So you’ve seen the movie and now you know with absolute certainty where Napoleon went wrong. You can, and will, do better. It’s time to get into real wargaming. Welcome to Napoleonics.
This article is part of our Getting Started: Napoleonics guide.
Ah, Napoleonics – the ultimate groggy past-time. Whether you’re putting together a skirmish force for Sharpe Practice or looking to recreate a 1:1 representation of Waterloo, 3D printing can make collecting what you need a snap. Even if you already have a substantial Napoleonic collection, a few 3D prints can add character to your army – such as casualties, models with dynamic poses, generals, limbers, and more.
I think Napoleonics are especially well-suited for 3D printing because of the number of models many rulesets require, and the (relatively) uniform nature of the forces. For example, $12 can get you all the French Fusilier models you need, and from that point forward the only limit on the number you can print is your resin supply!
The following list of sculptors is presented in no particular order. I’ve organized them into those who exclusively offer 28mm, and those who offer multiple scales.
A few notes on the format of this list:
- Scales = The scales listed for each manufacturer reflect the scale of the models as they come in the files. In 3D printing, you can, of course, manually scale models up and down to match other scales, but this can sometimes create problems and means you won’t be able to use presupports. Therefore, I’m listing only the scales of the models as-is.
- Range = This indicates how many different unit types/options are available. Certain manufacturers may only have a handful of units for offer, while others have literally hundreds. Some folks don’t mind mixing and matching models from different companies, while others prefer to get everything from one place, so this can help you decide which to explore.
- Nations = Pretty self explanatory, which nation’s armies this manufacturer makes models for.
- Price = I’ve used three price ranks here, depending on the cost of a pack of models from each manufacturer. Since there is no standard size of a pack of models, I’m arranging them based on the number of sculpts/models you get for your dollar.
- $ = Less than $1 per sculpt
- $$ = $1-2 per sculpt
- $$$ – More than $2 per sculpt
28mm
Wargames Atlantic [Myminifactory]
Scales: 28mm
Range: Mostly characters and oddities
Nations: Bavaria, Britain, France, Generic, Spain, Russia
Price: $$
It’s hard to know how to rate the price of these since Wargames Atlantic almost always makes their digital offerings modular, allowing many different build options. A subscription to Wargames Atlantic’s Tribe is only $12 a month and gives you 11 kits per month (one for each of their ranges), making it one of the best deals in 3D printing. If you’re only after Napoleonic models, however, that might not be worth the price of admission.
Wargames Atlantic’s Napoleonic offerings are definitely eclectic. They’ve mostly opted for strange or obscure sets such as Napoleon on 13th Vendemiaire, camp followers, or female imagi-nation Napoleonic models.
Iron Chicken [Wargaming 3D]
Scales: 28mm
Range: Just infantry
Nations: Spanish
Price: $
Iron Chicken is known for their affordable army options. In Napoleonics their only offer is Spanish pack that comes with 22 sculpts for four unit types at the low price of $12.
Rafal Polkowski [Wargaming 3D] [Kickstarter]
Scales: 28mm
Range: Comprehensive
Nations: Austria, Poland
Price: $$
Focusing mostly on the Duchy of Warsaw and Austria, these models are heroically proportioned and very dynamic. If you want dudes in a sexy czapka, this is the place to look.
Eugene Smichnik [Wargaming 3D]
Scales: 28mm
Range: Infantry only
Nations: Russia
Price: $$$
Eugene Smichnik continues his quest to model every unit in Russian history, including three sets of Russian infantry from the Napoleonic era. As always, his models are extremely dynamic, but pricey.
Piano Wargames [Website] [Kickstarter][Myminifactory]
Scales: 28mm
Range: Comprehensive
Nations: Austria, Bavaria, France, Hessen-Darmstadt, Tyroleans, Wurttemberg, Würzburg
Price: Infantry = $$, Cavalry & Artillery = $$$
Piano Wargames have some of the nicest sculpts of any Napoleonics out there – exceeding even those from many traditional manufacturers. The models are not cheap, but they’re incredible looking and offer some minor nations that aren’t available anywhere else.
Also, their website is gorgeous and, if nothing else, worth visiting for the beautiful pictures of Napoleonic miniatures.
Multiple Scales
Fernando Pedrazzoli [Wargaming 3D] [Website] [Kickstarter]
Scales: 6mm, 28mm
Range: Cavalry and Artillery
Nations: France, Holland, Italy, Russia
Price: 6mm = $ 28mm = $$
Fernando started by offering exquisitely detailed artillery pieces and crew in 28mm. Since then they have expanded to offer 6mm cavalry at a very competitive price.
Napoleon STL Files [Website] [Kickstarter]
Scales: 15mm, 28mm
Range: Decent infantry and cavalry selection. Good artillery, limber, and support options.
Nations: Britain, France, Hanover, Prussian, Westphalia
Price: $$$
Napoleon STL files have a unique selection of support equipment such as limbers, wagons, and other logistical pieces that often are ignored in other ranges. Their infantry and cavalry selection is a little more limited. The models are dynamically posed and a little heroically stylized.
3DMini [Wargaming 3D]
Scales: 18mm, 28mm
Range: Mostly infantry, some artillery
Nations: Bavaria, Britain, France, Poland, Russia
Price: $
While only offering a limited selection of models, those for sale are very competitively priced and reviewed well. Most come natively scaled to 18mm with instructions on how to scale them up or down.
MC Miniatures [Wargaming 3D]
Scales: 6mm, 15mm, 28mm
Range: Comprehensive
Nations: Austria, Baden, Bavaria, Belgium, Britain, Brunswick, France, Holland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Spain
Price: $$
MC Miniatures greatest strength, in my opinion, is how thorough their ranges are. If starting an army with MC models, you can count on finding everything you need in one place. They mention that their 15mm models are “epic” scale, ostensibly fitting with Warlord’s epic models.
Kozak [Wargaming 3D] [Myminifactory]
Scales: 20mm
Range: Comprehensive
Nations: France, Russia
Price: $$
Kozak minis are natively scaled to 20mm but can be easily scaled down to 15mm or up to 28mm. The models are nicely designed and use a somewhat true-scale modeling style.
Henry Turner [Wargaming 3D] [Website] [Patreon] [Myminifactory] [Kickstarter]
Scales: 6mm, 13.5mm (Warlord Epic scale)
Range: Comprehensive
Nations: Austria, Bavarian, Belgium, Britain, Brunswick, Denmark, France, Hanover, Holland, Poland, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Spain, Sweden, Wurttemberg
Price: $
Henry Turner would be my go-to recommendation for 6mm Napoleonics. Renders of the models can look a bit silly because of their exaggerated proportions, however when printed they look absolutely ace. Many are also designed to print supportless, meaning you can really pack them onto the build plate and save money on resin. Henry’s models are designed to be printed from 6mm up to 15mm and new sets scaled to match Warlord’s 13.5mm Epic scale are being released.
Micron Miniatures [Myminifactory]
Scales: 6mm, 15mm, 28mm
Range: Basic infantry, cavalry, artillery
Nations: British, French, Spanish
Price: $
As the name implies, Micron miniatures mostly focuses on small scale minis, with their 6mm Napoleonics being their primary line. They also have a handful of 15mm and 28mm offerings. Prices are extremely good for the amount of models you get.
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And that’s all for now folks! The number of 3D printable models continues to grow every day, so hopefully this list will be even more comprehensive in the future. Happy printing!
Questions, Comments, Suggestions? More places to get Napoleonic 3D sculpts? Contact@goonhammer.com or leave a comment below.