Print like it’s going to get hit. It is.
Default slicer profiles make display pieces. Combat parts need different settings, the right material, and the right orientation. The profiles below are the ones our builders have proven in competition.
Legal materials
Chassis, armor, and weapons must print in PET, PETG, ABS, PLA, PLA+, or ASA (construction rules). TPU is permitted for drive and weapon belts. Prohibited: carbon-fiber PLA, glass-filled ABS, and any composite materials. No post-processing such as annealing: printed strength is the strength.
Recommended: PLA+. It has the best impact resistance in the legal list and prints easily on any machine. Brands our builders have used well include Duramic PLA PLUS and Overture Super PLA+ (check current availability and pricing; filament changes often). Standard PLA is fine for quick prototyping. PETG, ABS, and ASA are legal but generally weaker than a good PLA+ for these parts.
Proven profiles
Combat printing has one governing fact: walls provide most of a part’s strength. Prioritize perimeter walls over infill density.
| Part type | Profile | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spinning impactors (weapons) | 2 walls · solid top (no infill gaps) | A weapon part takes point impacts; a solid part with thin walls survives hits that crack a thick-walled hollow one. |
| Chassis — weight-saving | 4 walls · 10% gyroid infill | The everyday chassis profile: walls carry the impact, the light gyroid core supports the walls. |
| Chassis — maximum strength | 2 walls · solid interior | When you have weight budget to spend, a solid interior beats more infill. |
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), add fillets and a wall loop.
Avoiding the common failures
Most combat print failures come from two preventable causes.
Layer adhesion
Clean the bed properly (scrub with a microfiber cloth and alcohol; apply glue if your plate calls for it). Print 5–10 °C above the filament’s minimum recommended temperature. Level the bed and get the first layer right. Use the manufacturer’s print profile for your filament as the starting point.
Part orientation
Align stress loads parallel to the layer lines, not across them. Use generous fillets (2 mm+ radius) at stress concentrations. Test-print critical parts before final assembly.
Choosing a printer
Any modern printer with a 180 mm+ build volume handles antweight parts. Popular choices among combat builders: the Bambu Lab A1 Mini and A1 (beginner-friendly), and the enclosed P1S where schools require enclosed printers. Budget brands (Elegoo, Anycubic, Creality) work well but usually need more setup and troubleshooting. Check current pricing; printer deals change frequently.
Filament budget
A 1 kg roll prints about five complete chassis once you subtract the electronics from the 1 lb limit — so plan on roughly one roll per event, with some left over for spares. Print two of anything that touches the opponent.
No printer? Still competing.
School and library printers and mail-order print services can produce the permitted materials. Ask the provider about file format, material, size, price, and lead time, and order spares in the same batch.