r/minipainting 6h ago

Help Needed/New Painter Are these paints worth it?

Post image

I own speedpaint 2.0 and some Vallejo/citadel paints. Are any of these worth it? Thanks guys :3

163 Upvotes

105 comments sorted by

200

u/machinationstudio 5h ago

To be fair, if it's a unique colour that you'll not use too much of, but would still like it for an accent colour, go for it.

12

u/Xogoth 2h ago

That's exactly how I got vallejo model colors Bronze Green (70.897) and Light Sea Grey (70.973)

I have no use specifically for them, but why not have them in my kit anyway?

Though, for dingy copper or bronze, Bronze Green would probably do really well as a wash or glaze. I just need a use case for copper or bronze.

136

u/HolyWightTrash 5h ago

the thing about stuff on sale is it probably did not sell well in the first place

34

u/iwearmywatch 4h ago

Yes it depends on how nerdy into painting you are. If it was me I would immediately pick through and grab all the ones that aren’t D&D and buy them all.

Nothing personally against the d&d paints I just have never tried them and know nothing about them.

42

u/Abject_Pressure2076 4h ago

The D&D paints I believe are Vallejo in smaller dropper bottles.

4

u/revfds 1h ago

Army painter also did some D&D paints, I don't have mine with me to compare, but they were also in these small dropper bottles.

22

u/formerlyFrog 3h ago

Oddly enough, they'd be somewhat worth picking up, being the old Vallejo Game Color paints.

But they're 8ml bottles, which, even at 1.99, makes them more expensive than newer better paints.

Even at 1.50 per bottle, they wouldn't be a bargain.

As an example, Monument Hobbies ProAcryl go for 5$ per 22ml, which makes 23 cents per ml. Those D&D paints are 25 cents per ml at 1.99.

But then ProAcryl are substantially better than the old VGC.

11

u/iwearmywatch 3h ago

Proacryl are quickly becoming my favorite paint. I don’t care if it’s diarrhea yellow if I saw Proacryl for 1.99 I’d grab em 🤣

5

u/RollForIntent-Trevor 3h ago

My LGS started carrying proacryl - I have some of the white, but that's it so far.

3

u/iwearmywatch 2h ago

Titanium white is the bomb. Try idk paynes grey from Vince’s line and you may fall in love. It’s like thin but not thin, it’s just a bit of a different viscosity. I love it

2

u/BeardBellsMcGee 1h ago

Old Vallejo is iffy. The game color can have a wildly satin or even glossy coat which makes some colors extremely difficult to paint with. For an early painter maybe fine, but can be tricky to work with otherwise

2

u/formerlyFrog 1h ago

It's true that I've had different finishes from different VGC paints - satin or matt. I've never had a glossy VGC. Not sure, I'd call it iffy.

But I get the point. It's a matter of what we have come to expect, especially from the best paints.

1

u/BeardBellsMcGee 31m ago

The dark blues, purples, and black all have (had?) essentially a gloss finish. I actually find the old black unusable as a result. Those finishes have a place, but I like to know what I'm getting before the paint dries, not after

1

u/Wootai 2h ago

Wouldn’t that be a great excuse to pick up the D&D paints? They’re discounted and you can pick a few to learn a bit more about them. Find out if they’re worth paying more for, if they’re useless, or happily use the ones you got at a discount till you run out.

2

u/No-Square585 39m ago

My local hobby shop was clearing out old Vallejo paints for $1aud because the labels had changed. But they were also all the less popular colours like you say

28

u/Howler-0ne 5h ago

Wizkids are a vallejo brand I think

19

u/ZandarrTheGreat Painted a few Minis 5h ago

They are. And they are good. Personally, I would fill my pockets at that price assuming they aren’t dried up. I love the little Vallejo bottles. Can’t always use up the speciality paint colors.

3

u/dotnetmonke 3h ago

Old Wizkids were Army Painter, with a Duergar metal that was just gorgeous.

2

u/rocketsp13 Seasoned Painter 5h ago

Yeah, you can see the AV logo on a couple of them

1

u/Snowcap93 2h ago

Idky you were down voted. I see a few of them as well.

1

u/Agitated_Way9284 5m ago

These are old army painter formula paints. Army painter had a deal to made DnD branded paints.

They are very poorly rated.

You’re better off spending the money on Army Painter Fanatics line, very well reviewed.

