Wargaming has a cost problem. It’s not a secret — hobbyists talk about it constantly on forums, subreddits, and Discord servers. As of July 2026, a ten-model infantry squad from a major manufacturer sits at £30–£40 at RRP. A standard tank runs £42–£63, with larger kits pushing well over £100. A large centrepiece character model sits at around £105. An Imperial Knight-class walker runs £115–£118. A plastic super-heavy tank — a single kit — retails at £120. Super-heavy walkers can run into several hundred pounds.
For a hobby built around creativity, community, and imagination, that’s a significant barrier to entry.
Breaking it down per model
The per-model cost varies enormously depending on what you’re buying. Ten standard infantry at RRP works out at £3–£4 per model. Five elite, heavily armoured infantry can cost £8.50 per model at RRP.
Vehicles are a different calculation entirely. You’re paying for a single kit, not a unit of models. A standard main battle tank sits at £42–£43. Larger modern tank kits run well over £100. Super-heavy walkers push into the hundreds. Independent retailers typically offer discounts of around 15% below RRP, which helps — but doesn’t fundamentally change the picture.
The secondary market problem
New kits are one thing. Out-of-production models are another matter entirely. Older resin kits, limited releases, and discontinued sculpts regularly change hands on the secondhand market for hundreds of pounds — often for a single model in unknown condition, potentially incomplete, and requiring significant cleanup work before it’s usable.
Titan-class walkers — the largest models in the hobby — sit at the extreme end of this. New, they command prices that put them firmly out of reach for most hobbyists. On the secondhand market, sought-after variants can fetch even more. For many players, certain models are simply never going to be a realistic purchase.
Where does the cost come from?
Traditional wargaming miniatures are produced using injection-moulded plastic — a process that requires expensive tooling and large production runs. Those upfront costs get passed down the chain. Add retail margins, distribution, and the brand premium of established names, and you end up with the prices hobbyists know all too well.
Quality control: part of the value conversation
At the same time as prices have continued to rise, customers have reported a run of quality-control issues that make the value-for-money question harder to ignore.
As recently as February 2026, at least one kit was withdrawn and recalled after boxes were found to be missing entire sprues of models. Retailers were reportedly issued refunds or credits. This goes beyond a difficult assembly — the advertised models simply weren’t present in the box.
More recently, a major launch box — retailing at £185 — attracted enough reports of missing sprues, duplicate sprues, and damaged components that dedicated threads appeared on hobby forums explaining how to report defective boxes to the manufacturer.
There have also been ongoing reports of push-fit parts that won’t seat fully, leaving visible gaps between torsos, shoulders, and other sections. The alignment pegs can be tight enough to trap air — or glue — inside the socket, preventing pieces from closing completely. The moulded parts themselves may be accurate, but the supposedly beginner-friendly assembly system can produce a worse result unless the buyer modifies the pegs or switches to plastic cement.
None of this proves that every new kit has a problem — failure rates aren’t published and the evidence is largely customer reporting. But a product recall and widespread complaints surrounding a premium-priced release make quality control a reasonable part of any honest value-for-money discussion at these price points.
The rise of resin 3D printing
The availability of affordable high-resolution resin 3D printers has shifted what’s possible for both hobbyists and small manufacturers. MSLA resin printing — the most common technology used for miniature production — can produce detail that rivals or exceeds injection-moulded plastic. No expensive tooling. No minimum production runs. Models can be printed on demand.
This has opened the door to a growing ecosystem of independent designers and small-batch manufacturers offering alternatives to the traditional big-box model, often at significantly lower price points.
The trade-offs
Resin printing isn’t without its quirks. Raw resin prints require washing and UV curing before they’re ready to use. Support marks — small blemishes left where the model was attached to the print bed — need to be cleaned up. And resin itself requires careful handling due to its chemical properties before it’s fully cured.
For hobbyists printing at home, there’s also a learning curve. Dialling in print settings, hollowing models to save resin, and orienting parts correctly to minimise supports all take time to master.
Where things are heading
Printer technology continues to improve rapidly. Resolution is increasing, print speeds are getting faster, and the cost of entry-level resin printers has dropped considerably over the past few years. The gap between home printing and professionally produced miniatures is narrowing.
Whether that changes the broader economics of the hobby long-term remains to be seen — but for now, hobbyists have more options than ever before.
Prices quoted reflect major manufacturer UK RRP as of July 2026.