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I'm looking for stuff that would be fun to paint while I build up my skill levels, and not terribly concerned with the gameplay at the moment as long as the figures won't cost me an arm and a leg the way GW ones do.

Any recommendations?

If you just want something to paint I recommend reaper miniatures. Very diverse range and pretty resonablely priced.

Wargames Factory makes all sorts of models, and their sci-fi greatcoat infantry are decent as a counts-as Imperial Guard. Their models aren't the best, but they're incredibly cheap. For GW, look into Assault on Black Reach, where you can get a squad of 10 Marines from it for like $15 shipped on eBay.

I routinely test out new paint techniques and color schemes on cheap plastic soldiers bought from the dollar store. They are terrible sculpts, granted, and even worse moulds (the flash is awful!), but at $1 for 20 or so, you simply cannot beat the price. You can paint and trash at will, no worries about trying to salvage a (relatively) expensive mini.

Reaper's stuff actually looks *more* expensive. Though the quality of the miniatures and the fact that they're selling models and not armies probably makes up for that much of the time. Think I'll look into they're pathfinder line later (too complex for me to handle right now).

The WF shock troops do look pretty nice (except for the blurry pictures bit, what the heck?).

Vulcan wrote:I routinely test out new paint techniques and color schemes on cheap plastic soldiers bought from the dollar store. They are terrible sculpts, granted, and even worse moulds (the flash is awful!), but at $1 for 20 or so, you simply cannot beat the price. You can paint and trash at will, no worries about trying to salvage a (relatively) expensive mini.

+1

I keep an eye out for cheap and broken model bundles on ebay. They can be a bit hit and miss and you've usually got to strip them and make a few repairs but I've got my hands on a few nice old minis to play about with for very little cost.

Cheap mass plastic SF infantry?

Go with the old Warzone 2.0 plastics from Prince August.
Should still be 80 minis for a bargain.
40 each of two factions, with sgts and heavy weapon guys.

Fantasy?

Mantic stuff is pretty good - small compared to megacephalic and hamfisted GW stuff, but still more than adequate for mandollies for the square base crowd.

Cheap and good? There are so many for you to choose from here's one:
go to Hasslefree they have tons of diferent subjects for you to paint.

Hasslefree is as expensive as GW and Reaper figs are affordable, but not cheap enough to be painting practice.

Now if you want some cheap figures to paint. I recommend the following depending on what you are looking for.

If you don't care what you get.
-Random figures lots from ebay.

If you don't mind buying prepaints.
-Buy old Mage knight and other prepainted CMG figs. You can paint right over the existing paintjobs or just prime and go.

If you want to chose individual figs, but still want good quality figs.
-Mega miniatures or EM4. Both have 28mm metals for $2.50 each. Also EM4 has plastic 28's for around 70 cents each and Mega has 25mm metals for around $1.80 each.
http://www.megaminis.com/ The best figs are their rerelease of the Shock Force and Alpha forge line, both renamed.
http://www.em4miniatures.com/ Has alot of great old Mark Copplestone Grenadier sculpts and the classic "Fantasy warriors" also.

If you want alot of GW'ish figures of similar type
-Get the 80 warzone figures from Prince August. I have them, and while not nearly as variable as GW, they are nice multipart figs. I once bought a batch just to get 80 of the heads, guns and backpacks.
http://www.princeaugust.ie/target_games/tg2420-1.html
-Plastic sets from Warlord, mantic and Wargames factory are good options also, though not quite as cheap as the above

The absolute cheapst gaming figs ever.
-American Science and Surplus.
Buck rogers (true 25, so they're a bit smaller than GW) figures 20 for a buck and Plastic "Dragon Strike" fantasy figures for around 15 cents each (only 3 poses, though they are 28-34mm).
None of these figs are great, but they sure are cheap.
http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/1/category/1

A variety of figs for really cheap.
-Shoot me a PM I'll put together a package of Some warzone plastics, some American science figs and some other stuff (warzone metals, old marvel villans...) for a price that you'll like.

Assuming you want SF models

Hasslefree Miniatures
Heresy Minatures
Copplestone Castings
Foundry (formerly Wargames Foundry)
Antenociti's Workshop

all have modern/SF 28mm ranges which are quite nice and not too expensive.

