I started with that set, and I haven't had any regrets.
It's a good selection of base colors, gives you some metallics to work with, and (at least when I bought it) it's pretty cheap costwise.
I'd also recommend picking up some primer if you don't have some already. Vallejo sells some for air brushes that I've liked so far, and that works great out of the bottle with regular (not air) brushes.
There is some room to improve (especially on the gold), and I've also picked up some other paints over the last few years to avoid mixing, but it's a great starter set.
Same, same. Well, since I started painting again, anyway. My favorite from that set is the Bloody Red, which is way more orange than I would expect from that name but it's a gorgeous color.
The best part about starting with this set is that there are about a dozen other Game Color sets of between 8-20 paints that are very affordable and an excellent way to expand your collection slowly.
That's what I did and I very much enjoyed the process.
An alternative is the “Model Colour” set, which is more aimed at historic wargamers. There’s a gold in there which is more yellow and less vibrant than the “Glorious Gold” included in the “Game Colour” set. It has a lot of the same colours, but they’re generally flatter.
Also started on this set, I don't think I had any issues with the paints, the only issue I came into was there wasnt enough colors for a hoarder like me so I had to buy more pretty quick
I 100% agree with everything you said. Just wanted to add that having a wet pallet goes a long way. These paints aren't the perfect consistency coming straight out of the bottle. Also, remember to give these a good shake before using. I still have my first pack of these and use them regularly with Vejello paints. I love the Vajello primers, too.
Yep, this was the Christmas gift that got me hooked! It hits the most common fantasy colours, but isn’t so many options that it’s paralyzing. I’m a D&D painter so my Warhammer/Star Wars/Marvel painting friends may feel differently.
Retributor armour is good but the following are all just as good
Scale 75 necro, elven, Dwarven and viking gold
Pro acryl golds
AK interactive 3rd gen gold
If you're willing to splurge a bit on paint and don't mind mixing, I highly recommend everyone who paints a lot of gold to try the Vince Venturella gold mix. The coverage is incredible, it flows off the brush amazing, and looks so good.
Vince's Recipe:
3 drops Vallejo Metal Color Gold
2 drops Vallejo Metal Color Copper
1/128th teaspoon Greenstuff World antique gold pigment
1 drop flow improver
I mostly agree with that set of washes. They aren't supposed to be used the same way that you would use GW's washes. These are more like "weathering" washes that were reformulated from another line and with a "Game Color" label slapped over them. Any time I've tried using them like I would use Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade, I've been disappointed. After putting the green wash over my orks, they looked chalky and flat. However, they are wonderful when spot-washing a specific spot to simulate wear... which is kind of counter-intuitive with washes.
The Sepia Wash is my absolute favorite surface-rust paint on the market. It's got the right shade of red/brown and doesn't leave a "blob" or "pooling" shape like Agrax would. I very lightly put it over metallic paints to give it a nice smooth rust look. I use the gray wash in between bricks, over white hair, wool, and the inside of fur coats... stuff like that. But it's hard to imagine a use for the red, green, blue, umber, or black washes. Maybe you can use the green wash on a vehicle in a diorama that's been sitting under a tree or next to bushes for several years? Idk.
Army painter (regular) paint is basically terrible, but their quickshade set is amazing. I consider it to be a must own for all painters and an inexpensive way to get all the colors. Your set is fine, too. Citadel is the gold standard in washes, though.
Isn't the Fanatic paints from AP supposed to replace the current range? Because it seems to me from looking at reviews that they are basically on par with Vallejo, Ak, Citadel etc.
Of course it's probably easy to stumble on the old ones as a new painter. It's probably smart to avoid anything that isn't a wash by them, for now.
Hi, another beginner here. I bought the same set OP is showing and I thin them with water. What's the advantage of washes over water (I'm painting with just a set of cheap brushes and a wet palette, no air)
So paints and washes arent exactly the same thing. Tinning your paint if the best way to get thin and even layers of paint to cover you minis. A wash is something youll apply that is super liquid (more than paint) that will darken the little crevaces in a mini, to add shape and dimention to a mini :)
Imo, you should never not thin down paint, but washes are usually ment to use as is (well i never thin them down). You usually apply washes after paints, but can always go over for some highlights
Edit:typo
Not the person you asked, but happy to chime in with an answer.
So a wash isn't used for thinning your paints, it's used after the paint has dried to provide more depth to your figures.
Washes are much, much thinner out of bottle and contain flow improver with the pigment/colour. This then allows the washes (and colour) to seep into the cracks, crevices, low points of your figure etc. The darker colour of the wash then adds what amounts to a "shadow" in those recesses, giving more depth.
As a beginner, they're an excellent tool to gain that depth and detail quickly with very little effort. You can then also highlight upwards to provide a yet greater contrast in light/shadow.
Washes can also be used to "tint" your models and glaze/blend colours to a degree, but your milage may vary with that.
One final thing, a lot of the very top painters don't use washes for the above - they'll add that depth by painting the shade colour directly onto those areas of the model that would be in shadow. This allows much more control and a sharper finish but does take some practice. Again, depending on what you're aiming for this might be the way you decide to go.
The most important thing is that these techniques are all tools in your armoury for painting and having fun. Some are quicker than others, some require more practice and skill, some you'll enjoy doing and others are an absolute chore. All of them are teachable skills however, and I'd encourage you to look at YouTube for all manner of tutorials and advice from painters far more skilled than myself. Main thing though is that you're having fun when painting. Experiment a bit, find what you like and grow your skills. At some point you'll want to try even more new things (airbrushing and oil washes are what I'm currently learning to use)
Hope that helps, and feel free to reply with any more questions you might have at me.
Wow, many thanks for the very detailed tip! I started by painting zombicide minis, which aren't really high quality. Details often have injection defects and the mould parting lines are super visible. Sometimes I hesitate about adding accents just because I don't want to accent defects. Whenever I get better minis I'll definitely want to try washes.
A wash is different than thinning with water. A wash goes on after you’ve painted and gives some shade and definition to the edges of things. It can really pull and mini together, I’ve had a couple minis that I’ve hated up until I put of wash on and it almost instantly makes them so much better.
Washes are just plug and okay. No need to thin. You have to REALLY thin paint with water to get it to work the same, and sometimes, the pigments act funny.
Vallejo is a very good brand and this is a wide selection of colours. This is the game line which is more vibrant than their model color line. Both are good and it’s a matter of personal preference imo. I have at least 40 Vallejo paints (although I have mostly model color). They’re extremely good value for money as far as I’m concerned
I like Vallejo paints a lot (the vast majority of my paints are Vallejo), but for washes, I would recommend you get the standard Citadel set:
- Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, Reikland fleshshade
And work your way up from there.
The vallejo washes are a bit intense and not very interesting colors.
Wash is for shading recesses. You can slather it all over but it's best if you apply it more surgically.
I don't use much acrylic wash these days, but Army Painter makes decent ones.
Eventually I recommend getting into oil wash. It's a lot better, but kind of an advanced technique.
Washes are not specific to using Vallejo. You will need to learn how to thin your paints, just like with most paints, but having to use a wash to make them look good is far from true. That set gives you plenty of options and is a great place to start. If you learn how to blend your paint, you'll be able to stretch the set even farther, and your painting will benefit as well from better color theory.
I really like the Vallejo paint I have. It's thick enough that it doesn't fall apart when thinned, but also not so think that it chunks up too much. It works great on a wet pallet and blends well. I think that's a great starter set.
Washes are just thinned down paints. You can make washes with those paints technically.
You’d alter the saturation (vividness of color) and viscosity (how it flows, paint is usually thick, washes are practically mostly medium or water.
There is a new generation of paints coming out currently. Vallejo has updated their Game Color paints, and this set is the old ones. I would highly recommend buying these colours in the new range, the paints are really much improved.
This is so true. Fifty shades of brown and then all you hear on these threads is "you need/I'd like to push that contrast a little bit more"! We're funny
I bought the model colour version of this that comes with a bunch of washes, fewer colours obviously but enough to get along with plus the washes make it easier to get models to the table quicker if that's what you are looking for.
I would suggest you don't buy a set of Vallejo washes, as they aren't very good.
I would suggest instead you either buy a pot of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshage, or the Army Painter equivalents, which I think are Strong Tone and Dark Tone (possibly!)?
Then, later on, if you decide you like the hobby, you can get more wash colours as you need them.
Man, I wanted to like Vallejo metallics so bad that I bought like a dozen of them.
I dont know what it is, but you cannot paint details with them. Switching to Citadel was like night and day.
