War Drums marks the first D&D Miniatures Starter Set since Aberrations. There are some notable differences between the War Drums Starter and the Aberrations Starter. For instance, the War Drums Starter includes double-sided maps instead of terrain tiles. Not only that, but they've made an effort to provide a better "out-of-the-box" experience for brand-new players.

Part of that effort was the inclusion of two "fixed" minis in every Starter Set: the Wood Elf Ranger and the Orc Mauler. In the new Quick Start Battle booklet (also included in the box), the elf and orc square off against each other in a one-on-one skirmish that helps teach the basics of the skirmish game. One of the four maps found in each Starter Set, the Broken Demongate battlemap, has a 5x12-square section outlined in the middle specifically for this first battle. Because each player uses only one mini, and it takes only a few minutes to show the basics and play out the battle, the quick start game can be played a few times in succession to get a new player familiar with the game.

While buying a starter will land you both the elf and the orc, you can still acquire these common minis in a standard booster.