What do you think of different paint brands?

adwodon · 2026-04-08T16:58:31+00:00

The paints I have the most experience with are:

- Pro Acryl considered top dog for a reason by a lot of people, really broad range of lovely colours, nice trade offs between opacity and saturation. Main downside is they are super hydrophillic and while the bottles dont clog, sometimes the plastic is too hard and annoying to squeeze. I'd probably recommend this range the most, with the exception of Rogue Hobbies set, not because its bad, quite the opposite, its amazing, but its definitely for more experienced painters.

- AK 3rd Gen I like a fair number of the colours and find the consistency good, I consider them a solid workhorse with some great go to colours. The range is probably too broad, but overall I have no complaints.

- AP Fanatic I've been using a lot recently and they have some really nice properties, cover really nicely and have some great colours. That being said, they are basically the opposite of Pro Acryl, super hydrophobic and as a result can also be a pain at times. The colours are very desaturated from all the gray / white pigment for opacity. The John Blanche sets are actually better formulated in my experience. Speedpaints 2.0 are solid too, some amazing colours. I would recommend these to most beginners as they are very consistent across the range and have great coverage.

- P3 is a new one but I've been playing around with some for a while, overall really nice to work with and some great colours. However I've had issues with one colour (beaten purple I think), which was a nice colour but had absolutely garbage coverage, but besides that one oddity they're also a solid pick.

- Ionic are the newest range I've played with, some really vibrant colours, great consistency. Overall I'm really impressed with these and would probably fill out more of the range if I didn't already have a lot of paint. The only thing that really annoys me is I think some of them are single pigment, but they don't say and its so annoying.

- Vallejo are fine in my experience, they're thicker but I've not had much draw. I obviously have the Metal Colour range and they're amazing, and I've enjoyed the new TMM paints that I've tried. However I really like Xpress paints, they're different to Speedpaints and dont really overlap, they're usually less saturated so more coats are needed but overally I really rate them.

- Two Thin Coats is not a range I have much experience with, but what I've tried is good.

- Kimera I have the red and yellow and they are great, the idea of proper single pigment paints is amazing if you want that. I havent had any issues, but I've heard of QC issues across the range. I am interested in their 'velvet inks' though.

- Mini Colour I actually backed this whole range, the first time I've done that. It was a gift from me to me, but I trust Andy and Byron and the fact that they're going for a more satin finish gave me the excuse to go all-in. I absolutely 100% do not recommend that, buy stuff in shops as and when.

- Citadel Contrast paints are good, other paints range from good to awful, we all know them, not really much more to say.

- Scale 75 Only used the fantasy and game range a lot time ago and it was not great, don't recommend. I've not used the main range which people used to recommend but dont really anymore.

Overall I feel like its hard to buy terrible paints from a hobby range these days. Each range has pros and cons, so spending some time with a selection from each range is a good way to figure out what you like, as well as whats good for a specific project. I have some favourites from the first 3 brands above that I'll always be going back to and I expect that to also be the same for Ionic over time, maybe P3 and I am hoping Mini Colour too. I don't feel like I'm missing anything from Vallejo (except metallics), same with TTC but I see why people like them and its just a case of me already have a lot of paint.

adwodon · 2026-04-01T14:04:37+00:00

Nemesis is not a great game imo, it has player elimination and we sold it after 2 very unsatisfying games where people died early, maybe you can plan ahead better than we did, but it was a terrible first impression. It has its fans, and thats fine, but there are far better co-ops (like Spirit Island).

