The Warhammer Community. The only people in the world who would think
that THIS float was EVER a good idea. There are a few things that seem to rile up
the Warhammer community WITHOUT FAIL: Number 1: Female Space Marines. Number 2: GW deciding that a $200 release
- that sells out in 2 hours, that is mentioned as being a part of their “regular line-up”
is ACTUALLY...not, going to be a part of their “regular line-up” - *cringe* Yeah, that
one still hurts. And Number 3: 3D Printing Warhammer. And it doesn’t matter: 40K, Sigmar, Oldhammer
- This is ALWAYS a hot topic. And honestly how can you blame anyone when
THIS is 3D printed warhammer: I don’t know whether to be mad that there’s
a war titan with THIS much sparkle - or that anyone out there could make one of these for
themselves with about $1000 - which is HALF the cost of the Forge World equivalent. In all seriousness though, much like recasting,
3D Printing is controversial in the Warhammer community for many OTHER reasons besides the
potential cost savings. I want to talk about the current state of
3D printing in the Warhammer community, how we got here, and when it’s OK (and not OK)
to 3D print warhammer. Let’s start with what I call the DJ Khaled
Prophecy. And no, it is not because he shouts his name
every time this comes up in an online thread. Many Warhammer players argue[a] that if everyone
keeps 3D printing proxies, that GW’s profit could suffer - to the point where they can’t
make more new models, lore, rules, books, and may even shut down completely since...they’re
a manufacturing company. Which means - there won’t be anything left
to proxy FOR. In other words: Congratulations 3D Printing
Warhammer Players: YA PLAYED YOURSELF. And there it is...the DJ Khaled Prophecy. And then articles like this one come out - which
makes it sound like the 3D printing community is out to DESTROY Games Workshop. You know what else affects Games Workshop’s
revenue? Bathroom Breaks - they can cost an average
of $6250 per employee every year. And with over 2000 employees - you can do
the math. So where are my headlines like “ENTICING
TOILET THREATENS GAMES WORKSHOP REVENUE” - I guess it isn’t sexy enough of a headline
like the 3D Printing Death Squad… I would probably agree with the idea that
3D printing is a serious threat to Games Workshop’s profit, if GW’s stock chart over the past
10 years didn’t look like THIS. That is over 1700% increase over 10 years. Over 2200% increase on the London stock exchange. And there’s not much of a difference from
2016, when Kevin Rountree took over as CEO, and the 2020 pandemic only made things EVEN
BETTER as well. You don’t need to know the stock market
to know...that’s a nice curve. Oh and that little blue line below it? Yeah, that’s Google’s. Now to be clear: I’m not saying that GW
being successful is a valid reason to "stick it to them" with 3D printing, since “they
don’t need my money anyways!” Or that 3D printing isn’t affecting them
at all. What I am saying is that 3D printing warhammer
doesn’t seem to be making any visible dent in GW’s profits... at all, and I don’t
think that will change anytime soon. The big reason why I think this isn’t something
Warhammer players should worry about is adoption: And I don’t mean the kind you get to do
in Skyrim. Sorry Lucia. 3D printing just isn’t mainstream enough,
or growing fast enough, to disrupt GW like say Napster did to the music industry. Here’s what I mean: This is from an article
talking about when Napster was first released: Napster was launched in May 1999. By October it had 4m songs in circulation. By March 2000 ... the Napster community numbered
more than 20 million. Within 10 months, 20 million people were using
Napster and downloading songs for free. Meanwhile with us, it’s been like 8 years
since 3D printing warhammer really became a thing and the best we’ve got is: A Subreddit
with 11,000 members, a Facebook group with 16,000 members - Oh, and I can’t forget
the other facebook group: 3D Printing for WarHammer40K - Fascist Free Zone. Very appropriate name for the game centered
around the Imperium of Man. Now it IS worth saying that in that same time
period where GW revenue was skyrocketing: Home 3D printing was also growing too - just...not
at Napster levels. Look at this clip from an old video of mine
from April 2018 - just 3 years ago Boy, I was really excited back then. In case you are wondering - here is that same
