3D Prints vs. Big Companies: Which minis are better?

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

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[@Zeramos_]

for the cost analysis, you forgot to include that after you get the stl, you can print as many as you want. so for the horde armies, it is even more cost effective for 3d printing

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

It's definitely something to consider! In terms of the non printed versions, prices are still really affordable IMO because of the number that come with the packs, and the prices being more reasonable, is why I called it a tie.

[@Perram]

@@3DPrintedTabletop It is no where near a tie... a plate full of 24 elves cost less than $3 in resin. The same box from GW would be $60~80 or more.

[@deantareach8217]

Yea but a lot of creatures your only printing once or terrain Or if you want more then one you have to buy different versions I think Danny did a great job 👏🏾

[@Perram]

@@deantareach8217 for me it is the opposite. Again I think this is the difference because Danny is primarily RPG oriented instead of War gaming.

[@LGDarksteed]

@@Perram Though when you print those elves aren't you just printing 3 or 4 poses? It's understandable that GW is quite expensive but can't you get far more variety with there kits?

[@Kaucukovnik666]

I think another major factor in favor of 3D printing is customizability. You can mix and match, remove or alter unwanted features... Why not mirror that minotaur, move his limbs a bit and give him a different weapon? Now you have gotten two models out of one! Add custom heraldry, give player characters their signature items. Once you overcome the initial hurdle of opening a file in a 3D graphics program and making a few basic changes, your options widen massively. 3D printer + Blender = way to hobby omnipotence.

[@angelusnielson7135]

Hero forge alone is proof of this.

[@testprime4248]

I agree that we have powerful tools. Have a big boss with 2 guards, just mirror that one guard and now you have this 2 epic guards to the left and right of the boss. But you are overselling this tools. They are great but beside the mirror part they are far from friendly to new users.

[@guardsmen2945]

@@testprime4248 I agree there is a learning curve, but personally I still like the idea of taking a *not SM* model from cults and using it as a template in blender to make my own models such as SC2 terrans, the kryptonian eva suits from man of steel or just coming up with my own designs for my own custom setting. there is a learning curve but its pretty good to have the tools to make my own models in my hands at any scale instead of struggling to find parts and spend almost the same amount of time kit bashing models let alone in situations where a unified look is required.

[@jacobbalensiefer3846]

Almost all of my models are 3d prints and my players are always impressed by how good they look. Have I “saved money” no....do I have way more models than I would have if I just bought kits? YES.

[@SanDiegoBass]

Durability should be a criteria as well. Most Wizkids, Reaper, etc can drop over and over no problem. Many resin prints will break on 1st drop.

[@sportyeight7769]

There is ABS like resine

[@SanDiegoBass]

@@sportyeight7769 Indeed! I use ABS along with Tenacious but still wouldn't say as durable to table trauma as reaper, or wiz kids, or other "molded" miniatures. Now for painting or detail I definitely would recommend one of the many great 3d printable company's like Archvillain games or Loot Studios.

[@jquickri]

But if your Reaper model breaks tough. Resin model breaks, print a new one.

[@xjunkxyrdxdog89]

While accidents are bound to happen occasionally, if my minis were being dropped frequently I would talk to the offending player. I put a lot of work into hosting games and I expect my players to respect the time, effort, and money that I put into them.

[@tartatovsky]

you can chuck a PLA mini across the room no problem and no scratch what so ever - Sincerely, a DM that likes to chuck his players minis across the room

[@TheFaenT]

one more factor: there are plenty of free STL's of extremely high quality (details, scaling etc). You don't necessarily need to buy STLs :) I do support the notion of buying STLs from artists who's work you enjoy, but free, high quality ones are a plentiful

[@Luis-gz3oo]

Agreed, have seen non artist re-selling free stls and it's a bit discouraging

[@tartatovsky]

Britte Minis is one of the notable ones

[@MaciejSzydlowski]

3D printing also wins in my opinion for two additional reasons: quickness of availability (especially for countries like Poland) in addition to import cost and existence of rare models, that usage is simply too small for any company to print them. Another thing is that there exists companies that simply posses proper license to print miniatures from variety of sculptures. And their pricing is competitive. I think there will be place for both options, but right now I'll stick to resin printing.

[@MaciejSzydlowski]

Also, some models will never be reprinted by big companies, and STLs will be forever.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

I agree completely! This is one of the BEST reasons for 3D printing proxies for any games IMO. Cost is so much more reasonable, especially in other countries. Great comment!

