14 Jun Miniatures and 3D printing
This article was written by Max! He shares with us his use of 3D printing to serve miniature games.
Enjoy reading! La Louve 3D.
Why choose 3D printing?
Bring life on table
Tabletop miniature games like role-playing games as Dungeons and Dragons, strategy games like IXth Age or some board games like Zombicide can sometimes require a lot of models. Whether it’s an epic battle where players must defend their characters from threats or to bring a location to life and support the narrative and gameplay, miniatures have an important role to play.
Likewise, scenery is very important. The corridors of a haunted dungeon or the ruins of a vanished culture bring a concrete immersion around the table.
The alternative
However, when it comes to building an army of goblins ready to attack the players or to bring a city to life with diversity, the cost of miniatures and the lack of differences in commercial models can be annoying. Not to mention the scenery that is hard to find in stores.
Whether it’s a role-playing game or a strategy game, acquiring a new physical model in a store is very expensive. Creating an entire army or dungeon not only costs money but also takes a lot of time.
The creators
La Louve 3D offers models that allow you to find classics as well as original creations with a particular touch. The multiplicity of models coming from different designers (all of them have their speciality) and the direct accessibility of the models available on your computer allows you to create unique and lively tables for your games.
Once you have acquired the models they are available for life. With the multiplicity, it will be easy to combine different models and quickly create a unique table ready to be printed!
The 3D printer
The acquisition of a 3D printer has become very accessible to most people thanks to the democratization of the main technologies used. Its ease of use combined with well-created models allows everyone to print their figures at home at low cost.
The quality of these printers is exceptional with a resolution smaller than the thickness of a hair. They allow you to take pleasure in creating and painting your own miniatures, which is a big part of the hobby.
Very quickly the cost of the printer and the raw material is compensated. Paying for a model allows you to print as many as possible, allowing you to create a legion in a short time and with little money!
My personal experience
I am a game master for Adventure in Middle-earth (an adaptation of the DnD 5th edition rules to play in Tolkien’s world) and a player of IXth Age (a community-based fantasy rank and file strategy game).
Very early on, the question of cost came up for me. Even if I’m a supporter of narrative, at key and memorable moments a beautiful table with nice scenery and adapted miniatures reinforce the immersion and the involvement of the players.
For my army for the IXth Age, without 3D printing I would never have started. Indeed, the cost of new and even used miniatures is a definite no-go, in addition models are often similar.
But 3D printing is also useful in my everyday life. A lot of small things (like phone and helmet holders, or even brackets for shelves) can be 3D printed with a design I chose or created.
Max