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 WaveyRaven wrote:
A note on Vallejo Game Color vs Vallejo Model Color etc:


It's not just the colours that are different. VGC have some additives in them that are intended to make them better for gaming. These are a quick-drying additive and a hardening resin. The idea is that you'll do a quick paint job that can stand up to being handled in games. Personally, I hate it and add some retarder or flow improver to counteract the quick-drying effect.


VGC Extra Opaque do not have the additives. I think they're just VMC paints with "Fantasy" names.


Vallejo Game Air are the same colours as VGC, but are the same formulation as Vallejo Model Air. Both are quite nice to use in an airbrush without thinning. Both can also be used with a brush if you want very thin layers.


Vallejo Metal Color should be tried by everyone. They come in bigger bottles, ready to use with brush or airbrush. They are so smooth and cover perfectly.


Vallejo Liquid Gold may give the best result, but it's an alcohol based paint that is a pain to work with. (You need alcohol to thin it and clean your brushes). They also do a Liquid Silver, but tbh, I'd stick with the Metal Color range.

Indeed, good rundown. I'd agree that from my experience the VGC Extra Opaques are the same formulation as Model Color - Some of them are so close to Model Color paints I wouldn't at all be surprised if they were the same paint in a differently labelled bottle.

My experience is that Model Color tends to have better coverage than Game Color, and I find it a nicer range to work with - with the caveat that it's not particularly durable because it's designed for scale models that aren't going to be handled a lot so it absolutely needs varnishing if it's used on a gaming piece. It also has a much wider range of colours, so even though there's tons of different shades of green, brown and grey for all your historical models, there's still as many bright colours as you find in the Game Color range.

Personally I'd always go with Model over Game.

Ya'll have been very very helpful. Thanks!

Here is the finalized shopping list for paints:

Layer Paints - Vallejo Game Color Kit $209:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LH0YTA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3SBDOAENTRT1F&psc=1

Washes - Army Painter Quickshade Set $29:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0714QL55V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AU2FNATHSFHNB&psc=1

Metallics - Vallejo Metallics $25:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ULKTT2O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A18LS2TK7USHK0&psc=1

Total: $263 - Should be enough to last a long time and have pretty much every color I could possibly need. I decided on Game Color because I intend to do lots of gaming and have my own children plus my kids cousins & nephews who will want to play. Its only $20 more; I figure across the range of models being painted that durability is worth it.
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Compared to GW - $546 ($429 for layer paint collection and $117 for shade paint). Its a $283 difference;
I'll spend $100 on materials for building a 4'x4' board; I can purchase Soul Wars for $136 and still have $50 to spare compared to just the paints from GW.

I find certain ranges have certain paints I like.

That being said, my go to is Vallejo.

Vallejo Metal color (silvers range) is fantastic.

Scale 75 is more gel based, and I love their golds.

Ive used a few P3 paints, mainly their greens (ioson and necrotite) and the blue/teal range.

AP has great washes and good primer cans of base colors (like skeleton bone, Gunmetal, etc...)

Citadel has pretty good washes. The glazes have been phased out. unfortunately but you can use Vallejo game color inks to make the glazes.

For Gloss coats, I use Johnson and Johnson Pledge Floor polish, or Pledge Klear (across the pond). One bottle will last FOREVER.

I used to use Vallejo Primer, but am switching over to Badger Styrenz. It is "harder" I was getting some peeling with the Vallejo primer and Tamiya masking.

AK Interactive and MiG make FANTASTIC weathering pigments, washes, enamels, and color modulation sets. Great for Tanks, planes, and other historical modeling. Good if you want that type of scheme.

There are a few Tamiya colors I like as well, Clear red for blood, Desert yellow for my Khaki color.

Basing is all about Golden Pumice, PVA and sand are long gone.

Do you have a color scheme in mind?

DrCrook wrote:
Ya'll have been very very helpful. Thanks!

Here is the finalized shopping list for paints:

Layer Paints - Vallejo Game Color Kit $209:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LH0YTA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3SBDOAENTRT1F&psc=1

Washes - Army Painter Quickshade Set $29:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0714QL55V/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AU2FNATHSFHNB&psc=1

Metallics - Vallejo Metallics $25:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ULKTT2O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A18LS2TK7USHK0&psc=1

Total: $263 - Should be enough to last a long time and have pretty much every color I could possibly need. I decided on Game Color because I intend to do lots of gaming and have my own children plus my kids cousins & nephews who will want to play. Its only $20 more; I figure across the range of models being painted that durability is worth it.
----------------------------------------------------
Compared to GW - $546 ($429 for layer paint collection and $117 for shade paint). Its a $283 difference;
I'll spend $100 on materials for building a 4'x4' board; I can purchase Soul Wars for $136 and still have $50 to spare compared to just the paints from GW.

I think the Metallic set you have added on is already included in the big $200 dollar set. You probably don't need it.

I figured I would share the results. Paints came in, models came in. They work great, I love the dripper bottles because my kids are begging to paint the models as well and are much less careful.

Anyways, I'm no pro; but the results are pretty good. The paints are exceptional; I definitely prefer these over citadel paints if for nothing more than the dripper bottle.

Also worth noting, that Vallejo is a 17mL bottle vs. the normal GW pot which is 12mL, etc. You'll get great work out of that set (literally will last you years).

 Bellerophon wrote:
I still have all those Army Painter paints, it's pretty much just the ones that I know are good that get any use.

Out of interest, which ones were those? I've used a couple of their colours but haven't noticed any real problems apart from the seperation issues that seem to plague many dropper bottles.