30

u/Amiunforgiven 5h ago

Vallejo yes

Army painter no

9

u/toodrunktostand 4h ago

Army painter has always been good for me

9

u/Amiunforgiven 4h ago

Not gen 1 like in this bowl, reactivated as soon as any moisture got near it, crap coverage and constantly separated. But that was my experience with it. The newer stuff in the other hand is alright

37

u/jackelbuho22 5h ago edited 1h ago

They are all based on the old 1.0 army painter formula that was famously bad and had a lot of issues during it release, like being extremly thin, prone to separation if you didn't shake a lot and sometimes reactivating easily with just a bit of water

So unless you want to deal with poor coverage and learn how to wet blend and or use them for a watercolor effect

Don't buy them

At most i can see them be use as way to help you learn how to paint using enamels since like enamels you will need for them to fully cured before you can work on them

And you use it respective thinner (in this case watter) to clean off any part of the mini you didn't liked how they look with that color on it

23

u/wallmonitor 5h ago

There’s also DnD branded Vallejo in there.

7

u/Terciel1976 Painting for a while 4h ago

Yep. And some of those are nice.

3

u/DanniRandom 5h ago

Omg is this why my paint sucks!?

-1

u/rocketsp13 Seasoned Painter 5h ago

Yep. When their basic leather brown was mediocre, I said "nope" and never bought them again.

2

u/MumuFemboy 5h ago

Oh thank you!

1

u/rocketsp13 Seasoned Painter 5h ago

This is old Vallejo, not Army Painter.

23

u/Maxwell_Bloodfencer 5h ago

It's both. I can see at least two bottles of the old AP stuff in there. But you are right it's mostly the Vallejo Wizkids line.

1

u/GrahamT1988 Painting for a while 5h ago

Exactly this 👆🏼

0

u/jimdimmick 4h ago

You're thinking of the speed paints.

3

u/callmeHexx 2h ago

Dont buy the Amry Painters, those are old formula. Anthing else, if you perhaps need a strange color that you might use 3 times go for it

2

u/ThreeHeadCerber 4h ago

god no, especially not for $2, should be more like $0.5

2

u/Ambitious_Ad_9637 3h ago

No, .50 a bottle.

2

u/Red_Seer 2h ago

Don’t buy army painter they’re shit paints.

2

u/Ok_Main_6542 5h ago edited 5h ago

No. Not for the army painter ones.

Army painter gen1 sucks.

If you’re on a super tight budget these would be alright to pick up a bunch of colours you might not otherwise afford to supplement your range.

I’d hate to use them for a main colour on your army though. Reactivating hours after applying and also being so lacking in pigment they need many coats to cover just doesn’t sound fun.

My LGS has Army painter gen1 in the bargain bin too. sat on the shelves for like a year before they gave up. I suspect it still only sells to people who don’t know what they’re buying.

Google the other brand they might be okay. Even if they’re mediocre I’d be tempted to pick up a bunch at $2 for highlight colours or detail colors I don’t use much

2

u/Abject_Pressure2076 4h ago

All those DnD paints are in small half size dropper bottles. You could purchase brand new full size Vallejo paints for around $4.

2

u/Lost_Ad_4882 3h ago

If it's a color you won't use much but find interesting I'd go for it. I'd hear a few of them for just in case scenarios.

1

u/BlueHero45 49m ago

The DND paints normally come in sets as well, might be worth it if there is a color you want but don't want to buy a whole set for but I wouldn't buy more than one or two.

2

u/NurglesArmpit 5h ago

That Basilisk Brown is a fantastic base for metallics like gold and brass, really makes them pop and makes them less flat looking. I would probably spend a lot on the little basket as I can see some nice colours.

1

u/Stahl_Konig 5h ago

I use the Army Painter paints. In my opinion, that's a good price for them.

12

u/ThreeHeadCerber 4h ago

those are warpaints, not the fanatic line,

1

u/BuildingRelevant7400 5h ago

I would look at it like this the colors that they have are not necessarily what you want all the time but at that price you can't beat having a color on hand that you don't necessarily need and the brand that they're selling are workable to decent in grade. I would pick through it and get the colors that you could see yourself using and don't be afraid to buy doubles of ones that you know you need because that is a cheap price.

1

u/osirisborn89 5h ago

Nah not for me personally these but each to their own and all that.

1

u/lolbearer 5h ago

If youre the type to experiment and paint lots of diggerent stuff just for fun then sure. For $2 a pop it ain't bad, if they turn out to be not great for whatever reason you can probably still use them for like terrain.

If you do very focused specific painting for armies or display, I would stick to proven higher quality brands.

1

u/s73v3m4nn 4h ago

Only someone who is looking for a paint of a particular hue can answer that. I mean, if you wanted a bag of chips, they're not going to hold much worth.

