How the rise of 3D printing and digital sculpting shifted the landscape of miniature wargaming. Plus, a look at acrylic paints and more.
Another Long War Two-Fer is HERE: Keep those hobby muscles strong with this week’s webcast and the latest exciting podcast of table-top wargaming awesomeness mostly centered around Warhammer 40k.
Miniatures Hobby Evolution & Warhammer Industry Trends
Table of Contents & Article Summary
Show Summary:
This week brought a huge discussion on industry trends. Here are the key takeaways:
- General Banter & Setup (00:01 – 02:40)
- Casual intro with co-hosts Kenny, Wyatt, and Rob.
- Jokes about side projects and parody site names (e.g., “longwar.nut”).
- Discussion about camera angles and remote streaming quirks.
- 3D Printing & Hobby Trends (02:40 – 07:58)
- An initial humorous “would you rather” about singing vs. dancing segues into personal anecdotes.
- Sets up the episode’s actual topic: Hobby evolution and 3D printing trends.
- Games Workshop Lawsuits & Legal Woes (09:21 – 13:51)
- Discussion on GW’s lawsuits against 280 third-party sellers (many unresponsive).
- Some were dismissed, others included for minor IP issues (e.g., labeling paint racks “Citadel”).
- Criticism of GW’s potentially overreaching enforcement and AI-driven takedown strategy.
- New Chaos Knight Release – “Ruinator” (14:13 – 26:29)
- Debated whether the new Knight kit is genuinely “new” or just a minor upgrade sprue.
- Rob criticizes the lack of poseability and the reused 12-year-old chassis.
- Wyatt argues uniformity is lore-accurate and consistent with military realism.
- Discussion about splitting kits again, increasing costs, and loss of value.
- 3D Printing, Modularity & Magnetizing (26:29 – 30:00)
- Talk about the benefits of magnetizing Knight arms.
- Praise for 3D-printed alternatives (e.g., Puppet War) for affordability and variety.
- Real-world examples of printing Knight weapons for cheap and customizing them easily.
- Death Guard vs. World Eaters Reception (27:35 – 30:00)
- Death Guard received more positively due to playstyle variety and value.
- World Eaters are seen as more one-dimensional (8-bound spam, less flexible).
- Horus Heresy Leaks & GW Previews (30:00 – 36:20)
- Discussion about Saturnine box leak and possible internal GW marketing leaks.
- GW cancels Dallas Open preview; replaces it with Space Marine 2 esports event.
- Theories about scheduling, Steam’s Skulls Festival overlap, and internal messaging.
- Industry Q&A Highlights (36:45 – 59:56)
- 3D Printing:
- FDM (filament) is best for terrain; resin is best for minis.
- Resin printing is now more accessible, but it still has a learning curve.
- Paint Lines Saturation:
- The market is overcrowded; brand success depends on customer service and uniqueness.
- Inks vs. Transparents:
- Inks offer stronger saturation; each has specific artistic applications.
- Tariffs & Kickstarter:
- Tariffs force companies to rethink fulfillment methods.
- Many Kickstarters use vague estimates; users should be cautious.
- Digital Sculpting Impact:
- 3D sculpting is the new standard; tools like Blender/ZBrush democratized sculpting.
- 3D Printing:
- Best acrylic paints
- 3D Printing Miniatures
- Monument Hobbies has some of the best paints in the business
- Get your hobbies for less from Fabricators Forge
- J15 Games Has Your Game Aides, Tokens & Templates!
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