The Hollow Cardguard by Great Grimoire

The armour walks without a soul inside — cursed to stand eternal vigil, its great axe rising for a swing that never truly ends.

• ✔ 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

The Hollow Cardguard is exactly the kind of enemy that stops a party cold — not because it is fast, but because it simply does not stop. Encased in heavy plate armour decorated with fleur-de-lis motifs, the figure carries a brutal double-headed great axe planted forward with grim intent. Wisps of spectral flame curl from the horned helm and from the massive pauldrons, hinting at the dark energy animating what is otherwise an empty shell of steel. The sculpt captures that unsettling quality brilliantly: the proportions are deliberately powerful — barrel-chested, thick-limbed, immovable — yet the tattered tabard and battle-scarred armour suggest a long and violent history. This is not a freshly raised corpse. This is something that has been standing guard for a very long time.

The detail throughout rewards painters willing to put the time in. The armour plating has texture and wear — scratches, rivets, and overlapping segments that catch light beautifully under a wash. The spectral flame wisps rising from the helm and shoulders offer a fantastic opportunity for OSL (object source lighting) work using greens, blues, or sickly purples, depending on the necromantic flavour of your campaign. The great axe itself is chunky and battle-worn, with a reinforced haft ending in a wicked spike at the base — every inch reads as a weapon designed to end things. The scenic rubble base adds further character, grounding this hulking figure with physical weight.

This miniature works brilliantly across a wide range of campaign contexts. Run it as an animated armour guardian, a wight clad in the plate of a fallen kingdom, a death knight's sworn bodyguard, or the patron of a cursed card-themed dungeon. It suits gothic horror settings, undead-heavy campaigns, and any scenario where the party needs something imposing standing between them and the next door.

Particularly well-suited for adventurers who:

• Need a heavy-hitting undead guardian or animated armour encounter piece
• Are running Ravenloft, Shadowfell, or any gothic horror campaign arc
• Want a characterful centrepiece enemy for a boss room or vault encounter
• Enjoy technically rewarding painting projects with armour, weathering, and OSL opportunities
• Are building out an undead warband or castle garrison on the display shelf

Encounter Hook

The old throne room doors have been sealed for three centuries — but when the party finally forces them open, the Hollow Cardguard is already facing them, great axe lowered, the spectral flames in its visor burning cold blue. The throne behind it is empty. The guard does not care. It has not moved from this spot since the king it served was murdered, and it will not move now — not until every intruder has been dealt with, or the last of its cursed vigil is broken by someone clever enough to find the ward anchoring it to this room.

Details

• Sculpt: Single sculpt — one miniature per order
• Scale: 35mm (printed at 35mm as specified by Great Grimoire)
• Base options: Decorative scenic base or plain base available — select your preference at checkout
• Supplied unpainted and unassembled — some assembly may be required
• Supported and unsupported files — printed to order here in the UK

Sculpted by Great Grimoire — visit their collection to see more of their darkly detailed work.

Pairs well with undead warbands and Ravenloft gothic horror campaigns — or explore more from Great Grimoire.

The cats rolled for Initiative at the start of every working day. They always go first. This is simply how it is now.

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