I just finished reading all the comments to date 62) and I was struck by how many folks appreciated your calm and measured delivery and how soothing it is. Exactly. I don’t need someone shouting at me, (although I guess that sells too). And it doesn’t hurt to have a great sense of humor. So, as always, your channel is delightful. 👍👍
I really appreciate your explanation on what the "best" paint is. Different audiences, different painting habits. It really highlights that asking for one brand to rule them all is going to lead to disappointment. Also as an aside, it always makes me happy since a P3 pot. I still love that line.
The new better sprues are made by Archon Studios, you can tell because the sprues say Made in Poland and they are the only polish company who make hips minis. Archon has been doing minis for a bunch of folks in recent years. Everything from Conquest to Kings of War to Black Magic Craft's wargame. They also make their own minis, most notably in the dnd focused Dungeons and Lasers line. I really like their work and spot their sprue a mile away :D
I’m loving Conquest as a game and it’s fantastic to see you painting their minis! Thank you sir! Edit - my experience with Conquest miniatures… I’m enjoying the game immensely. Some of the older sprues I’m not as big a fan of. The newer stuff like the Kataphraktoi are just amazing, and I’m buying a Fallen Divinity soon to paint as a display piece. I like them, they do have some detail misses here and there, but I’m happy to support a company that values my contribution to their lore and worlds.
I've yet to try the fanatic paints, but as someone who hasn't yet found enjoyment in the mixing of my own shades when painting, having a range with a nice selection of ready made, attractive, varied shades is great. it's one of the major selling points of Citadel paints for me, for all their shortcomings, and the promise of these paints having fewer of the drawbacks makes me quite giddy... also, thanks for the tip about the magenta, that's actually super helpful, i'm glad you included it.
Contrarian that I am, I'd argue that (probably) the best beer comes from the Czech republic - Budvar, Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell, all marvellous. Another thoughtful and entertaining video. Much appreciated.
I always used Citadel and Vallejo and recently have been converted over to being a lover of AK interactive. that being said i find most paint sets will always has some amazing paints and others that let the range down. I also am a huge lover of Conquest minis
Conquest is a GREAT game. Overshadowed by the infinite power of Warhammer but is better, cheaper, bigger and way more beautiful minis. Happy to see someone giving them love.
I'm very interested in Conquest, but haven't been able to jump in yet. I'd love to see more such videos from you, Alex! Whatever you make, though, I'm here for it. 👍
Thinned down, they also go through the airbrush great. I bought a couple colors to try and I really enjoy the Fanatics paint. Not enough for me to dump SoFlat, but it's very nice. Beautiful mini.
Fantastic mini, as usual. In my opinion, your style works really well with Conquest. The wet blending is great and thanks for the tip about using magenta to convey cold. I haven't tried AP Fanatics yet - I loathed Warpaints and SP 1.0. I will try Fanatic though, at some point. But I'm pretty hooked on AK Interactive & Pro Acryl. I've only painted a few Conquest minis, but I LOVE the style. I think the minis are unique and the newer models have lots of detail. I also like that they don't seem to price creep once or twice a year like other companies.
Love seeing conquest stuff here. As for the quality, there is a giant gap between their earliest sculpts and the new stuff. Their resins are really great tough
I've been a Citadel user since the early 2000s (I've bought a handful of paints from Vallejo, Monument hobbies etc here and there). I found many of the Citadel paints quite frustrating. I like and still use a number of their paints, but when the new Army Painter Fanatic Paints came out, I bought the huge paint set and have not looked back. I love the creaminess of the majority of the paints. Everyone that I've used covers beautifully. The Speedpaints and metallics are great too.
I'm wild for Army Painter's stuff, never going back to Citadel. Lovely paint job by the way! I like Parabellum's miniature but 38mm scale is such a strange choice, if it's not compatible with my other games I can't really justify it
Another fantastic video, Alex. Absolutely lovely miniature and I've heard a lot of good things about Conquest so it's really nice to see you talk about their stuff!
Noticing that different paint ranges target different segments of the market is spot on. We have so much high quality paints on the market now that so many things are not important. It doesn't really matter if you work with Scale 75, Army Painter Fanatics, AK Interactive, Pro Acryl or Vallejo. They're all good quality paints that do the same things fundamentally. What's becoming real issue is little quirks here and there that make difference. Scale 75 is very translucent and ultra matte, it is best for advanced techniques, layering and layering untill achieving perfect blends. Army Painter is... well, army painters set. They're quite open about that with "get more time for gaming" slogan. Scale 75 are really good paints, but you don't reach for them if you need to paint 200 Chaos Warriors for next weekend match with your friends. My main problem is that you need to test each range yourself to see their unique strengths and weaknesses. Almost no brand is 100% honest with you, because they don't want to announce clearly what their main target is in fear of losing other segments of customers.
To check out this new line, I picked up the starter set and a few updated versions of some of my older AP paints. At least in North America, their broad availability and reasonable price mean they'll probably replace a fair amount of the 'general use' paints in my collection - but given that there are always colours from each range that seem to be impossible to match by mixing , there are always going to be Vallejo (both game and model color), AK, Citadel, Reaper, Two Thin Coats and Army Painter (along with some Tamiya clear) on the paint rack. As you said, find the paints that work for your painting style.
Thank you for the video Alex, quality as always. I don't know if Army Painter will tempt me away from my 'Kimera', but that's because I am Matt as Matt can be. I can certainly see that having a wide choice of shades and speciality paints would be very tempting for many. Your videos always make the hobby come across so accessible, Thanks again.
Love that you are exploring new variations… conquest is on the edge of tickling my fancy… my current new variation is Kings of war.. another rank and flank / skirmish wargame
Thank you for your review of the paints and the mini. I am very impressed with your skill. As a newer painter with these paints I appreciate the additional perspective.
Thanks for making such calm and interesting videos. Your narrative and observations are very calming and has me paying close attention to things that will give me good insights and ideas for my own work.
A very delightful video! ^^ i'm not totally sold on the magenta tip, but this was the only example I've seen, so I'll be paying attention the next time i'll look at some winter art. ;) The mini looka beautiful! Love how colorful the shadows are, not just dark versions of the same color or black.
Hi Alex. As you already know, I love to watch you paint. That one came out really well, and as usual, I really like your color choices. Thanks again for sharing. 👍
Thank you for a great explanation of the paints and introduction of Conquest! I really liked the end result of the mini, nice job! Top notch production as always!