If you want the cheapest models possible, then historicals such as the Perry Brothers, Foundry, Essex Miniatures, and many others are available.

Killcrazy,
The companies you list make great figs, but with the exeption of copplestone castings, all the figures you listed are come to $4.50 USD or considerably more (Foundry shipping is rediculous) a piece. For that price you might as well buy packs of GW miniatures.

Requia,
One other suggestion. Whatever practice figs you get, if you aren't planning on keeping them for refference or other games, buy some Simple Green and when you prime the figs use gesso or any other acrylic primer. After you paint them, if you don't like the results drop them in the simple green and the paint will come off with a toothbrush the next day.

Eilif wrote:Hasslefree is as expensive as GW .

Joking? When you find a blister at GW for 3.5 bristish pounds of a 28mm metal mini to paint you let me know

Assuming hes going to pick a couple minis to train painting I find hasslefree's both extremelly well sculpted, lots of themes to pick up what you fancy, sculpts not overthetop complex and a pain in the ass to paint and quite affordable. Oh and casts are done by the best in the biz so you get sharp stuff so that you can concentrate more on painting rather than fixing casts problems.

The quality and the price is there to built up the taste for painting without to much investment.

But yeah as I said there are lots of options I just named Hasslefree because its one of the best and more complete ranges outhere at very low metal prices.

I should have been more clear. GW, Blisters are rediculously expensive. By packs, I meant boxes. There are alot of GW boxes that still average around 3 bucks a fig for plastic and 4-5 for metal.

If you're looking for practice figs and your primary interest is GW stuff, I see no reason to spend over $2.50 (there are a number of great options). Anything over that and you might as well head over to Warstore and buy a box of cadians, orks, orcs, skeletons, etc, etc, etc.

Hasslefree figs are great figs and Kev's talents are considerable, but their about 6 bucks a piece in the USA.

Dollar that low ouch... Here's a idea if you go to your big toystores like toysrus they have buckets of plastic figures at very good prices and if you search well you can find something respectable detail wise... ( got some sharks there very nice details and cheap)

I just assumed he was looking for the best canvas for painting and those are IMO simple yet good sculpts, sharp casts and metal minis.

That's actually a great idea. A friend of mine made great use of some repainted toy dinosaurs. They'd be great practice for shading and color variations.

How long will shipping from Em4 take? I'm a bit wary if international shipping.

Shipping from england varries. Most of my EM4 orders have come within a week to 10 days, but I recently had one held up at customs for 2 weeks.

NAVARRO wrote:

Eilif wrote:Hasslefree is as expensive as GW .

Joking? When you find a blister at GW for 3.5 bristish pounds of a 28mm metal mini to paint you let me know

You can get 10 chaos marines for ~£20 from Maelstrom, or 12 berzerkers for <£20. Retail is £23 and £20.50, respectively. Not metal, but still GW figs. And I don't think metal matters that much if you're interested in practicing.

You also used to be able to get a good deal on Chaos Furies, not sure if that's still an option.

Not that I'd buy GW figs for practice, I would stick with a box of plastic army men from the local megamart for $5.

If you had a type of figure in mind, look for a used one online. Dont waste your money on a box unless you come to love or find shortcuts for painting or youll end up spending a solid month and decide you want something different to paint.

If youre trying to get down techniques for beginners and people without time: a technique I deem lightbrushing.

1. Buy a foundation paint and 1 similar lighter color that is also foundation. Buy a wash that is a color close to your first FP. Then buy a regular paint jar with a similar lighter color to the first paint jar.

2. After priming take the first foundation paint dip in your big brush and coat it, making sure it goes on smooth.

3. Take the second foundation paint thats lighter, put a few drops of water in and shake. Then dip your brush in, wipe off a little (3 or 4 strokes onto a paper towel) and go in wherever light hits the figure and aim for that area.

4. Do the same thing but only where the light really shines with your brightest color.

5. Wash it with the color wash, the entire model one coat.

6. Go back with the brightest color you chose with a thin fine brush and CAREFULLY go over the area anywhere there are lines stikcing out( like in between armor plates)

This is a begginer method I am using to speed paint an army and it is turning out very well. Best of luck and feel free to view the dakka gallery for crazy paintjobs and youtube for figure painting tutorials.