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Having read some forum posts and played about with taking paint out of pots with brushes, I have decided to get a small amount of Vallejo paints to add to my current citadel paints.

I use a lot of light & dark red/rust/Bone/Metals... Basically anything that Chaos may use... which, admittedly doesn't narrow it down much. These will be for base coating/highlighting and washes/glazes... Again not narrowing it down much. It's difficult to see the real colour fromn the packaging.

Can anyone give me a list of some paints (upto about 20 max) that could be good additions or are better than their GW counterparts?? are there any staples that Vallejo has that everyone uses? I have all citadel colours in the range somewhere or other. I also find the citadel Bleached Bone an awful colour to paint with for its coverage etc.

Thanks in advance

Avoid the metallics. Yellows and reds are very good from Vallejo and I would recommend them. Black (flat black not glossy black) is brilliant and one of my favourite paints. The best substitute for bleached bone is GW's foundation paint Dheneb Stone as a basecoat, then bleached bone on top of that.

Vallejo has some very cool colours and mix pots that you wont find anywhere else. Wood grain wash is interesting, and the verdigris stuff is quite cool too. There are lots of things that let you change texture but I have not played with them yet (although a pot of 'crackle finish' is sitting on my painting desk ready to be played with). Vallejo also have a lot of hideously bright fluorescent colours which look fantastic but can only really be used effectively on small areas, some chaos models (bright daemons), or the Azonian 4th Hippie Guard regiment I have all the fluorescent colours waiting for the day that I can actually use them, but it has been a while in coming so far.

Vallejo Game Color is best for miniatures but is thicker and needs more thinning. It has a slightly different finish and is more resilient to scratches than Vallejo Model Color (VMC). VMC has a wider range of colours and has the smoothest finish you will ever find anywhere. It also needs to be thinned before usage and the pigment and fluid will separate quite easily so you need to shake it like a madman before each use.

oh and if you are looking for colour-matched replacements for GW paints, use our Paint Range Comparison Chart

smoke - a filthy black/brown perfect for weathing engine parts.

SS camo black/brown - as the name states, half black & half brown. I like to mix it with GW chestnut ink as a rust wash.

Red Leather - a brown/red color. Good for a more organic red tone.

I've found that the valejo bright red is pretty thick compared to the GW, but a little water fixes that.

any suggestions for what colour to make up a bone wash with? I'm doing a fair few models so would be easier to squirt it out. Want a darkish mid brownish tone..

If all you're looking for in a Citadel alternative is the handy dropper bottle, you might also give Reaper Master Series a try. I use them exclusively and like them quite a bit. Their line doesn't match GW's exactly like VGC's does, but you've got Dakka's handy comparison chart after all...