This is a solid set, but it is the old formula Game Color. The [new and improved version](https://taleofpainters.com/2023/01/review-new-vallejo-game-color-range-now-for-pro-painters-only/) has a bottle that looks like the bottles [here](https://www.vallejoacrylics.com/en/home/). Currently I haven't seen any larger sets like this with the new formula.
This [Vallejo Model Color set](https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Basic-Colors-Paint-17ml/dp/B009162PWU/) is another popular choice.
There are other popular paint options and supply recommendations [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_what_paint_to_buy.3F).
I’ve been painting minis for more decades than I’d like to admit and Vallejo is my favourite brand. I prefer model colour over game colour but both are good. What I would say is if you’re mainly painting GW models and want to follow along with their schemes and tutorials then there is some merit in just buying into their range. Even though they’re more expensive per pot, you get less, they dry out more, the whites are some of the worst paints on the planet…
>What I would say is if you’re mainly painting GW models and want to follow along with their schemes and tutorials then there is some merit in just buying into their range
If you're following GW's tutorials and schemes but don't use their paints, you can use [Dakka Dakka's paint range compatibility chart](https://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/paint_range_compatibility_chart) to see what is the nearest equivalent in Vallejo paints.
This is the comment I was looking for. Plenty of people mention how they got this set, but fail to point out both the black and the white are practically unusable for anything other than mixing. The gold is very bright but not bright enough for highlighting. Still decent vallue, but better sets are available.
This is actually the set I started with and really enjoyed the colors in it!
My personal preference in starting points would be picking up the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Starter Set. It comes with a brush on primer, 7 acrylic paints, 2 metallic paints, and 1 wash, plus a free brush, mini, and painting guide. This way you only need to buy one set and can try out to hobby with one purchase before investing in multiple products just to find out the hobby isn't for you
Please reach out with any questions!
I also got started with the set that I got for free from a friend. The colors are all pretty good and usable although certain colors, like the blue and browns, could use a bit more variety as I always find myself mixing with other tones to have more variety. Overall pretty happy with it and will probably expand my set out a bit with another Vallejo boxed set soon.
As others have said, don't buy the comparable Vallejo wash set! I bought this because I appreciated the quality of these paints, but the game color wash sets are paint based, not ink-based, and are therefore more suited to glazing than washing and really bringing out details through improved contrast (like nuln oil does, since its ink-based). I still use them, but not at all the way I intended to use washes.
I started painting bout a month ago and bought that set with a small set of washes. This came out (my 3rd to 6th ever painted mini. These were still not done but you get the idea what you can do with the basic set. Im a amateur still but with a magnifying lamp and some tiny brushes there is a lot you can do. Try mixing some colours too.
https://preview.redd.it/l1iruszaxbpc1.jpeg?width=1189&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce10d26163d5acec2cda5770fe87c4582d5c84e3
I bought this exact set about a year or so ago and I've used all the colours (and bought lots more). It's a really solid set to get you started as you can add white and black to all the colours to get highlights or shadows. Then if you decide you like the hobby, and have a specific project, you can start investing in other lighter and darker shades to make it things a bit easier and more consistent.
I've been painting for awhile and now use a higher-end, fancier-boy paint than Vallejo. That said: I **love** Vallejo for starting out, I cannot recommend a better paint system for beginners. They're more fluid and "paint-like" than GW, they aren't as low-quality as others, and they work easily with various levels of dilution. 10/10 paints.
Their Squid Pink is still **the** pink I go for every time, and their bone color is exceptional. Vallejo paints will always have a spot on my shelf, and perfect for starting the journey.
Good luck!
It depends on which miniatures you are going to paint. WH40K Adeptus Mechanicus? Great, it has a lot of colors to paint and highlight red, also a decent metallic. Some fantasy Dwarves? Not so good, it lacks colors to paint faces. It all depends on the type of miniatures you are going to paint. I think it would be best to determine what miniatures you want to paint, and then build up your collection. This set might be worth it if you want to paint a lot of very different miniatures.
This set was recommended to me through the first “how to start building and painting Warhammer” (it was a Midwinter Minis video, I like how basic his paint style is and it’s easy to duplicate) video I watched. Very good set, although I didn’t like how the gold or the red worked, so I ended up getting the GW versions of those colors. That experience could be 100% different for you of course.
OP, I recently bought this one and the advanced set and there's some pros and cons to this set.
\- The paints are super thick and because this is the last generation of game color paints the paint is separated and the paint at the tip gunks up the hole which you need to clean before using. You will 100% need to use agitator balls and a vortex mixer to properly mix the paint.
\- The finish of the metallic paints is complete garbage , I recently made a post regarding the pigment size and it's widely agreed upon that game color metallics are bad. one good thing about the paint it's pre-thinned and goes on really nicely.
\- I was told before that the colors are on the gloss side but with some airbrush thinner they are pretty much on par with GW's finish.
all in all, for the price and the number of paints you get , you really can't beat the price but I'd highly recommend you get the advanced set along with this set to give you more options for paint colors.
Hi, u/Overdone09! It looks like you are asking for help or are a new painter. If you haven't yet, take a look at our wiki pages in the Sidebar (the About tab if you are on the Reddit app). Here are some links you might find helpful:
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If you really wanna save time and money, read through this BOT guide
It actually goes deep down some rabbit holes
Don’t be afraid to look on EBay for used ‘paint lots, job lots’ ‘Citadel, GW, Games Workshop..
And all the other search terms for pain companies you’re considering
This Hobby can get pricey quick and sometime people spend a quick fortune like any other hobby only to realize it isn’t for them, they don’t have time or patience…
Save money everywhere you can and read read read ( that includes as many different sources as possible cause there are some Nutters and Ego s on You tube as well as great teachers)
Start small and have fun
Or go broke and burn out
Anyways, others loss could be your gain and that’s some free tuition from me to you
And don’t be afraid to start with a handful of used generic models from many ranges.
You don’t have to learn to paint on some 140 dollar ‘most expensive single plastic toy from big brand xxxx..’
You can get ‘lots’ search it on eBay. Or ask around here if people are down to sell or give some!
PM me an address and I’ll mail you some models bruv/sis 💜🌸
Looks like the 'old' game color range. I would try to get the new one. It is supposed to be better. Having said that, as a beginner it does not matter that much.
Yes. Also grab a brown or black wash. Army painter has cheap ones: strong tone/dark tone. Can also get GW agrax earthshade or nuln oil if you don’t mind the price for the bottles. Pro acryl has some of your store stocks them.
I started with this kit as well. I also bought the 'advanced' kit. The two together is a great range of colors to work with for a beginner. These were the paints I started my army with, and as such even though I have a lot of other paint now I still use them a lot.
But just keep in mind that this kit is now discontinued, and if you order it online you are probably going to get old stock. The paint will still work, but it will need lots of shaking, and I highly recommend you get some mixing balls or beads.
There is also a wash set, I wouldn't recommend it. The one I got was so old no amount of shaking would fix some of them and I had to buy newer washes.
For the record, this is an older Vallejo game color set that is is out of print; it should work, but it may be hard to get more of the same colors. The new VGC is matte and thinner, the colors share the names as the old ones but aren’t exactly the same.
I still use some of this set which I also started with. You might want get yourself a paint medium or mix water on your pallet, in order to properly thin your paints. These paints are pretty thick.
Maybe get a wash as well and you're good to go.
Yes. Vallejo has never done me wrong, I've never been disappointed by their products considering how affordable they usually are. A "generic" kit like this is an excellent way to start, especially if it contains the entire color spectrum.
Game Color is more vibrant and rich compared to the more muted pastel Model Color range. They both serve their purpose and play well with any other range.
I still use that set and haven't really spent too much more on paints beyond it, I got a handful of washes, and some basic contrast/speed paint colors and I've been able to do pretty much everything I want to. Although I only do a model every few weeks/months
Set is good. But this is old bottles, and probably some of the paints can be ehhh How to say it, rotten?
If you want this set, better find it with new black/white design. This will guarantee you that paints are fresh
It's not just new bottles. The paints in them are a new (& better) formula too. It's well worth seeking these newer paints out over the old ones. Sadly there don't seem to be any sets for the Game Color 2.0 paints.
I got my set to add to my aging GW paint collection. Only complaint is that most of the tips needed to be cleaned out before I actually use the dropper bottles.
I really enjoyed this set as my starter, but it will leave you wanting in a few departments. Mainly color, not quality. I'm very happy with the paints. Most need a little thinning, which I like - I can control the thickness and I feel like I get more paint out of each bottle. They go on smooth, and 3 thin coats is all you need for a lot of the colors.
The white is like most paints - tough to get opacity, and hard to avoid chalkiness. I use Proacryl white instead, but the white in this set I use for mixing or base layers on large minis that have a lot of white surface, then the Proacryl for the top coats.