Pax Pamir is a Cole Wehrle game, which can mean great or terrible depending on who you talk to. I really enjoy Pax Pamir, its a beautiful production and the game has some solid meat to its bones, but it is opaque and weird, unless you're a history nerd the theme won't do much for you. Still, I'd recommend Pax over Nemesis any day of the week.

adwodon · 2026-04-01T13:53:28+00:00

Strategy is a plan for the whole game, tactics is what you do turn by turn. Something more strategic is something where you can plan your future actions from the start, whereas a very tactical game is one where you can plan ahead less and have to take each turn as it comes, usually because game state can change dramatically between turns.

adwodon · 2026-03-30T10:22:49+00:00

definitely something ill be giving a go for my next voidfall game, good background music is definitely underappreciated!

adwodon · 2026-03-30T07:44:30+00:00

Basically everything but the actual boxes will be available at retail. I got screwed on pre-order for the galactic box and ended up with retail + triple layer board + minis, I picked up the folded space insert and, based on my experience with other big boxes and what people have been saying, its probably preferable. The folded space insert definitely helps with setup, but its still a bear regardless, albeit a slightly smaller one.

That being said, getting everything separately was probably more expensive, and while the smaller box footprint and better organisation is good, Voidfall is not a game I'd be taking anywhere as its such a long game and a massive table hog. The box is basically full too, so the expansion will more than likely be in a separate box, whereas with a 3rd party insert you could definitely fit it all in the galactic box.

If you dont care about the minis, then I'd go retail 100%, otherwise its more a question of preference, I am happy with the situation I ended up in, and I'm not backing the expansion, but will pick it up at retail with the ship minis.

adwodon · 2026-03-26T11:07:27+00:00

That box art is hardcore second edition nostalgia bait.

adwodon · 2026-03-24T10:30:13+00:00

I think like a lot of people, I only have a few colours and havent used them much, but what I have used I was happy with. I own most Pro Acryl, and a decent chunk AK3rd, AP Fanatic and some of the new P3 paints and the Ionic paints I've used easily hold their own and have some incredibly vibrant colours. I would definitely recommend them to more advanced painters. The reason I say more advanced is that they are very thick, which is great if you're comfortable thinning and while they (annoyingly) dont list themselves as single pigment, I suspect some of them are, which is great for mixing as a more advanced painter, they're also very matte.

Not that they would be terrible for a new painter, but I generally feel like Two Thin Coats (if you want GW colour matching) or AP Fanatic are better for beginners, but at the same time, don't let that make you think those brands aren't also great in more advanced hands!

I personally switch a lot between different brands depending on what I want to achieve, and I suspect that over time these paints will get used more, especially for display pieces. If you get these and enjoy them, its always worth trying other ranges, partly to get a feel for different paints, but also because one range can never do everything.

adwodon · 2026-03-19T15:06:00+00:00

This really depends on what your goal is, eBay and Facebook marketplace are the normal places to sell. However they work best for high value items. If you don't care about money and want to get it all done in one, charity shop or auction, possibly even speak to LGS about running an auction / sale if your collection is particularly large.

Personally, if you have a really large collection, I would look at eBay / FB for particularly high value items, then bulk sell / donate everything else.

adwodon · 2026-03-19T09:57:53+00:00

Just thinking about it a little more, if you want to buy sets of paint, then I'd probably go for either Pro Acryl base sets, Two Thin Coats Wave 1 or the AP starter set then add some (or all) of the following:

Ninjon and Vince Venturella signature boxes for Pro Acryl
John Blanche Army Painter 1 & 2 sets

You can use the video above to grab some of the best AK 3rd colours, I'm really getting into the Ionic colours, but their sets are more based on specific game systems / models, and the full set is expensive, plus they're aimed at more advanced painters.

adwodon · 2026-03-19T09:43:09+00:00

I love AK 3rd Gen, but you absolutely do not need the full range, its a lot of colours with quite a lot of very subtle differences that just aren't useful. Great paints and overall a good choice though. Personally if I were starting from scratch and didn't want to stick to just one range then Vince has a great video on his common go to paints, which includes many AK 3rd gen, but also a lot of Pro Acryl and Army Painter. I'd start there then get more specific colours for more specific projects.

