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I'm just returning to the hobby, specifically 40k and i've been handed a few codex from friends and i need advice on which paints to start with. I've researched alot about the citadel range and vallejo range and i want to know what you guys recommend. Also price is a concern as the citadel starter kit in australia or any GW products are too expensive, shipping costs do need to be factored.

If You are used to old Citadel range, then Coat d'Arms is your friend - these are actually the Citadel paints of days long gone after they had some argument with Citadel and went away. The price is decently cheaper and pots are obviously bigger

i personally really like vallejo, their game range has names similar to the old citadel paint names...
if your an airbrush user then vallejo air is the way to go.. just shoot it straight through

In my opinion different paint companies have better colors then others. I would suggest trying a few colors from a few different brands and see which you like the most

I agree with Myrthan.

From there, think about what colors you will need for your paint scheme, and work from there. No point in buying Purple if you'll be painting a primarily Green scheme kind of thing, ya know?

Good luck dude, welcome back.

 Myrthan wrote:
In my opinion different paint companies have better colors then others. I would suggest trying a few colors from a few different brands and see which you like the most

QFT.

Variety is the spice of life. Don't be that guy that gets pigeon-holed in to buying only one brand of paint. I use paint from four manufacturers:

Vallejo Game color is a great place to start. The dropper bottles are far superior than the GW pots and you get more paint for less money. The other benefit is that they are the same as the "old GW" and offer colors from the "old, old GW" range. Vallejo Model Color is nice as well, with a more realistic color palette and the same great dropper bottle. Vallejo Model Air is the airbrushing range. Awesome, just awesome... for airbrushing. It has a similar palette to Model Color, but are pre-thinned for airbrushing. They have use for standard brush work as well, but keep in mind that they are very thin. The metallics in this range are fantastic for brush work too!

Reaper Master Series are very nice as well. However, their dropper bottle suck. They use a liquid pigment and the dropper tip is supposed to help mix the paint as you squeeze (or so I'm led to believe) but is vulnerable to clogging. The biggest selling point of the range is the "triad system." The have predetermined sets of three paints that provide a shadow, midrange, and highlight. It is a nice feature that helps with picking colors that work well together in progression. They are also relatively thin and are wonderful for airbrushing.

I still have a large selection of GW paints, mainly from the old range. I have less experience with the new range, outside of a few colors. The new white base is pretty nice and I would recommend it anyone. Of course, the old washes are a thing of legend and I cherish the few remaining pots I have left.

Privateer Press P3 paints are worth looking in to as well. They have a bottle similar to GW but slightly better. The great thing about these paints is the colors. They have colors that have no match with GW and Vallejo paints, which is a big draw if you want something to look different. There aren't that many people that paint GW models and use P3 paint, so your army will have a fairly unique look to it.