Anycubic Photon, and it’s price today: That’s right - $169 (and yes, atleast to
the USA, that includes free shipping). And now...a resin printer and 1 liter of resin
is actually cheaper than “not-a-part-of-the-regular-line-up” Warhammer Quest: Cursed City. Even before scalping prices. Cha-ching. So, even though the price of 3D printers has
come down by so much, the quality has gotten better. A LOT better. For example, the 32mm gunslinger on the right
was printed on a $250 2K screen resin printer. The one on the left was printed on a $400
4K screen resin printer. In case you’re having trouble seeing the
difference, look at the crispness of the belt buckle in particular. This has REALLY changed things because when
3D printing Warhammer first started becoming a thing around 6-7 years ago, there was way
more hobby printing happening on filament printers. And for many Warhammer players - the quality
of printed models just wasn’t to par. And for many - it still isn’t. Check out this Dakka Dakka forum reply from
2018: “What I don’t like right now...and I’m
seeing a lot of locally, is garbage 3D printed 28/32mm figures being used on the table (unpainted...of
course), etc. When you start deteriorating the look of the
game we’re cooperatively playing, I’m no longer interested. Same thing for people showing up with dollar-store
tanks, or my little pony armies.” Okay, now hold up, Powerful Phoenix Lord Elbows,
This Tactical Pony Squad with a chainhorn looks pretty f*****g grimdark to me. Aaaaah! I do think Elbows has a valid point though. I can see why someone would want to play against
this Tyranid proxy vs. my 3-year-old FDM Space Exterminator. He’s a bit rougher
than I remember looking back (and comparing to current resin printers). But he illustrates the point. ESPECIALLY seeing as he’s only primed. Fortunately, now that we have 4K resin printers
that cost less than the smallest Titan...well, you’re much more likely to see THIS quality
of proxy at your table rather than THIS one from a few years ago. Which is really a great thing for everyone
- for the 3D printing warhammer players AND the Elbows of the world. But even with resin 3D printers becoming more
affordable, and producing better prints, there’s still resistance in the Warhammer community
to 3D printing for their games. This is, at least partially, because 3D printable bits,proxies, obvious model copies, and terrain all tend to get thrown together into the same
category, and so... ALL of the ways you can 3D print for warhammer
gets collectively judged as a whole, instead of looking at individual situations (some of which we’ll explore later on in the video). Remember that article I brought up earlier about how GW revenue was being threatened? Well, look who’s back...with articles such
as: 40K Feels Bad: 3D Printed Army Wins a Tournament, Printing Free 3D 40K Models
Picks Up Speed: GW Silent - As if Games Workshop is going to call a press conference
to announce: “We’ve identified models that our legal team believes infringes on
our copyrights, and we are publicly asking them to stop making free models for our games
or we will have to politely sue you if you don’t. Cheers.” Actually, GW basically does have a standing
statement that basically says that: "In addition, we can, and do, defend our intellectual property
rigorously against imitators, thus ensuring that our worlds are synonymous with quality." That statement is LITERALLY on their "Our
Business Model" page. It’s a part of their business model to sue
(and DMCA) anyone they think is infringing their copyrights. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. And that isn't a secret: Anybody who 3D prints
Warhammer knows that GW can request a takedown of a model at any time. It happens a lot. Regardless of whether the files are being
sold or given away for free. So, losing money and sales in the short term
really isn’t the main issue here - but it is most definitely about aggressively protecting
their intellectual property as a business in the long term. Which brings us to the oliphant in the room:
What the f*** is an "imitator" model to GW? That's a great question because "obvious copying"
of intellectual property actually happens a lot - Like with these two comic book characters,
Wasp and Bumblebee, when DC decided - Oh hey, let’s make our own bug-inspired super
hero girl with incredibly similar powers, outfit, and name - but...she’ll be black.