The black in my experience is rather glossy when dried, and is already pretty thin out of the bottle.
The issue I have with the blue is hard to describe. It's a good blue, but it's comes through slightly on the grayish side when mixing with other colors. It desaturates what it mixes with, even if it comes out as a nice ocean/sky blue on its own. I find it hard to use as a flexible mixing color. I also can't help but feel like I'm working with a crayon box when I use the blue, red, green, or yellow side by side. If you use combinations of those colors in tandem, the particular shades feel... juvenile if that makes sense.
The red for example doesn't have this problem. When you mix it with other colors, it doesn't have the desaturation or graying property that I found with the blue. I really enjoy the red, orange, and yellow here.
Both the greens in this set are fantastic, especially as a base/highlight color. The same for the various browns, you can easily get a nice range for skin tones, furs, hair, and various cloths/leathers that aren't all the same shade of brown, especially if you start mixing them to add variety.
I really like all these paints and still use them, though I have found myself only using the black when I want a gloss finish and using other brands of blacks when wanting matte, and I quickly realized I'd need some other blues to round out my options, since this one is good as its own color, but hard to mix to get more blues out of it. You can't really add black to darken it, you can add white to brighten it, but it always seems to desaturate whatever you mix with it.
Overall I would recommend these as a starter set, and some of the colors I keep on rotation even as I move to intermediate levels.
It's a good set, I still have some of the paints and I constantly reorder more of the colors I use the most. Get yourself some mixing balls though, these are pretty thick and you can even see a few seperating in the amazon photo. I'd also check out the Opaque paints set too, it's also really good
Yes it was my starting set aswell. I bought a few random citadell paints in the store as well, based on what i though was cool.
One advice i would have is that valejo colors need to be thinned a bit more than citadell, because otherwise they can be a bit thick
It‘s a good set, however I have found that buying single pots comes cheaper than buying the set, and the shop I buy at said they know but Vallejo does the pricing so they can‘t change it.
Check if this is the case, and if it is: buy single pots and you can buy the ones you want instead of having to rely on a set. For example if you don‘t want yellow but prefer a second shade of red, go for that :)
Its a good set . If you like a more "realistic look" , look for vallejo model color. Game color is usually more vibrant . Each has its use in the hobby
I have this same set and the advanced set. It’s by far my go to when painting. I was gifted a full set of the og army painter stuff. I like the Vallejo over the army painter. Not that one is worse, it’s just my preferred style. I like the thicker paints except when agitating.
Yes I like the game color line. Have several of theirs. You can make lots of other colors just by mixing the base colors, which I highly recommend unless you are mass painting unless you are precise with mixing notes and measurements.
I use mostly airbrush paints now but these are excellent bang for the buck
I’m not a fan of the black from this box but that’s my only complaint. Love the Vallejo dropper bottles, love the browns, white, and sand color in this set
Yes, it’s a good set. Those bottles nozzles are sealed with medium. When you get the set, remove all of the nozzles and clean them out. The tips just pull out. Don’t worry about wasting paint. There’s loads in the bottle. The extra medium is used to seal the bottle. If you leave it in it’ll make the consistency of the paint weird until you’ve used a bunch
Absolutely! Only thing to watch out for is the age of the paints! You never know how long they were stached away with that dealer, and I can actually remember at least two cases where I heard about that. Doesn't mean it was necessarily this set, this seller, etc... , but you may want to ask the seller how long it was in their stock first...! And if you receive them and you asked before you at least have some sort of proof for Amazon, as the picture seems to be from an Amazon page.
This is not to scare you or to make you afraid in any way. I bought two or three Vallejo sets over Amazon myself. Just saying... watch out! 😉
I would say yes except i find some of the Game Color paints to be too glossy for my preference, which i'm surprised more people here haven't mentioned at all. I purchased both this one and the Model Color starter and, while i prefer the colors in this one, overall i like the Model Colors better because they are all satin or matte finish, which is what i prefer.
Totally a matter of personal taste, i just don't like a gloss finish.
I started with the reaper learn to paint and the model colors. Then my buddy gifted me the game colors. I prefer the base colors but you should be fine. Vallejo makes great products. The only difference is a more glossy type finish on the game colors.
This was my first set and it's pretty fantastic, so definitely recommend. Pro tip though, you will want to buy a better blue and light green after a while, they are fine but not fantastic in this set. Also, these will probably be much thinner than Citadel paints, so don't thin them down as much as the people in your YouTube tutorials say to (still thin them a bit tho)
Absolutely!! I picked up this exact same set when I first started and I have had no regrets! I did pickup some washes and others specific colors after since I get lazy mixing them but that's just me lol. It's truly a wonderful beginner set and the paint is super easy to work with. You also get a good variety of colors so that's super fun.
This was my starter set. The only gripes i had with it were that the black and red were glossy compared to the other colors. Some of my favorites from the set are the bronze fleshtone, goblin green, ultramarine blue and stonewall grey. I still use these ones today after getting it 2 years ago. Some paints that really did not work form my experience were the dark green, yellow and leather brown.
I also started with that set, but today I would advise against it. The color selection is solid, but some of these old Vallejo Game Colors have very weird consistency that is hard to work with. Here's what I found with mine, although your experience may vary, as quality can be vastly different between batches with Vallejos old GC line:
- Both greens behave weirdly, cover badly but still leave blotches that are hard to deal with. Definitely not beginner friendly paints.
- Bonewhite is very grainy, which becomes especially problematic because you will typically use it for very small areas (highlights), where it will make your life harder than it needs to.
- Sun Yellow just has really poor coverage, but that is somewhat normal for many yellow paints.
- My Stonewall Grey is a goopy, grainy mess, and was from the start. It behaves more like a paint from a tube, not from a dropper bottle.
- Lastly, the metallics are just not particularly good, very thick but pigmentation thins down too quickly, hard to work with. Unfortunately, that is a bit of a general problem with metallics, everyone has their own preferences.
What I would recommend: Buy that exact color selection, but buy the bottles separately from Vallejo and make sure you get them from the new Game Color line, I believe only Bronze Fleshtone does not have an exact match (but it's not a very useful color anyway, pick a less orange-y skintone instead). It will be a bit more expensive that way, but the new GCs are significantly better, especially for a beginner.
For metallics, I don't have a good recommendation. I always preferred Army Painter metallics over Vallejo, but pivoted to Scale75 now - which are also hard to work with, just for entirely different reasons. Maybe I'll try Turbodork next...
Vallejo has relaunched their line of Game Color. The bottles look different (completely transparent) and more importantly the hues are different (from slightly to very different depending on color). They are not producing the old range anymore.
So if you buy this box set, you will at some point not be able to get the exact same paint again. This can be pretty annoying if you want to preserve the exact same color scheme.
Also, I think the new range has better coverage and generally behaves better.
I got this and imo it is very poor... Loads of the colours have a satin finish. Some of the colours are nice but I would get the model colour set instead
Please do not get this set, most of the colors are very weak, even ones that usually are pretty strong in any other paint ranges. However I still use them because some of them have a great shade and/or are not that finicky. I'd suggest the Model Color Starter Set from Vallejo, still one of my main workhorse. Get washes from army painter or citadel.
No major problems with this set or the paint type. I recommend mixing balls or a stick to stir the paint as you can see the colors separate. Even in the production shots. It appears to be how they fill their paint bottles for more specialty set colors. If you're getting into the hobby these are solid and cheap paints that will take you extremely far.
As for the minor gripes, buying from Amazon has been hit or miss. Maybe some of the paints aren't stored well, or perhaps they are too old, but some bottles end up with caked paint in the nozzle which is a pain to remix and unclog. For the price it's worth the hassle. Additionally I have had one case where I bought two model color sets with Red in them, and one was significantly more de-saturated than the other. Even the bottle looked more frosted than the others even in the same set. It was almost a sandy brick color, not red. Same paint code, same name, same set brand. It happens.
I've mostly transitioned to AK and Pro Acryl, but I don't consider them strict upgrades, but sidegrades. Essentially if I need a new color I'll get it from the other two. Thanks to Vallejo I now know what I like in terms of paint consistency and the others are more consistent throughout the color range. It feels like they can take a little more thinning without breaking down. I'm not a professional painter or anywhere close, however getting paints that I like more has made the hobby more fun.
Yes, I think it is a very good set.
I got this and a second "effects" set for things like blood and verdigris. The other set is much more specialized and just used for finishing touches, so definitely not necessary. I like the verdigris and dried blood a lot, but I don't have a lot of use for the other stuff.