[@bastiaanmarcus]

I agree, here in the Netherlands it is hard to get good minis as well. Also for the bulk mini's like goblins or zombies I tend to prent 10-15 for the big encounters. With the STL files provide by most patreon subscriptions it would cost you 10-15 euro's for the STLs + resin, VS 25-35 euro's for whizkid minis. So both more affordable and available :)

[@sarven5974]

There are a plethora of stl's for warhammer proxies that look essentially identical to their GW counter parts, its totally possible to have an entire 3d print army without it looking drastically out of place or "inspired by"

[@EternalQuestion]

I think you should give your own dragon more credit. Having printed out that dragon myself, I can say it's absolutely huge and definitely has the desired effect when you put it on the table! It's also way more detailed, better proportioned and more paintable than the wizkids. The only minus points for me are that the wings were indeed a massive pain to assemble and gap fill. Other than that it's hands down better than the wizkids one IMO 😝

[@backonlazer791]

I liked it more visually as well =)

[@BainesMkII]

The main thing the Wizkids dragon had was fully outstretched wings. While you could theoretically 3D print similar wings, I'm guessing that would run into both thickness and weight issues. It looks like the 3D printed model has significantly thicker wings, even folded. Though once you get into that price point as well as the painting effort, you could as easily cross into combining custom crafting with 3D printing, and build your own custom wings that use cloth, paper, or plastic for the membrane attached to a wire or 3D printed frame. I feel the dragon really comes down to how much more you want a zero-effort purchase you can immediately put on display. (Which isn't a bad thing.)

[@alexbeltran6668]

Where do you find the stl’s though? Idk why but i cant find stl’s as easily as i thought.

[@jackwalters3928]

Ι found his comment that the other dragon is bigger, wrong. The only thing that makes him appear bigger is the fact that his wings are open. However, you could do that in a printed model as well. You print them separately and then put them on. Many models, even tiny ones, come in pieces, and I'm sure his big dragon from the box is also in multiple pieces and not one solid piece. In other words, the dragon's open wings "tricked" him. In fact, I'd argue that when it comes to volume, if you sank both of them in a tank of water and measured it, you'd find that the "small" 3D printed dragon is actually bigger.

[@daimster0130]

For ghost you can use translucent filament on your fdm frinter

[@timsoyer3840]

I feel that it’s actually a minus for 3-D printing when you have to upscale a miniature. I have a 3-D printer and I try not to do.. if I can’t get them the same scale I won’t print them

[@Deadpool_collector247]

Im new to 3D printing and bought the Anycubic zero at the start of the year. The printer did great, managing complex figures (& lots of them) and for £70/$90 it was a great starting point & still works like new. My upgrade arrived yesterday, Thanks to my parents chipping in for Xmas I got the Anycubic Photon X 4K, it arrived yesterday & im testing it tomorrow. I'm stunned at the detail even entry-level printers can achieve and it is pretty easy to work out the software/hardware. Looking forward to seeing what massive statues I can produce with the new printer :)

[@tedcogley1939]

I think you are very honestly and forthcoming with your advice and information. Your not being paid by one group or another but open in stuff and I love it

[@Xyxox]

Because monopose has become such a thing with GW, I'm finding 3D printing to be a better option for troops because of variety.

[@LylaMev]

I love the science set up 😝

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

I need to bust out the Swiffer stick and the school lab coat more often 😛

[@KevinRank]

I think 3d printing edges out store bought in general, but as you show, there are some well priced store bought minis.

[@thejoester]

Sadly I do have to disagree with Danny on a couple of these that are ruled as "tie" - especially when it came down to details as with 3d printed models there is such a variety of quality and even with patreon and MMF the cost is not fair to compare on a 1:1 scale as once you own that model you can print as many as you need which drastically affects the price.

[@Valandar2]

But if you're printing for an RPG, not a wargame, you WON'T be printing multiple of certain critters. And as for, say, Trolls? I can grab literally a dozen totally different trolls for about $5 each (on average) from Reaper, sculpted by some of my favorite sculptors. And I don't think I'd ever need more trolls than that for any encounter I run.

