Treasure Type: NIL: September 2026

During the 80s and 90s, Grenadier Models, Inc. was one of the major players in the fantasy miniatures space. The company was able to secure licenses to a large number of games and intellectual properties, including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The miniatures were produced under the Solid Gold range, and the boxes and blisters from this period featured gold-colored trade dress and packaging. After losing the license, most of these figures were repackaged and sold under the Fantasy Lords line. Today, many of these are still sold Mirliton Miniatures, an Italian miniatures company who acquired many of the old Grenadier molds sometime after the company shut down in the mid-90s.

Solid Gold Line Orc's Lair miniature set by Grenadier Miniatures

The collection I'm showcasing is the Orc's Lair, a terrific set of miniatures that gives you a strong core of orcs to use in either TTRPGs or tabletop wargaming. These belonged to my father, who bought them new in the 1980s when they were first produced. Later, they passed to me, and I thought them long lost when I gave permission to my brother to sell our father's miniature collection due to strong financial need. However, they were not lost, and were later unearthed in the early 2010s by my old friend and former roommate, who rediscovered them after hiring a cleaner to clean the house we shared.

I was shipped this set, along with many others of the original Grenadier Solid Gold sets. All were unpainted, and I started work to preserve them immediately. Lead rot had already begun to set into some of the figures, and I wanted to do what I could to save what was possible.

Orc's Lair miniature figures in their foam packaging.

These figures were packaged with foam inserts, making them popular as storage was included. Storage solutions were scant in the early 80s and 90s, and there weren't many options available. And of those that were, they were only designed for single figures and not the larger kits that were being produced during the era. Pictured above is the original foam insert that came with the kit. I have also seen these in a dark gray. I've also noticed that some have had a tendency to degrade over time, though I'm unsure why - likely a combination of factors in the overall storage of the kits. Mine mostly sat in my father's den in Hawai'i, and later in a garage in Florida. Now they are in Texas with me, properly stored and on display in my home. Occasionally they come down to challenge adventurers or plunder against other tribes on the tabletop.

Orc's Lair paper insert, containing information and contents of the boxed set.

During this period, and also under the Fantasy Lords release, each boxed set would contain a paper insert describing the contents. I know, at least among some of the releases from this period, the inserts varied over time. The one pictured above is what was in Dad's set and reads as follows:

Grenadier Models, INC
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
2011 ORC'S LAIR
Grenadier Models Inc. is proud to present the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons figure line. This collection was designed with the co-operation of T.S.R. Hobbies Inc., to ensure complete fidelity to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons cosmology.
This fantasy figure set was specifically created for the fantasy role playing gamer.
A. Standard
B. Axeman
C. ShortSword
D. Archer
E. Swordsman
F. Leader
G. Warclub
H. Shaman
I. Captain

There are also lead warnings and copyright notices at the bottom of the sheet. The copyright is 1980. Note that the insert says 25mm. These are true 25mm scale miniatures, and look noticeably smaller than most modern miniatures; even against modern 25/28mm figurines. This is often a shock for people whose primary exposure to the miniatures hobby is through Warhammer! By the post-slotta base era, Warhammer models were already starting to get bigger.

Below is the assembled and individual figures for your viewing pleasure. One final anecdote I'd like to share concerns the standard. At some point the original standard was lost to the mists of time. Pops was always converting figures, so I expect it was lost to one of these, or perhaps it was in one of the toolboxes that housed the rest of his collection. Either way, I was on the hunt for a replacement piece after I received them around 2013. It wasn't until about 2025 that finally found a replacement from a vintage seller on eBay. Needless to say, I was overjoyed at being able to finally make the set complete!