Checkmate, Marvel. Or Deadpool and Deathstroke - who’s real
names are literally Slade Wilson and WADE Wilson. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t just
name him Deathslash. And the comic book industry was also filled
with copyright lawsuits and disputes - just like with GW. In these comic book character cases though,
it eventually worked out - those characters all branched off and became their own individual
thing, and now we got the privilege of seeing 2010’s Sexiest Man Alive, Ryan Reynolds
as Deadpool and D&D’s Sexiest Player Alive, Joe Manginello as DeathStroke. Now back to that question: What CAN’T
be imitated or copy from GW? Well, here is GW’s list of copyrighted and
trademarked things: Prepare thineself for the reading: *snoring* They even have a trademark of the words “Space
Marine” for anything board game/mini related. Yeah, it’s true! Look it up. So if a sculptor or company
makes 3D printable models that could be used as proxies for Warhammer or really any sci-fi
or fantasy game - they tend to avoid using GW names & symbols, and change certain
sculptural features that are unique to GW models. They do this to make it as clear as possible
that “This is not a GW model, it isn’t even fan art, this is my own model that took
inspiration from many sources - one of which MIGHT be Games Workshop warhammer models.” This is how we ended up with very memorable
models such as: Karl, The Prince of Bloody Deamons, Reverend Rick, Custard Guardian with
a Sword & Board, Kitten’s Stealthy Waifu, Ratata-toullie, and my personal favorite:
Austin, the “Space Vampire Executioner” The middle-aged pest control officer who likes
to cosplay on the weekends as a space vampire. Even with some 3D sculptors being careful
to avoid copyright infringement, others do digitally sculpt blatant one-to-one copies
with the exact designs - which is very likely an infringement of GW’s IP. Whether this is illegal or not is another
story, but at a minimum: it’s unethical. And because the lines between inspiration
and “obvious copy” can be gray, online debates about whether a model is infringing
on GW’s IP rights or not happen ALL THE TIME - usually resulting in threads with
more drama than R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Saga. Which has THIRTY-THREE chapters
by the way. Das a lotta drama. So, by now...some of you might WANT me
to take a stance on whether certain models are obvious copies or not - And that’s like
asking me to decide which of my dogs look cuter wrapped up in a blanket. I can’t do that. It’s physically impossible for me. I mean look at this: And even if I did - It wouldn’t make a difference
anyways: Because I’m not a lawyer, and what I say in this video isn’t any kind
of legal advice or claims - it’s just me sharing my opinion and telling a story I want
to tell. One which some of you WILL disagree with. But the opinion of GW is really what counts
here: If they feel like a printable model is an infringement of their IP, it’s
on them to take legal action. And they definitely do. It usually doesn’t start with an outright
lawsuit though: They might send a DMCA to the hosting website
or a C&D to the sculptor or company. Which is basically GW saying: “I’m gonna
make ‘em an offer dey can’t refuse.” And that’s usually what happens: The model
usually gets taken down, and that’s that. Because... there’s really no company big
enough to defend against GW’s infringement claims in court. To my knowledge, the last company that did
challenge GW in court was a third party proxy and bits company called Chapterhouse Studios
in the early 2010’s: Who went to court with Games Workshop for SEVERAL YEARS over
intellectual property infringement claims. They could only afford it because the lawyers
who represented them did it pro bono - in other words: free. Chapterhouse still ended up going out of business
a few years after the suit was settled unfortunately, but the results of that lawsuit is why a lot
of 3D sculptors today know they need to avoid specific things like the aquila symbol
or using GW-trademarked names. But the most surprising thing to me was that
Games Workshop DOES allow 3D printing Warhammer. I know… they ARE actually cool with it. Here
it is from the latest Updated Model Requirements I could find for their tournaments: “Much like hand sculpted detail, if you’ve
gone to the effort of designing and printing your own bespoke parts for your army, then
these parts are indeed permitted at our events.” Of course... it wouldn’t be GW if they didn’
t add a bunch of extra rules. “Commercially available, third party 3D