I love those grizzly cold hands! Lovely idea. I have a Nords Conquest army from the two army set box, and man... those were horrible to put together and the plastic didn't fit right. Glad to see they have been working on that since. The miniatures itself are so cool : )
Yeah, the new stuff looks a lot better. And then there’s the fancy super expensive “signature” models or something. Very fine resin stuff. I’ve got one, a big giant but I haven’t find the peace of mind to paint that yet.
loved your honest and thoughtful approach to the personal side of the hobby, we all love and paint differently and i think you helped me finally make my mind up on my favorite paints. cant wait to see what you have for us next
really appreciated the thorough review for both fanatic paints and conquest, both products of which im pretty interested in and actively using and enjoying. agreed with most of what youve brought up
I've figured out my favorite paints a few months ago with this exact method - I bought some different brands, I tried some paints from a friend and so on. And everyone seems to like other things in paints. And thats ok. The fanatics might not be something for me. But Conquest looks really promising. I will have to look into the game! And I like slightly bigger minis. Thanks for the great video - as always.
Love the work you did on the mini. Nice to know that these have a bit of a satin finish to them. I wonder if that translates to their varnishes. I have a can of Army Painter's matte varnish, though the one mini I did use it on ghosted because I applied it when a thunderstorm was on the way in. As for the model, I wonder if they went that large to make it easier to add details to the molds? I could see using these as larger creatures and people, maybe even embracing the inherent inconsistency of miniature scale naming conventions and using them more as abstract game pieces than to-scale miniatures. But going back to the paints. I've got enough paints to last me a good long while. I have some Reaper paints, some Vallejo, a lot of Army Painter, and a set of Broken Anvil paints supposedly on the way. If I do get these, it'll be when I use up one of the other sets.
Regarding your question about what might have been added to the paint to make it so thick and to make it stick to your thumb, it's possible that it has something like Golden GAC 200 mixed in.
As a complete n00b, I like these paints. They are simple to use and quick. A lot of the features that appeal to advanced painters are difficult for someone very new to do, although I occasionally mix up my own colour, painting an entire army with a mixed up colour is going to result in inconsistencies that would irritate me -- a good selection of colours, already matched up is nice to have. I appreciate that I don't need to apply layers for most of the colours, depending of course. But most of the colours I could just slather on a mini and move on. As much as painting is part of the hobby, and certainly one I would never dispense with, my main objective is to get an army on the table. These paints are good for that purpose.
I've seen Conquest played on Play On Tabletop and I really like the orcs on dinosaurs faction, sadly I don't have the space at the moment for another game system. I am slowly working through my Infinity boxes at the moment and looking forward to getting my new stuff on the table. Completely agree with the suggestion of stores setting up a paint station to try before you buy. Recently splashed out and bought some Two Thin Coats paint and been really happy so far. You mentioned a loss of interest specifically in Age of Sigmar and if you are looking for other games to dip your toe into then my friends and I have been having a great time with Infinity. Admittedly it is sci fi instead of fantasy and a skirmish game where you have a max of 15 miniatures so almost the opposite of Age of Sigmar! But you are always involved in the game, even during your opponents turn, as you can react to their moves by firing a snap shot as they dart across cover or having a dramatic shoot out as you return fire. The standard human sized model is a touch smaller than GW and have more human proportions but they have larger models as well going up to something similar to Tau battlesuits that have a pilot in much the same way.
What a great video and an incredible painted mini! Love the magenta tones in the ice! Would love to see what you think of the new Vallejo Game and Model color ranges.
Awesome oger and lots of information about Conquest and Fanatic Paints. I agree with you about the size of miniatures regarding usability for other games... especially with fantasy miniatures I would like to use them with ttrpgs. Weird choice. But it probably looks impressive with Conquest battles.
I wonder if the washes have to be gloss to not "stick" to the raised surfaces easily. Rotting mold paint thumb may be a new fashion trend soon. Cheers!
Love seeing alternate manufacturers here. I also an bewildered by Para Bellum's scale choice. On the shelf the extra size is not clear, but the additional cost is. There's definitely a noticeable improvement in quality as they went on. The Ugrs were cast by a different company and their early sculpts were not great. Now Archon Studios does the casting and their sculptors have improved. BTW, as far as glossy washes go - I think the default behaviour of acrylic paint is glossy. There also seems to be a correlation between viscosity and gloss - thinned paints tend to be glossier. Additives are used to make paint matte which can have the additional effect of reducing transparency - not a great look for washes, as this can cause a cloudy finish. I also don't like dealing with glossy paints while I'm painting - I used to use Golden High Flow acrylics to paint with because they can be used in an airbrush or with a paintbrush, but they were so glossy they made it difficult to judge blending.
I enjoyed painting the City States minotaurs, which are more cow-like than most fantasy games. They suffer from the same chunky, low detail issues the Ugr have, but fun to paint nonetheless. I would like to eventually paint some of the larger Sorcerer Kings models eventually. The gameplay for TLAOK itself is much more fast paced than most big army games, and the free army builder app is very handy when playing.
I quite like Conquest minis, I saw the final mini and it was a great effort. Great job I’m with you on the lack of love with AoS too, which is a shame I love your approach to the paint too, ‘best’ is subjective. I used to collect exclusively GW but now I’m paint fluid - I’m always on the lookout for a new favourite paint
I picked up Dragon Red and Desert Yellow from Warpaint Fanatics. They are consistent and cover well. I enjoy them more than the previous formula. However, they are not exact matches to the prior colors with the same name.
So I have the complete set. I bought it because I trusted Uncle Adam’s review, but didn’t actually know that he worked for them until after I had preordered and truthfully I feel icky about that now. I’m not saying he lied or shilled but after using the paint, I definitely think there was a little bit of a bias from him, but I’m not blaming him or anything. It’s my own fault for not doing my due diligence. I know I shouldn’t go all in on one line. I broke that rule. To be clear, I don’t hate the paint, I like most of them, but I don’t love them as much as I thought I would. I like their price, colors, completeness of the “complete set”, and their extra work time. That’s all good to me. The problem I’m having now is that it’s actually a little too overwhelming. My kit prior consisted of maybe like 50 paints, 2 techs, and 3 shades from citadel that I would just mix and buy as needed. Despite trying out all the different colors I’m having difficulty committing to memory how they all work…because of the inconsistencies so what I’ve started doing is I’ll take one or two pots with me at a time. If I don’t like them I toss them back on the shelf and slap a sticker on them as a reminder to sell them later, and to definitely not replace them. Another problem I have is that in the complete set there are some pants that are so thick, I can’t even shake the agitator loose, and in the event I am able to it takes me like three to four minutes so you definitely want a mixer for these pants, at least for the expanded line. I don’t think they put that particular color in the mega set though. For anyone that’s interested in these, I would highly recommend just going to a local game store who has the singles racked up and buy what peaks your eye. On the other hand if you can’t buy the singles locally you can get them from a small online seller like Gnomish Bazaar (my favorite US based online shop). They are quite literally the friendliest folks I’ve ever dealt with. Always price super competitively, always ship with tracking, solid packing, and their stock is usually fresh, which is great for the plants. No dried out pots.
