Is DIY resin as good as Games Workshop’s Warhammer kits? Where does it fail & what’s already better? We weigh in on the hobby’s biggest debate.
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Episode 492
Show Summary:
This week, the crew talks about the new age dilemma of 3D-printing vs Games Workshop! Here are the key takeaways, section by section:
- (00:00) Intro: The hosts, Rob, Kenny, and Mike, jump into a friendly catch-up, sharing life and work updates before hitting the main topic.
- (02:19) Mike discusses how he uses AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Grock, Gemini) to speed up research, by asking for course curricula, then drilling in and validating the output—though noting AI still fabricates things at times.
- (08:43) They reflect on cultural/creative shifts: the hosts argue that content/literature quality has declined since ~2012/2016, attributing part of that to AI use plus the shift from “art” to “content”.
- (22:25) Main topic begins: Who’s winning the “miniature war” between 3D-printing and the traditional plastic kits from Games Workshop (GW)?
- (41:57) Mike’s opinion of 3D-printing quality: he asserts 3D-printing has technically surpassed GW’s plastic kits in some respects (detail levels, etc). But he gives GW credit for engineering “kit” builds (puzzle-like multi-part, snap-fit models) that 3D-printed models often don’t match in assembly ease.
- (46:50) They debate resin versus filament printing: Resin is already at high quality, usable for miniatures; filament (FDM) may catch up for larger kits/terrain, but due to technical constraints (layering, supports) it’s unlikely to fully match miniature-level detail any time soon.
- (57:25) Q&A: On “paintability” (meaning how easy the model is to paint using conventional techniques) — Mike says resin/3D-printed models can be as paintable as plastics; the challenge lies in design philosophy. GW’s sculpts exaggerate features (deep recesses, bold detail) which map well to hobby-painting techniques, whereas many 3D prints don’t.
- (1:01:19) Closing thought: The hosts argue that in the “war,” GW is winning, not necessarily because their plastic is objectively better, but because they control the IP, ecosystem, and licensing. Even if hobbyists 3D-print, they often revolve around GW’s game systems and brands, so GW retains the strategic advantage.
- (1:03:12) Final wrap-up: The hobbyist is ideally the winner (more choice, innovation), but on the business side, GW holds strong.
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