printed parts aren’t permitted though.” So not only does the base model need to be
the actual GW model, but this[ax] means those Patreon or purchased 3D printable bits aren’t
GW-tournament legal. But any bits or parts you make, or commission,
for yourself is OK. You just can’t sell it or share it with
anyone else. Which...that part right there, that a 3rd
party bit or proxy can now be instantly shared and replicated all over the world,
is REALLY why 3D printing is different from say scratch building or fully handsculpted
proxies and bits. That instant access can be kinda scary,
and the stakes ARE higher for GW - even if they aren’t Napster high. And I think it’s easy to understand why
GW definitely doesn’t allow 3rd party models and bits in their tournaments - but Warhammer
is most often played at friend’s houses, local game stores and clubs, and even smaller
local and regional tournaments. So in these situations, what is “officially”
allowed doesn’t matter as much. It’s what the people at your table, or running
the tournament, think that matters most. So does that mean it’s OK to use 3D printed
proxies and bits everywhere else? I think the REAL question you’re asking is: Can
this sexy sax marine fight SIDE BY SIDE with my noise marine? And the answer is:
It depends. Many tournaments (even large ones)[bh] don’t
have specific rules about 3D printed models, but usually expect any 3rd party models to
be reasonable to “count-as” their Warhammer equivalent. That’s pretty much what I mean when I refer
to 3D printable proxies in this video - models that are different and unique of
their own merit, but still close enough to “count-as” some GW model. Unfortunately, that means Weird Al Tankovich
is probably not gonna be OK’d for the tournament next week. Better luck next time, Grinning Grunt. Now if you’ve found yourself nodding
along through most of this video so far - I think these next points, gonna have some bump’n’grind
- and I don’t see nothing wrong with that. That’s what the comments are for after all. There are two things that are really important
when 3D printing warhammer: Your execution & your intent. Let’s talk about execution first. Nowadays, most people are OK with well-executed
3D printed proxies and bits. Especially if they’re high-detail models printed on
a resin printer, and assembled, painted, and based. It’s not that it has to be expertly painted,
but if you put in time and effort, and it looks like it fits - then most people will
probably be OK with it. But this applies to any 3rd party models honestly
- not just 3D printed ones. This is why my old primed tank proxy would
probably be frowned upon in a lot of games, but if this one shows up - HELL YEAH. The other thing that really matters is intent
. Why you sculpt or print, along with how conscientious
you are of your local community, is just as important as the time and effort you put into
your hobbying. If you’re gonna 3D print warhammer - be
respectful and considerate.You might LOVE 3D printing for your warhammer models,
but understand that others might not see it the way you do. And that’s OK. Regardless, walking into your local game store
like: “Suuuup, you know how cheap my 3D printed army is?" - is like going to your
community pool, and bragging about how you save time by peeing in it instead of going
to the bathroom. And then wondering why nobody wants to swim
around you suddenly, and why your eyes now burn when you go under the water. There’s an idiom we say in English: “Don’t
s*** where you eat.” And it’s never been more true here. If you want to 3D print Warhammer, please
support GW and your local game store as much as you can. I know that many people print because they
can’t afford the real deal, but in the eyes of the community, there’s a big difference
between fielding an entire 3D printed proxy army - and 1 or 2 printed tanks and a leader
unit. Now for those of you who DON’T 3D print:
If someone in your community wants to use a 3D printed model, or scratch-built or sculpted
proxies, consider their perspective. That there are a lot of other reasons why
they might want to use that - besides financial ones. Like for example, my friend Trent in Australia. You might know him as Miscast here on YouTube. He’s been making a Nurgle army where
“every model is a conversion” for over a year now. Yes, he’s saving money - but this is really
a passion project. There's much faster ways to get a cheaper-than-retail
Nurgle army after all, like through swaps or eBay. And similar to 3D printed proxies, some of
the models he’s making have no GW model or parts underneath. Like this Daemon Prince for example: That looked very HARD - but very fun.