I like my minis matte too. Ive found the AK ultra matte varnish always does the job. I find I don't care about the individual paint's finish since the whole thing is getting coated anyways
Well thanks for the video, kept me entertained while suffering through one of the thing that is is not better in Germany: train rides. Should have been home an hour ago...
Mini came out great! My limited use of the new line is mostly positive. Their Warm Red triad is sadly lacking, the reds contained therein are all Orange, even after drying. Need to give them more time, but I'm at a 7 or 7.5 out of ten, if I had to rate them. I too also like Scale 75 paint :)
"but we all know the best beer in the world comes from Germany" As a Belgian living in the city where AB Inbev is headquartered, that hurt me to my core.
I splurged and bought the complete set for the Fanatic range and so far I’ve been really impressed. The coverage is good and the colours and good for the most part, I find the metallics (apart from Cobalt metal, it’s amazing) and the skin tones to be a bit strange though. Other than that I’d definitely recommend them.
My understanding about the scale of the Conquest minis is that the company that had originally been contracted to make them screwed up the scale, but the developers didn't hate it and decided to lock into that scale. I don't have an actual source for this claim, I just know a guy who's been a playtester since the early days & he said something of that nature to me, so who knows how accurate his relaying of the story is. It would explain some of the weirdness of the 38mm scale in those earlier sculpts though, so I'm inclined to believe it.
Wonderful paint job, great to hear your thoughts on these paints. I do wish mini makers would stick to a common scale. 28mm is a great balance between size and detail. I wouldn't object to a common larger scale too, maybe aligned to a scale modeling or railway standard, to make scenery easier to sort out. I think the current chaos of 32mm+ scales makes miniature collecting unnecessarily complicated.
Appreciate your videos and calm explanation of things. Since I've gotten into the hobby this year, I've spent more on paint than on minis lol. Gotten alot of army painter (speedpaint and fanatic) along with Pro Acryl, CItadel (mostly shades and contrasts), some Two Thin Coats and a few AK Interactive liquid pigments since those have been easily available at my FLGS. But definitely want to try others when I can get my hands on them (really want to try Vallejo and Scale 75). I've just been enjoying all the different paints out there. The COnquest minis look interesting, may never play but just the thought of building and painting an undead Roman legion appeals to me lol. It's a great time to be in the hobby of minis :D
First of all: Fantastic (or should I say fanatic ...) video! For about a year now I have bought too many paints because I'm looking for the best ones for me... going kinda insane, especially with all the social media buzz around new paint ranges. Your video is a nice relaxing addition to that, that grounds me. Gives me hope. I don't know, thank you! I really like how the Warpaints Fanatic behave, especially, just as you said, when starting to do more than base coating. I'm also a bit "frustrated" by the inconsistencies of the different paints. I have one, where the mixing ball only barely moves even on a Vortex Mixer. But I really like the tone. Tundra Taupe, I think. Same as you, I'm more a fan of really matte paint. I like the look and I find it much easier to paint under strong lights with them because nothing is reflecting and thus obscuring what I paint, especially when doing volumetric highlights. Sure, a (ultra) matte varnish afterwards can fix things, but it's still not perfect while doing the actual work. I find that the Fanatic paints are at least a tiny bit less satin than Citadel or P3. But my biggest issue with the range is that I'm missing some tones I really like. A lot seems to tend to the colder side (where is the nice warm olive green? Or a nice warm orangey brown?) So far I've mixed the colors myself, Molten Lava is the key to everything for me it seems. :D That's fine, but for doing armies it's just nicer to have pre mixed colors that I use often. And the last thing, it seems like almost all the colors are relatively bright? Maybe it's just me, but I always think there should be something darker in almost every sexad, uhm, flexible triad! Do you find the same? Since I don't really use washes (gloss! ugh!) I have to mix deeper shadows. Again, it's fine. I really like the finish of Scale75, but it's so different from other paint brands, that I stopped using it. Pro Acryl seems also very nice in finish and they paint very nicely, but are a bit too thin for my taste? I find it really difficult to find the right paint for me, now that I know so much about the different ranges and tried so many. 🙈 The new Model Color seem like good paint, they have a nice finish and good tones. But something with the new formulation smells in a way that, very subjective to me, makes me not want to use it or spit blend. Sounds super strange, I know. I wonder what they added. This is super long, if you read it: Thanks and cheers!
I agree, there are not many dark colours. And as you say, one can always mix to make darker shades but the whole point of having this many paints is that you shouldn’t have to. And there are missing warmer tones, I like you used the orange quite a bit to mix in warmer shades. But I think we have to take into account that they most probably will keep releasing more additions to the range?
@@52Miniatures Yeah, you are probably right. Since I generally like how they behave, I‘ll give them some more time and just use AK Ultra Matte afterwards. I feel like I have some issue with almost every paint range, so it‘s really difficult to commit. 🤣 But I‘d like to commit to one or maybe two ranges to really get to know the paints and most of all, just quite my mind and focus and and paint instead of buying new paints and trying new brands all the time. 🙈
Great review of paint from a triad (hexad) vs mixing and flowing off the brush point of view, which is everything. Intelligent thought, applied right to the point, trademark painter Alex. You made the mini look fascinating, the textured armour in particular looked especially good, and then the wide open spaces of armflesh had you dipping into a lighting expert's visual bag of tricks and getting it down on the mini. I'm a paint mixer so the hexad system isn't for me, but I'll still either pick up a few for wet blending or work on finding a better acrylic retarder for my other paints. This vid felt really grounded and strong, you do the stylistic inspiration vids so very well it's sometimes hard to remember that you're such a practical artist too. A little away from minis and hobby, your professional art product is so strong, so striking, that it's easy to lose a sense of the powerful technical command and engineering of a shot/shoot and the masterful, experienced engineering of gear, subject and location elements into a cohesive support that lets your art reach it's fullest potential. The same mindful qualities are going on in your mini painting, your vid content and your hobby thinking too. REALLY GOOD WORK! Gold star with oakleaves Alex ;0)
Thank you humbly Phil. Are you sure gold oak leaves is not getting dangerously close to elven territory? Regardless… I realized filming this that mini painting has been a little put aside at times, a predicament when filming all the fancy clips in other video. Storytelling vs. painting… it was also the most difficult script to write in a long time as I tried very hard to describe what I experienced without pushing to much presumption… whilst not having much of a story to fall back on. So I’m glad you enjoyed the result.
@@52Miniatures The presentation and therefore the script was first class, conveyed your thinking well, easy to understand whilst giving advice of real quality and understanding. I could happily watch you paint challenging models anytime Alex
It seems like most paint ranges are designed to take up as much shelf space as possible to get your attention in a retail store or in the background of a social media post. This also helps to convince us we need to buy 27 different bottles of grey-brown to experience true joy. Even the ranges that start with a mixing-friendly core set feel pressure to expand. It would be nice if more ranges had a good starter set (Fanatic paints seem to be close, but missing an orange and a purple), or otherwise highlighted the vibrant primary and secondary colors in their range that are a good starting point for mixes. With similar shades, cute names, and semi-opaque bottles, it can be hard to tell which ones are greyed down.