[@YeAuldGrump]

First off - your 3D printed dragon rocks, I like that pose a whole lot. It might also have been a more fair comparison going with the unpainted WizKids dragon, since the price is significantly lower. (Still counting it as a tie, but... damn your green dragon is nice.) 2nd, the Treant - again, yours is just really good, dwarfing the WizKids version. Now I'm wishing we had added the Lost Adventures onto our Uncharted Lands pledge.

[@Shuttuko]

IMHO, 3D printing wins hands-down every time. You can reprint models an infinite amount of times, provided you have the file and materials, instead of continuously buying the package of the mini(s) you want. There are exponentially more options for everything you could want, and some modelers like Titan Forge are even doing modular options now for certain models, meaning you could pose models and mix and match weapons for countless possibilities. It's way cheaper in the long run per mini than buying from a retailer and you can get your models in just a few hours compared to days when we're talking about shipping. You can scale models to be the size you want. I say if you're someone who is or really wants to get into the hobby of miniature painting or collecting, 3D printing is the way to go.

[@wendigo1619]

I just got into 3dprinting recently because i live in an isolated small town where i have to drive overnight to go to a hobby shop or wait for the shipping company to even find my post office, i'm enjoying it but goddammit i'm the opposite of a tech guy i just learned how to use a smart phone this year. I'm 25 btw

[@BullScrapPracEff]

Oy man, I feel you. I'm two hours overland to the closest miniature hobby shop, and that's just barely a shop.

[@helldog3105]

I just recently (early October) went in on an Elegoo Saturn printer with a friend of mine. I have had so much fun finding different models to print. So much so, that I went in with my wife and we bought a Mars 2 pro (The mars 3 wasn't available. Still kicking myself over missing that) to print my own little miniatures at home. One of the really nice things is not only can I buy files and support various independent artists which I like, but I can also print various figures that I cannot buy anywhere. I think that is really nice as well. This is an interesting channel. Subscribed. Keep up the good work.

[@Battlefang]

Why does everyone want a resin printer? Is it because it can capture details that a fdm can't? Maybe. But have fun initially investing three times as much because for resin printing you need, a resin printer, a washing station and a curing station (last one is optional if you cure your models outside in the sun)

[@helldog3105]

@@Battlefang I chose a resin printer for my first 3d printer because of the ease in setup and quick start to get to printing. Your statement that you need a wash and cure station is not true. Until I got lazy I used a Tupperware container with iso alcohol and the sun for washing and curing my minis. And I also have 2 fdm printers as well a CR-10Pro v2 and an Anycubic Kobra with another Kobra Go on the way. The resin printer was my gateway into 3d printing at all. Knowing that I am not the smartest or mechanically inclined gave me reservations regarding FDM versus MSLA. Now that I have both I use them interchangeably for the most part. But I never would have started if my choice was only a printer that could take 3 hours to assemble and if you screw it up which I would have, it never works right.

[@Tony-im6jr]

FYI the "adult" green dragon base has an inner ring (huge) and outer ring (gargantuan) and the model is sized as an ancient green dragon. They put both rings on the base so it can be used as either size.

[@orrinsalton829]

What is the mini at 8:16? Couldnt make out what you called the trolls.

[@jamessouthard3040]

For the cost you left out that there are good free stl and you don’t need to pay for them bc paying for specific STL is a choice

[@Born_Stellar]

I was only printing free models until I found pateron, for $10/month some give you 30+ minis.

[@Seoz]

Both have their place. What I mostly like on GW minis is... their material (if I remember it's polystyrene?). This kind of plastic is soft enough to cut/scratch it without much effort on minis and still durable that it doesn't break if dropped (unless very delicate parts in some models...). Also small companies can make great minis. Check Corvus Belli infinity miniatures. They are metal, great quality, the new ones are designed to be easy to assemble (they are only metal minis I have fun assembling because it was so easy :D). 3D printing is great, you can make proxies, or maybe you can even design your own game with 3d printed models because why not? ;)

[@jtjames79]

I didn't buy a replicator to go to the store. I bought a replicator so I don't have to go to the store. Quality of free (libre) files only goes up with time. Quality of store-bought is limited to their budget at the time, God help you keeping track of copyright licenses and contracts. Replicated minis sure are better than the Lego minifigs I was using before.

[@gitss7367]

I wonder what your ghost would look like in a transparent ABS or ASA and acetone smoothed

[@jtjames79]

With a 3D printer you could leave room in the model for an RGB LED, with a microcontroller in the base. Then you can send commands over Bluetooth. Changing colors, changing intensity, etc.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

All are great options! I think resin is better suited for transparent/tinted models, but for FDM I think that would be the way to go!

