship this product to the United States. A dedicated case protects painted RPG minis between sessions. Confirm you are in the eligible shipping region before you plan your storage around it.

Who this approach fits

Best for

• Game masters running weekly grid-based combat who need reusable enemy figures
• New groups building a first set of player character minis on a budget

Not for

• Collectors who want display-quality resin figures and never plan to handle them
• Players who only use theater-of-the-mind and never place figures on a mat

Choose miniatures the way you prep a session: start with what you will use next, keep the scale consistent, and store what you buy. A small, well-chosen set of RPG miniatures will do more for your table than a shelf full of figures that never get played.