3D Printing: The future of Wargaming?

After looking on the web recently for some good GW alternative models for BFG and Epic 40k, I discovered something very interesting. Not only is there a plethora of 3rd party bitz and model manufacturers, but there is also some really interesting potential in the realms of 3D printing nowadays. Obviously I don't mean the infamous "Red Dreadnaught" above, I mean other models, specifically of smaller kinds. But after seeing the things available as i have lately during my internet search, there is definitely a growing professional community of talented 3D designers and modellers that can produce some truly great quality, and for a very reasonable price. More info and thoughts follow...

 So I was originally searching for some terrain and models for Epic 40k, as these are extremely expensive to acquire via Ebay these days, and I wanted to see what was out there. After finding a really good selection at Onslaught Minis, I ordered some things and then started to look for some more specific stuff like 6mm scale terrain. This proved trickier but I did happen to stumble upon a picture and link that caught my eye. It was a 6mm scale bombed out building kit based on a Mechanicus factory. Needless to say this instantly caught my eye, so i clicked the link. After looking a bit closer at the image, i was curious what else the site had, so i did a few searches. Needless to say, i discovered what in my opinion is a treasure trove of possibilities. All of the content for sale is generated through various Digital Modelling applications, by an even more various number of people, and then put up for sale for others to buy if they decide they like it. Whats better is that the company that owns the site takes care of the molding and construction and prep of the model for the creator, so both parties can be assured that it is delivered at as high a quality as possible for the customer. (They ship the product to you too) Here's one example of stuff you might find that you would want.

(picture courtesy of i-see-lead-people.blogspot.com)

 Whats even better is that the models or things you want to buy can be produced in different material types, which of course can mean more savings for the more money-conscious hobbyists out there. This comes at the cost of a slight reduction in model quality and detail though as the cheaper materials can leave a grainy feel or just not easily produce really heavy fine details. I selected the Frosted Ultra Detail plastic type for my order as this is the best all around for strength and guarantees much better clarity on details. Pricing of each thing varies greatly depending on what you want to look for, and much is based on size, and materials needed to build it. but typically what i was looking at was less than $10 in most cases for the basic material, and around $15 to $20 for the frosted ultra detail stuff. 

An example of "sprue" printed models. Material is Frosted Ultra Detail plastic

I really want to tell everyone all about the company that offers such an amazing choice of stuff, but due to the murky legal waters that the "Lawyer-Sharks" for the likes of GW swim in, I am going to abstain from it. This is a pain I think, but if it means its less likely to result in problems for these sellers and the distributing company then I am all for it. (Its all for discontinued stuff that GW stopped making, such as Epic and BFG like i said, but hey, this is GW we are talking about so I'd rather not risk it.) Anyone savvy enough will likely come across this site without much digging, it literally took me about 5 minutes before i stumbled on it, but once you find it you will know what i mean. ;)

(Imagine these painted up. The details would jump out even more)

With all of this I would likely to strongly clarify that I do not in ANY way condone piracy of company products. I am a strong believer that people should support the legitimate company that produces their favorite stuff and not doing so does harm the overall company. I am merely talking here in terms of anything that does not actually exist, or has long since been discontinued by them. This is mainly why BFG and Epic doesn't bother me, as those game systems are still pretty popular to a lot of people and they basically got the middle finger regarding their beloved respective games and they never deserved that. Tip of the hat to all those out there who are continuing to produce awesome stuff for these games and support them were possible.

3D Printed and printed Fury Interceptor

To surmise, compare some of the pictures you see here to that awful dreadnaught at the top. You can clearly see that with different materials and the right designers, there is a booming industry for user generated stuff. One day in the not too distant future (just as star trek predicted - sort of) most people in the world will have greater access to a 3D replication printer that can quickly and effectively produce things for them. Much like technology has grown insanely fast since the dawn of the computer, I expect a similar - if not quite as huge - boom with this kind of thing. anyone can produce things for themselves, or to sell, and it can literally be a button click away. If someone figures a way out to use GW type plastics in printing, then things will get VERY busy, but in a good way. Imagine one day being able to download your Space Marines directly from Games Workshops website, and have them print out before you at home! Exciting prospect for sure. 

Anyways, I hope this maybe opened up the imaginations of some of you to whats possible here in the future of our hobbies in general. You can even give it a try yourself by downloading a free design app and playing around. There's quite a few out there nowadays :)