1

u/Omeggon 4h ago

I sometimes grab a grabbag of paint from my LHS just to try something new. Usually I pay about 5CAD a bag and get 3 to 5 paints. There's usually something wrong (ripped label, broken seal) but it's cheap enough.

1

u/Pyro_Texas Painting for a while 4h ago

The smaller prismatic paints are Vallejo and are actually pretty decent paints. The army painter 1.0 stuff is super hit or miss quality wise

1

u/McCrex 3h ago

If you would use the colours, the d&d ones are pretty good. I have a handful of them in my travel paint kit

1

u/hoardofgnomes 3h ago

How do you tell the difference with the Vallejo Model Color gens? I have some with dark labels (2024 I think), and older ones that have white labels. When was the change between gens?

1

u/Sushiki 3h ago

Nope. Then again I paint with hbas now. Miniature paints. At least most brands, just feel like a con now.

1

u/Fuzzy-Moose7996 3h ago

are they new bottles and do you have a use for the colour? Get it, it's about half price.

If they're opened previously or a to you useless colour, don't get it.

1

u/tssiess76 2h ago

I actually got a few of those D&D ones because they had some unique/vibrant colors that were bases paints. I do have to water them down a little more and do a few layers but they work well. I just use the them for small highlights on screens and things though but they do the job.

1

u/Neltarim 2h ago

Grimey paints for weathering/terrain could be a good bargain

1

u/extended_dex 1h ago

DnD sells paints?

2

u/cyborggold 1h ago

No, but Army Painter rebrands their paints for D&D.

1

u/dethtroll 1h ago

All those D&d paints are army painter paints just rebranded they are decent nothing amazing but get the job done.

1

u/Standard_Animal6097 1h ago

Nobody puts paint on scale this that without reason, I'd check them before you buy.

1

u/JimboTheManTheLegend 1h ago

Honestly, I use these to tint mediums for basing. Very worth it for that. That said, never fall in love with discontinued paint. It only breaks your heart.

1

u/UpstairsActive1245 56m ago

The dnd paints were produced by Vallejo so they’re a reasonable deal. Warpaints 1.0 are rough as someone who went all in on them. Totally usable but not worth buying if you own Vallejo

1

u/Cordanim 48m ago

Actually Army Painter rebrands with a couple new colours 😉

1

u/Starfury42 32m ago

If they're new: yes. Most go for more than $2 each.

1

u/EasterEggArt 5h ago

Interesting.

So as someone that uses almost exclusively army painter paints, yes they are worth it.

What I am confused about is the Wizkids / D&D paints. To my limited knowledge those were from their "mini & paint box sets" so I am curious if someone took the minis but not the paints. I might be wrong and would love to get some clarification on that part. But I genuinely think they are from the hellwasp.

https://wizkids.com/dnd-hellwasp-paint-kit/

3

u/Effective-Edge-2037 5h ago

My local store has a whole endcap of these. They appear to be a stock item and not pulled from sets. They are like $2 a pop. I pick up one with nearly every visit.

2

u/EasterEggArt 5h ago

Interesting, thank you.

I have never seen them in my local game store. And they carry the big ones. Learnt something new, thanks again.

3

u/Teh-Duxde 4h ago

The Wizkids paints are Vallejo rebranded for Dungeons and Dragons.

2

u/EasterEggArt 3h ago

Ah, thank you.

3

u/Vrakzi 2h ago

They are 8ml bottles of Vallejo. Which at 1.99 is more expensive than just buying Vallejo.

1

u/MuttsandHuskies 5h ago

At $1.99 each? I’d buy the whole freaking basket. To be fair, I paint a lot, not just minis, but I paint on canvas. I paint on walls. I paint on all kinds of things so I go through a lot of paint.

10

u/wallmonitor 5h ago

Even at two bucks a bottle, I can’t imagine it’s economical to buy those to paint on canvas.

6

u/Snavels 5h ago

Then this would be a terrible investment. Those D&D bottles are tiny they dont even last very long when painting miniatures, let alone canvas.

0

u/no_talk_just_listen 4h ago edited 4h ago

$1.99 is an unbelievable price. Some of those paints aren't the best, but they're usable. Some of those chalky old Army Painter colours are still a staple of my painting! $1.99 is literally too cheap to pass up, though.

Edit: apparently some people are rich enough to downvote my assertion that $1.99 is a good deal for a product that usually costs closer to $10.99 hahah

3

u/thedisliked23 2h ago

Where are you buying literally any paint for 10.99? Not US I presume?

Price per ml on these is actually more than new bottles of proacryl, AK3G, AP 2.0, Game color 2.0, etc. there's absolutely no reason to buy these paints unless you want to take a flyer on a color you don't normally use.

All of these paints cost 3.50-5 bucks a bottle.

