Full-Color Custom Miniatures with Hero Forge 2.0 Kickstarter

[grimwolfuk 10506xp 2]

Launching the 14th of Jan

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/full-color-custom-miniatures-with-hero-forge-20

Using unparalleled new colour customization tools and the newest, cutting-edge 3D printing technology, Hero Forge is excited to bring you full-colour custom tabletop 3D printed miniatures!

Hero Forge 2.0 Color Tools enable you to bring colour to your tabletop, no matter how you play. We are eager to support tabletop gamers of all kinds, whether you play in person or online.

[sundancer 42985xp 1]

I’ll just c&p my words from twitter on this:

Depends on how easy it will be to use, how expensive it will be and how fast it’ll be 😉

[brennonKeymaster 31031xp 0]

HeroForge have been doing this thing for ages and their program is pretty damn awesome – I have no qualms about that element of this endeavour. The big question for me isn’t whether or not they can print/create good models but how much this colour program is going to actually be – it’s certainly got to be a bit more expensive than them printing in their premium plastic.

 

 

[warzanKeymaster 31125xp 1]

Could be a game-changer this 🙂

[sundancer 42985xp 0]

The proof will be in the pudding 😉

[fightcitymayorParticipant 2104xp 0]

We’ve all heard claims of companies “changing the game” before, yet here we sit, in the midst of arguably the biggest minis boom in recorded history, with dozens upon dozens of minis companies surviving and selling us great product.  I wish them the best, but I’m reminded of when I was told 3D printing was going to put all of the minis companies out of business, and yet there are more minis models makers (alliteration!) than ever.  It’s still a big tent.

[torros 23816xp 0]

Could be a game-changer this

 

Another one?

[warzanKeymaster 31125xp 0]

In our industry, the ‘game-changing’ typically comes from innovations developed outside.

Very little of the ‘innovations’ that have impacted our hobby (Reduction in Injection Production Costs, CAD/CAM, 3D Sculpting, 3D Printing, Apps etc) start out life in our hobby, but our hobby then adopts them.

This is the second ‘full colour’ product I have seen (the other being the Secret Weapon bases which look very promising).

So yes anything that can generate a full-colour miniature without having to be hand-painted in china could be a very interesting development indeed 🙂

Will wait and see what the details are 🙂

[horati0nosebl0wer 19649xp 0]

Technology is great to see advances in what’s capable for the average person. This makes me look to something @warzan commented on when he showed off his Pack-o-Mando for playing with resin printing. Will the mini painting hobby become more niche for those that actually like to paint figures? I can only guess that someone at Forgeworld getting the brainchild of custom sets at outrageous prices if they already have the IP rights, manufacturing and supply chain in place. Leave the plebs to paint their armies and those with the cash can have their select brand items direct from the company. It might hit the bottom line of hobby products so they might not do it.

I’ll keep to my builds and painting.

[donimator 6109xp 0]

I recently received some models from Hero Forge, done up for Core Space (project here – https://www.beastsofwar.com/project/1456954/ ). I got one model initially in both the basic and premium plastic to compare quality. Both batches of models were delivered from Shapeways and I wonder if this KS is just expanding Hero Forge’s capacity to use Shapeway’s ‘Sandstone’ process and material. It’s quite an impressive full colour process, but is reportedly quite brittle. Perhaps this KS will further develop that process to get the same results with better durability?

[graystoak 12231xp 1]

I’ve always been of the opinion that if something sounds to good to be true, it’s probably not true. I know there are printers that print in colour, I just don’t think there is a 3D printer out there that can deliver the quality required and colour.

If they have found a way to achieve this, even if it’s just block/base colours and you work over the top, it will indeed be a game changer.

[onlyonepinman 18062xp 1]

If things no longer have to be hand painted in China, how will their economy cope!

[donimator 6109xp 1]

Shapeways Sandstone sample-

[sundancer 42985xp 0]

Good to very good for meeples and boardgames but still nothing to write home about for wargaming. At least as far as the pictures lets us judge.

How well would they do on smaller scales like 15 or 10 mm?

[graystoak 12231xp 0]

I wonder if this is the paper and resin type of printer. They’ve been around for a while. It’s essentially putting down a layer of colour printed paper, a layer of resin to bond the next paper layer and then repeating. The end result always looks a little fuzzy/pixilated like the images above. It’s a decent enough colour (to work over), but the surface isn’t great IMO.

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