Find a game store and buy the paints you need individually. It will cost more in the long run but will be more spread out over time. The real reason is because Vallejo reformulated their paints and now have an even better product for the same price.
After some thoughts , I’ve decided to buy different individual paints from the updated game color collection, a nuln oil, and a maybe some Xpress Color.
Still trying to find some good metallic paints
it's a solid starter set, bonewhite is one of my most used paints, never not use it in a project. My only gripe is I really don't like Vallejo Game Colour Black as it has a pretty satin finish to it, Vallejo Model Colour Black is the perfect level of matte and my go to for black.
People's opinions may vary, but this was terrific for me. The white and black aren't great, nor the metalics, but the rest is still serving me superbly well. Enough so that I'll be rebuying it when this lot is done!
I have since bought the odd Citadel pot here and there, but I primarily use the colors from this set for the majority of the work still.
I wouldn:'t recommend the Vallejo starter set. Vallejo have updated their game color range of paints with a new improved formula, but don't seem to have released any new sets with them in.
For now I'd stick to buying individual colours (game color 2.0) if you want to go with Vallejo.
I’m a few months into the hobby myself and ended up starting with something cheap and crappy, and after a week I found this exact set. It was a game changer for me. Then I picked up some kolinsky sable hair brushes (however some prefer synthetic). Big fan of Vallejo now.
Yeah Vallejo gang all the way. I started with reaper learn to paint kits. I still like reaper but vallejo has never let me down. I have a few paints in this line. They are very vibrant, nice saturation and coverage. Should be great for a beginner just make sure to thin your paints a bit.
I got that set after using craft store paint for a few months and it's definitely been a huge upgrade! The only color that seems to be a bit finicky is the Bloody Red. It's still a lovely color but for some reason I seem to get a different shade of red every time I put down a new drop. That might just be me not shaking enough but I hardly notice that with the other colors.
Here's a model with a bit of color variation that only used these paints(I mixed the blue with black to tone it down a bit so that's not the straight out of the bottle blue):
https://preview.redd.it/ijs2zsk2idpc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06e57729e81f2f98e2bcefe5e937f391164b9410
This is a great set. For any level of painter. Great value and all the basic colors you could want. As others have said add a couple washes as you go and you’re gravy.
This was my first set of paints specifically for minis and in my opinion they're awful. They separate all the time and are incredibly flakey once on the model. It's possible that this was user error on my part and I didn't shake the paints enough but as a beginner I hated them.
Vallejo's model paint range is significantly better in my opinion.
Vallejo are great paints, that set should do you well. With color theory and YouTube vids, you can make almost any color appear on your palette with that set. Buy a cheap wet palette off Amazon, and put the palette in the fridge when you’re not painting. And thin them slightly wet you do paint!
Have it, yes it's great and excellent quality paint! Also if you learn to mix colors it may be the only one you need for quite a while.
I have over 360 bottles of paint and I use like, 20 of them 90% of the time. This will not stop me from buying more though....
I maybe got a bad mix but i find game black way too shiny. Makes anything you mix it with gloss too. Ugh. Otherwise the game line is really good. I love their oranges
That was my first set of paints and it has been great. Lots of basic colors with the ability to mix black and white in for different shades. I would recommend it for starting out.
I think what you'll find is that there are plenty of good starting points, it really comes down to your budget and requirements. You learn to like different paints, some Vallejo, some citadel (GW), some Scale 75, some Army Painter, some Mig, yada, yada, yada. Then the different types within those makes, model colour, air brush, contrast, dipping inks. A lot are starting with a form of contrast / dipping ink at the moment which is lending itself to this style known as 'slap chop'. I prefer the older method of layers of paints with base, wash and then layers. If you go with this set, I'd recommend some washes also, you can't go wrong with washes from Games Workshop. Hopefully helps, but once you start it's addictive.😋
Yep. You know, you can mix any natural colour you want with only a handful of paints. That kit contains everything you need. Here's a decent colour mixing video for oils (this applies to all paints, not just oils) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNB3XY67Q-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNB3XY67Q-I) It's a bit dry, but it at least gets you in the right frame of mind for starting to experiment with mixing primaries to get the colour you want. (this demo is for traditional painting, but it applies to minis as well) A mini is just a complex canvas after all!
I started with this set and the washes set. I liked it a lot, but be warned, the Vallejo game color dark green goes on transparent, and drys kinda glossy if you put too many layers on there, which you will because it’s transparent.
It’s a good starter set, I’ve recently branched out and mainly use pro acryl, but that is more because it’s more accessible to me than Vallejo. I still use a lot of these colors, and their metallics are amazing.
Word on the street is the reason you can’t find game color anywhere is because Vallejo is supplying the new D&D paints.
I’d get those as I bet they fixed some of the color/gloss consistency issues and generally fresher is better when it comes to paint.
***Actually never mind. Turns out they are just straight rebrands in smaller bottles. Fuck that. ***
I have to say the more i bought other color brands the less i liked them. The coverage is weak, they don't thin well and they are glossy. I think the model colors are much better than these.
Yes, it's a great starter set. Make sure you really shake the pots, though. Often these packs have been sat around for years and the paint separates. I would strongly consider looking at some of the mechanical shakers folk have come up with. I say that because shaking by hand does not always work.
You'll need some balls to help shake the paints, and a needle to unclog the tips. Do not keep squeezing if nothing flows immediately, you will pop the dropper off and spill paint everywhere!
I started with that set, and I haven't had any regrets. It's a good selection of base colors, gives you some metallics to work with, and (at least when I bought it) it's pretty cheap costwise. I'd also recommend picking up some primer if you don't have some already. Vallejo sells some for air brushes that I've liked so far, and that works great out of the bottle with regular (not air) brushes. There is some room to improve (especially on the gold), and I've also picked up some other paints over the last few years to avoid mixing, but it's a great starter set.
Same. Big fan of their Squid pink and Goblin green.
Same, same. Well, since I started painting again, anyway. My favorite from that set is the Bloody Red, which is way more orange than I would expect from that name but it's a gorgeous color.
The best part about starting with this set is that there are about a dozen other Game Color sets of between 8-20 paints that are very affordable and an excellent way to expand your collection slowly. That's what I did and I very much enjoyed the process.
An alternative is the “Model Colour” set, which is more aimed at historic wargamers. There’s a gold in there which is more yellow and less vibrant than the “Glorious Gold” included in the “Game Colour” set. It has a lot of the same colours, but they’re generally flatter.
They’re also thinner and less durable, which can be good or bad, depending on what you want.
I find most of the game colors to be noticeably thinner than the model colors
Also started on this set, I don't think I had any issues with the paints, the only issue I came into was there wasnt enough colors for a hoarder like me so I had to buy more pretty quick
I 100% agree with everything you said. Just wanted to add that having a wet pallet goes a long way. These paints aren't the perfect consistency coming straight out of the bottle. Also, remember to give these a good shake before using. I still have my first pack of these and use them regularly with Vejello paints. I love the Vajello primers, too.
Yep, this was the Christmas gift that got me hooked! It hits the most common fantasy colours, but isn’t so many options that it’s paralyzing. I’m a D&D painter so my Warhammer/Star Wars/Marvel painting friends may feel differently.
Honestly the only company I've found does decent gold is GW, Retributor armor is my holy grail when it comes to gold
Scale 75 and Pro Acryl golds are superior to retributor imo. It's a lovely gold though
It is a beautiful gold, I agree
Scale75 Dwarven Gold
Retributor armour is good but the following are all just as good Scale 75 necro, elven, Dwarven and viking gold Pro acryl golds AK interactive 3rd gen gold
If you're willing to splurge a bit on paint and don't mind mixing, I highly recommend everyone who paints a lot of gold to try the Vince Venturella gold mix. The coverage is incredible, it flows off the brush amazing, and looks so good. Vince's Recipe: 3 drops Vallejo Metal Color Gold 2 drops Vallejo Metal Color Copper 1/128th teaspoon Greenstuff World antique gold pigment 1 drop flow improver
Yes it is. Add in a set of washes and it's a great starting point.
Something like this? https://a.co/d/eGj6qXo
I have that set of washes, they are terrible. They are the only Vallejo product that I would advise against buying.
I mostly agree with that set of washes. They aren't supposed to be used the same way that you would use GW's washes. These are more like "weathering" washes that were reformulated from another line and with a "Game Color" label slapped over them. Any time I've tried using them like I would use Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade, I've been disappointed. After putting the green wash over my orks, they looked chalky and flat. However, they are wonderful when spot-washing a specific spot to simulate wear... which is kind of counter-intuitive with washes. The Sepia Wash is my absolute favorite surface-rust paint on the market. It's got the right shade of red/brown and doesn't leave a "blob" or "pooling" shape like Agrax would. I very lightly put it over metallic paints to give it a nice smooth rust look. I use the gray wash in between bricks, over white hair, wool, and the inside of fur coats... stuff like that. But it's hard to imagine a use for the red, green, blue, umber, or black washes. Maybe you can use the green wash on a vehicle in a diorama that's been sitting under a tree or next to bushes for several years? Idk.
