WoW Minis Deluxe Edition Unboxing

The World of Warcraft Miniatures Deluxe Edition was released today! (San Francisco’s Gamescape was, once again, very accommodating and might be starting up a WoW Miniatures game day on Sundays.) The Deluxe Edition set comes with 6 random World of Warcraft miniatures, 6 character cards, 12 action bar cards, 12 ten-sided dice, 6 UBases (which many players have simply stopped using in lieu of dice), a poster/complete character list, a scenario book, and one of three game boards (either Ashenvale, Tanaris, or Winterspring). Here are photos of the unboxing:

I knew what the real gem was going into the purchase: the scenario book and game board. In combination, the scenario book, blank game board, and custom hexes allow the players to imbue the map with different features, adding variety and extending playability. The cheaper starter set comes with a passable game mat on glossy poster paper. But there’s nothing quite like unfolding heavy, high-quality chipboard onto the table. The map surface has a durable matte finish, and is a subtle pleasure to play upon.

However, I’m violently shaking my fist at Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE) for putting random game boards in the Deluxe Edition boxes instead of marking explicitly which game board is in the box. I accept the idea that the booster packs (miniatures only) have a random assortment of characters, but random game boards? With each Deluxe Edition set costing $50, I should absolutely be able to pay $150 and be guaranteed ownership of all three game boards. But as it stands, dumping $150 into 3 Deluxe Edition sets only gives me a 22% chance of having all three boards.