3d printing is going mainstream as the new edition of Warmachine looks to be all done with this technology!
This is a big step for 3D printing, as having a major game going almost exclusively to the tech is really cool to see. However, it looks like the community did have some concerns about the process, but in a recent post, Privateer Press gave some great info about how it will all work and what to expect.
If you want to learn more about the new edition, you can check that out here, but this time we’ll focus on the 3D printing side.
Also, with 3D printing, they will add magnets to the kits and have all the holes pre-drilled, which is cool!
Let’s take a closer look at how everything will work from their recent post.
3d Printing Goes Mainstream With Warmachine Reboot
Though mass-production using 3D printing is a new process for us, we have been using 3D printing in our manufacturing for over a decade to create the masters for our traditionally cast miniatures. Our team has produced thousands of prints on a variety of printers and understands the process very well. Thanks to that experience and knowledge, we were able to make the jump from traditional metal and resin casting to 3D-printed resin production for the new edition of WARMACHINE, allowing us to realize several goals we had for MKIV, like warjack customization.
First off, this is cool to see, as it will give them so many customization possibilities and maybe even release the files at some point. However, it looked like the community had many questions about how the process would work, so we get some good insight into their process in this update:
While the manufacturing process differs, there is fundamentally very little difference between our 3D-printed resin miniatures and the hand-poured resin miniatures we have been providing for years. Both start life by being scooped from a vat of liquid resin that must go through a curing process before they are hardened and ready to pack and ship. In the case of the hand-poured resin, we use pressure and vacuum chambers to eliminate bubbles from the resin, and a chemical reaction when the resin is mixed heats up and hardens the miniature. The 3D-printed resin, on the other hand, is reactive to ultraviolet light, and the miniatures are fully hardened after printing by exposing them to additional UV light during the curing process.
If you don’t know much about 3D printing, the process isn’t that complicated from a consumer perspective. However, if you don’t know, then you don’t know. With this in mind, they do have a good plan to keep bad prints out of consumers’ hands.
Magnets
This is great! We love the idea of bigger companies understanding we want magnets and just giving them to us pre-drilled and actually putting the magnets in the packs!
Our warjacks have been designed for customizable loadouts by creating sockets in the arms, heads, and bodies of the warjacks where small magnets can be easily glued. Our original intention was that these magnets would be included in all starter and warjack model kits. However, we have recently learned that in many countries outside of the United States, there are consumer protection laws that prohibit the inclusion of small, high-powered magnets in toys and model kits because of the dangers the magnets pose to small children in the event they are swallowed. In compliance with these laws and out of an abundance of caution, we will not be including the magnets in the kits but will instead offer them as a separate, paired product, with the magnets contained in child-resistant bottles for an increased measure of safety.
It is paramount that we make the magnets as accessible as possible for our players. Your warjacks depend on it! To ensure their availability, all starters and warjack model kits will be ordered as a bundle of two separate SKUs: the model kit and the magnet pack. We have adjusted the pricing on the kits so that there is no additional cost. The starters that were previously advertised as $199.99, for instance, have been reduced to $192.99 in order to make room for the Starter Magnet Pack, which will be priced at $6.99 and contains all the magnets needed to magnetize both warjacks in any starter set. We will make sure retailers and distributors order the model kits and magnets in pairs, ensuring that even though they are offered as two different products, they will always receive them in the same numbers, and their customers will not have to look elsewhere for the magnets.
What is there not to like about the price staying the same and getting magnets? With everything pre-drilled and the correct magnets included, this will streamline the process and help people who don’t know how to magnetize to get into the game!
Essential List of 3D printing Hobby Supplies & Products
Do you like the idea of Warmachine moving to 3D printing and magnets?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