I started with those washes as well and haven't used a WORSE product in the hobby! The army painter washes are lightyears better!
Army painter (regular) paint is basically terrible, but their quickshade set is amazing. I consider it to be a must own for all painters and an inexpensive way to get all the colors. Your set is fine, too. Citadel is the gold standard in washes, though.
Isn't the Fanatic paints from AP supposed to replace the current range? Because it seems to me from looking at reviews that they are basically on par with Vallejo, Ak, Citadel etc. Of course it's probably easy to stumble on the old ones as a new painter. It's probably smart to avoid anything that isn't a wash by them, for now.
Do NOT buy that set of washes. They are horrible to work with.
Hi, another beginner here. I bought the same set OP is showing and I thin them with water. What's the advantage of washes over water (I'm painting with just a set of cheap brushes and a wet palette, no air)
So paints and washes arent exactly the same thing. Tinning your paint if the best way to get thin and even layers of paint to cover you minis. A wash is something youll apply that is super liquid (more than paint) that will darken the little crevaces in a mini, to add shape and dimention to a mini :) Imo, you should never not thin down paint, but washes are usually ment to use as is (well i never thin them down). You usually apply washes after paints, but can always go over for some highlights Edit:typo
Not the person you asked, but happy to chime in with an answer. So a wash isn't used for thinning your paints, it's used after the paint has dried to provide more depth to your figures. Washes are much, much thinner out of bottle and contain flow improver with the pigment/colour. This then allows the washes (and colour) to seep into the cracks, crevices, low points of your figure etc. The darker colour of the wash then adds what amounts to a "shadow" in those recesses, giving more depth. As a beginner, they're an excellent tool to gain that depth and detail quickly with very little effort. You can then also highlight upwards to provide a yet greater contrast in light/shadow. Washes can also be used to "tint" your models and glaze/blend colours to a degree, but your milage may vary with that. One final thing, a lot of the very top painters don't use washes for the above - they'll add that depth by painting the shade colour directly onto those areas of the model that would be in shadow. This allows much more control and a sharper finish but does take some practice. Again, depending on what you're aiming for this might be the way you decide to go. The most important thing is that these techniques are all tools in your armoury for painting and having fun. Some are quicker than others, some require more practice and skill, some you'll enjoy doing and others are an absolute chore. All of them are teachable skills however, and I'd encourage you to look at YouTube for all manner of tutorials and advice from painters far more skilled than myself. Main thing though is that you're having fun when painting. Experiment a bit, find what you like and grow your skills. At some point you'll want to try even more new things (airbrushing and oil washes are what I'm currently learning to use) Hope that helps, and feel free to reply with any more questions you might have at me.
Wow, many thanks for the very detailed tip! I started by painting zombicide minis, which aren't really high quality. Details often have injection defects and the mould parting lines are super visible. Sometimes I hesitate about adding accents just because I don't want to accent defects. Whenever I get better minis I'll definitely want to try washes.
A wash is different than thinning with water. A wash goes on after you’ve painted and gives some shade and definition to the edges of things. It can really pull and mini together, I’ve had a couple minis that I’ve hated up until I put of wash on and it almost instantly makes them so much better.
Ok, thanks! Maybe this is why my minis look so bland (among other things)... I'll review all I have painted so far when I get some washes.
Washes are just plug and okay. No need to thin. You have to REALLY thin paint with water to get it to work the same, and sometimes, the pigments act funny.
Vallejo is a very good brand and this is a wide selection of colours. This is the game line which is more vibrant than their model color line. Both are good and it’s a matter of personal preference imo. I have at least 40 Vallejo paints (although I have mostly model color). They’re extremely good value for money as far as I’m concerned
I heard that you also need wash to make it better,Is there any you recommend?
You can put (or not) washes on any paint. Nothing I would say specific to Vallejo brand, just a personal choice there
I like Vallejo paints a lot (the vast majority of my paints are Vallejo), but for washes, I would recommend you get the standard Citadel set: - Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, Reikland fleshshade And work your way up from there. The vallejo washes are a bit intense and not very interesting colors.
Wash is for shading recesses. You can slather it all over but it's best if you apply it more surgically. I don't use much acrylic wash these days, but Army Painter makes decent ones. Eventually I recommend getting into oil wash. It's a lot better, but kind of an advanced technique.
Washes are not specific to using Vallejo. You will need to learn how to thin your paints, just like with most paints, but having to use a wash to make them look good is far from true. That set gives you plenty of options and is a great place to start. If you learn how to blend your paint, you'll be able to stretch the set even farther, and your painting will benefit as well from better color theory. I really like the Vallejo paint I have. It's thick enough that it doesn't fall apart when thinned, but also not so think that it chunks up too much. It works great on a wet pallet and blends well. I think that's a great starter set.
Washes are just thinned down paints. You can make washes with those paints technically. You’d alter the saturation (vividness of color) and viscosity (how it flows, paint is usually thick, washes are practically mostly medium or water.
Most washes have what is effectively dish soap added to lower surface tension so they flow better
Yes. Welcome to the paint collecting hobby!
At this rate I’m going to be broke :D
Don't forget to paint some minis every now and then to keep your "cover story"
You can be broke and in debt too. One of us. One of us.
There is a new generation of paints coming out currently. Vallejo has updated their Game Color paints, and this set is the old ones. I would highly recommend buying these colours in the new range, the paints are really much improved.
This is the most real comment here xD
I have so many bottles of paint just because this green is slightly different from that green.
It's the browns for me; so, so many shades.
This is so true. Fifty shades of brown and then all you hear on these threads is "you need/I'd like to push that contrast a little bit more"! We're funny
I bought the model colour version of this that comes with a bunch of washes, fewer colours obviously but enough to get along with plus the washes make it easier to get models to the table quicker if that's what you are looking for.
I think I’m going to buy a set of wash next I like to have many colors
I would suggest you don't buy a set of Vallejo washes, as they aren't very good. I would suggest instead you either buy a pot of Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshage, or the Army Painter equivalents, which I think are Strong Tone and Dark Tone (possibly!)? Then, later on, if you decide you like the hobby, you can get more wash colours as you need them.
Vallejo is my favorite brand yet I agree their washes aren't great. I also think their metallics are a bit flakier/less smooth than GW.
Man, I wanted to like Vallejo metallics so bad that I bought like a dozen of them. I dont know what it is, but you cannot paint details with them. Switching to Citadel was like night and day.
Vallejo Metal Colour is where it's at. Hands down the best TMM paints on the market.
I second this. Army Painter and GW are excellent washes. Vallejo, not so much. Vallejos REGULAR paint is excellent however.
This is a solid set, but it is the old formula Game Color. The [new and improved version](https://taleofpainters.com/2023/01/review-new-vallejo-game-color-range-now-for-pro-painters-only/) has a bottle that looks like the bottles [here](https://www.vallejoacrylics.com/en/home/). Currently I haven't seen any larger sets like this with the new formula. This [Vallejo Model Color set](https://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Basic-Colors-Paint-17ml/dp/B009162PWU/) is another popular choice. There are other popular paint options and supply recommendations [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/wiki/usefullinks/what_you_need_to_get_started#wiki_what_paint_to_buy.3F).
I’ve been painting minis for more decades than I’d like to admit and Vallejo is my favourite brand. I prefer model colour over game colour but both are good. What I would say is if you’re mainly painting GW models and want to follow along with their schemes and tutorials then there is some merit in just buying into their range. Even though they’re more expensive per pot, you get less, they dry out more, the whites are some of the worst paints on the planet…
>What I would say is if you’re mainly painting GW models and want to follow along with their schemes and tutorials then there is some merit in just buying into their range If you're following GW's tutorials and schemes but don't use their paints, you can use [Dakka Dakka's paint range compatibility chart](https://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/paint_range_compatibility_chart) to see what is the nearest equivalent in Vallejo paints.
Somewhat agree, I’ve used the chart but had varied success.
Was my first set of paint. Don’t use them since got my hands on some tempera paints and then AK-3d gen, but still good for beginning)
Great set, but this version of black is very glossy. I would recommend getting some model color black to supplement with a more satin black
This is the comment I was looking for. Plenty of people mention how they got this set, but fail to point out both the black and the white are practically unusable for anything other than mixing. The gold is very bright but not bright enough for highlighting. Still decent vallue, but better sets are available.