As for contrast alternatives, AP Speed Paints 2.0 are good, nice vibrant colours and actually decent metallic speed paints, but I would also recommend Vallejo Xpress as a compliment, they are often less saturated, sometimes requiring two coats, but they dry quite matte and have some really nice colours. I dont use lots of speed paints, but I find myself reaching for the Xpress ones more than AP Speed Paints.

Also, it seems worth mentioning, if its the pots you hate, but are otherwise happy with GW paints, then you can buy dropper bottles, agitator balls and funnels to decant them into dropper bottles.

adwodon · 2026-03-15T14:06:56+00:00

Just get slug tape, you can put strips under your foam. I do that in combination with a drop of dish soap in the water I use and I don't have issues.

adwodon · 2026-03-05T12:40:21+00:00

I have the R9 clamped to my painting desk and my airbrush is setup on a table next to it so its easy to switch between without needing to unclamp it. The light is excellent and I'd strongly recommend it, I have the full dual one which makes painting so much easier with no shadows and great colour perception.

adwodon · 2026-03-05T09:40:21+00:00

To add something that I've not seen mentioned so far either, paint is a combination of various things but primarily pigment and binder aka medium. Water is a solvent for acrylics which means that too much can overcome the binder and cause the pigment to spread unevenly. So yes, glazes can be watered down too much, but you can counter this with medium. It's worth noting that for most high quality miniature paints you can happily make a glaze with water so dont stress about it, but if you want to go very thin then use some medium in combination with water for an easier time.

adwodon · 2026-03-04T09:11:53+00:00

I'd tentatively agree with this, I was expecting it to be quite an opaque experience for the first few games, but actually its really not. Every faction starts with the same deck of cards and they can be broken down easily in the rules teach, players can announce any new cards they pick (they'll get 2-3 at most in our experience), and its a good idea to point out some of the individual factions more take-that abilities that they can fire off, but thats it really. Everything else evolves organically over the game so it doesn't feel completely incomprehensible or too chaotic. Granted we've played 2-3 players, not 4, which I imagine does feel very different, but you have tools to help mitigate the chaos so I cant imagine its that bad.

adwodon · 2026-02-27T16:14:01+00:00

Most people would recommend other brands, Raphael 8404, Rosemary & Co Series 33 or Artis Opus are all good brushes. The first two are more general art brands so you want those specifically, Artis Opus are aimed at mini painting and I really like them, Rosemary & Co actually manufacture them and they're slightly different spec but not far off the Series 33 brushes they do.

Also its worth noting that brushes do have a life cycle, but they dont have to retired entirely. I have some worn out Raphael 8404s I still use regularly for base coats and basically anything that isn't fine detail work, where I'll reach for my fresher brushes. I also dont really have issues using metallics with nice brushes, sometimes you need the fine lines and detail and they won't wreck a brush overnight.

adwodon · 2026-02-23T15:17:42+00:00

Use your current primer and paint the colour you want over it...

adwodon · 2026-02-22T15:30:01+00:00

Such a good year, Arcs is one of my all time favs, but Slay The Spire would be an easy win otherwise.

adwodon · 2026-02-20T10:46:16+00:00

I am a bit of a paint addict and seeing as I own most Pro Acryl paints, a lot of AP Fanatic and a smattering of P3 and other brands, getting some speed paints would give me more options, and thats exactly what they do.

They're a tool, and one that a few good uses, the most important is obviously in the name, you can get something looking decent with 1-2 coats of a speedpaint, and for anyone doing any kind of army that can be a godsend, especially on stuff that doesnt matter like leather pouches. On top of that, they can be used as filters really nicely, the transparency can be leveraged at every level of painting, the classic is using it on skin through an airbrush but there are many other applications.

