As many of you may know I have returned to the hobby after a chance meeting with Phil at an antenatal class. It didn’t take long for his enthusiasm and promise of new and shinier toys than the ones I remembered from a decade ago to renew my plastic crack addiction.
So as I dug out all my old bits and pieces, finding some real gems in the process, I found my old paints which was a pretty extensive collection of hard lumps of coloured crap. But it had been 10 years. But now the conundrum: do I reinvest in the same paint system or look to something else bearing in mind I needed the whole shabang – brushes and all. So after seeking Phil’s advice I started looking at The Army Painter products. Phil had always raved about their basecoat sprays, and the price point was much more tempting than Games Workshop’s paints so I thought I’d give them a go.
Yes I know there are other manufacturers out there but there was something about The Army Painter stuff that got me and I honestly think it was the price of the Mega Paint Set. To start with anyway. So I took the plunge and bought myself one.
So what do you get for your £76.50 (if you purchase it from the fine chaps at Firestorm Games).
27 Colours
5 Metallics
3 Quickshade Inks
1 anti shine varnish bottle
Insane Detail Brush
Detail Brush
Character Brush
Regiment Brush
Small Drybrush
Vehicle/Terrain Brush
I would like to add at this point it was the Mega Paint set 1 I purchased as the new Mega Paint Set 2013 wasn’t available at the time I bought mine [Yes, it's taken you a year to write this you lazy bastard - Ed.]. There are a few differences, some I’m a little jealous, I have to admit, so what are these subtle differences, well they’re as follows.
29 Colours
5 Metalics
7 Quickshade Inks
1 anti shine varnish bottle
Insane Detail Brush
Regiment Brush
Small Drybrush
So you get less brushes, more paints and 4 of the colour Quickshade inks which are on my “to buy list”.
My Mega Paint Set arrived and I was excited as a little girl with a new pet pony and a bag full of sugar to feed it [Or something far manlier. -Ed]. And I wasn’t disappointed the box was reassuringly heavy making me feel like I got my money’s worth.
My first though was: so very many colours! There are shades to cover most if not all painting requirements, and many of them share names or hints to names of a certain other companies paint range, and from what I can tell so far are a pretty damn good match.
I found myself really liking The Army Painter paints, the dropper pots they come in are great with the pipette style nozzle making it really easy to mix paints as you can ensure you get your mixes right with your 1 part white 1 part Wolf Grey highlight rather than the more haphazard ‘that looks about right’ approach that I used to adopt with Games Workshop’s paints. One thing I will say, and this is by no means a negative, but you really have to shake these pants well before you attempt to use them or you end up with a very watery mess. Yes, I know you have to shake all paints before you use them but you really really have to shake these. But once that’s done they give a nice coverage, they spread easy and have a nice finish. I have been really impressed and very happy with The Army Painter paints especially when you consider the price point. They make for fantastic value for money and really should be considered if you’re looking at getting some new paints.
I am just as impressed with the brushes. They hold their points well and the odd triangle handles does give a nice firm grip which is also surprisingly comfy. They pick up paint well and give good coverage. Whilst I admit it’s been a long time since I used any other brushes, I can honestly say these are just as good as anything else I have used previously and, as I say, the odd handle shape does give you a really good grip.
Needless to say I am now an advocate of The Army Painter range and I have found myself slowly filling my hobby box with other items in their range and I am yet to find something I don’t like. My next purchase is definitely going to be the coloured Quickshade inks.
So to sum up the Mega Paint Set from The Army Painter is fantastic value for money and you get a great range of paints that as long as you remember to shake well before use, won’t disappoint you, and with such a great price point you could look at it as you’re getting the brushes for free. And we can always use more brushes, especially when they are of this quality. I will repeat myself and say if you are on the lookout for some new paints or want t change systems you can’t go wrong with The Army Painter.
And just to help you out you can actually win one of the Mega Paint Sets by entering The Shell Case Painting competition, thanks to the great guys at The Army Painter.
The Army Painter range is available from Firestorm Games from £1.80.