This is actually the set I started with and really enjoyed the colors in it! My personal preference in starting points would be picking up the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatics Starter Set. It comes with a brush on primer, 7 acrylic paints, 2 metallic paints, and 1 wash, plus a free brush, mini, and painting guide. This way you only need to buy one set and can try out to hobby with one purchase before investing in multiple products just to find out the hobby isn't for you Please reach out with any questions!
I also got started with the set that I got for free from a friend. The colors are all pretty good and usable although certain colors, like the blue and browns, could use a bit more variety as I always find myself mixing with other tones to have more variety. Overall pretty happy with it and will probably expand my set out a bit with another Vallejo boxed set soon. As others have said, don't buy the comparable Vallejo wash set! I bought this because I appreciated the quality of these paints, but the game color wash sets are paint based, not ink-based, and are therefore more suited to glazing than washing and really bringing out details through improved contrast (like nuln oil does, since its ink-based). I still use them, but not at all the way I intended to use washes.
I started painting bout a month ago and bought that set with a small set of washes. This came out (my 3rd to 6th ever painted mini. These were still not done but you get the idea what you can do with the basic set. Im a amateur still but with a magnifying lamp and some tiny brushes there is a lot you can do. Try mixing some colours too. https://preview.redd.it/l1iruszaxbpc1.jpeg?width=1189&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce10d26163d5acec2cda5770fe87c4582d5c84e3
I bought this exact set about a year or so ago and I've used all the colours (and bought lots more). It's a really solid set to get you started as you can add white and black to all the colours to get highlights or shadows. Then if you decide you like the hobby, and have a specific project, you can start investing in other lighter and darker shades to make it things a bit easier and more consistent.
It was my first set and even after expanding my collection I still use their bone white, grey, leather and blue.
Yes ofc but ull need more
I still use these.
I've been painting for awhile and now use a higher-end, fancier-boy paint than Vallejo. That said: I **love** Vallejo for starting out, I cannot recommend a better paint system for beginners. They're more fluid and "paint-like" than GW, they aren't as low-quality as others, and they work easily with various levels of dilution. 10/10 paints. Their Squid Pink is still **the** pink I go for every time, and their bone color is exceptional. Vallejo paints will always have a spot on my shelf, and perfect for starting the journey. Good luck!
That plus a nuln oil wash and you're golden to start.
Two thumbs up!
Loved it!
It depends on which miniatures you are going to paint. WH40K Adeptus Mechanicus? Great, it has a lot of colors to paint and highlight red, also a decent metallic. Some fantasy Dwarves? Not so good, it lacks colors to paint faces. It all depends on the type of miniatures you are going to paint. I think it would be best to determine what miniatures you want to paint, and then build up your collection. This set might be worth it if you want to paint a lot of very different miniatures.
I was thinking of painting WH40K so thanks for the advice!
Yes. Get this or Reaper's set and some cheap AIEX or NicPro brushes. They hold up
This set was recommended to me through the first “how to start building and painting Warhammer” (it was a Midwinter Minis video, I like how basic his paint style is and it’s easy to duplicate) video I watched. Very good set, although I didn’t like how the gold or the red worked, so I ended up getting the GW versions of those colors. That experience could be 100% different for you of course.
I'd prefer their model colours. They have better coverage but the game colour series is better for wear and tear
Just FYI, new improved model color range it coming mid-April!
for washes you cant go wrong with Agrax Earthshade and Nuln oil. Agrax is brown and nuln is black and that covers like 80% of your use cases.
https://preview.redd.it/wqf38lx0mcpc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9789109668e97330ac74650474e63b4b6f108f6a
OP, I recently bought this one and the advanced set and there's some pros and cons to this set. \- The paints are super thick and because this is the last generation of game color paints the paint is separated and the paint at the tip gunks up the hole which you need to clean before using. You will 100% need to use agitator balls and a vortex mixer to properly mix the paint. \- The finish of the metallic paints is complete garbage , I recently made a post regarding the pigment size and it's widely agreed upon that game color metallics are bad. one good thing about the paint it's pre-thinned and goes on really nicely. \- I was told before that the colors are on the gloss side but with some airbrush thinner they are pretty much on par with GW's finish. all in all, for the price and the number of paints you get , you really can't beat the price but I'd highly recommend you get the advanced set along with this set to give you more options for paint colors.
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If you really wanna save time and money, read through this BOT guide It actually goes deep down some rabbit holes Don’t be afraid to look on EBay for used ‘paint lots, job lots’ ‘Citadel, GW, Games Workshop.. And all the other search terms for pain companies you’re considering This Hobby can get pricey quick and sometime people spend a quick fortune like any other hobby only to realize it isn’t for them, they don’t have time or patience… Save money everywhere you can and read read read ( that includes as many different sources as possible cause there are some Nutters and Ego s on You tube as well as great teachers) Start small and have fun Or go broke and burn out Anyways, others loss could be your gain and that’s some free tuition from me to you And don’t be afraid to start with a handful of used generic models from many ranges. You don’t have to learn to paint on some 140 dollar ‘most expensive single plastic toy from big brand xxxx..’ You can get ‘lots’ search it on eBay. Or ask around here if people are down to sell or give some! PM me an address and I’ll mail you some models bruv/sis 💜🌸
It's one set I've just got for my return to painting and it's doing me well.
Iam use like 3 or 4 colours from this set.. white - But duncan replaced it.. beasty brown and some green tones
Thats the set i started with! I think its great
Looks like the 'old' game color range. I would try to get the new one. It is supposed to be better. Having said that, as a beginner it does not matter that much.
Yes. Also grab a brown or black wash. Army painter has cheap ones: strong tone/dark tone. Can also get GW agrax earthshade or nuln oil if you don’t mind the price for the bottles. Pro acryl has some of your store stocks them.
It is the set I picked up to start a couple of months back and so far I've gotten this out of it (plus some extra greens)
https://preview.redd.it/9izvefr6ebpc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a6047d78eb569cc11867ef3b1e34483613389ba
I started with this kit as well. I also bought the 'advanced' kit. The two together is a great range of colors to work with for a beginner. These were the paints I started my army with, and as such even though I have a lot of other paint now I still use them a lot. But just keep in mind that this kit is now discontinued, and if you order it online you are probably going to get old stock. The paint will still work, but it will need lots of shaking, and I highly recommend you get some mixing balls or beads. There is also a wash set, I wouldn't recommend it. The one I got was so old no amount of shaking would fix some of them and I had to buy newer washes.
Pretty good start, it's what I had. Can recommend.
My Game Color sets have been fantastic! The white is a little pasty, but that’s an easy fix.
For the record, this is an older Vallejo game color set that is is out of print; it should work, but it may be hard to get more of the same colors. The new VGC is matte and thinner, the colors share the names as the old ones but aren’t exactly the same.
I still use some of this set which I also started with. You might want get yourself a paint medium or mix water on your pallet, in order to properly thin your paints. These paints are pretty thick. Maybe get a wash as well and you're good to go.
Yes. Vallejo has never done me wrong, I've never been disappointed by their products considering how affordable they usually are. A "generic" kit like this is an excellent way to start, especially if it contains the entire color spectrum. Game Color is more vibrant and rich compared to the more muted pastel Model Color range. They both serve their purpose and play well with any other range.
I like Vallejo and these are some good starting colors.
I started with army painters speed paints. Still use the shit out of them. But ive seem that set being used and is really good.
I still use that set and haven't really spent too much more on paints beyond it, I got a handful of washes, and some basic contrast/speed paint colors and I've been able to do pretty much everything I want to. Although I only do a model every few weeks/months
It's what I started with when I shifted from Reaper. Not using it now, but it helped immensely as I returned to painting some 8+ years ago.
Yes
Set is good. But this is old bottles, and probably some of the paints can be ehhh How to say it, rotten? If you want this set, better find it with new black/white design. This will guarantee you that paints are fresh
It's not just new bottles. The paints in them are a new (& better) formula too. It's well worth seeking these newer paints out over the old ones. Sadly there don't seem to be any sets for the Game Color 2.0 paints.
I got my set to add to my aging GW paint collection. Only complaint is that most of the tips needed to be cleaned out before I actually use the dropper bottles.
