Been designing sci-fi/fantasy STL files for a while now, and the #1 thing that separates a clean mini from a blob of failed supports is where you break the model apart before slicing.

Most people try to print a mech or a dragon as one solid piece straight from the download. Don't. If a model has thin overhangs (weapon barrels, wings, capes, outstretched arms), split it at the joint and print those pieces separately, then glue. You'll cut failed print rate dramatically and get way crisper detail on the thin parts, because the printer isn't fighting gravity across a huge unsupported span.

Second thing: on resin, orient the model at an angle (not flat, not fully vertical) before adding supports. Angling it lets supports touch the low-detail spots (base, cloak folds, undersides) instead of landing on a face or a weapon tip. Auto-support tools get this wrong constantly if you feed them a flat orientation.

If you're new to printing collectibles, start with your simplest model and get your orientation/splitting instincts down before you spend hours on a big centerpiece figure. Happy to answer questions on this if anyone's stuck on a specific model.