I think if we would follow your line of thought (and I agree) we wouldn’t need any hobby brand paints. All the aptly named, low count, highly pigmented, no “b-shit” paints already exist in art supply stores. Now, hobby brand paints cater to the opposite audience I believe :)
I haven’t tried the Fanatic paints yet, but your thoughts on various paint ranges all giving something different to every painter were really well made and hit hard. Not every new range will be for everyone. (Nor should it be?) There’s not really one “best” paint line when painting miniatures. And finally, your ogre came out looking great, and the “ice magic” effect on the arm in particular looks amazing.
Beautiful paintjob Alex! The Fanatic paintrange looks good, although Im not sure yet if I want to invest in to a new brand again. There are so many paints on the market these days, and like you said, there is no such thing as "the best paint". The larger scale of Conquest looks really nice tbh. Also their undead range looks beautiful.
As one of the many people who absolutely hated old Army Painter paints...I am looking forward to trying at least a few of the fanatic line. I don't imagine it's going to replace AK for me though.
Wow! You're very talented. The end result is beautiful. I do see the point of the sex-ad. For someone like me who isn't a master of mixing, its a comfort to know that I have a large range to pull from and retain the same colors.
Great video, I bought the starter set as I know I wont use all paints in the mega set so why spend so much plus space in the hobby room. Love the journey as always.
Another great video Alex and I appreciated your fair review of these paints. I did freak a bit, as I just picked up the Fanatic Wash set yesterday from my local store before you published this. And I cannot abide a glossy wash....I just tested my dark tone and it dried pretty matte. I did shake it with a Vortex mixer. So maybe some product inconsistencies between your washes and mine? Or try really shaking yours. I have also found that a drop of Scale 75's Acrylic Medium (the one they call aptly enough "Dispel Magic") will knock the gloss off of a glossy wash (looking at you Citadel). Again, great video and really appreciate the subjective review.
Yep Army Painter shades are glossy--I discovered that long ago, but as I always shoot my minis with matte varnish, I don't mind. I still have my old AP set which doesn't get much use, but these paints seem to be a step up--the originals were inconsistent to say the least. As for beers, German lagers are quite good, but I think you have to travel elsewhere if you prefer an ale. JMHO of course. Cheers.
It’s most definitely a step up Mark. And you are right about ales… but I’ve stoped drinking most ales as for some reason every other brewer around the world all of a sudden decided “hopping” the living jebus out beer is the new black. A proper pint of bitter I can agree with though 😁
@@52Miniatures My son shares your taste in beers. I prefer to paraphrase Orson Welles, “Portland IPA’s where we never remove the Hops before their time. “. 😉🍺
I'd just add a caveat about the Fanatic range and a wet palette; while they behave generally well while you're working, if you leave them for a session and come back, they tend to have split, usually significantly. They aren't as _re-workable_ the next day, especially if you are blending them and want to use the same blends you made the day before (without recreating them). I don't notice this as much with Citadel paints on a wet palette, as a point of difference. They're also a fair bit brighter than Citadel, and given there's six tones in each grouping, with the differences sometimes so minute, it makes digesting the range a little bit of a hard sell. I feel if they'd perhaps cut the tones down to say, four, with a slight bit more bias into darker tones, it would make the range more mentally approachable. Anyone who needs all six tones is probably better served by blending between a smaller set of say three instead, imho. I really like these paints, I think they also give an interesting perspective of how paints differ from other manufacturers.
I have the Fanatic paints and as a less experienced painter I'm struggling to thin the paints without completely diluting them to a water consistency and having them apply a consistent coat of paint also I'm finding the metalic's aren't working well for me seems to be streaky and so it's frustrating me ( I'm actually using now the speed paint gold and it has been working well) I imagine it's all user error but I have used Vallejo metalics before and they currently feel like night and day for me. if you had any specific recommendations I'd be very happy to read them. Sorry this is going to read like a mad man.
It's just going to be time with the tool. You'll get them figured out, and paint consistency is actually one of the most complicated parts of the hobby.
The speed paint metallics are actually really good and I like them a lot. They apply a lot smoother, like vajello airbrush metallics. Regarding the watering down… I guess it’s just a matter of keeping at it. And there is no right or wrong really… if you like painting with thick paint that’s fine too
Conquest is only 5 years old. What I love about the company is that they do not sit still. They are constantly trying to make the minis better. As far as the army painter I like that they have the standard colour printed on them and the place in triad. I have to say your review of both were great I like the fact that you talk about options vs fact. Btw I am biased towards conquest been painting and playing since they first launched. The quality of the minis has gone up by leaps and bounds.
That's actually a beautifully painted mini Alex, not the video topic, but just in case no one else says!
Thank you humbly! In retrospect I’d liked a wilder scheme if this was for an army but it was fun to paint regardless
Agreed, those color transitions are really nice, you absolutely nail palettes in all your works (something I struggle a lot)
I just finished reading all the comments to date 62) and I was struck by how many folks appreciated your calm and measured delivery and how soothing it is. Exactly. I don’t need someone shouting at me, (although I guess that sells too). And it doesn’t hurt to have a great sense of humor. So, as always, your channel is delightful. 👍👍
Thank you humbly Mark 💜
Content aside, we're spoiled by Alex's consistently high level of production.
💜 you are a gem Michael, thank you 🙏
I really appreciate your explanation on what the "best" paint is. Different audiences, different painting habits. It really highlights that asking for one brand to rule them all is going to lead to disappointment. Also as an aside, it always makes me happy since a P3 pot. I still love that line.
The new better sprues are made by Archon Studios, you can tell because the sprues say Made in Poland and they are the only polish company who make hips minis. Archon has been doing minis for a bunch of folks in recent years. Everything from Conquest to Kings of War to Black Magic Craft's wargame. They also make their own minis, most notably in the dnd focused Dungeons and Lasers line. I really like their work and spot their sprue a mile away :D
You're undoubtably the James Hoffman of Miniature Painting. Loved this review
You should taste his tea!
He's the James Hoffman of hot drinks too
I’m loving Conquest as a game and it’s fantastic to see you painting their minis! Thank you sir!
Edit - my experience with Conquest miniatures…
I’m enjoying the game immensely. Some of the older sprues I’m not as big a fan of. The newer stuff like the Kataphraktoi are just amazing, and I’m buying a Fallen Divinity soon to paint as a display piece. I like them, they do have some detail misses here and there, but I’m happy to support a company that values my contribution to their lore and worlds.
Death by Not-Ultra-Matte. What a glorious way to go.
