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Heya,

Quick question: what primer do you like most for metal miniatures? Is there much variety?
I did a couple of resin cast and plastic miniatures from GW with the citadel white base paint which was okay.
However, I just got my first metal infinity model, and I can rub the paint off with my thumb. So I found out acrylic paint doesn't stick to metal and I should prime it first :/
I just thought priming was applying the first basecoat, but apparently it's a whole different product you should use :c

Without getting too techie and talking about "solids" and "pigment", yes, you need primer. Primer will stick to metal, paint will stick to primer. Paint, having very little solids content, will not stick to much of anything. Primer is mostly solids, and will stick to most things, and most things will stick to it. There are as always, exceptions to the rule. GW primer will work fine.

Doesn't matter honestly, the primer doesn't care what's underneath.

However with metal models you do need to get the mold release off with soap and water before you prime. Also after you finish painting you will want to seal the mini with varnish to help keep the paint from chipping off from handling.

"Priming" is a bit of a fuzzy term, as the verb "to prime" is frequently used in a general sense (the first coat of paint, usually a single color (black, white, grey) sprayed on), but the noun "primer" refers to a type of paint distinct from the usual enamel sprays (more tooth, better adhesion, etc.).

While I use plain old enamels (Walmart's ColorPlace line has treated me well) on plastic, they just don't cut it on metals. For those, I've had good luck with Krylon's Indoor/Outdoor Primer (I use grey). Given enough time to cure, it's pretty resilient stuff and the color is a nice, neutral light-medium grey (akin to the old Codex Grey).

As far as variety is concerned, every brand will behave slightly differently and color choices vary, but there are a few general types to watch out for. Self-etching primers eat into the surface, slightly, which gives them a very strong hold. They are, however, more caustic and can potentially damage more delicate materials. Sandable primers go on thick to fill minor surface imperfections, leaving a very nice surface for painting... after subsequent fine sanding. The difficulty of doing so with a miniature means that they're just more likely to fill in details. Both types are usable on minis (I've seen them recommended on Dakka, before), but I wouldn't personally choose either over their generic/plastic-safe counterparts.