The complete guide to turning fantasy, sci-fi, and historical wargaming miniature sculpts into passive income — with 0% commission on Proofly.
The wargaming miniature STL market has exploded since affordable resin printers became mainstream in 2020. A 28mm infantry regiment that used to cost $50 in physical plastic can now be printed for under $2 in material — and the designers selling those STL files are earning serious passive income. Creators like Miguel Zavala, Ill Gotten Games, and Titan Forge run businesses entirely on STL sales.
Unlike tabletop RPG character sculpts (which are bought by individual players), wargaming miniatures are bought in bulk — a single player needs 20–100 infantry models for a single army. This bulk buying behaviour drives higher average order values and makes wargaming one of the highest-revenue niches in 3D printing.
This guide covers what scales and styles sell best, how to sculpt for print quality, what to include in a wargaming STL pack, how to price units and warbands, and which platform gives you the best cut.
Demand is driven by the major wargaming genres: fantasy rank-and-flank (think large armies on rectangular bases), sci-fi skirmish (small elite forces on round bases), and historical wargaming (accuracy-focused buyers). Each has different needs and price sensitivity.
| Miniature Type | Examples | Scale | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undead Infantry | Skeleton warriors, zombie horde, wights, liches | 28mm | ★★★★★ |
| Orc & Goblin Warband | Savage orcs, night goblins, troll unit, warchief | 28mm | ★★★★★ |
| Space Soldiers / Marines | Power-armored soldiers, heavy weapon teams, vehicles | 28–32mm | ★★★★★ |
| Chaos / Demon Warriors | Possessed warriors, demon cavalry, greater daemons | 28mm | ★★★★☆ |
| Elf Archers & Cavalry | High elf spearmen, dragon princes, shadow elf rangers | 28mm | ★★★★☆ |
| Sci-Fi Aliens / Xenos | Bug-type horde, reptilian warriors, void entities | 28–32mm | ★★★★☆ |
| Historical Proxies | Vikings, Roman legions, medieval knights, samurai | 28mm, 15mm | ★★★☆☆ |
| Hero / Character Minis | Army general, mounted hero, archmage on dragon | 28–54mm | ★★★★★ |
Hero and character miniatures are the highest revenue per file — a well-sculpted general model with 3 head variants and 2 weapon options can sell for $6–$15 individually and sell thousands of copies. Rank-and-file infantry packs (10–20 models) are purchased in bulk and drive your volume.
Scale is one of the most important choices in wargaming miniature design. Getting it wrong means your miniatures won't integrate with the buyer's existing collection.
| Scale | Height (standard human) | Common Systems | Market Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28mm heroic | 28–32mm eye-level | Fantasy rank-and-flank, many indie skirmish games | Largest |
| 32mm | 32–35mm base-to-eye | Sci-fi skirmish, display painting community | Large |
| 54mm | 54mm full figure | Display painting, FDM-printable detail level | Medium |
| 15mm | 15mm full figure | Historical wargaming (Flames of War-type) | Niche |
| 6mm / 10mm | 6–10mm | Mass battle historical, Sci-fi epics | Small but loyal |
Start with 28mm heroic — it's the largest market and compatible with the most existing armies. State the exact scale prominently in your listing title and description. Buyers mixing your miniatures with existing collections need to know before purchasing.
28mm miniatures require resin printing to achieve the detail level wargamers expect. FDM printers at 0.1mm layer height can print larger display models (54mm+) but cannot reproduce fine chainmail, facial features, or filigree at 28mm. All serious wargaming STL sales assume resin printing.
| Product Type | Entry | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single character / hero | $3–$5 | $5–$8 | $8–$15 |
| Small warband (5–10 infantry) | $6–$10 | $10–$16 | $16–$25 |
| Full unit (20 infantry + command) | $15–$20 | $20–$35 | $35–$55 |
| Cavalry unit (5–10 mounted) | $10–$15 | $15–$25 | $25–$40 |
| Monster / large creature | $5–$10 | $10–$18 | $18–$35 |
| War machine / artillery | $8–$12 | $12–$20 | $20–$35 |
| Full army starter bundle | $30–$45 | $45–$75 | $75–$120 |
An undead infantry unit pack at $18, selling 150 copies/month:
Proofly adds a buyer-side $1 service fee — creator keeps 100% of the listed price.
