Warhammer 40k - Going the 3D printing route vs buying legit GW models

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Good day everyone! Zak here from Cape Town, South Africa and this is a speculative post about the subject of owning and building a Warhammer 40,000 army to play the tabletop game.

I have been involved in this hobby for over 20 years and only now am I experimenting with some components, replacement bits and cosmetics that are 3D printed. All of my units up until now have been GW only.

When I had custom components and units in my armies, these would be hand-crafted from different GW components. This is called a conversion. Either a person will kit-bash different sets or they might sculpt some of the parts using Green Stuff which is a 2-part epoxy putty.

To be honest, only recently (and I mean that in the broadest of ways so plus-minis 5 years) has the 3D printing been any good! At this point in time the 3D printing is very good with the wider creative market of people gaining access to a technology that enables them to push the creative limits of miniatures.

That is why there are so many content creators who create 40k compatible prints under the guise of other names that can fit on to or even replace GW units.

This poses a threat to GW and instead of embracing the 3D print culture and absorbing it into their business model, GW has done their utmost to resist this growing industry.

Hence, the Sanctioned tournaments at GW need to be played with GW products only. Anyone selling products named or formed too close to their copyright images get themselves shut down.

However, you cannot copyright all shapes and forms and when someone comes out with brilliant alternative miniatures which a hobbyist will enjoy to buy/print and paint… they can ultimately play the game at a friendly level and casual tournament level without much fuss.

I have now got a few 3D printed axes and bits and bobs. Also some Dreadnought bits so I can convert GW Dreadnoughts into the kind of Dreadnought that I want. I am also converting some Astra Militarum tanks from one type to the next but using GW Chassis as a base.

I do not not yet have anything that was 3D printed painted and I do not have any 3D print only models… but the question is: Should I?

And if I do, why not? If I don’t, why not?

I was thinking to myself: Is this really then the largest 40k collection that I can muster( ie: biggest army in the area/town/city/province/country) if it contains 3D printed minis?

Why would it not count?

When we look at the impressive battle that Dave from Miniwargamer vs Geargut’s Mekshop… it is a 150,000pts collection of “Broozers” which are just non-GW Orks.

The models are spectacular!

This collection really would be one of the most massive of Ork army collections and to play a oversized game of Warhammer 40,000 with or against such an army would be a truly amazing game to play!

So… as far as I am concerned, I do not think that it is WRONG to do. But I do think that I would like to be responsible with the Percentage of the number of 3D printed models. It is important that with every visit to the hobby store that I at least buy something small there while I am using the facilities. Even if it is just a drink.

What is your opinion on the matter? Let me hear your stories and ideas!

Some of thr bits that I am getting for my models come from the set found here:
https://www.myminifactory.com/users/greytidestudio#/

I did not print them myself of course.

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Cheers!
@zakludick

Hive South Africa