Old diaorama / models sets • Collecting General

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Old diaorama / models sets
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Liverpuncher
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Joined: Mar 19, 2013
Last Visit: Dec 21, 2020

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:40 pm

On the back of a few Dragon magazines I recall seeing an ad for diorama sets for running D&D with miniatures. I can't recall if they came painted - but I do know the sets featured various scenes - like a small hill with stone steps, a cavern, etc. The only other item I remember is that the company was based in Michigan. I've never seen them in the wild - and assuming they could be acquired for a reasonable price, I'd be interested in buying old sets. Does this product ring a bell with anyone? If so, please let me know. Thanks!

Blackmoor
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Location: Canada

Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:43 pm

Liverpuncher wrote in Old diaorama / models sets:On the back of a few Dragon magazines I recall seeing an ad for diorama sets for running D&D with miniatures. I can't recall if they came painted - but I do know the sets featured various scenes - like a small hill with stone steps, a cavern, etc. The only other item I remember is that the company was based in Michigan. I've never seen them in the wild - and assuming they could be acquired for a reasonable price, I'd be interested in buying old sets. Does this product ring a bell with anyone? If so, please let me know. Thanks!

These sets (there are 3 of them) came in fairly large boxes, did not come prepainted and go for around $50 - $75 each in decent unpunched shape. The miniatures themsoelve are very poor quality but they are fun sets

Games can get you through times of no money but money can not get you through times of no games!!

TollHouseGolem
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Location: Seattle, WA

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 3:25 am

They were made by MPC and they are called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Action Scenes. The sets are Dungeon Invaders, Orc War, and Dragon's Den. I have not seen pictures of the Dragon's Den.

Some of the miniatures are based on Grenadier sculpts, with a few differences. As Blackmoor noted, the quality of the plastic castings are terrible.

You can see some pics of two of the sets here: http://www.leadpoisoned.com/GalleryThum ... 7&mt=Photo

I missed these when I was younger (too busy building MPC Star Wars and airplane kits) but I'm looking for these now as well.

Hope that helps!

"We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances!"
My lead-centric blog: http://theleaddragon.blogspot.com/
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Liverpuncher
Active Collector

Posts: 95
Joined: Mar 19, 2013
Last Visit: Dec 21, 2020

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 12:56 pm

Thank you gents - I now know what to look for online. If you happen to acquire one or find one for sale, let me know!

grodog
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Location: Wichita, KS, USA

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:00 pm

I thought, based on our collective research and (ahem

) wisdom, that we had decided that Dragon's Den or Dragon's Lair (whichever name it was supposed to be) was never issued??: TSR Licensed Items --> Recent Fun Finds --> Model kits from the early 80s --> Action Scene Kits Does anyone have definitive proof that the set existed??

I don't know that I ever reported back on Mars' Q about the 1982 MPC catalog listings, so I'll look for that over the next few days:

Mars wrote in Fun Finds in the Past:
Have you had a chance to check the MPC 1982 catalog?

I posted the 1983 MPC catalog on the Tome:

Tome of Treasures :: View topic - MPC Catalog 1983

and also checked a 1984 catalog which no longer lists the sets.

Allan Grohe ([email protected])
Greyhawk, grodog Style

Editor and Project Manager, Black Blade Publishing
https://www.facebook.com/BlackBladePublishing/

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