[@jquickri]

I also think a HUGE factor that wasn't brought up (you've talked about it before though) is Patreons. Your prices are based on buying individual stls which is probably the most expensive way to do it. If you can put out 10-15 dollars a month, you can get some crazy deals that drive the cost factor to pennies on the dollar.

[@artmaton112]

You forgot about one thing with the big Dragon, you compare painted version with unpainted stl prices. You should compare price range with unpainted dragon line Nolzur Adult White Dragon which costs 39$.

[@adrianfgaleano]

What happen with the contest! Who won!?

[@AVspectre]

I’d love to have a resin printer but I know that’s a long way off. I figured the print price would be much cheaper, but this is a great reminder that I’m doing fine price-wise on the generic fantasy creatures I’m scooping up in the cheap from brands like Wiz Kids (just practicing painting). I’ll keep ogling the beautiful models subscription companies are producing and just keep practicing in the meantime. :)

[@kyoukan91]

He's being VERY VERY misleading with the cost of 3d printing. He's including the cost of the STLs hes using. All of these models he shows have analogs for FREE as STLs and are easily EASILY FOUND.

[@dwaynehinton9729]

what rambojesus said. i have no idea why danny is overpricing the cost of 3d printing by so much. i can spend $10 and get the goblin reavers from (someone, I forget who) last month, and it's an army of goblins of all kinds. then, I'll spend 25 cents to MAYBE 50 cents a model to print them. plus there are a lot of NICE free stls you can get. and you don't pay for the stl again every time you print... so if you print 10 t-rexes... you pay $8 for the individual stl... then you spend like a dollar each t-rex you print

[@Xonides]

Rocket the Owlbear makes another cameo. Love to see it.

[@loneraptor1]

the green dragon from wiz is actually an ancient but for some reason is marketed as an adult. the adult is the young green dragon. i just bought and painted the "young green" and another player bought the young black which is actually adult size

[@eilidhethine1658]

Huh, like 30 min ago I checked your channel and was surprised to see that your last video was 1 month ago, love your timing with this upload!

[@JoshuaGoudreau]

14:00 My last campaign was an Isle of Dread game and the party stumbled across t-rex encounters, including a boss monster t-rex with regular t-rex minions, about 4 times if I recall. I used a cardboard t-rex form I found at a craft store for $1. After the first encounter my roommate put googly eyes on it.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

+1 for googly eyed 🦖 I think an Isle of Dread or ToA are the largest potential exceptions to that comment for sure

[@JoshuaGoudreau]

@@3DPrintedTabletop Don't encourage him, I once found googly eyes on the kobolds on my DM screen that happened to be on his side of the table...

[@Born_Stellar]

'nobody move! It can't see us if we stay still!'

[@JoshuaGoudreau]

@@Born_Stellar It's probably no surprise they tried that

[@andystandys]

I think the 3D printed dragon looks waaay better than the store bought one. Especially with that nice paint job.

[@EredarLordJaraxxus]

So close to 100k! Love the content and congrats!

[@PheonixKnght]

I think the detail on your dragon blows the other one away and if you made it so the wings were unfolded yours would be bigger.

[@PaulGuy]

The advantage of paying for them is when you need a big model. It's generally ready to set on the table straight out of the box. It might require a small bit of assembly, but they're usually fully painted. You can also sell them when you're done if you want to, although you can do that with printed minis, as well.

[@coggytv1479]

Danny - You won't need many T-Rexes.... My Players - Polymorph goes brrrrrrrr.....

[@velrockartminiatures]

I would disagree on the dragons because of several reasons. The wizkids size is not equivalent to what they are meant to be in the books. The paint job on the pre painted ones is not great in my opinion. The variety of 3d printed dragons outnumbers store bought dragons 100 to 1. Great video!

[@tinaprice4948]

One thing I love about store bought minis is that if they tip over during game play I am not worried they will break.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

@Tina This can be alleviated with flexible resins, and mixing in flex resins with regular resin too (to be more affordable)! I'm doing a video on that soon (as soon as I can with the holidays coming up) - but it's definitely something they can be fixed. :)

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

I agree on all of your accounts, but gave it a tie because for folks without a 3D printer (or any interest in one), this is really light years away from anything else that was available even 4 years ago. The newer models with the more dynamic poses, and decent paint jobs, is a really great compromise and value for those folks IMO.