But seriously: I love that series, you should definitely check it out. After this video. I need to confess here: There’s one group
of wargamers that I’ve left out. Intentionally. Because they’re exceptions to everything
that came before in this video. This segment of wargamers care SO MUCH about
their community - that when GW nukes their favorite games, leaving them to die on a volcanic
planet, they are the ones who keep it on life support. In some cases, their game gets a second life
But in most cases, it’s the passionate community, and the community alone, that keeps these
games alive. I’m talking about wargamers who still play
games like: Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Mordheim, Warmaster, Epic, Adeptus Titanicus,
and Battlefleet Gothic among others I’ll collectively call these games, Oldhammer,
just to make things easier. Oldhammer is an exception in the 3D Printing
Warhammer world because GW no longer supports these games. Which means: Playing & printing for them results in zero
lost sales for GW - because the only real way to get the models for those games is to
buy second-hand through sites like eBay. So both GW and your local game store lose
nothing if you decide to 3D print proxies to play instead. Even if you DID want to use original GW models
- there are limited or cost-prohibitive options. For some games like Warhammer Fantasy Battle,
there’s going to be a lot more options - but games like Battlefleet Gothic and Warmaster? I'll be sure to say a prayer for you before
my non-existent yoga session tomorrow morning. But seriously: It can get expensive if you’re
looking to build a specific fleet or units from some of these games. And while fantasy games like D&D and sci-fi
games like 40K get a lot of love from the 3D printing world - smaller niche games
and editions like Oldhammer almost always get left behind. Sculptors who choose to make model proxies
for the Oldhammer community just don’t do as well unfortunately, even if they have
a SUPER passionate following. And among all of the warhammer community,
if there is ANY group that I think should receive ANY amount of grace for 3D printing
models for their games - it is the oldhammer players. Who just love these games, and even band together
to make unofficial rule updates. They are REALLY some of the Warhammer communities
greatest evangelists, and many of them are just grateful when they even have a tournament
at the largest recognized warhammer conventions. Speaking of cons - you know what...I found
a 3D printing warhammer miracle. Adepticon 2018 held a Battlefleet Gothic
Championship, and published their rule PDF online. And would ya look at that… This is the first, and only, permission I’ve
found expressly granted for printed models at a largely recognized tournament. And I couldn’t help but feel - it is the
only one that REALLY makes sense. Adepticon - ya dun gud. There is one other reason why I wanted
to talk about Oldhammer last. This video was inspired by the creativity
of several other YTers who invited me to participate in a big collab called Square
Base May - where we celebrate the good ol’ days when it was cool to paint your bases
ghostbuster green. I've linked their videos in the description below. They're all awesome hobbyists who have genuine
passion and interesting perspectives. Definitely check them out after. And I might not be very much of a crafter
or a miniature painter like they are, but I know 3D printing - and I love sharing the
impact it’s having on the tabletop communities I love. So here we are: In a place where 3D printing
for Warhammer is better than ever before, and finally finding it’s groove in the wargaming
community. It’s now cheaper, it’s very high quality,
and there are more amazing printable proxy and bit choices than ANYONE could have imagined
even a few years ago. Especially Tom Kirby, Games Workshop’s CEO
until 2016. In his 2014 Chairman’s Preamble, he asked
rhetorically: “Pretty soon everyone will be printing their
own miniatures and where will we be then, eh?” I can answer that: GW is actually in a pretty
good f*****g place. Oh, also...because it is Square Base May,
I decided I was gonna take it back...WAAAY back - to Rogue Trader 1987. I know Rogue Trader might not fit exactly,
but if I ever do...I know I’m gonna have the most historically accurate Imperial Bodyguards
around based on this original Rogue Trader artwork. I present to you.... Hey there, thanks for sticking around. If it’s your first time on my channel - welcome,
I’m Danny, the 3D Printing DM. If you enjoyed the video, please give it a like and
maybe share it with someone you think might enjoy it as well! If you want to support
the channel, the best way to do that is to purchase one of our late pledges on our website:
lostadventures.co. And if fantasy isn’t your thing: You can always subscribe,
and I’ll see you next time. Thanks again for watching Happy printing, and happy gaming! Hey Danny, I'm going to download your video and upload it to my channel. Um...that's not really cool
You know? I'm gonna add my own logo so that it's transformative! *nervous laugh* ...what have I done? Let's get this suit off...