I've yet to try the fanatic paints, but as someone who hasn't yet found enjoyment in the mixing of my own shades when painting, having a range with a nice selection of ready made, attractive, varied shades is great. it's one of the major selling points of Citadel paints for me, for all their shortcomings, and the promise of these paints having fewer of the drawbacks makes me quite giddy...
also, thanks for the tip about the magenta, that's actually super helpful, i'm glad you included it.
Contrarian that I am, I'd argue that (probably) the best beer comes from the Czech republic - Budvar, Staropramen and Pilsner Urquell, all marvellous.
Another thoughtful and entertaining video. Much appreciated.
I find your neutral and diplomatic delivery delightful. I would love to see more of these sort of first impressions reviews from you.
Watching these videos is always a stress relieving experience. Thanks for all that you do Alex.
Glad to hear it, thank you 🙏
I always used Citadel and Vallejo and recently have been converted over to being a lover of AK interactive. that being said i find most paint sets will always has some amazing paints and others that let the range down. I also am a huge lover of Conquest minis
Conquest is a GREAT game. Overshadowed by the infinite power of Warhammer but is better, cheaper, bigger and way more beautiful minis. Happy to see someone giving them love.
I'm very interested in Conquest, but haven't been able to jump in yet. I'd love to see more such videos from you, Alex! Whatever you make, though, I'm here for it. 👍
Thinned down, they also go through the airbrush great. I bought a couple colors to try and I really enjoy the Fanatics paint. Not enough for me to dump SoFlat, but it's very nice. Beautiful mini.
Love that you tackled the Conquest minis! Great looking paint job there. I hope you give the Kataphraktoi a chance in a future video.
Fantastic mini, as usual. In my opinion, your style works really well with Conquest. The wet blending is great and thanks for the tip about using magenta to convey cold.
I haven't tried AP Fanatics yet - I loathed Warpaints and SP 1.0. I will try Fanatic though, at some point. But I'm pretty hooked on AK Interactive & Pro Acryl.
I've only painted a few Conquest minis, but I LOVE the style. I think the minis are unique and the newer models have lots of detail. I also like that they don't seem to price creep once or twice a year like other companies.
Love seeing conquest stuff here.
As for the quality, there is a giant gap between their earliest sculpts and the new stuff. Their resins are really great tough
From what I understand the earlier kits were produced in America, they later moved production to Poland and the quality went through the roof.
I've been a Citadel user since the early 2000s (I've bought a handful of paints from Vallejo, Monument hobbies etc here and there). I found many of the Citadel paints quite frustrating. I like and still use a number of their paints, but when the new Army Painter Fanatic Paints came out, I bought the huge paint set and have not looked back. I love the creaminess of the majority of the paints. Everyone that I've used covers beautifully. The Speedpaints and metallics are great too.
I'm wild for Army Painter's stuff, never going back to Citadel. Lovely paint job by the way! I like Parabellum's miniature but 38mm scale is such a strange choice, if it's not compatible with my other games I can't really justify it
Another fantastic video, Alex. Absolutely lovely miniature and I've heard a lot of good things about Conquest so it's really nice to see you talk about their stuff!
Noticing that different paint ranges target different segments of the market is spot on. We have so much high quality paints on the market now that so many things are not important. It doesn't really matter if you work with Scale 75, Army Painter Fanatics, AK Interactive, Pro Acryl or Vallejo. They're all good quality paints that do the same things fundamentally. What's becoming real issue is little quirks here and there that make difference. Scale 75 is very translucent and ultra matte, it is best for advanced techniques, layering and layering untill achieving perfect blends. Army Painter is... well, army painters set. They're quite open about that with "get more time for gaming" slogan. Scale 75 are really good paints, but you don't reach for them if you need to paint 200 Chaos Warriors for next weekend match with your friends.
My main problem is that you need to test each range yourself to see their unique strengths and weaknesses. Almost no brand is 100% honest with you, because they don't want to announce clearly what their main target is in fear of losing other segments of customers.
Definitely agree, especially with the last bit. Every paint is the “best paint ever”.
To check out this new line, I picked up the starter set and a few updated versions of some of my older AP paints. At least in North America, their broad availability and reasonable price mean they'll probably replace a fair amount of the 'general use' paints in my collection - but given that there are always colours from each range that seem to be impossible to match by mixing , there are always going to be Vallejo (both game and model color), AK, Citadel, Reaper, Two Thin Coats and Army Painter (along with some Tamiya clear) on the paint rack. As you said, find the paints that work for your painting style.
Thank you for the video Alex, quality as always. I don't know if Army Painter will tempt me away from my 'Kimera', but that's because I am Matt as Matt can be. I can certainly see that having a wide choice of shades and speciality paints would be very tempting for many. Your videos always make the hobby come across so accessible, Thanks again.
Love that you are exploring new variations… conquest is on the edge of tickling my fancy… my current new variation is Kings of war.. another rank and flank / skirmish wargame
Thank you for your review of the paints and the mini. I am very impressed with your skill. As a newer painter with these paints I appreciate the additional perspective.
Thanks for making such calm and interesting videos. Your narrative and observations are very calming and has me paying close attention to things that will give me good insights and ideas for my own work.
I appreciate it Two Spots
You are improving in your painting skills so much. It's fun to watch your videos and a joy to watch you paint. Thanks for the awesome content. 👌
Thank you so much!
A very delightful video! ^^ i'm not totally sold on the magenta tip, but this was the only example I've seen, so I'll be paying attention the next time i'll look at some winter art. ;)
The mini looka beautiful! Love how colorful the shadows are, not just dark versions of the same color or black.
I love your use of colours, this miniature is beautifully painted.
Thank you very much!
Hi Alex. As you already know, I love to watch you paint. That one came out really well, and as usual, I really like your color choices. Thanks again for sharing. 👍
Got a few colours in with my last order to try, pleased with them so far. A much needed range update for army painter.
Thank you for a great explanation of the paints and introduction of Conquest! I really liked the end result of the mini, nice job! Top notch production as always!
Nothing to say, I'm just sending some dolla so you keep doing your thing!
Thank you dearly 🙏
Hi Alex. Thanks for the video. You are wrong about one thing though, the best beer comes from Wisconsin!
I love those grizzly cold hands! Lovely idea. I have a Nords Conquest army from the two army set box, and man... those were horrible to put together and the plastic didn't fit right. Glad to see they have been working on that since. The miniatures itself are so cool : )
Yeah, the new stuff looks a lot better. And then there’s the fancy super expensive “signature” models or something. Very fine resin stuff. I’ve got one, a big giant but I haven’t find the peace of mind to paint that yet.
Really nicely painted Ugr. Conquest is a great game.
Love these videos Alex! Will have to check out the new fanatic paints! Like button smashed! :)
loved your honest and thoughtful approach to the personal side of the hobby, we all love and paint differently and i think you helped me finally make my mind up on my favorite paints. cant wait to see what you have for us next
Thanks Caleb! I appreciate it
Fantastic work on that Olga!! 😮😊
Great review as well i like some one who points things out the way you do!!!