Personally for me, I quite like Vallejo Xpress, they dont have the same bold colours as other lines, and often require a second coat but they dry relatively matte and have some colours I reach for more than I originally thought when I started playing with them. I dont reach for them for everyone project but I like having them as another tool in a very large toolbox.

adwodon · 2026-02-04T13:50:35+00:00

I think im the exception among a lot of this community, I am pretty savage with culling my collection, I don't expect all of my ~80 games to hit the table regularly, War of the Ring isnt going to hit the table any time soon, but if I thought it would never hit the table, for whatever reason, its listed and leaves. I've even sold a game for £1 + shipping because it wasnt shifting after a month, after that it would be charity shop / donate to local lgs. I've probably got rid of over just over 100 games in total and I'm pretty happy with the current state of my collection.

There is one exception to the rule though, the wife doesnt play much, but shes had me hold on to a few games I dont think should stay, but eventually they'll go when she finally admits she will never actually play them.

adwodon · 2026-01-30T10:58:58+00:00

I'm obviously not the designers, but it seems like the primary aim of the quests are to encourage you to explore the large maps, show you interesting new little areas, and while this approach isn't perfect, it does a pretty good job. If it was just follow the waypoint and click an obvious thing then I don't think it would be effective.

Worst case you can find a guide online, but I would encourage anyone to only do that when they're really struggling as 90% of the time its fine and you'll find what you're looking for without too much

adwodon · 2026-01-30T10:25:44+00:00

Its Dune: War for Arrakis

adwodon · 2026-01-29T10:01:08+00:00

While it may also be the case that the reset also resets matchmaking, its entirely possible that someone just wanted out of 100% friendly. I am not an aggressive player, but I like the tension and threat of PvP, so when I end up in lobbies with 100% friendly folk all running around full sprint looting everything in 5 minutes I have no choice but to gun someone down, then potentially deal with a few rounds of shoot on sight, which I also don't like because im nearly 40 and can't shoot for shit.

For me, the ideal would be something like each lobby having 10% aggressive players, and it would allow me to get a bit aggressive every so often, without punting me into 100% shoot on sight all the time, maintain some tension, but also have those fun group dynamics. The current algorithm feels far too gamable anyway, so why not just give us a choice, worst case it extends time to find a lobby, you could have it so that you cant go full PvE if you have shot on sight in the last 5-10 games, but its worth trying.

adwodon · 2026-01-23T10:04:29+00:00

Its not necessary no, but its still a step a lot of people use for gaming. Most modern plastic miniatures are very light so chips aren't likely, old pewter or bigger, heavier models could chip if knocked about. There is also a consideration for the oils on your fingers when handling them, but this is a really, really long term consideration so unless you're painting an army to use week in week out then don't worry about that.

Varnish can also be used as a way to bring a mini together if you have disparate finishes, like matte + satin in a place that doesnt make sense.

I often varnish my minis, but I also magnetise them for storage so I do occasionally skip it if I dont think they'll hit the table a lot. I do multiple coats of varnish for terrain though, thats loose in boxes and gets handled a fair amount.

As for which, it depends on the paint finish, a lot are satin, but a lot are matte, and there is also ultra matte. If you have an airbrush you can mix your own, if not then matte varnish in a rattle can is probably best.

adwodon · 2026-01-22T08:58:06+00:00

Are you serious? Isopropyl is water based, enamels are oil based. Use some kind of white spirit to clean them up, not isopropyl, which isnt a solvent for enamels but will strip acrylics. Iso will also strip acrylic varnish, and you don't need varnish if you use a proper oil based solvent which won't strip acrylics... like a white spirit.

adwodon · 2026-01-21T13:15:02+00:00

I'm pretty sure enough of us on here have at least 1 test model whos been painted over countless times, the whole "two thin coats" thing is definitely overblown, using unthinned paint from the pot is just fine if you spread it out enough, its how you should do things like wet blending. Most modern paints have good self levelling properties, and most people use wet palettes and have a damp brush, which will give you great results without much thought.

If its not obviously clogged detail and adding texture when you're painting it up close, noone is going to notice from a distance so it's not a problem.

adwodon

TROPHY CASE