[@velrockartminiatures]

@@3DPrintedTabletop I guess this particular green dragon just really didnt look great to me :P. The wings are way too tall haha

[@tinaprice4948]

@@3DPrintedTabletop I cant wait for that video :D I stopped printing because of the worry of everything breaking

[@andreashurlimann8079]

can you tell where i can get the Giant Troll from ? the one you show close up at 8:15 ?

[@LakeVermilionDreams]

I was wondering when Danny would post new videos and oh boy did he upload a great one!

[@robertspears8301]

Good video. You made some good points. One thing I encounter is sometimes I will just buy minis rather than 3d print them because my printers, especially FDM, are out of service for one reason or another and I don't necessarily feel like troubleshooting what's wrong with them.

[@mjm55]

I use a hybrid of both. I use 3d printing for more obscure or hard to find minis. Usually, I'll just grab a store bought mini for more common stuff like goblins, ghosts, etc. For large minis like dragons, I'll typically 3d print to save some money.

[@ArchaeusAzoth]

For D&D Whiz kids are painfully small and much more difficult to paint for me. I still have nightmares of painting pixies and kobokds. The ability to buy, print and paint any monster or character I can think of in a day is a clear win for me. Week after week going to gaming stores to see the same minis was what drove me to 3d printing. I called 5 different stores looking for giant spiders with no luck. Once i got my 3d printer, I could print anything on demand.

[@OverboardDM]

I just got into printing. I still plan on collecting all the dragons. I have tiamat pre-ordered. Yes I'm crazy.

[@israelmartinez4097]

I feel that this is will be completely different if done today. Like 3d printing has gotten so much better

[@Battlefang]

To find 3d printable models that have a big name company attached, it's next to impossible to find using the big co. Name for it but knowing right alternative names/keywords you'll find next to everything you need. For instance the keyword "greater good" gives tonnes of results for the greater good faction Tau. (You can find near clones and close enough proxy models)

[@Eviscerator18]

Really enjoyed this video. I would love to see more comparisons!

[@Thornspyre81]

Before Wizkids recent price hike with the large minis in the new packaging, figures like the Owlbear were $5

[@wildlife_mp]

i dont need a video for this :D it saves money and its fun to print!

[@tuliossauro]

My T-rex is a dollar store repaint and I love it. Importing miniatures here in my country is very expensive and I am a little sloppy for 3D delicate models...

[@thrrax]

Two years later, 3D printing is killing it.

[@kengeerts1406]

Why are his 3d printed models so expensive. Chitubox has an estimated cost function and bulky 32mm scale model usually costs me 50 cents at most. Is he including the cost of the files because there are a ton of free ones

[@recowabunga7200]

Bottom line for me: Resin breaks easily. My kids drop my resin-printed-stuff a lot. The "expensive" minis bought in the shops often aren't as pretty, but they survive being dropped. Otherwise, if i didn't have kids, i'ld print all my minis. It's as simple as that for me.

[@aaronbono4688]

Yeah I'm still in search of the best resin so that they're not so fragile. If you get chunkier models this isn't much of a problem though.

[@arathduiliath9074]

It's more expensive but supposedly the siraya tech tenacious resin is designed for this, to give prints flexibility after curing. Most people mix it with standard abs-like to cut the cost while still making minis durable, like a 1:5 tenacious to abs-like ratio.

[@nickrogers3111]

Lol at the mind devour, I printed and painted that same model for a 5e module I ran.. it was way big compared to its mind flayer buddies but I found, printed, and painted the day of the session..1 point for 3d printing 😄

[@eucharistenjoyer]

Looking sharp!

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

Thank you!

[@juandavidruizserna]

Great tips, thanks for the info, finally have an excuse to get a resin 3d primter, it will take a while, but once i have the budget, it will be another thing out of my bucket list.

[@therealDonMac]

Awesome video and topic. I disagree with a couple, but I'm also not eliminating my bias for 3D printing. I have a massive collection of dragons that I wouldn't be able to afford if it weren't for 3D printing.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

I'm with you 100%, and tried my best to be as honest about my bias as well. As someone who buys and prints, I tried to be as fair as possible. Thanks for the comment!

[@Born_Stellar]

and I thought I had no shelf space before I got a 3d printer!