Thanks so much! 😊
really appreciated the thorough review for both fanatic paints and conquest, both products of which im pretty interested in and actively using and enjoying. agreed with most of what youve brought up
Great hands on review and your work on the model is stunning. Thanks for sharing!
That's a mighty fine paintjob!
I've figured out my favorite paints a few months ago with this exact method - I bought some different brands, I tried some paints from a friend and so on. And everyone seems to like other things in paints. And thats ok. The fanatics might not be something for me.
But Conquest looks really promising. I will have to look into the game! And I like slightly bigger minis.
Thanks for the great video - as always.
What is your favorite paint? 👋
Pink or magenta on cold stuff is a great tip. I'll try it out
Love the work you did on the mini. Nice to know that these have a bit of a satin finish to them. I wonder if that translates to their varnishes. I have a can of Army Painter's matte varnish, though the one mini I did use it on ghosted because I applied it when a thunderstorm was on the way in.
As for the model, I wonder if they went that large to make it easier to add details to the molds? I could see using these as larger creatures and people, maybe even embracing the inherent inconsistency of miniature scale naming conventions and using them more as abstract game pieces than to-scale miniatures.
But going back to the paints. I've got enough paints to last me a good long while. I have some Reaper paints, some Vallejo, a lot of Army Painter, and a set of Broken Anvil paints supposedly on the way. If I do get these, it'll be when I use up one of the other sets.
What an absolutely beautiful paint job and nice review of both the model and paints. I'm happy to have stumbled across your channel
Welcome aboard!
Regarding your question about what might have been added to the paint to make it so thick and to make it stick to your thumb, it's possible that it has something like Golden GAC 200 mixed in.
As a complete n00b, I like these paints. They are simple to use and quick. A lot of the features that appeal to advanced painters are difficult for someone very new to do, although I occasionally mix up my own colour, painting an entire army with a mixed up colour is going to result in inconsistencies that would irritate me -- a good selection of colours, already matched up is nice to have. I appreciate that I don't need to apply layers for most of the colours, depending of course. But most of the colours I could just slather on a mini and move on. As much as painting is part of the hobby, and certainly one I would never dispense with, my main objective is to get an army on the table. These paints are good for that purpose.
A very good point and I think this paint has this purpose very much in mind
I've seen Conquest played on Play On Tabletop and I really like the orcs on dinosaurs faction, sadly I don't have the space at the moment for another game system. I am slowly working through my Infinity boxes at the moment and looking forward to getting my new stuff on the table.
Completely agree with the suggestion of stores setting up a paint station to try before you buy. Recently splashed out and bought some Two Thin Coats paint and been really happy so far.
You mentioned a loss of interest specifically in Age of Sigmar and if you are looking for other games to dip your toe into then my friends and I have been having a great time with Infinity. Admittedly it is sci fi instead of fantasy and a skirmish game where you have a max of 15 miniatures so almost the opposite of Age of Sigmar! But you are always involved in the game, even during your opponents turn, as you can react to their moves by firing a snap shot as they dart across cover or having a dramatic shoot out as you return fire. The standard human sized model is a touch smaller than GW and have more human proportions but they have larger models as well going up to something similar to Tau battlesuits that have a pilot in much the same way.
What a great video and an incredible painted mini! Love the magenta tones in the ice!
Would love to see what you think of the new Vallejo Game and Model color ranges.
Conquest has a lot of awesome miniatures. Those are some of there earlier minis which are not as good by a long way as their new stuff.
Awesome oger and lots of information about Conquest and Fanatic Paints. I agree with you about the size of miniatures regarding usability for other games... especially with fantasy miniatures I would like to use them with ttrpgs. Weird choice. But it probably looks impressive with Conquest battles.
The newer plastic sprue "From Poland" is made by Archon Studio (the Dungeon & Lasers guys).
nice looking mini, well done!
Thanks for the review!
I wonder if the washes have to be gloss to not "stick" to the raised surfaces easily. Rotting mold paint thumb may be a new fashion trend soon. Cheers!
It shouldn’t have to be this glossy but I don’t know. I’ll let you know when the thumb falls off. And thank you dearly for the support!
Love seeing alternate manufacturers here.
I also an bewildered by Para Bellum's scale choice. On the shelf the extra size is not clear, but the additional cost is. There's definitely a noticeable improvement in quality as they went on. The Ugrs were cast by a different company and their early sculpts were not great. Now Archon Studios does the casting and their sculptors have improved.
BTW, as far as glossy washes go - I think the default behaviour of acrylic paint is glossy. There also seems to be a correlation between viscosity and gloss - thinned paints tend to be glossier. Additives are used to make paint matte which can have the additional effect of reducing transparency - not a great look for washes, as this can cause a cloudy finish.
I also don't like dealing with glossy paints while I'm painting - I used to use Golden High Flow acrylics to paint with because they can be used in an airbrush or with a paintbrush, but they were so glossy they made it difficult to judge blending.
Thanks for the review d00d
One of your best vids so far! Bravo.
Glad you think so!
I enjoyed painting the City States minotaurs, which are more cow-like than most fantasy games. They suffer from the same chunky, low detail issues the Ugr have, but fun to paint nonetheless. I would like to eventually paint some of the larger Sorcerer Kings models eventually. The gameplay for TLAOK itself is much more fast paced than most big army games, and the free army builder app is very handy when playing.
Great video Alex, very well done!. Maybe not very flashy, but more you if that makes sense. And more me as well.
I quite like Conquest minis, I saw the final mini and it was a great effort. Great job
I’m with you on the lack of love with AoS too, which is a shame
I love your approach to the paint too, ‘best’ is subjective. I used to collect exclusively GW but now I’m paint fluid - I’m always on the lookout for a new favourite paint
Outrageous! The best beer in the world comes from Austria!
I picked up Dragon Red and Desert Yellow from Warpaint Fanatics. They are consistent and cover well. I enjoy them more than the previous formula. However, they are not exact matches to the prior colors with the same name.
That’s really well painted! Nice video too
So I have the complete set. I bought it because I trusted Uncle Adam’s review, but didn’t actually know that he worked for them until after I had preordered and truthfully I feel icky about that now. I’m not saying he lied or shilled but after using the paint, I definitely think there was a little bit of a bias from him, but I’m not blaming him or anything. It’s my own fault for not doing my due diligence.
I know I shouldn’t go all in on one line. I broke that rule. To be clear, I don’t hate the paint, I like most of them, but I don’t love them as much as I thought I would. I like their price, colors, completeness of the “complete set”, and their extra work time.
That’s all good to me.
The problem I’m having now is that it’s actually a little too overwhelming. My kit prior consisted of maybe like 50 paints, 2 techs, and 3 shades from citadel that I would just mix and buy as needed.
