Wizards of the Coast is planning to release a Dungeons & Dragons Collectible Miniatures Game this fall utilizing pre-painted plastic miniatures that will be released in starter sets and boosters.   WizKids invented this category with their Mage Knight CMG, which was released in 2000.  CMGs marry the tactics of military strategy games with the business model of collectible card games in a union that has been, hands down, the hottest new development in gaming since the category was revolutionized by WotC's original collectible card game, Magic the Gathering.  Although many of the details (including the actual name of the product) remain hush-hush, ICv2 was able receive answers on a few questions from Chris Toepker, the Category Manager for Miniatures at Wizards of the Coast.

Are you planning a new version of Chainmail using pre-painted plastic miniatures that come randomly packed?

We are planning a Dungeons & Dragons miniatures game with pre-painted plastic miniatures.  It will go beyond previous offerings in size and scope, with play from skirmish to massive battles supported.  The figures themselves will come from popular D&D material like the core rulebooks (including the Monster Manual), and popular supplements like Psionics Handbook, NY Times best-selling books,etc.  For more information you should contact your local distributor and stay tuned.

Will you include cards to help players use the figures in D&D as well as in a separate stand-alone Collectible Miniatures Games (CMG)?

Yes.  D&D is a robust game and the miniatures line will support all modes of play. 

If you are doing a CMG, will you publish a rulebook or include it in a 'starter set?'

Yes, we plan to do both (the stand-alone book will be called the D&D Miniatures Book.)

What about the folks who purchased the metal Chainmail figures, will there be any crossover?

There is a lot of backward compatibility.  For example, many of the most popular Chainmail figures are being included in the first release, and others will be included in future sets.  In other words, you can bring your metal figure and use it.