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Alright, it was bound to happen....

I've seen some really great stuff with Vallejo, but how is it compared GW's stuff, really?

Comparable quality, half price (or so).

Works good for me. I still use some GW foundation paints, but it's else all Vallejo.

I use a mix of GW washes and metallics and then I mix it up with Ballejo, Privateer and master Class. Each company has a color(s) that works for certain things, experiment and try them all as no range is stand alone best

I'm inexperienced. I'm just waiting for some of the big guys to come on here...

How much better? Not very much at all. If you can find them at a local store, great, but they're not worth going going out of your limb to get them.

Like many paint brands I'd call Vallekjo "mixed" in quality. Come colours are great, others not so. Just with GW really. Be aware that there are 2 ranges: 1/ "Model colour" which is a wider range, but not as robust in its carrying medium so can rub off and chip with handling (it is really designed for display models not gaming pieces), and 2/ "Game colour" which as its name suggests is designed for gaming pieces and has a smaller range, but more robust staying power.

Where Vallejo scores for me is in the dropper bottle design - which keeps the paint fresher for longer than the current GW pot design (at least for their normal paints, I have no problems with the design of the smaller pots that they used for Foundation paints and the washes, which seem to keep the paints fresh for much longer.)

Generally, perhaps because their is less evaporation from the bottle, Vallejo paints seem a little thinner and less gloopy than GW paints, which means you get a better finish. This is good for me personally because I find keeping thinning GW paints a bit of a chore.

As for pigmentation etc., the Vallejo paints tend to be a bit finer - which means they can be diluted and still be usable at thinner concentrations than GW paints. But to be honest, this only really matters for those who are going for very high quality work. It'll make no difference at all to a bog-standard paint job.

Price aside, Vallejo scores for me primarily because of bottle design and the sheer range of colours (particularly in military camo shades). The lack of robustness in the Model Colour range is not a particular problem for me as I smother the finished product in matt varnish anyhow, which covers a million sins and tends to protect my models adequately for the relatively low level of abuse they get (I play most of my games at home, so they rarely see the inside of a carrying case!).

On the other hand, I do love the GW Foundation paints and the washes and I use them in preference to equivalent Vallejo products. I also use Coat d'Arms and GW paints as and when. I have quite an eclectic mix of paints.