Despite trying out all the different colors I’m having difficulty committing to memory how they all work…because of the inconsistencies so what I’ve started doing is I’ll take one or two pots with me at a time. If I don’t like them I toss them back on the shelf and slap a sticker on them as a reminder to sell them later, and to definitely not replace them.
Another problem I have is that in the complete set there are some pants that are so thick, I can’t even shake the agitator loose, and in the event I am able to it takes me like three to four minutes so you definitely want a mixer for these pants, at least for the expanded line.
I don’t think they put that particular color in the mega set though.
For anyone that’s interested in these, I would highly recommend just going to a local game store who has the singles racked up and buy what peaks your eye.
On the other hand if you can’t buy the singles locally you can get them from a small online seller like Gnomish Bazaar (my favorite US based online shop). They are quite literally the friendliest folks I’ve ever dealt with. Always price super competitively, always ship with tracking, solid packing, and their stock is usually fresh, which is great for the plants. No dried out pots.
I like my minis matte too. Ive found the AK ultra matte varnish always does the job. I find I don't care about the individual paint's finish since the whole thing is getting coated anyways
Beautiful as always!
Thank you! 😊
Well thanks for the video, kept me entertained while suffering through one of the thing that is is not better in Germany: train rides. Should have been home an hour ago...
Great video and amazing miniature
Mini came out great! My limited use of the new line is mostly positive. Their Warm Red triad is sadly lacking, the reds contained therein are all Orange, even after drying. Need to give them more time, but I'm at a 7 or 7.5 out of ten, if I had to rate them. I too also like Scale 75 paint :)
"but we all know the best beer in the world comes from Germany" As a Belgian living in the city where AB Inbev is headquartered, that hurt me to my core.
I can’t be nice all the time 🤷🏼♂️
I splurged and bought the complete set for the Fanatic range and so far I’ve been really impressed. The coverage is good and the colours and good for the most part, I find the metallics (apart from Cobalt metal, it’s amazing) and the skin tones to be a bit strange though. Other than that I’d definitely recommend them.
I’ve yet to try the metallic paints from the speed paint range but they are supposedly surprisingly good
My understanding about the scale of the Conquest minis is that the company that had originally been contracted to make them screwed up the scale, but the developers didn't hate it and decided to lock into that scale.
I don't have an actual source for this claim, I just know a guy who's been a playtester since the early days & he said something of that nature to me, so who knows how accurate his relaying of the story is. It would explain some of the weirdness of the 38mm scale in those earlier sculpts though, so I'm inclined to believe it.
Greetings from Munich, thanks for the shoutout to German beer :D - Amazing painted minatures too!
Thank you! Cheers!
Wonderful paint job, great to hear your thoughts on these paints. I do wish mini makers would stick to a common scale. 28mm is a great balance between size and detail. I wouldn't object to a common larger scale too, maybe aligned to a scale modeling or railway standard, to make scenery easier to sort out. I think the current chaos of 32mm+ scales makes miniature collecting unnecessarily complicated.
Fantastic work as always
Appreciate your videos and calm explanation of things.
Since I've gotten into the hobby this year, I've spent more on paint than on minis lol. Gotten alot of army painter (speedpaint and fanatic) along with Pro Acryl, CItadel (mostly shades and contrasts), some Two Thin Coats and a few AK Interactive liquid pigments since those have been easily available at my FLGS. But definitely want to try others when I can get my hands on them (really want to try Vallejo and Scale 75). I've just been enjoying all the different paints out there.
The COnquest minis look interesting, may never play but just the thought of building and painting an undead Roman legion appeals to me lol.
It's a great time to be in the hobby of minis :D
Undead Romans are very appealing, agreed.
Also great looking paint job!
Thanks W! Good to have you back
Great video Alex!
Thanks man!
First of all: Fantastic (or should I say fanatic ...) video!
For about a year now I have bought too many paints because I'm looking for the best ones for me... going kinda insane, especially with all the social media buzz around new paint ranges. Your video is a nice relaxing addition to that, that grounds me. Gives me hope. I don't know, thank you!
I really like how the Warpaints Fanatic behave, especially, just as you said, when starting to do more than base coating. I'm also a bit "frustrated" by the inconsistencies of the different paints. I have one, where the mixing ball only barely moves even on a Vortex Mixer. But I really like the tone. Tundra Taupe, I think.
Same as you, I'm more a fan of really matte paint. I like the look and I find it much easier to paint under strong lights with them because nothing is reflecting and thus obscuring what I paint, especially when doing volumetric highlights. Sure, a (ultra) matte varnish afterwards can fix things, but it's still not perfect while doing the actual work. I find that the Fanatic paints are at least a tiny bit less satin than Citadel or P3.
But my biggest issue with the range is that I'm missing some tones I really like. A lot seems to tend to the colder side (where is the nice warm olive green? Or a nice warm orangey brown?) So far I've mixed the colors myself, Molten Lava is the key to everything for me it seems. :D That's fine, but for doing armies it's just nicer to have pre mixed colors that I use often.
And the last thing, it seems like almost all the colors are relatively bright? Maybe it's just me, but I always think there should be something darker in almost every sexad, uhm, flexible triad! Do you find the same? Since I don't really use washes (gloss! ugh!) I have to mix deeper shadows. Again, it's fine.
I really like the finish of Scale75, but it's so different from other paint brands, that I stopped using it. Pro Acryl seems also very nice in finish and they paint very nicely, but are a bit too thin for my taste? I find it really difficult to find the right paint for me, now that I know so much about the different ranges and tried so many. 🙈
The new Model Color seem like good paint, they have a nice finish and good tones. But something with the new formulation smells in a way that, very subjective to me, makes me not want to use it or spit blend. Sounds super strange, I know. I wonder what they added.
This is super long, if you read it: Thanks and cheers!
I agree, there are not many dark colours. And as you say, one can always mix to make darker shades but the whole point of having this many paints is that you shouldn’t have to. And there are missing warmer tones, I like you used the orange quite a bit to mix in warmer shades. But I think we have to take into account that they most probably will keep releasing more additions to the range?
@@52Miniatures Yeah, you are probably right. Since I generally like how they behave, I‘ll give them some more time and just use AK Ultra Matte afterwards. I feel like I have some issue with almost every paint range, so it‘s really difficult to commit. 🤣 But I‘d like to commit to one or maybe two ranges to really get to know the paints and most of all, just quite my mind and focus and and paint instead of buying new paints and trying new brands all the time. 🙈
The jokes are hittin' good in this one haha!
Great video Alex! Thanks for the discussion!!
Thanks as always Marcus 💜
Great review of paint from a triad (hexad) vs mixing and flowing off the brush point of view, which is everything. Intelligent thought, applied right to the point, trademark painter Alex.
You made the mini look fascinating, the textured armour in particular looked especially good, and then the wide open spaces of armflesh had you dipping into a lighting expert's visual bag of tricks and getting it down on the mini.
