From £5.99
What It Is
These are proper war hounds, each kitted out in different styles of armour. You get three distinct sculpts here: one in heavy plate barding with a spiked collar, another in layered scale armour, and a third in lighter studded leather. They're all in aggressive poses - heads lowered, teeth bared, clearly ready to bite someone's leg off. The detailing on the armour is solid, with straps, buckles, and plates that actually look like they'd protect a dog in combat rather than just being decorative.
At The Table
War dogs show up in fantasy settings more often than you'd think, and having proper minis for them makes a difference. In D&D 5e or Pathfinder 2e, these work perfectly as mastiffs or riding dogs that guards or nobles might bring into a fight. They're also ideal for druids using conjure animals or rangers with animal companions who've actually invested in keeping their four-legged mate alive. The armoured look sells the idea that someone's trained and equipped these beasts for war, not just whistled them out of the woods.
For something grittier like Shadowdark or a low-magic OSR game, these could be the guard dogs at a bandit camp or nobleman's estate - an encounter that's more interesting than \"six bandits\" when there are also three armoured hounds that'll pin someone to the ground and alert the whole compound. In a city-based campaign (Blades in the Dark springs to mind), these could belong to the Bluecoats or a rival gang, trained to track and take down runners. Having three different styles means you can easily distinguish which dog belongs to which handler if it matters.
One player idea: if you're running a knight or fighter character who's been around a few battles, bringing an armoured hound as a companion adds flavour without stepping on the ranger's toes. Most DMs will let you have a mastiff if you're willing to pay for its upkeep and armour, and it makes you look more professional than the wizard's cat familiar.
Printed in high-quality resin. Supplied unpainted.