What do you actually need for your first dungeon? Enough terrain to play one useful encounter. A doorway, a short corridor, and a room will teach you more about your setup than a box of untested walls.
The quick answer
Start with one small encounter: a few floor sections, matching walls, a doorway, and the connectors specified for those pieces. Print and test a mating pair before filling the build plate.
Choose a room you will actually use
Sketch a small encounter from your next game. Mark entrances, movement space, and the place where the action happens. Keep miniature bases and your hands in mind: a room that looks impressive can still be awkward to play in.
Build a parts list from that sketch. Count the floors and walls, then check which corners, inserts, and connectors the selected models need. The goal is a complete encounter, rather than a large collection of unrelated prints.
Read the files before opening the slicer
Keep the original download unchanged and work from a copy. Check the included instructions, file names, and assembly diagrams. A wall insert, a structural wall, and an adapter can look related while serving different jobs.
Choose the printer and material profile that matches your equipment. Import the STL, check its dimensions, and follow the supplied orientation where available. Never assume that a file needs no supports simply because another piece printed without them.
Print a connection test first
- Select two pieces that need to connect, plus the matching connector.
- Keep them at their original scale and inspect the sliced layers.
- Print the small test batch and let it cool before removing it.
- Remove brim or support remnants without changing the intended mating surfaces.
- Assemble the pieces gently. Check that they sit flat and connect without force.
If the fit is poor, diagnose that test before printing duplicates. A small failed test costs less time and material than a whole plate of pieces with the same problem.
Build once before painting
Dry-fit the encounter with your miniatures. Check door openings, reach, and stability. Swap an insert or rearrange a wall to see how much variety you can get from that first group of parts.
Paint after the fit works. Keep primer and paint away from sliding channels and connector contact surfaces where added thickness could interfere with assembly. Test a painted pair before finishing the entire batch.
Expand from what your table needs
After the first session, write down what was missing. Perhaps you need more corners, a second entrance, or a longer corridor. Print those parts next. Reusable architecture becomes useful when your collection grows around the encounters you run.
Explore the 3D Legends system to understand the role of each module before adding more pieces.
A first encounter, step by step
Imagine a small guardroom with one entrance and a short approach corridor. Start by placing your miniature bases on the sketch. Leave enough usable space for a character to stand at the doorway and for you to move a figure inside the room.
Turn that sketch into a list using the actual module dimensions. Do not calculate your order from the size of a miniature range alone: bases, walls, and playable floor area all affect the result. Count connectors from the assembly instructions and keep one complete mating group in the first print.
Once assembled, run a short movement test. Can a miniature pass the entrance? Can you reach the far corner without knocking a wall over? Can an insert be changed without dismantling the entire layout? These are useful observations to record before painting.
What counts as a successful first build?
- The relevant floors rest flat on your table.
- Matching parts assemble without damaging the joint.
- All essential entrances and inserts work as intended.
- Your miniatures can move through the encounter.
- You know which settings produced the result.
If one check fails, revise that part of the build. You do not need a different entire collection to fix a missing corner or an inaccessible doorway. A small room that works is a better foundation for the next adventure.
Common questions
Do I need to print the whole collection?
No. Start with a playable encounter and add duplicates or new modules when your layouts need them.
Should I glue modular pieces together?
Keep interchangeable parts removable unless their assembly guide specifically calls for glue. Permanent joints reduce the layouts you can build.