This probably could gone in the gift guide, but it was only after seeing Kim include the Army Painter Speedpaints on his list that I realized I had completely left out miniature supplies when thinking of what gaming supplied I would recommend. And I’ve got more to say and show about these paints than a small blurb would do justice anyway, so you’re getting a full piece about these.
Since I started running a table of D&D at my local FLGS, I’ve done a lot more mini painting, whether it’s in want of having something fun to throw down on the table or just working through my backlog of unpainted stuff while I watch a stream in the background. When I first got into the hobby I started with the Vallejo Game Colors line and was shortly thereafter gifted a box set of Army Painter paints and shades as a gift. I had picked up some Reaper Master Series Paints as well, but the Army Painter stuff was my workhorse. Well, just a few months ago I was introduced to a new brand that I had never heard of before. I was out of town for a show that I was DJing and stopped into the game shop that I had discovered on my previous visit to take a look around. I got to chatting with the owner about paints and on hearing that I was an Army Painter fan, asked if I had used any of their speed paints. I replied that I had not and so she pointed me to their selection where she had 3d printed out some terrain tiles and given them coats of the various paints to show the different effects they had. And then she pointed my attention to the display to the right, carrying a brand of paints called Turbo Dork.
Now their main line is what they call “Color Shift” paints, and they do just what they say on the tin – they are meant to apply a base coat and contrast in bottle and can give some real cool and unique looks to a model, such as this.
But what caught my ear was hearing the owner tell me that they also produced some of the best metallic paints that she had ever seen. The game I’m running is Eberron, and Eberron means Warforged. In fact, it was this same shop where I picked up my soon to be painted Lord of Blades figure that I promptly terrorized my players with by sending photos to the group Discord. I had also picked up several other packs of Warforged figures already in my time at the shop.
I’ve been happy with The Army Painter’s metallic paints so far. Their Plate Mail Metal highlighted with Shining Silver has served me well on any number of warriors that I’ve done. But these metallics from Turbo Dork were billed much the same as their Color Shift line – apply several thin coats and you’re done, no highlighting required. So I snapped up several bottles – a copper, a silver, and a standard one that could be used for steel.
And then I sat down with a Warforged mini from Reaper Bones that I had had in my collection for a while and decided to use as my test model and started painting.
Y’all, the difference in these paints versus what I had been doing was night and day. I immediately started snapping pictures and sending them off to some of my other mini painting friends to show off the absolute work that these paints were doing. The first coat on the first model was a little bit dodgy – it felt like the paint didn’t want to stick to the model and felt more like painting with an ink. The second and third coats were better – I don’t know if I just hadn’t agitated the paint enough the first time or if I had mixed in too much water, but there was something there. But by the time I got the second coat on I was in love. But words don’t quite do justice to a post that’s about paint and miniatures. So let’s look at some photos that I took of that test model and several others that I did afterwards to try and show off what these paints can do.
This was the test model. Keep in mind that aside from the eyes, the leather pouches, and the embellishments on the sword, this all came from one bottle of paint, built up over two and a half or so layers and then treated with a Dark Tone wash. For this one I took the company’s advice and applied the paint over a black primer, but as you’ll see in the following photos, that’s not always necessary.
Here you can see the effect of the same paint done a little less deliberately. These miniatures weren’t treated with the black primer and there’s only a single coat plus some touch up spots but they still look stunning. The photos don’t quite do them full justice either – I can’t wait to drop these guys on my table eventually.
But how do these compare with some of the metals that I’ve done previously? Well, I’m glad you asked that. And I just so happen to have grabbed a couple of shots for just such a purpose.
The effect is very noticeable especially in the second one. In both of these cases, the metal sections of the miniatures on the left were done with a base coat of The Army Painter’s Plate Mail Metal and then highlighted with their Shining Silver before having the Dark Wash applied over them. And I think they look great (but I’m maybe a little bit biased). But being able to get that same effect from a single bottle as evidenced by the figures on the right? It’s the very definition of working smarter instead of harder.
Anyway, if you want to get your hands on these metallics or any of their other lines you can see if you have anyone local who is carrying them through their website! And if you’re like me and the nearest shop that carries them is a two and a half hour drive over flat and featureless terrain, you can order paints directly from the same website! Meanwhile I’m going to go and bug both of my FLGSs about starting to carry them so I don’t have to wait to for delivery or waste that gas before work takes me that direction again next spring.
Ben Erickson
