Gear Guts Mek Shop was created to focus on a particular Warhammer 40k army, the Orks. While Orks are still a primary focus for the site, they’ve expanded. The Iron Crusader line features a number of Space Marine-compatible pieces. This selection not only has standard infantry, but also vehicles and other specialized troops.

Among the many options, the first assortment of Iron Crusader Gunners that work as dedicated firearms specialists or standard troops is worth noting. This versatility is a nice touch in most armies and certainly helps to inspire more careful army building and printing. While they’re designed to match the aesthetic of their forces overall, they could also work well as specialists in a more traditional army.

• Variety: High
• Quality: High
• Price: Moderate; anywhere from $2.99 up to $180, averaging around $30

Puppetswar is a site with a fair number of recreations of the idea of Space Marines, often as part of their Strikers selection. Most miniatures are available in bundles, with a few intended for command or other special purposes. These often veer further from the classic 40k aesthetic, although some of them certainly focus more on the similarities.

A popular option is their Sniper group, which fits both with their aesthetic and also the aesthetic of several groups from other manufacturers. Other selections include more standard infantry, heavy specialists, and troopers with bikes or jetpacks. New units are released on occasion, and non-Space Marine armies can be found on the site as well. These snipers are nice for their ability to work in multiple places of an army, but also for the spare parts – meaning that they can easily handle more than a few single printings.

• Variety: High
• Quality: High
• Price: Moderate; models go from as low as ∼$1 to as high as ∼$70

Arma Mechanatus is relatively new to the 3rd party STL scene, which is why they’re a choice with only a few options. While the most obvious designs are their conversion kits, vehicles and other units are also available. It may not be the most prolific of 3rd party file providers, but Arma Mechanatus produces a variety of stylized and unusual pieces created to make a force unique on the battlefield.

The DeamonSlayer bundle is worth noting, as it features three large, powerful, and very different designs for elite mechanized warriors. Although Arma Mechanatus can’t provide miniatures for an entire army, they provide great supplements as seen in the DeamonSlayer bundle, any one of which would work great as a major figure on a battlefield – or all three could serve as starkly different pieces in a more unified army.

• Variety: Low, 13 models (at time of writing)
• Quality: High
• Price: Low; while there are a couple of free prints, the rest are $3-$10

For Gambody, gaming designs are key. You can find what you’re looking for by using search terms such as “40k” and “Warhammer”. However, after searching, the variety for any faction isn’t huge and staples for the factions of Space Marines are missing. This won’t be a one-stop shop for individuals building a traditional army, but it certainly has an easy search option and some high-quality miniatures.

Searching “marine” is an easy way to find a few results, including the Chaplain 40k Printing Figure created by Ale_x_x_x. With the appropriate grotesque detail for a chaplain, which beats many similar models from competing sites, it might be well worth the challenge of 3D printing.

• Variety: Low
• Quality: High
• Price: Moderate, from $3 to $25

Thingiverse is one of the biggest names when it comes to 3D printing file repositories. It’s relatively easy to find more traditional (and stranger) options on the site for Marines, their variations, and vehicles. Other factions have lots of options as well. Searching “marines”, “Warhammer”, or any other number of related terms return a host of results, from armature to full-bodey models.

A standout is the Knight of Roma, created by user ThatEvilOne. It works well as a commander of sorts or a close-combat-oriented marine in general. The large sword is well positioned, and the look fits with armies going back to at least the 3rd edition of the game. This model and others’ ability to fit into an existing marine army make them a great choice.

• Variety: High
• Quality: Low to high
• Price: Free

Printables is a rising star in the STL database world. While not focused on miniature pieces, searches for terms like “marine” and “tank” provide good results. Although the files on the site are free, many creators provide links to more varied squads available elsewhere at a cost. Be warned that not every miniature can match with the others, so army aesthetic will be important.

MatStation‘s Storm Guard Jumper Melee works well as an assault- and jump-pack-equipped marine. It represents a jetpack unit that feels starkly different from the ones released by Games Workshop, yet doesn’t feel inappropriate to the setting. The artist has other related creations on the site, and more are available elsewhere – for a price.