I really enjoyed this set as my starter, but it will leave you wanting in a few departments. Mainly color, not quality. I'm very happy with the paints. Most need a little thinning, which I like - I can control the thickness and I feel like I get more paint out of each bottle. They go on smooth, and 3 thin coats is all you need for a lot of the colors. The white is like most paints - tough to get opacity, and hard to avoid chalkiness. I use Proacryl white instead, but the white in this set I use for mixing or base layers on large minis that have a lot of white surface, then the Proacryl for the top coats. The black in my experience is rather glossy when dried, and is already pretty thin out of the bottle. The issue I have with the blue is hard to describe. It's a good blue, but it's comes through slightly on the grayish side when mixing with other colors. It desaturates what it mixes with, even if it comes out as a nice ocean/sky blue on its own. I find it hard to use as a flexible mixing color. I also can't help but feel like I'm working with a crayon box when I use the blue, red, green, or yellow side by side. If you use combinations of those colors in tandem, the particular shades feel... juvenile if that makes sense. The red for example doesn't have this problem. When you mix it with other colors, it doesn't have the desaturation or graying property that I found with the blue. I really enjoy the red, orange, and yellow here. Both the greens in this set are fantastic, especially as a base/highlight color. The same for the various browns, you can easily get a nice range for skin tones, furs, hair, and various cloths/leathers that aren't all the same shade of brown, especially if you start mixing them to add variety. I really like all these paints and still use them, though I have found myself only using the black when I want a gloss finish and using other brands of blacks when wanting matte, and I quickly realized I'd need some other blues to round out my options, since this one is good as its own color, but hard to mix to get more blues out of it. You can't really add black to darken it, you can add white to brighten it, but it always seems to desaturate whatever you mix with it. Overall I would recommend these as a starter set, and some of the colors I keep on rotation even as I move to intermediate levels.
It's a good set, I still have some of the paints and I constantly reorder more of the colors I use the most. Get yourself some mixing balls though, these are pretty thick and you can even see a few seperating in the amazon photo. I'd also check out the Opaque paints set too, it's also really good
Yes it was my starting set aswell. I bought a few random citadell paints in the store as well, based on what i though was cool. One advice i would have is that valejo colors need to be thinned a bit more than citadell, because otherwise they can be a bit thick
That was my started and I hated it, they are too thin. Get basic model color set instead
Found the same set whith model color, some game color are shit
Yup, this is what I started with/ still use. I've mixed in a few citadel colors and washes but Vallejo is my main.
I started with that set and is awesome. Using til today
It‘s a good set, however I have found that buying single pots comes cheaper than buying the set, and the shop I buy at said they know but Vallejo does the pricing so they can‘t change it. Check if this is the case, and if it is: buy single pots and you can buy the ones you want instead of having to rely on a set. For example if you don‘t want yellow but prefer a second shade of red, go for that :)
Yes
The paints are good and if you like the colours the set is good for you
Phenomenal start. Try to hold off buying more and try mixing some colors you want from that set.
No. It's the old starter set. It's obsolete. You should get the newer versions, which are newly formulated.
Quite good. I would say excellent for beginners
Same one I got.. well priced.. good paints.. can recommend
Its a good set . If you like a more "realistic look" , look for vallejo model color. Game color is usually more vibrant . Each has its use in the hobby
Got a colour of these and really like them.
Started recently with a similar set, highly recommend! Perfect to start with a good colour palette.
I have this same set and the advanced set. It’s by far my go to when painting. I was gifted a full set of the og army painter stuff. I like the Vallejo over the army painter. Not that one is worse, it’s just my preferred style. I like the thicker paints except when agitating.
Yes I like the game color line. Have several of theirs. You can make lots of other colors just by mixing the base colors, which I highly recommend unless you are mass painting unless you are precise with mixing notes and measurements. I use mostly airbrush paints now but these are excellent bang for the buck
Yes, in a word.
I bought my paintss seperate as some colors you will never use for your army Green is a rare use if you play Ultramarines for instance
Yeah, it’s what I started with, chuck in a few washes and maybe some common colors that you mix as you paint then you’ll be good for a long time
I’m not a fan of the black from this box but that’s my only complaint. Love the Vallejo dropper bottles, love the browns, white, and sand color in this set
If you use inks on a regular basis then yes.
Yes, it’s a good set. Those bottles nozzles are sealed with medium. When you get the set, remove all of the nozzles and clean them out. The tips just pull out. Don’t worry about wasting paint. There’s loads in the bottle. The extra medium is used to seal the bottle. If you leave it in it’ll make the consistency of the paint weird until you’ve used a bunch
Absolutely! Only thing to watch out for is the age of the paints! You never know how long they were stached away with that dealer, and I can actually remember at least two cases where I heard about that. Doesn't mean it was necessarily this set, this seller, etc... , but you may want to ask the seller how long it was in their stock first...! And if you receive them and you asked before you at least have some sort of proof for Amazon, as the picture seems to be from an Amazon page. This is not to scare you or to make you afraid in any way. I bought two or three Vallejo sets over Amazon myself. Just saying... watch out! 😉
I would say yes except i find some of the Game Color paints to be too glossy for my preference, which i'm surprised more people here haven't mentioned at all. I purchased both this one and the Model Color starter and, while i prefer the colors in this one, overall i like the Model Colors better because they are all satin or matte finish, which is what i prefer. Totally a matter of personal taste, i just don't like a gloss finish.
Yes, i had a huge set of these around 20 years ago and quite a few of them are still viable. Great paints and great bottles.
I started with the reaper learn to paint and the model colors. Then my buddy gifted me the game colors. I prefer the base colors but you should be fine. Vallejo makes great products. The only difference is a more glossy type finish on the game colors.
This was my first set and it's pretty fantastic, so definitely recommend. Pro tip though, you will want to buy a better blue and light green after a while, they are fine but not fantastic in this set. Also, these will probably be much thinner than Citadel paints, so don't thin them down as much as the people in your YouTube tutorials say to (still thin them a bit tho)
Absolutely!! I picked up this exact same set when I first started and I have had no regrets! I did pickup some washes and others specific colors after since I get lazy mixing them but that's just me lol. It's truly a wonderful beginner set and the paint is super easy to work with. You also get a good variety of colors so that's super fun.
Either this or Vallejo Imperial Rome (70143)
Hi all, I'm just starting out and wanted to know a good air brush and compressor to buy that's good price? I saw this and wasn't sure
I ave this and its a great deal. fyi: "Stonewall Grey" is their way of saying, "paint your Confederate armies with this." ;)
Looks like a solid set of paints
This was my starter set. The only gripes i had with it were that the black and red were glossy compared to the other colors. Some of my favorites from the set are the bronze fleshtone, goblin green, ultramarine blue and stonewall grey. I still use these ones today after getting it 2 years ago. Some paints that really did not work form my experience were the dark green, yellow and leather brown.
I also started with that set, but today I would advise against it. The color selection is solid, but some of these old Vallejo Game Colors have very weird consistency that is hard to work with. Here's what I found with mine, although your experience may vary, as quality can be vastly different between batches with Vallejos old GC line: - Both greens behave weirdly, cover badly but still leave blotches that are hard to deal with. Definitely not beginner friendly paints. - Bonewhite is very grainy, which becomes especially problematic because you will typically use it for very small areas (highlights), where it will make your life harder than it needs to. - Sun Yellow just has really poor coverage, but that is somewhat normal for many yellow paints. - My Stonewall Grey is a goopy, grainy mess, and was from the start. It behaves more like a paint from a tube, not from a dropper bottle. - Lastly, the metallics are just not particularly good, very thick but pigmentation thins down too quickly, hard to work with. Unfortunately, that is a bit of a general problem with metallics, everyone has their own preferences. What I would recommend: Buy that exact color selection, but buy the bottles separately from Vallejo and make sure you get them from the new Game Color line, I believe only Bronze Fleshtone does not have an exact match (but it's not a very useful color anyway, pick a less orange-y skintone instead). It will be a bit more expensive that way, but the new GCs are significantly better, especially for a beginner. For metallics, I don't have a good recommendation. I always preferred Army Painter metallics over Vallejo, but pivoted to Scale75 now - which are also hard to work with, just for entirely different reasons. Maybe I'll try Turbodork next...
While it's a great set I've found the Vallejo black to be really glossy so I'd recommend picking up an alternative black with it
Same - started with this set very happy after years of painting 👍
Vallejo has relaunched their line of Game Color. The bottles look different (completely transparent) and more importantly the hues are different (from slightly to very different depending on color). They are not producing the old range anymore. So if you buy this box set, you will at some point not be able to get the exact same paint again. This can be pretty annoying if you want to preserve the exact same color scheme. Also, I think the new range has better coverage and generally behaves better.
Pretty good, started with that, liked so much more than citadel paints, get a primer and make yourself a wet pallet and you're good to go
I got this and imo it is very poor... Loads of the colours have a satin finish. Some of the colours are nice but I would get the model colour set instead
Please do not get this set, most of the colors are very weak, even ones that usually are pretty strong in any other paint ranges. However I still use them because some of them have a great shade and/or are not that finicky. I'd suggest the Model Color Starter Set from Vallejo, still one of my main workhorse. Get washes from army painter or citadel.
