3D-Printing Review: Wailing Tower from Thunder Chrome 3 kickstarter

Thunder Chrome has a kickstarter just now, Thunder Chrome 3: Highway to Castle Painskull, where you’ll get files for modular epic-sized buildings and catwalks between them.

I kindly got some pre-release files for review-purposes before the campaign and when I started looking at them my first thought was “Whatever will I use this for?” I printed some (the top three pieces of the tower) and realized that they look great, the fit between the pieces are perfect and that there are quite a lot of possibilities here.

I painted those while I printed pieces for the lower part of the tower (floor, two arches and two walls with circular windows). Painted those and realised that I really like this set. Now I had to have an even higher tower, so I printed four supports, the legs that lift the tower, and another floor. When I was at it I printed the three-piece stairs also, as our heroes have to be able to reach the upper floors.

I use a really basic paint-scheme: Army Painter Rough Iron as a base, drybrush with AP Plate Mail Metal. Details painted AP True Copper and Vallejo Bronze.

I still haven’t painted the supports or stairs, as I used up all Rough Iron and need to buy more. Got a cold that has floored me for a couple of days now, preventing me from visiting my Friendly Local Gaming Store. 

I am thinking about printing a balcony for the tower and maybe some of the catwalks, connecting this piece to other buildings.

So, what will I use it for? My first thought was Frostgrave, where it will look smashing. From Frostgrave the jump to Ghost Archipelago is a short one. In both, a treasure or two in the top-floor would be suitable.

Then I thought about Pulp Alley, where a scenario around a mad scientist holed up on the top floor during a thunderstorm does have certain attractions. Combine that with an operating table on which a lifeless body lies, connected to the spire (which, by the way, is the front of an Amraam missile from the parts-box) with wires. Hurry before the golem wakes up! Yep, definitely a scenario here.

So, there are all sorts of uses for this, and I have just started exploring them. I’m really happy with this.

© Thunder Chrome and used with permission

The verdict:

It’s different, fit is excellent, it paints up easily and the end-result is eye-catching. What’s not to like?  Great stuff!

© Thunder Chrome and used with permission

Do check it out before the kickstarter ends on May 27 2019. There is a free samples pack on the Kickstarter page if you want to ge a feel of it all before taking the plunge.

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3D-Printing Review: Death Werewolf from Printed Obsession

Printed Obsession kindly sent a couple of pre-release files from their Hell Hath No Fury kickstarter for me to try out, and here is one of them.

This, a Death Werewolf, is actually a first for me, as it is the first figure I have printed. It looked daunting to say the least. Lots of details.

I sliced it in Sli3r, layer height 0.07 with supports. Printed in a Prusa i3 MK 3 with a generic filament (from Clas Ohlsson).

What came out after two and a half hours looked like a lump of plastic, but after I had removed all the support material something resembling a black werewolf emerged. I hit it with a short blast from a heat-gun to melt flimsy pieces of stray plastic.

After painting it looks like a great playing piece from a normal arms-length (or in the pics here). In a close-up pic (like when you click on these pics to get a full-size one) you can see layering but it’s not too bad, I think. 

I guess I could get better results with some practice, this is after all the first figure I have printed. I would like to try out my high-end Prusa-filament on figures, as I think that will give even better end-results. More experiments with figures will follow, especially things like zombies, as I think there is a lot of potential here.

The verdict: A beautiful mini that turned out rather well for a novice. If you have a SLA-printer you will get an excellent mini full of details, and with a FDM-printer (like mine) you’ll get at least a decent result, and probably rather good with some practice.

© Printed obsession and used with permission

Do pop over to their kickstarter, as the great-looking minis there are well worth a look, and there are some really nice terrain-pieces, too. Hurry, as the campaign closes on May 4 2019.

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