I want to thank La Louve 3D for sending us some miniatures from the Dangerous Monsters series in order to write this review. However, remember that you can only buy the .stl files, the 3D models of the famous creatures available; you still need to have them printed (or take care of that yourself) in case you want to use them on a physical game table. Late pledges are still available at the moment.
This project was a great success thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that raised ten times the amount requested. Given the quality of another product by the same authors we have talked about in the past: Monster Families, this does not surprise me.
But now let’s see what we have!
The Protagonists in this Dangerous Monsters Review
The author Cassandre Loiseau has taken inspiration from the classic bestiaries of cornerstones of the medieval fantasy genre such as Dungeons and Dragons, and the like. There isn’t a whole lot of originality but, honestly, that isn’t even what I’m looking for in works of this type. I much prefer to have models of creatures I already know; so I simply have to “match” them to my favorite RPGs and exploit them during the sessions, without necessarily having to create dedicated statistics.
I also want to point out that the quality is very high. The models are rich in detail and the dynamic poses are very well rendered. I have never got the impression of “dazed” creatures, but always ready for action. Teeth, horns, scales and tentacles: even looking at them closely, the eye is satisfied!
We received: a horned hound, two mad devourers, an infectious fly, a bulette and a tyrant eye. By simply looking at the images accompanying this review, you may easily recognize some of the monsters of Dangerous Monsters; they just have different names. After all, a rose by any other name always smells just as sweet, doesn’t it?
The other creatures available are: kitsune, infernal skull, tarrasque, hippogriff, cockatrice, poisonous snail, grampy mushroom, otyugh, ursidae bubo and nautil. Also, thanks to the stretch goals, sprawling brain, rust bug, griffon, revenant tyrant eye, basilisk, and devil bones have already been unlocked. A truly remarkable variety!
The Technical Characteristics
First of all, I want to remind you: Dangerous Monsters only provides the print files of the creatures, so we can’t give you feedback on the materials. They depend on the printer you use.
This, however, in no way detracts from the work of La Louve 3D. After all, not all 3D models are the same! And these, in addition to being aesthetically well made (as already stated above), are definitely useful.
They are 32 mm in size, adaptable to other dimensions. Did someone say giant tarrasque? Why not!
The .stl files need supports so the parts “suspended in air” don’t become deformed due to heat and gravity during the printing process. They are already present; the file is ready to send to the printer. In other words, very few technical skills are required. Much better this way!
One last detail I definitely appreciated was the fact that the bases are detached from the miniatures. This may seem like a defect to an unwary eye, but in reality it is a big advantage if you decide to paint them. Being able to handle them freely without the risk of breaking them is undoubtedly convenient.
Final Considerations
What I appreciated most about this product (in addition to the wonderful aesthetics) is the strong commitment to meet the needs of those who buy them. It doesn’t matter if you want to paint them or not, what size you want them, or which printer you use to print them, these 3D models can be easily adapted to everyone’s needs. Moreover, being medieval fantasy-themed makes it easier to find a use for them at the game table.
As you can easily guess from this review, I really liked Dangerous Monsters. Honestly, I would recommend this product both to those who want new miniatures to play with and to those who want eye-catching items to show at home. The poses chosen by the modeler make them superior to many others. They seem alive and show the passion that went into realizing them.