[@thingmate7361]

I'm sure other people have mentioned this as well, but 3d printing will only get exponentially cheaper while store bought will likely stay the same price or even grow more expensive. As someone looking to get into 3d printing myself in a few months, I'm frothing at the mouth to learn how to print sick, cheap minis to put on display in my home. Also, give that dragon of yours some gosh darn credit, the store-bought dragon is tall thanks to the wings but your dragon is a ***thicc*** boy, a coil of muscle and hate. You put both of them on the table and you know for a fact I'm spooked more by him than "I don't hit the gym, how could you tell?" On the right 😂

[@overlookedundead8711]

The Printed Dragon just looks so much better imo. I mean i guess it also comes down to the paintjob but the Wizkids dragon looks more like a childs toy while the Printed one looks like an actual Dragon lol

[@kmgenius]

I have both massive 3d printed miniatures and several of the wizkids adult dragons. I bought the wizkids dragons because they are far more durable, plus for DnD games they fit the correct lore appearance for the specific dragons.

[@DarrenHughes-Hybrid]

It looks to me that both Green Dragons have the same size wings, if they were posed similarly

[@QuantumFluxor]

Not all locations have game stores and not all game stores have good range of miniatures (especially outside of US). For online purchases you need to add shipping cost. Also sometimes you can find really cool models just for free. And I think your 3d prices is larger than mine. When used something like Anycubic gray for 20$ per kg...

[@saltykrug]

Ordering myself a 3D printer as a gift from my kids. If I'm doing it, the companies need to figure it out with files and extra sculpts.

[@ghost_the_system]

If you take a little time to cut and key your models you'll be less constrained by support placement, and thus you'll be able to print smaller models. Using a ball and socket joint will allow you to pose your models a little more freely, and for your larger models, printing hollow is the way to go and having an open key area is a great place to put in vent holes without destroying details. You can use free software like Blender, Mesh mixer, or the LT version of Netfabb.

[@EarthenPanda]

Love your stuff but I gotta be real the scale on the kobold and goblins hands the clear win to the purchased miniatures imo. Love your stuff and think your dragon is way more impressive than that floppy boy. Have a good day and glad to see you making videos more regularly!

[@robs7798]

The only advantage the WZ dragon has is that it's wings are stretched out. Take out that element and the other wins by a landslide in every way. More detailed, more expressive, and actually bigger wings aside. Plus you can have 2-3 dragons for the price of one WK prepaint.

[@brotherzael7986]

theres thousands of amazing 40k proxies now

[@davidsmessaroundchannel_572]

Availability is also a major factor. If, like me, you live in a country where tabletop gaming is almost entirely Warhammer, finding cool D&D minis and/or terrain is a gamble at the best of times, impossible at the worst. Since I picked up my Ender 3 and sponsored a bunch of Kickstarters, my fantasy games have become a lot more epic!

[@stephenbutler9432]

For me, I would say the answer comes down to convenience or customization. Someone could either walk down to their local game store and pick up some pre made minis, or they could print their own and make sure they are exactly what they were looking for. buying presculpted minis is more convenient, but you are limited to what the companies have already molded. If you are looking for a dragon and you don't really like any of the molds from like wizkids or reaper, then there aren't that many other options. On the other hand, 3d printing has its own learning curve, you either have to no someone who has the equipment or invest in it yourself, and you have learn the most optimal ways to use your equipment. However, there are simply so many other options available that it is surprising when you can't find an stl that fits your needs, not to mention once you find it you can print that stl as many times as you want, as long as you respect the license for that stl file. I don't really think price that big a factor. Unless you plan on printing a lot of minis you price per is going to be about the same as if you just bought them from the store.

[@357Dejavu]

I really like the goblins and Kobolds being smaller like the wizkids ones. Other than that I agree with this video.

[@veggiestew9127]

I have a box of cheap repainted dinosaurs that goes with my minis, 10/10 would recommend

[@billyw8186]

I know you were trying to discount the paint job on the minis, but I think it needs to be taken into consideration, especially if you're going to use it as a detraction for the ghosts. STL's will always be whatever color you print them unless you paint them. You can end up with something AMAZING like your adult green dragon, which is SO much better than the prepainted. You should probably also take into account the brittleness of the 3D printed minis.

