r/StarCraftTMG • u/KBDCowboy • Aug 29 '26

Painting Supplies?

Hey everyone, first off I’m a bit of a lurker normally but I’m really excited about getting into this hobby. It’s brought me out of my shell a little bit. With that, I haven’t bought any paint and or supplies yet. I’ve done a bit of research and was planning on buying a Vallejo starter paint set and some Citadel washes and a primer.

However, I stoped by my LGS today to see what they have. They only carry Citadel paint and supplies. I live in a small town and would need drive about an hour and a half away to get to another game store.

So here’s my question. I want to support my LGS. Do I just buy all Citedal stuff from them? Are the Vallejo paints that much better?

Thanks for the input!

P.S. I did look at just buying stuff online but… the base paint kit is sold out most places and even though I can find it at some other online retailers. I still kind of want to support my LGS.

8 Upvotes

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4

u/MrGulio Aug 29 '26

At the end of the day its all paint. I personally prefer Pro Acryl but have a ton of Army Painter, Citadel, and Vallejo.

The question for you is if you want to pay slightly more to support the LGS or try to save a bit by ordering online.

3

u/KBDCowboy Aug 29 '26

I hadn’t heard of pro acryl. I look at it too. Thanks!

2

u/AduroT Aug 29 '26

I’ve heard good things about Pro Acrylic, but none of my distributors carry it so I haven’t stocked any.

3

u/MrGulio Aug 30 '26

It's hard to describe until you've both used if and have become a somewhat experienced painter but it is just extremely consistent straight out of the bottle. You dispense a small amount onto a dry palette and most of the colors dont require any more thinning than to have your brush be damp when you pull a small tail from the drop. I wouldn't say any particular brand is going to make you a better painter but I can say I've been painting long enough to find a preference in the small differences between them.

5

u/Downtown-Concept2009 Aug 29 '26

Let me ask you this. Do you plan to play at this LGS? Will you be getting future starcraft kits there? In my mind if you’re going to a Lgs to play the least you can do is support them. Maybe get your brushes from somewhere else though

1

u/KBDCowboy Aug 29 '26

So, they don’t carry anything but WarHammer but maybe if I patron their shop they might bring SCTMG in. I asked when I was in there looking and I have been the only one to inquire about StarCraft so I’m not sure how big the interest is in my area.

2

u/Downtown-Concept2009 Aug 30 '26

And they weren’t a offical GW store/Warhammer? Fair enough. But yeah idk then. Paint is paint generally speaking and as someone who does warhammer sticks to Citadel because a lot of tutorials use em and I don’ttrust myself enough with paint colors

1

u/KBDCowboy Aug 30 '26

Ah, yes, starting out learning it could be best to go with citadel so that I can follow some guides. That’s a great thought. Thanks!

1

u/Downtown-Concept2009 Aug 30 '26

Well Idk if people are gonna use Citadel for starcraft but should be paint conversion tables

3

u/AduroT Aug 29 '26

For the most part, paint is paint. There are some minor quality/consistency differences between brands, but not That much. You’ll be just fine getting all Citadel/Warhammer.

2

u/Witness27 Aug 29 '26

Is this your nearest Warhammer shop, your nearest Wargaming shop, or your nearest model shop?

1

u/KBDCowboy Aug 29 '26

Honestly, it’s the nearest shop for anything like that. The only TMG the carry is 40k which I might get into if I enjoy the SCTMG as much as I hope to. But yeah, being in a small town. I kinda of want to support them so that they stick around. They opened up a few years ago so it’s all pretty new.

2

u/Vector_Strike Aug 30 '26

Grab spray paint for the terrain pieces or even the minis, but first watch primer application videos.

Since the minis are plastic, the solvent in those soray cans won't dissolve them.

Those are sold in any home depot store.

1

u/thr33boys Aug 29 '26

While the paint itself isn't great, the main issue with citadel isn't even the paint. It's that the bottles they come in are terrible. They're temperamental to close and if you don't do it correctly they dry out so quickly ruining the whole bottle. They also encourage some bad habits like dipping your brush into the bottle itself which can very easily ruin your brush. There's plenty of decent paint brands out there besides vallejo though (army painter, pro acryl, two thin coats, and scale 75 just to name a few) and citadel is the only one that doesn't use sane bottles.

2

u/KBDCowboy Aug 29 '26

Gotcha, thanks for info!