| Platform | Commission | 3D Preview | Piracy Guard | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proofly | 0% | Yes (GLB viewer) | HiddenMark watermark | Maximum passive income |
| Cults3D | ~20% | Limited | Basic | French/European audience |
| MyMiniFactory | 10–20% | Yes | Basic | 3D printing community reach |
| Patreon | 8–12% + fees | No | None | Monthly subscriber bundles |
| Printables | Free only | Yes | None | Community building / lead gen |
| Gumroad | 10% | No | None | Direct social audience |
Many successful wargaming designers use a three-channel strategy: free samples on Printables (drives discovery), monthly Patreon bundles (recurring income), and permanent per-file sales on Proofly (passive income at 0% commission). The Patreon drives community; the Proofly store captures non-subscribers who find individual packs via search.
A common question from wargaming designers: can you sell miniatures that look like they fit popular wargaming systems? The answer is yes — with one important rule.
You can sell: original sculpts that work as proxies, with generic descriptive names. "Heavy infantry with plate armour and round shields — 28mm, 10 models" is legal.
You cannot sell: sculpts that copy specific copyrighted character designs, use trademarked faction names in your listing title, or reproduce exact IP-protected models.
The entire market of "Chaos Warrior-style" or "Space Marine proxy" STL files is legal because the designs are original sculpts — they don't copy the specific copyrighted sculpts of the IP holder. Use descriptive language in your listing: "armoured chaos soldiers" rather than a trademarked faction name.
Thousands of designers earn full-time income selling proxy miniatures for popular game systems. The key is original artwork and neutral naming.
Wargaming miniature STL files are among the most-pirated digital products in 3D printing. Discord servers dedicated to sharing paid miniatures operate openly. Without protection, your files appear on piracy aggregators within days of release.
Proofly's HiddenMark system embeds a unique steganographic watermark into the mesh geometry at purchase. The watermark persists through mesh operations (slicing, scaling, format conversion) and encodes the buyer's order ID. When a pirated file appears, you can verify the watermark and identify the source.
Buyers need to see a cohesive visual style before committing to an army. A 5-model infantry pack + hero character is the minimum for your first release. Keep weapon variants simple at launch.
Manually place supports on thin elements (weapon blades, outstretched arms, banner poles). Hollow the body with 2mm wall thickness to reduce resin use. Test-print before listing.
Export a posed, assembled version as GLB from ZBrush or Blender. Proofly's 3D viewer lets buyers rotate and inspect the miniature before buying — this dramatically increases conversion vs. static renders.
Printed and painted photos convert better than digital renders. Ask a painter in your network to paint a test print in exchange for credit. WIP shots on Instagram build anticipation before launch.
List your first pack with a note: 'Cavalry unit releasing next month, War Machine in development.' Buyers who commit to your army faction will watch for every release and buy everything.
Fantasy rank-and-flank infantry (undead, orcs, elves) and sci-fi skirmish marines sell best. Multi-part kits with weapon/head variant sprues, warband packs of 10–20 models, and themed armies with a coherent visual style are top performers.
28mm heroic is the most-purchased scale — it fits most major wargaming systems. 32mm is popular for detailed resin display pieces and skirmish games. Always state the exact scale in your listing title and description.
Design for resin first — 28mm miniatures require fine detail (chainmail links, facial features, filigree) that FDM cannot reproduce at that scale. Provide pre-supported resin STLs in your pack.
Individual hero: $3–$15. Small warband (5–10 infantry): $10–$25. Full unit (20 infantry + command): $20–$55. Monster/war machine: $8–$35. Multi-part kits with variant sprues command 25–40% premium over static poses.
Yes — original sculpts that work as proxies are legal. Use generic descriptive names and avoid trademarked faction names. 'Armoured undead warriors' is fine; using a specific trademarked faction name in your title is not.
Proofly charges 0% commission — designers keep 100% of every sale. Cults3D charges ~20%, MyMiniFactory 10–20%, and Patreon 8–12% plus payment processing fees. For permanent per-file passive income, 0% commission platforms maximise earnings per sale.
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