"And Your Preference is?" Topic

Hi,

Now that 3d prints seem as ingrained in our hobby as plastic was established about 20 years back what do you guys and gals prefer?

Metal?

plastic?

Resin?

3D prints?

It would be very interesting to hear what folk prefer.

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Metal then plastic a distant second.

Metal for figures.

I dislike the very thing that those who love plastics love. The assembly of multiple part figures.

Resin figures? Never seen any.

My experience with 3D printed figures is not good. The "sculptors" don't seem as devoted to historical accuracy as they should. They strive for artistic effect over accuracy. 🤷YMMV. Plus, there's the issue of bases. I'm sure there will be some improvement in the future, but for now, I'll pass. I had a bad experience with 3D printed tanks. They were not only brittle, but the resolution was so poor, they looked like they were made of corrugated steel. And then, there's the cobwebs of supports.
Not for me.

If we're talking terrain, including ships, that's different.
Metal terrain? Seriously?
I've seen resin buildings where the walls of the molds were not supported, and the model had huge bulges.
Plastic terrain and buildings go back ages. Love them.
I have a few 3D printed ships and boats. They're fine. But I have an issue with multi story buildings. There, the supports are a real pain.

But the OP didn't mention laser cut MDF. Those are my favorite buildings.

Good quality metal figures are the best, but the Ten Kingdoms Miniatures (3D prints) are a close 2nd.

All metal or all platsic – but not mixed.

Soft plastic 1/72nd is my absolute favourite.

3-D printed hard plastic is preferred over multipart injection moulded hard plastic.

Reaper Bones style plastics – I like that they are "one piece castings" but I find it harder than with metals to get a decent paint job.

I like metals, but a lot of my unpainted stuff is no better in detail quality than more modern plastics of all types.

If the figures are nice (good animation, good proportions, accurate uniform/weapon details and in scale), and are wargamer resistant, then I wouldn't care if they were made from chicken bones or porcelain (though porcelain would NOT be wargamer resistant, would it?).

Metal, then hard plastic or 3d printed resin equally. I do enjoy soft plastic 1/72 but for me they're a bit of a niche so I don't paint them often. No compunctions at all about mixing material in the same collection.

I have Perry's Travel Battle figs and Warlord's Epic figs, but I either do not paint them or spray paint a one-color paint job. I use them for a mass battle setup on my table. Metals are my choice for 28mm, my AWI skirmish setups.
I used to play a 1970's ruleset called "Warlord" for which I used and would continue to use hand-painted metal figs. The kit plastics would drive me nuts (short drive, admittedly). I have rarely used metals that required an arm be glued on the figure.

Metal only when playing 15mm games.

martin

I like them all, but I prefer metals.

Metal overall, plastics for some jobs.

Depends on scale, use and availability. Skirmish/RPG 28mm figures are a mix of 3D prints and metals, and I'm happy either way--possibly a slight bias in favor of the lighter resin. My horse & musket mass armies are often cheap hard plastic from kits, but handling them on individual bases has proven so annoying that I'm tempted to replace them with metals. This would not be so, I think, if I were using V&B basing.
Microscale is exclusively metal except for OGRE/GEV stuff, and of course 2mm is only to be had in metals.

Terrain is another matter--styrofoam hills, foamcore buildings in the larger scales and hard plastic in the smaller, felt roads, vinyl rivers are my preferred. Walls and fences should be hard plastic in 28mm, but possibly metal in 6mm, and trees are wildly various.

I like metal as easier to clean up for painting, but I don't mind plastic (and sometimes don't bother to "clean it up"). Whatever is available (and cheap) is my preference. I will say that plastic tends to have more realistic proportions than metal (which tend to be "chunky"-looking to my eye), but there's a certain charm to that which still lingers around.

I do NOT like resin— it's heavy, brittle, and the dust from sanding could possibly pose a health hazard (from what I've read), and resin models are the one's I've seen with the most casting issues— bubble holes, missing parts, etc..

3D printing is not objectionable to me, but I only have a few and they're spaceships, so any striations don't detract. Plus, I don't have a 3D printer, and the prices for printed models don't seem to be any better (or are often higher) than for metal or injection molded plastic.

Plus, I don't have a 3D printer, and the prices for printed models don't seem to be any better (or are often higher) than for metal or injection molded plastic.

Exactly.

I prefer metal. Metal miniatures are easier to prepare (less having to put things together), they hold primer and paint better, and they are more durable. That said, I do use plastics for conversion projects, where they give you more flexibility. Occasionally, I even mix plastic pieces with my metal miniatures. I do not like resin because resin miniatures are too brittle and I have the same additional concerns voiced above by Parzival.