After buying the Thor II and Bakeneko and now seeing the Wasp I sadly have to say that there seems to be a trend with some sculptors doing everything via 3D printers alone. All those minis lack the detail and correct angles of many other minis, yet there are stellar minis like the Zeus X. If soomebody of IWM reads this I would like to know if I would be allowed to take on the task of doing my own mini in order to give it away to IWM for free as a master. I dont say that I can do it better but now I am really eager to give it a try. But first I need an OK from IWM.
So, I've got interesting news for you. Of the Wasp, Thor II, and Bakeneko, only the Thor II was done with a 3D printer. All 3 of the minis you have named, while they may have their flaws, were thoroughly reviewed by artists and sculptors alike and were approved by the IWM QCC. I know you may disapprove of these minis, but they have been overall well received.
If you have any feedback on minis done by M. Cross (that's me), please let me know via PM or this older thread (
http://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=56130) as I was specifically asking for feedback. The Thor II was my first mini, so it is a little rough around the edges.
As for sculpting your own, I believe you have posted at least two threads on the matter and in both, you were given solid recommendations on how to get started. I highly recommend you start a mini, something that hasn't been done before, and make a master of it. When you feel it is perfect, send an email with photos to IWM and they will evaluate it. If you are having trouble contacting IWM, talk to Speck, he is the representative around here for IWM.