Blade of the Black Empire

thingiverse

"Do not trust the dark sword. It will betray you. It cannot be controlled." Continuing from previous Warcraft-related items and with the Legion expansion looming on the horizon, I began working on upcoming artifact weapons. Thus, I present the first completed one: Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire, accompanied by its off-hand complement Secrets of the Void. This was also my initial attempt at creating a prop weapon in "real size," so it had to be either scaled down or divided into multiple pieces (like I did) to fit standard print bed dimensions. In-game lighting for this would be purple, but since purple LEDs are incredibly dim, I had to compromise to more blue tones. Batteries (2 x AA) fit inside the handle, which can be twisted and removed from its place to change them. There is also a slot for a power switch on the side of the upper part of the handle. There are channels within the entire blade to run wires invisibly from the batteries and switch to the LEDs. The blade features three spots for 5mm LEDs, while the handle has ample empty space inside the "eye," which I simply filled with hot glue to secure some LEDs in place. The book cover for the off-hand item can accommodate an A6-sized notebook when you trim a little from the corners to follow the rounded shape of the outer edge. It also boasts a single hole for a 5mm LED, although I opted not to use it myself, leaving it intact nonetheless. If you don't insert a real notebook inside, there's plenty of room for batteries between the cover; however, I didn't design any specific spots for them since I abandoned the LED idea for this item. Painted once again using Citadel miniature paints and detailed with faux leather. All files have been checked with Netfabb, rotated, pre-split, and prepared for printing. If you possess a 20cm x 20cm print bed, however, you may need to cut the upper blade once more to ensure a proper fit. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: i3 variant Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Yes Notes: I utilized PETG for the translucent parts (handle dome and engravings on the blade) and PLA for the rest. When utilizing standard 20x20cm print bed dimensions, you'll need to cut the upper part of the blade once more to fit; Netfabb can aid in this process. The remaining parts will fit as they are when properly rotated. The handle necessitates supports, whereas the rest of the parts printed successfully without them. Post-Printing Run the wires and assemble the electronics before gluing the parts together. I employed hot glue to keep the wires neatly within their channels and LEDs in place. After the parts have been glued together, paint however you see fit.