I found out WizKids released a new miniature line titled Frameworks after looking at the product at a local gaming store. This new line of models started in January of this year (2022). From a distance, the colorful boxes catch the eye, but I have hesitations. Previous models produced by them failed to impress me, because of missing parts, poor detail, and bring over-primed.

After some internal debate, I bought one model of a rarely seen class/race combo – the Elven monk. Now to be clear, I really like elves. This line of models needs to be primed and assembled – great! So let’s take a look at them and see if WizKids improved their line!

First issue – The packaging. As stated above, the colorful boxes catch your eye from a distance. Marketing succeeded on that. However, packaging can be under or overdone and this is what I’m looking into more.

The box seems excessive for housing one miniature – even if there are head/arm swap options. It’s 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches and 1.5 inches. The box material is decent, but I’m not here to spend money on packaging.

The information on the box is lacking. As usual, there is a pretty picture of the model on the front. However, the company chose to portray a colored version of the 3D render. Internally I face palmed. Come on WizKids, cough up the small amount of cash required for an artist to paint the model up to display quality! The back of the box has a 3D rendered pic of all the parts laid out. Alright, at least you know what’s inside.

There is a QR code on the back of the box, taking the customer to a marketing page. Evidently my idea of sprue usage and their idea of sprue usage differ. I dislike sprue based minis that include extra parts like heads and arms. You can’t use these pieces again, and you can’t put them on other minis because they won’t fit. At best, you can use them decorations, but that’s about it. Otherwise, you end up with a box full of weird parts that you’ll never look at again, unless you happen to be really talented with upcycling garbage parts.

Second issue – The mini itself. I’m going to start this off by stating I know WizKids lines are true 28mm models. However, the box to model ratio seems excessive. The sprue measures 5.8 inches by 4.8 inches and 0.5 inches at best. There is a single clear plastic base and a small, one-sided instruction sheet.

As expected, WizKids 3D rendered this miniature super cool. I love 3D rendered models, but not all 3D artists are the same. Congrats to the artist on this model! The proportions are fairly accurate and details well sculpted.

However, it seems the production team for the sprue does not understand placement points. While some are great, others are not. They chose plenty of bad spots to place contact points that, as a consumer, make me cringe. Bad points are delicate areas like fingers, top of the head with fine hair details, neck where necklace details go through, and intricate wraps and near sword tips. Placing the contact point there causes the miniature to lose detail in that spot, creating an eyesore.

Third issue – Quality of plastic. This part does matter in so many ways! For this line of miniatures, the company decided to use a more rigid plastic, so the details remained crisp and less likely to warp. Fantastic. That being said – when slightly bent, the material discolors and does not easily go back into shape.

Unfortunately this became more apparent after I clipped the model off the sprue. Just the pressure of the hobby knife caused the right ankle to discolor. The plastic initially appears rigid, but is more like a mid-grade hardness. Due to the type of plastic and very fine detail, superglue is an issue. Loss of detail was very evident even with small amounts of the adhesive, which you need to put the model together. Superglue fills in the details that you had, and when you get to painting, you won’t have that beautiful detail available anymore. Since the details are very shallow, it’s hard to clean up while the glue is still pliable.

The model is fairly small and the details delicate. I threw out the idea of magnets due to the small size. However, if you’re more familiar with the process it might be feasible.

How do I feel about these models? Are they worth it?

In my opinion – NO. I paid $17 for this particular model. In my assessment, the price is that high because it’s an official Dungeons & Dragons model. The plastic is OK, but has issues; the sculpt good but the details are too fine/shallow; and the packaging is outrageous. Most individuals will not use the extra head, arms, and the flowing cloth (designated to the staff). Seems to me WizKids wants to be like Games Workshop and charge way more than the item is worth. Do yourself a favor and look around at other companies and 3D models.