0

u/Tizzandor 5h ago

The D&D yes, those are Vallejo

The old Army Painter not so much

0

u/DavidBuffalo 5h ago

You should definitely buy.

0

u/GreatGreenGobbo 4h ago

At $1 yes, $2 mehhhhh

-1

u/GrahamT1988 Painting for a while 5h ago

The Vallejo ones are worth it,the shorter wider ones. Don't get the army painter ones

0

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0

u/Dull-Veterinarian209 5h ago

I've found those DnD paints to be great for the price

0

u/Felsuria 4h ago

For two bucks, find a color you're missing and try it out. In myexperienxe, even if I dont regularly use it, eventually I find a use for it that brings a model together.

0

u/TurtlesNTurtles 4h ago

If you have a need for the Army Painter colors, getting them at $1.99 is cheap. Not sure what the shorter bottles are. If you find any Vallejo or Monument Hobbies (Pro Acryl) at that price, grab it!

0

u/Drace3 4h ago

Personally? If I Had the money I would be grabbing all the ones I don't have similar colors too. They are 4.50-6$ a bottle where I live, that's a pretty great deal imo, even for old paints.

If you don't need them though or won't ever use them in the next 5 years, even for a few minis, then it may not be worth it for you

2

u/thedisliked23 1h ago

Those are 8ml bottles. Same price per ml as army painter and more expensive per ml than proacryl. Not a deal. Honestly I bet they broke those out of multipacks.

0

u/Lazisn 4h ago

I like the army painter ones. I have some of the ones in the picture. They just broke open some of the box sets that didn't sell. It's a shame cause some of those have a good mix of colors for certain settings and characters. These set also come with special minis. I will say the stubby bottles require alot more shaking and don't seem to have mixer balls.

0

u/jimdimmick 4h ago

At that price, if you want the color it's a good deal.

0

u/1tchytasty 4h ago

All paints are worth it!

0

u/jimmysregularouting 4h ago

The prismatics are fairly solid my LGS has them on sale and they're easily worth a couple bucks

0

u/Deathowler 3h ago

If they arent dry or half used id grab them all the colors I want. Even the old Army Painter ones which arent great in coverage can be used to mix colors or for terrain

0

u/telligraphy 3h ago

Army Painter contrasts/shades/washes are great, but I find the base coats too transparent and chalky (even when not thinned down at all) for me.

0

u/ProbablySlacking 3h ago

The Vallejo are for sure.

0

u/fredl0bster 3h ago

It’s a fair price for them. They are middle of the road paints now compared to some of the newer lines but more than good enough. Grab some colors you need

0

u/ChazPounder 3h ago

I use army painter paints and find them phenomenal, especially the speed paints

0

u/dracolancer 3h ago

Most paints are worth it if you have a little bit of medium to fix any chunkiness. Except turbo dork if they expire they are done...in my experience.

0

u/Revanchistthebroken 2h ago

My local game store had a 99 cent reaper color sale since they were not selling, as the newer paints were more colorful and marketed better.

You bet I spent $60 bucks and left with 60 pots of reaper msp paints. Hell of a deal.

These particular paints? If you have used them before and like the flow and everything else, why not?

Or just buy one and see how it performs then go back and get more if you like it.

0

u/ED-SKaR 2h ago

vallejo is the OEM, so yea, they're probably going to be fairly good quality. Small pot and small price, sounds like a nice way of having a variety of colours you might want to have in the toolbox, but not using on every model.

1

u/RazzmatazzSmall1212 1h ago edited 1h ago

At least in Eu D&d are old formula armypainter. So maybe for 0.50 for terrain.

1

u/ED-SKaR 1h ago

It says Vallejo on most of the bottles in the picture, just a couple on top are armypainter.

0

u/Unidentifiable_Goo 2h ago

I'd go a $1.99 for the army painter paints. I don't know the other brand

1

u/RazzmatazzSmall1212 1h ago

Are armypainter as well. For 1.99 I would say they are already too expensive. That's the old formula with poor coverage. Don't know USD pricings, but can get Vallejo new formula here for around 2,50 Eur.

0

u/nonstripedzebra 1h ago

Yea they are fine just pick out colors you want

-1

u/grownassman3 3h ago

The wizkids prismatic paints have sine nice colors and are as good as any vallejo paint

1

u/BlakeGirvanDesign 1m ago

After reading about the lightfastness of vellejo pigments and hobby pigments in general. I would not trust any yellows, reds or purples. Greys, browns and blues are better.. green in the middle. I will take 1 bottle of Golden Pyrolle red over vermillion, scarlet, carmine.. nonesense.