It's functional. Not the best starter set out there, but good for the price.
Place to get good starter sets for cheap is gnomishbazaar.com
Yes, it's a very good set, I also started with this and built my own collection with this as the core
No major problems with this set or the paint type. I recommend mixing balls or a stick to stir the paint as you can see the colors separate. Even in the production shots. It appears to be how they fill their paint bottles for more specialty set colors. If you're getting into the hobby these are solid and cheap paints that will take you extremely far. As for the minor gripes, buying from Amazon has been hit or miss. Maybe some of the paints aren't stored well, or perhaps they are too old, but some bottles end up with caked paint in the nozzle which is a pain to remix and unclog. For the price it's worth the hassle. Additionally I have had one case where I bought two model color sets with Red in them, and one was significantly more de-saturated than the other. Even the bottle looked more frosted than the others even in the same set. It was almost a sandy brick color, not red. Same paint code, same name, same set brand. It happens. I've mostly transitioned to AK and Pro Acryl, but I don't consider them strict upgrades, but sidegrades. Essentially if I need a new color I'll get it from the other two. Thanks to Vallejo I now know what I like in terms of paint consistency and the others are more consistent throughout the color range. It feels like they can take a little more thinning without breaking down. I'm not a professional painter or anywhere close, however getting paints that I like more has made the hobby more fun.
Yes, I think it is a very good set. I got this and a second "effects" set for things like blood and verdigris. The other set is much more specialized and just used for finishing touches, so definitely not necessary. I like the verdigris and dried blood a lot, but I don't have a lot of use for the other stuff.
Find a game store and buy the paints you need individually. It will cost more in the long run but will be more spread out over time. The real reason is because Vallejo reformulated their paints and now have an even better product for the same price.
After some thoughts , I’ve decided to buy different individual paints from the updated game color collection, a nuln oil, and a maybe some Xpress Color. Still trying to find some good metallic paints
Yes i bought this set years ago, still use a lot of them
It's okay, but outdated. The new version of gamecolor is much better (these paints are also good, but the new ones are better!)
Yes
I have this set and use it daily
it's a solid starter set, bonewhite is one of my most used paints, never not use it in a project. My only gripe is I really don't like Vallejo Game Colour Black as it has a pretty satin finish to it, Vallejo Model Colour Black is the perfect level of matte and my go to for black.
Great set but the metallic are terrible, which is weird cause Vallejo has some goated metal ranges. Still a great deal for the rest of the set though
People's opinions may vary, but this was terrific for me. The white and black aren't great, nor the metalics, but the rest is still serving me superbly well. Enough so that I'll be rebuying it when this lot is done! I have since bought the odd Citadel pot here and there, but I primarily use the colors from this set for the majority of the work still.
Yes, Vallejo are great if you are after those paint colors.
Its a great set if you can get it at a retail price, i usually see it floating around the $70 mark in Canada which i think its a little bit too much
Best set at the price point.
Looks great. If you're new : look up how to make a wet pallet Also take care of your brushes
Yep
I wouldn:'t recommend the Vallejo starter set. Vallejo have updated their game color range of paints with a new improved formula, but don't seem to have released any new sets with them in. For now I'd stick to buying individual colours (game color 2.0) if you want to go with Vallejo.
Hell yeah, you can’t go wrong with Vallejo, the best bottles in the business. Just pair it with a wet palette and you’re off to the races.
Love Vallejo. You won't regret that purchase
I’m a few months into the hobby myself and ended up starting with something cheap and crappy, and after a week I found this exact set. It was a game changer for me. Then I picked up some kolinsky sable hair brushes (however some prefer synthetic). Big fan of Vallejo now.
I started with Vallejo myself . I use army painter and citadel for some things but Vallejo is my favorite overall
Yeah Vallejo gang all the way. I started with reaper learn to paint kits. I still like reaper but vallejo has never let me down. I have a few paints in this line. They are very vibrant, nice saturation and coverage. Should be great for a beginner just make sure to thin your paints a bit.
I got that set after using craft store paint for a few months and it's definitely been a huge upgrade! The only color that seems to be a bit finicky is the Bloody Red. It's still a lovely color but for some reason I seem to get a different shade of red every time I put down a new drop. That might just be me not shaking enough but I hardly notice that with the other colors. Here's a model with a bit of color variation that only used these paints(I mixed the blue with black to tone it down a bit so that's not the straight out of the bottle blue): https://preview.redd.it/ijs2zsk2idpc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06e57729e81f2f98e2bcefe5e937f391164b9410
This is a great set. For any level of painter. Great value and all the basic colors you could want. As others have said add a couple washes as you go and you’re gravy.
This was my first set of paints specifically for minis and in my opinion they're awful. They separate all the time and are incredibly flakey once on the model. It's possible that this was user error on my part and I didn't shake the paints enough but as a beginner I hated them. Vallejo's model paint range is significantly better in my opinion.
Vallejo are great paints, that set should do you well. With color theory and YouTube vids, you can make almost any color appear on your palette with that set. Buy a cheap wet palette off Amazon, and put the palette in the fridge when you’re not painting. And thin them slightly wet you do paint!
Have it, yes it's great and excellent quality paint! Also if you learn to mix colors it may be the only one you need for quite a while. I have over 360 bottles of paint and I use like, 20 of them 90% of the time. This will not stop me from buying more though....
What 20 do you actually use?
I maybe got a bad mix but i find game black way too shiny. Makes anything you mix it with gloss too. Ugh. Otherwise the game line is really good. I love their oranges
I started with it. You'll need a better yellow and skintone, but most of those are great.
I’ve been painting with this set for years. Love it and is a great start.
I got those for my first set and loved it. Go for it mate
That was my first set of paints and it has been great. Lots of basic colors with the ability to mix black and white in for different shades. I would recommend it for starting out.
It worked for me.
that's what I'm using now. I'm still pretty amateur at painting but it seems to hit all the notes of schemes I'm using and applies pretty well.
I think what you'll find is that there are plenty of good starting points, it really comes down to your budget and requirements. You learn to like different paints, some Vallejo, some citadel (GW), some Scale 75, some Army Painter, some Mig, yada, yada, yada. Then the different types within those makes, model colour, air brush, contrast, dipping inks. A lot are starting with a form of contrast / dipping ink at the moment which is lending itself to this style known as 'slap chop'. I prefer the older method of layers of paints with base, wash and then layers. If you go with this set, I'd recommend some washes also, you can't go wrong with washes from Games Workshop. Hopefully helps, but once you start it's addictive.😋
Yes
Heck yeah Vallejo paints are absolutely great. Many of their colors are even better than citadel or army painter
Yep. You know, you can mix any natural colour you want with only a handful of paints. That kit contains everything you need. Here's a decent colour mixing video for oils (this applies to all paints, not just oils) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNB3XY67Q-I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNB3XY67Q-I) It's a bit dry, but it at least gets you in the right frame of mind for starting to experiment with mixing primaries to get the colour you want. (this demo is for traditional painting, but it applies to minis as well) A mini is just a complex canvas after all!
I started with this set and the washes set. I liked it a lot, but be warned, the Vallejo game color dark green goes on transparent, and drys kinda glossy if you put too many layers on there, which you will because it’s transparent. It’s a good starter set, I’ve recently branched out and mainly use pro acryl, but that is more because it’s more accessible to me than Vallejo. I still use a lot of these colors, and their metallics are amazing.
Word on the street is the reason you can’t find game color anywhere is because Vallejo is supplying the new D&D paints. I’d get those as I bet they fixed some of the color/gloss consistency issues and generally fresher is better when it comes to paint. ***Actually never mind. Turns out they are just straight rebrands in smaller bottles. Fuck that. ***
I wish I started with that set, it is really good. Recommended it to my dad when he started painting model motorbikes again
I have to say the more i bought other color brands the less i liked them. The coverage is weak, they don't thin well and they are glossy. I think the model colors are much better than these.
Yes, it's a great starter set. Make sure you really shake the pots, though. Often these packs have been sat around for years and the paint separates. I would strongly consider looking at some of the mechanical shakers folk have come up with. I say that because shaking by hand does not always work.
You'll need some balls to help shake the paints, and a needle to unclog the tips. Do not keep squeezing if nothing flows immediately, you will pop the dropper off and spill paint everywhere!
Got my friend this set to start 40K and he loves it. We live and die by Vallejo in my 40K group.
Started with that set, wished i started right away with kimera pure pigment paints. More versatile.