[@huntliba]

As I don't use any of my models for play, they are more like place holders or trinkets on the shelves etc, then I prefer 3d printed ones - I know what effort I have seen to get them done and so on.... especially with dragons (I have over 13 dragons so far, many are from your first KS Danny :D ) and btw.... really nicely done video - good points etc... Keep up good work and hope to see next KS from you sooner than later :D

[@lornevirgin410]

Let's not ignore the fact that there are piles of really good mini files that are available for free. But neither can we ignore the cost and labor of processing prints. For me the advantage is that I can often find a miniature to print that is exactly or at least very close to what I want.

[@terrywilliams2193]

I've been collecting miniatures since before slotta bases and mimis have steadily become more and more detailed and complex. My collection contains Historical and fantasy minis I'm amazed by the beauty of the 3D miniatures and believe they will only get better.

[@vatofdread1468]

I prefer your T-Rex. Though I did actually begin painting minis with the WizKids Rex.

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

Of course I'm biased, but I love it too - the horned Carnotaurus version feels more unique than normal T-Rex, but I think it's a really good alternative for folks who don't wanna buy a printer or deal with printing!

[@BridgerBurt]

I gotta disagree on one front. I actually love how small the intellect devourer is, its the size of a brain.

[@fightfordawn]

I too like the true scale of the intellect devourer, same with Wizkids Kobolds and Goblins

[@tomemanc]

To be fair to the 3D printed dinosaurs, the WizzKids one is a T-Rex, but the 3D print is a carnotaurus...

[@Doodlebob563]

You can get a great resin printer for 350 bucks, it's honestly not THAT hard to figure out supports, and you can reprint minis as many times as you want. Yeah, they're the same model or two over and over but with different paint jobs and maybe extra bits you can really make a whole horde army for pennies that looks fantastic. Even those big companies don't have THAT much variation in their hordes with all the monopose stuff they've been making recently. The only drawback to printing your own stuff is it's very difficult to find prints that are protected by GW, and even then it's not impossible. If you REALLY want to pinch those pennies, even though it's totally scummy, a lot of 3d models get resold on etsy for a tiny fraction of the original price. Just sayin'.

[@Valandar2]

I think you skipped a MAJOR category - PC's and NPC's. IMHO, for common types (human and elven fighters and spellcasters; dwarven warriors and clerics; half orc barbarians; etcetera), the sheer variety from WizKids and Reaper makes it easy, and they get the win. For less common races, or race/class combo, or if your bard HAS to have a strange instrument, then either 3D files from a given merchant or Patreon or Kickstarter, or custom made from Hero Forge, takes the edge, And for commoner NPC's, with the large number of "townsfolk" in the recent Bones 5 (coming to the main store soon), Reaper pretty much has the whole thing wrapped up.

[@Balor22]

Wizkids raised the cost of their dragons to $105

[@larryblevins8078]

I love Whizkids and reaper Bones. I have baught 3d printed pieces they are brittle and if bumped off the table they break easy and are a bit more expensive.

[@gaming4fun419]

I agree that Games Workshop wins with the Stormcast and that the T-Rex was a tie. Other than that I think 3d printing takes everything. The only thing with the dragon that wasn't clearly going to printing was the size of the bought model, but that can be done with 3d printing as well, especially if you do the wings separately. Good video. Would have loved to have the comparison shots lined up in a series at the start.

[@gaming4fun419]

An additional note about cost for 3D printing that is almost always ignored is the cost of failed prints. Very few have 100% success rate on their prints and each fail adds to the cost of each print. My cost calculation for prints are: Cost of stl Cost of resin x print volume Cost of supports Then I put a weight number based on cost, quality and general usefulness of the print. The important part here is that the number is comparable among all your prints and can be used to rank them. I have a running cost of material, including the 3d printer itself, that I add to when I buy new FEP films, new cleaning materials, a scraper etc. I then spread the running cost over all my prints based on their weight number. To start with each model have quite a hefty price and I love watching the cost of all models I have ever printed go down every time I print something new. I don't love watching the cost go up every time I get a failed print but at least that cost is now spread out over a bunch of prints and that is easier to digest than calculating the cost for each single fail.

[@Bysentenial]

with the t rex you should also include a toy store cheapo t rex that's what mine is and it's great

[@ramgladore]

I actually prefer paper standies to minis because I mark the backs of the standies with letters so I can track their HP easier. So I'll use paper standies for creatures like goblins or tree blights. I do like to make full on minis with my 3d printer when it comes to named creatures or when it tends to be very unique like an owl bear or a beholder.