I'm a paint mixer so the hexad system isn't for me, but I'll still either pick up a few for wet blending or work on finding a better acrylic retarder for my other paints.
This vid felt really grounded and strong, you do the stylistic inspiration vids so very well it's sometimes hard to remember that you're such a practical artist too.
A little away from minis and hobby, your professional art product is so strong, so striking, that it's easy to lose a sense of the powerful technical command and engineering of a shot/shoot and the masterful, experienced engineering of gear, subject and location elements into a cohesive support that lets your art reach it's fullest potential.
The same mindful qualities are going on in your mini painting, your vid content and your hobby thinking too. REALLY GOOD WORK! Gold star with oakleaves Alex ;0)
Thank you humbly Phil. Are you sure gold oak leaves is not getting dangerously close to elven territory? Regardless… I realized filming this that mini painting has been a little put aside at times, a predicament when filming all the fancy clips in other video. Storytelling vs. painting… it was also the most difficult script to write in a long time as I tried very hard to describe what I experienced without pushing to much presumption… whilst not having much of a story to fall back on. So I’m glad you enjoyed the result.
@@52Miniatures The presentation and therefore the script was first class, conveyed your thinking well, easy to understand whilst giving advice of real quality and understanding.
I could happily watch you paint challenging models anytime Alex
It seems like most paint ranges are designed to take up as much shelf space as possible to get your attention in a retail store or in the background of a social media post. This also helps to convince us we need to buy 27 different bottles of grey-brown to experience true joy. Even the ranges that start with a mixing-friendly core set feel pressure to expand. It would be nice if more ranges had a good starter set (Fanatic paints seem to be close, but missing an orange and a purple), or otherwise highlighted the vibrant primary and secondary colors in their range that are a good starting point for mixes. With similar shades, cute names, and semi-opaque bottles, it can be hard to tell which ones are greyed down.
I think if we would follow your line of thought (and I agree) we wouldn’t need any hobby brand paints. All the aptly named, low count, highly pigmented, no “b-shit” paints already exist in art supply stores. Now, hobby brand paints cater to the opposite audience I believe :)
I haven’t tried the Fanatic paints yet, but your thoughts on various paint ranges all giving something different to every painter were really well made and hit hard. Not every new range will be for everyone. (Nor should it be?) There’s not really one “best” paint line when painting miniatures. And finally, your ogre came out looking great, and the “ice magic” effect on the arm in particular looks amazing.
Beautiful paintjob Alex! The Fanatic paintrange looks good, although Im not sure yet if I want to invest in to a new brand again. There are so many paints on the market these days, and like you said, there is no such thing as "the best paint". The larger scale of Conquest looks really nice tbh. Also their undead range looks beautiful.
Undead Roman soldiers does hold a special place in my heart
As one of the many people who absolutely hated old Army Painter paints...I am looking forward to trying at least a few of the fanatic line. I don't imagine it's going to replace AK for me though.
Wow! You're very talented. The end result is beautiful.
I do see the point of the sex-ad. For someone like me who isn't a master of mixing, its a comfort to know that I have a large range to pull from and retain the same colors.
Great video, I bought the starter set as I know I wont use all paints in the mega set so why spend so much plus space in the hobby room. Love the journey as always.
Another great video Alex and I appreciated your fair review of these paints. I did freak a bit, as I just picked up the Fanatic Wash set yesterday from my local store before you published this. And I cannot abide a glossy wash....I just tested my dark tone and it dried pretty matte. I did shake it with a Vortex mixer. So maybe some product inconsistencies between your washes and mine? Or try really shaking yours. I have also found that a drop of Scale 75's Acrylic Medium (the one they call aptly enough "Dispel Magic") will knock the gloss off of a glossy wash (looking at you Citadel). Again, great video and really appreciate the subjective review.
Thanks for the tip. I’ve lately been using their speedpaints as washes instead and they dry up nice and matte
Yep Army Painter shades are glossy--I discovered that long ago, but as I always shoot my minis with matte varnish, I don't mind. I still have my old AP set which doesn't get much use, but these paints seem to be a step up--the originals were inconsistent to say the least. As for beers, German lagers are quite good, but I think you have to travel elsewhere if you prefer an ale. JMHO of course. Cheers.
It’s most definitely a step up Mark. And you are right about ales… but I’ve stoped drinking most ales as for some reason every other brewer around the world all of a sudden decided “hopping” the living jebus out beer is the new black. A proper pint of bitter I can agree with though 😁
@@52Miniatures My son shares your taste in beers. I prefer to paraphrase Orson Welles, “Portland IPA’s where we never remove the Hops before their time. “. 😉🍺
sure it is!!
I'd just add a caveat about the Fanatic range and a wet palette; while they behave generally well while you're working, if you leave them for a session and come back, they tend to have split, usually significantly. They aren't as _re-workable_ the next day, especially if you are blending them and want to use the same blends you made the day before (without recreating them). I don't notice this as much with Citadel paints on a wet palette, as a point of difference.
They're also a fair bit brighter than Citadel, and given there's six tones in each grouping, with the differences sometimes so minute, it makes digesting the range a little bit of a hard sell. I feel if they'd perhaps cut the tones down to say, four, with a slight bit more bias into darker tones, it would make the range more mentally approachable. Anyone who needs all six tones is probably better served by blending between a smaller set of say three instead, imho.
I really like these paints, I think they also give an interesting perspective of how paints differ from other manufacturers.
Thanks for the tips. I don’t think you should use any paints after a day on the wet palette. It’s just to keep the paint moist while painting.
I have the Fanatic paints and as a less experienced painter I'm struggling to thin the paints without completely diluting them to a water consistency and having them apply a consistent coat of paint also I'm finding the metalic's aren't working well for me seems to be streaky and so it's frustrating me ( I'm actually using now the speed paint gold and it has been working well) I imagine it's all user error but I have used Vallejo metalics before and they currently feel like night and day for me. if you had any specific recommendations I'd be very happy to read them.
Sorry this is going to read like a mad man.
It's just going to be time with the tool. You'll get them figured out, and paint consistency is actually one of the most complicated parts of the hobby.
The speed paint metallics are actually really good and I like them a lot. They apply a lot smoother, like vajello airbrush metallics. Regarding the watering down… I guess it’s just a matter of keeping at it. And there is no right or wrong really… if you like painting with thick paint that’s fine too
Conquest is only 5 years old. What I love about the company is that they do not sit still. They are constantly trying to make the minis better. As far as the army painter I like that they have the standard colour printed on them and the place in triad. I have to say your review of both were great I like the fact that you talk about options vs fact. Btw I am biased towards conquest been painting and playing since they first launched. The quality of the minis has gone up by leaps and bounds.
Thanks D, I appreciate it.
Love the combination of your style on these conquest minis
another great video
Fantastic paint job Alex!
Thank you Emil! The large miniature helps :)
Love the work ❤👏🔥