Print like it’s going to get hit. It is.
Combat parts are not trinkets — default slicer profiles produce parts that shatter on the first drum hit. Three settings do most of the work.
Legal materials
Chassis, armor, and weapons must print in PET, PETG, ABS, PLA, PLA+, or ASA (construction §2). No carbon-filled anything, no nylon, and TPU only as drive/weapon belts. No post-processing — printed strength is the strength.
Recommended: PLA+. It prints easily on any machine, and its toughness-to-fuss ratio is the best in the legal list. PETG is the step up when you want more give; ABS/ASA only if you already know why you want them.
The three settings that matter
| Setting | Combat value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wall loops | 4–6 | Walls carry impact; infill mostly doesn’t. Walls beat infill, every time. |
| Infill | 25–40% gyroid | Enough to support the walls. 100% infill adds weight, not much strength. |
| Layer height | 0.2–0.28 mm | Thicker layers bond better than pretty ones. This is not a display piece. |
Orientation is armor
Parts split along layer lines like firewood along grain. Orient prints so expected hits load across the layers, not between them — a side plate printed flat on the bed survives hits that snap the same plate printed standing up. When a part can be hit from anywhere (it can), fillet the corners and add a wall loop instead of agonizing.
No printer? Still competing.
School and library printers, lab print days, and mail-order print services all work — the parts page has the honest cost of each path. Print spares in the same batch: two of anything that touches the opponent.