• Variety: High
• Quality: Low to high
• Price: Free

MyMiniFactory is a well-known force in the world of 3D printed miniature files. The search term “space marine” produces over 2,000 free and paid results combined, whereas “warhammer 40k” leads to around 10,000 options (free and paid combined). Available units range from tanks to infantry, and entire groups seem to be dominated by just a few designers. Some of the designs will be more obviously related to the classic look of the Space Marines than others, as the site caters to miniature designers.

JIM16‘s classic style backpack for marines is a throwback to very early designs for the space warriors. For those who want to make their forces unique on a tabletop, units like those created by TitanForgeMiniatures eschew the aesthetic entirely while feeling suitably dangerous. A variety of designs are available from TitanForgeMiniatures that fit the aesthetic – though, some might be a bit of a stretch.

• Variety: High
• Quality: Moderate to high
• Price: Low to high; from free models to ∼$50, with an average price of $5

With a somewhat foreboding name, Cults has a huge selection. The site sports free and paid options, including some fairly straightforward takes on Space Marines and 40k units – as well as more imaginative ones. Simply searching “Space Marine” will give a large number of results, and related searches can go in a similar direction. Designs can be anything from neophyte to professional, and it feels like there is something for everyone.

Worth mentioning is a marine with a hammer, offered as part of a bundle by designer JorgePS4. The bundle also includes a number of pieces that work with the Necron, Kroot, and Tyranid armies. This is an excellent bonus for curious parties, as they can experiment with other forces or include pieces as “defeated” foes on their marine’s bases.

• Variety: High
• Quality: Low to high
• Price: Low to high; while there are thousands of free models, the most expensive bundles are priced at around $150

CGTrader has been around for a long time. That said, it’s not entirely surprising that it’s difficult to use the files on the site for tabletop games. Many files are intended to be used in video games or computer graphics in filmmaking and, as a result, aren’t created with 3D printing in mind. That said, searching “marine” and “40k” produce fun results.

A standout is the Heavy Exo Armour Mk1 by artisans_of_vaul, which goes out of its way to focus on certain already over-the-top aspects of many marines. This look manages to be humorous for those who want to see them, yet doesn’t go so over the top as to make it unusable on a tabletop. There isn’t a whole army matching in design, but it works well with other miniatures.

• Variety: High
• Quality: Moderate
• Price: Low to high, with designs available from $2 to $200

Loot Studios is a known name in both science fiction and fantasy miniatures. The costs are fairly high, but most miniatures are available as bundles or via subscriptions. If you’re looking for a single miniature, Loot Studios might not be the go-to choice, but if you need many, it’s a good place to check out. Search is practically non-functional on the site, which is a significant downside. The alternative is simply browsing through the existing bundles to find something useful.

Space Marine fans should be particularly curious about the War for Humanity bundle. While it doesn’t meet the old aesthetic exactly, it’s a nice force of armored humans. They might not fit with most forces, but the detail and variety should help to spice up any forces while also offering some new antagonistic pieces. Even the terrain, while not intended for 40k, feels appropriate to the game.

• Variety: Low
• Quality: High
• Price: High, with old bundles priced around $60 unless you’ve got a paid subscription, then they’re $30

Patreon is a well-known site for fans of any niche subject that has a major online component. It allows users to pledge an amount of money, usually monthly, in exchange for rewards. In the process they support creators, allowing them to make an income from their work. There are a lot of cool designs on Patreon, but the search process can leave something to be desired. “Sci-Fi miniatures” is more likely to produce results than “40k”, although “marine” may give some as well. Overall, it might just be better to find the miniature maker elsewhere and support them on Patreon when possible.

TheEvilOne has produced some excellent materials, including a nice “Roman Brutus Omega Siege Tank”. Others are produced readily by the same designer and fit well with it, though this tank is great among the traditional pieces. Further, like many Patreon subscriptions, you’re able to see what’s coming from the creator and interact (to a degree) to steer future STL designs.

• Variety: High
• Quality: High
• Price: Moderate to high