[@trophieshunter4084]

Hey, nice video! I would like to know where the 3d printed kobolds are from?

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

Those are from our latest Kickstarter, Uncharted Lands! The models will be dropping in a week or so (even for late pledges) and on our website. Link if you're interested: uncharted-lands.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

[@MrTreoni]

Is that a MINIAC beanie? :D

[@3DPrintedTabletop]

It sure is!

[@manuelayrton1]

But that 3D printed dragon looks so much cooler

[@exodous02]

The dragons look the same to me, one has his wings brought in and one has them extended. Paint job aside (the printed one is better) I think it goes to the 3D printed one. Yeah, watching the rest of the video and looking at the dragons one just has is wings in and one has them extended.

[@DarrenHughes-Hybrid]

Is that the Theme from Gilligan's Island jazzed up in the background? 🙂

[@MikeTheGamer77]

cost should be a non issue when comparing store bought and 3d printed. you pay once for that stl and can print as many as you want.

[@Abraksas112]

There are bigger 3d printable dragons than that tho ;). And as for cost, many creators offer subscriptions where you get many models for about 10 bucks. I got quite a few dragon models, (including 2 gigantic ones) yet paid a total of maybe $20 since most came with a months subscription and I bought 2 during a sale. Which reminds me, there are a lot of sales and most creator offer 50-70% off of their models when you are subscribed. With a single month subscription you can get a lot of variety with just about $10. Small size, big size, gigantic size. Everything you need.

[@Thewolfpackops]

I want to make my own minis now

[@lornebixby9231]

Pfft... "how many T-rexs are you gonna use in an adventure.... ", Danny, is that a challenge ?

[@Actalzy]

As a Canadian I have to say 3D printing wins hands down. I have an Elegoo Mars 2 printer and just as one example I will add its price in to the equation. I in the last month printed out an entire Necron proxy army using One Page Rules minis. Not only an army but extras as well if I wanted to change things up. So 60 warrior, 30 immortals, 10 lychguard, 1 overlord, 2 technomancers, 1 warden, 1 destroyer lord, 2 Triarch Stalkers, 3 Canoptek Doomstalkers, Nightbringer, Catacomb Command Barge, 6 Ophydian Destroyers, 6 Wraiths, a Canoptek Reanimator and a ghost ark. All are really nice and well done, close enough to proxy but changed enough to be nice and unique. Now removing the fact I got everything on sale so actually cost me with resin and printer thrown in about 350 bucks Canadian, without sale was closer to 500 bucks. Might I add with those stls they are presupported full models or bits, so can choose to put together how I want or just print and be done with it. Don't get that choice with GW. Now if we add all those models together from GW it would be.....1,167 dollars Canadian and that is not including the Warden or the Canoptek Reanimator because you still can't buy those outside the sets. And just so people don't ask about price of Alcohol being added in and such, I use Water Washable resin pretty much exclusively due to how very easy it is to clean and handle. And that is just one proxy army that printer has made for me, so doing the math on price alone I'd say 3D printing is a clear cut winner over GW at the very least right now. And I do have GW models, the quality and detail is amazing on the printer I have and it isn't even a "high end" one. Found it is more about the file and how well the model was sculpted than anything else. And no I can't use these for "Official Events" but I never wanted to, they work great with friends and playing with my son. Sorry if I come across as anti-GW at all with this direct comparison with them, I'm not, love the lore, love the game and understand GW is a business that needs to make money. But I want to enjoy something I love without going bankrupt at the same time, wish I was rich and I could support GW, but for now 3D printing is amazing.

[@uriance88]

Umm, even in Canada, that Bones Black Reaper bugbear is only about 7 Canuck Bucks - but so far still only one Bones Black sculpt, so not exactly much choice there yet. (the Reaper white PVC is just a non-starter in competing with 3d prints in terms of detail - but oh, so cheap . . . 5 zombies for $5)

[@Born_Stellar]

yeah but a zombie is like 8c of resin even in canadian rupees.

[@christopherdavis6525]

That’s NOT a bones black mini. That’s the new Bones USA material. It’s a blend of thermoplastic and resin. It’s a new material Reaper has been experimenting with this year so not a lot of sculpts in it yet. Having worked with PVC, resin prints, and the bones USA material this year I really prefer the new material from Reaper.