Mind Flayer Arcanist 02 by Novaminis

The elders of the elder brain speak of an arcanist who walked willingly into the Underdark and never came back — not because it died, but because it found what it was looking for.

• ✔ 32mm scale resin miniature, printed fresh to order in the UK
• ✔ Supplied unpainted and ready to prime
• ✔ Compatible with D&D, Pathfinder, and all tabletop RPGs
• ✔ Equally at home on the gaming table or the display shelf

This is the second variation of Novaminis' Mind Flayer Arcanist — and where variant 01 reads as a creature of cold authority, this one crackles with active menace. Both arms are raised and splayed wide, fingers curled mid-incantation, the pose suggesting a psychic detonation that is already on its way. There's no weapon here — this arcanist doesn't need one.

The sculpt layers aberrant biology over unmistakable arcane authority. The illithid's characteristic tentacles hang from a face framed by a crown of bone-white spines, the tallest of which juts skyward like a lightning rod for whatever planar energies this creature traffics in. Spiked pauldrons and spiked bracers frame arms that are distinctly humanoid in proportion but alien in texture, while an intricately embossed robe sweeps to the floor — its surface carved with eldritch whorls and geometric detail that rewards close painting.

A heavy chain trails from the belt down across the lower robe, adding weight and story to the composition. What was bound with those chains? Who wore them before? The arcanist isn't answering. A belt hung with a skull motif orb and pouches hints at the gathered components of whatever ritual this creature has spent decades perfecting.

The back of the figure is just as considered as the front — the spine of the crown visible from behind, the chain continuing its sweep, the robes showing folds that would respond beautifully to a wash or contrast paint technique.

As a display piece, this sculpt offers exceptional surface variety: smooth skin against textured chain, embossed robe against flat cape, organic tentacles against geometric armour detail. Whether you paint it in cold purples, sickly greys, or something altogether more eldritch, it will command attention on a shelf or a battlemat alike.

• Dungeon Masters running Underdark campaigns with illithid factions or elder brain cults
• Adventurers looking for a stand-out arcane caster enemy that isn't a bog-standard wizard
• Painters who want a sculpt with real surface variety across one figure
• Collectors building out a Mind Flayer enclave across multiple variants

Encounter Hook: The party has located the elder brain's sanctum — but the doors are sealed behind seven concentric psionic wards. The arcanist who cast them paces the far end of the chamber, arms already raised, and the air between you hums with the low pressure of a Mind Blast that hasn't yet been aimed. You have three rounds before it decides which of you to reduce to a vegetable first.

Details

Variation 02 of the Mind Flayer Arcanist series. Both arms raised in active spellcasting pose, distinguishing it from variant 01's more restrained stance. Supplied unpainted and unassembled if applicable. Presented without a scenic base in this sculpt.

Sculpted by Novaminis — a studio known for character-rich aberrations and monsters with genuine presence at the table.

Pairs well with aberration encounters and Underdark delves — or explore more from Novaminis.

Mitz & Simz — two cats who rolled high on Wisdom and have been lording it over us ever since.

Ready to add this adventurer to your collection? Order today and we'll print it fresh for you here in the UK.