Is the Citadel Mega Paint Set worth it?

[Sebulba]

Hey guys,

I am by no means a veteran painter, but I have a lot of models to paint and I need a lot of stuff to get the job done. I have roughly 3000+ points of Tyranids, Imperial Guard, Space Marines (I bought off ebay mostly painted up like Black Templars) and a battalion of Lizardmen plus a smattering of older models (2000+ points).

I've been playing with mostly with unpainted models since middle school and I have a pretty large collection. I figure that since I'm in college now I can finally put in that extra effort to paint them all. Undoubtedly, I'll need all the colors and paint brushes I can get my hands on if I want my models to look nice.

So the question stands... is the Mega set worth it?

 

[Gripper]

I'd probably say no, even after playing/painting for over 10 years I've still only used less than half the colours that GW produce.

 

[asrodrig]

I can tell you firsthand that while it's nice to have all of the paints and stuff in a handy case, it's not necessary.

 

[strewart]

Its a luxury hobby, it really depends on how much disposable income you have and how much you want to burn on paints. From a direct value perspective, it is obviously cheaper than buying everything seperately. Do you need 20 shades of blue though? Would be handy, but do YOU think the cost is worth it to have all those shades on hand rather than just mixing your own shades? Remember you only need a very limited number of colours (well, the 3 primary plus black and white if you really want) to be able to mix up literally anything. I think a lot of GW colours are too similar to each other to justify needing both.

 

[asrodrig]

I think a lot of GW colours are too similar to each other to justify needing both.

Too true, yet why in the name of Chupacabra's bloody turds do they get rid of colors like Scaly Green and Tin Bitz?

 

[Dumbledore]

(well, the 3 primary plus black and white if you really want)

You need two reds, two blues, two yellows with one of each being warm and the other cold as well as white (but no black, unless you really desire "true" black). I was taught this at art school and it didn't really make sense to me and I still don't know the real reason but believe me you really do need two of each.

 

[Sebulba]

Well, I really like how it comes with 3 different shades of each color. I got a quick lesson on how to paint from a guy who works at Phoenix Games in Georgia (great place if you are in the Buford, GA area) and he had me start from the darkest shade of the colors and work my way up to get some nice highlighting on a necron Tomb Spyder.

I also like how it comes with all the washes. I've wanted to experiment with them because the models look great after they've been washed. It comes with all the colors too so there will never be that situation where I go "crap... guess I have to run back to the store tomorrow to get this color..."

I'm not really sure what the foundations are for... but the brushes will be great! I could live without the flock/sand and the PVA glue, but I'll need those too I suppose.

The case will be great because I can never find my paints when I get leave to go back home from school.


The only killer is that for that much money you could get almost 3 battalions of something... I feel like I need all the colors to paint everything I want to paint when I get back home but I just wanted to check with you guys before I forked all the cash over...

I get a stipend every month with nothing else to spend it on so I set aside $200 every month to go to warhammer stuff. I've got $400 in the bank burning a hole and thought this would help me make something really impressive out of my armies. I might even start a thread when I get back about how my armies are progressing.

 

[Aikar]

You save money indeed so its worth it if you plan to use them all...

The point is , why you have so many grey minis? for me there is no real value in playing warhammer if my army is not painted. There is no difference between using grey GW minis or pieces of paper instead. Theyr'e both unanimed results of a machine. Well theres a difference, the money.
Thats why I never buy miniatures if I have to deal first with the ones I own, because the more minis you buy, the less you end up painting. And thats why I think you will not paint for more than a few months... unless you rush them all wich I doubt if you are thinking of buying the megapack.

 

[Sebulba]

Well, the tyranids are mostly painted, the imperial guard I bought from school so they're still in their boxes at home (139 metal kasrkins from ebay! plus 8 leman russes! and more!) and the space marines I bought mostly painted and they look great. The lizardmen I used to play in middle school and they look pretty bad... fortunately I'm in a position where I can upgrade my army to the new models (my slann is carried by Temple Guard still... and my saurus scratch their head and say "What's a cold one?").

That's why there's so many grays. Plus, I only get so much leave in a year so what ends up happening is that I shop around while I'm at school and then paint/play when I get home. I have a lot of terrain I've been meaning to paint up as well...

I have a lot of projects which is why the Mega Set seems worth it to me. I just wanted to get a consensus from you guys, who are definitely way above my skill level.

 

[Aikar]

Well, the tyranids are mostly painted, the imperial guard I bought from school so they're still in their boxes at home (139 metal kasrkins from ebay! plus 8 leman russes! and more!) and the space marines I bought mostly painted and they look great. The lizardmen I used to play in middle school and they look pretty bad... fortunately I'm in a position where I can upgrade my army to the new models (my slann is carried by Temple Guard still... and my saurus scratch their head and say "What's a cold one?").

That's why there's so many grays. Plus, I only get so much leave in a year so what ends up happening is that I shop around while I'm at school and then paint/play when I get home. I have a lot of terrain I've been meaning to paint up as well...

I have a lot of projects which is why the Mega Set seems worth it to me. I just wanted to get a consensus from you guys, who are definitely way above my skill level.

Ohhh i see then. Well if you have the money and are really decided to paint and improve then the megapack is the best solution to have all the possibilities when it comes to painting.

 

[smaug123uk]

reguarding the mega paint set - it is definately not worth it
i have been paintin n modelling for 30yrs now [almost an old blood] and there is no way u will use all
the colours - once u start painting u will settle for a couple of each which u will prob use for any army
buy urself extra black n white and make ur own shades - remember because GW says something is a particular colour it doesnt mean that u have to folllow this exclusively!!!
they are out to sell their products first and foremost
on a personal note i actually dont like the new GW paints i prefered there older ones - what i mainly use are acrylic paints bought at my local art store twice the volume of paint for half the cost and they cover an awfull lot better as well- they also come in a squeezable bottle so a lot easier to put out the ammount of paint u need at a time without wastage
as for storage go to your local diy store buy a cantilever tool box for bout £10 this also gives u storage for your brushes and glue- keep your extra cash for those battalions lol

 

[strewart]

on a personal note i actually dont like the new GW paints i prefered there older ones - what i mainly use are acrylic paints bought at my local art store twice the volume of paint for half the cost and they cover an awfull lot better as well- they also come in a squeezable bottle so a lot easier to put out the ammount of paint u need at a time without wastage

Actually yeah GW paints are a bit steep in general. Vallejo will give you twice the paint for less money and it comes with a sensible dripper bottle for more control. You might be better off (if you are intent on dropping a large wad of cash on painting stuff) to look at a few other brands and their big paint sets, the value may be a lot better. Of course you won't get the same paint names so it can be a little harder to follow GW guides, that is no problem if you are making your own schemes up though.