Which Reaper Core Set to get?

[Face_Rollan]

Good morning guys! 

 

Q: if buying one of the reaper core sets (108 bottle set), what's the main difference in them? 

 

I'm looking into buying a complete paint set. I've been doing a ton of research and have settled on a reaper core set (i already own several reaper paints and love them).  I know that everyone suggests a blend of several companies based on which has the best,  e.g. yellow,  or metallics. I just want to make it simple, buy a set and build from there. 

 

I'll mostly be painting 40k and privateer press models with some terrain and 3d prints mixed in (i have a cheapo set of acrylics from Michael's for large terrain and 3d prints).

 

I've also considered the Vallejo Model set, and Army Painter Mega Set.

 

Thanks in advance! 

[Inarah]

They have different color paints.  

 

Core Colors Set #1 (9951) and Core Colors Set #2 (9957) combine to become Core Colors Master Set (9956).

 

Core Colors Basics set 1 contains half of Core Colors Set #1. 

 

Master Series Paints Essentials Set contains parts of the Core Colors sets, and a bunch of newer colors. 

 

You can't go wrong with any of them. 

[Fnordlover]

I have the Army Painter Mega Set. My only complaints about it are that it doesn't come with agitators in the bottles and there isn't a pink in the set. It's a great set of paints, otherwise, and can easily be found for less than $100, including shipping.

[Face_Rollan]

So no major differences, like Vallejo game vs model color? 

 

Thanks again for the info and previous replies. 

[Fnordlover]

The only miniature paints I've used are the Army Painter set, and to a very limited degree (I did a paint and take at a convention), Reaper. From that experience I would go with Army Painter any time. 

 

Since I have the same simple-start-and-build-from-there attitude, I still haven't expanded my collection beyond the Army Painter line. If something ever comes up that I can't get from them, I'd probably seek it from other lines before Reaper. Other than drow nipple pink, of course, I'd definitely buy a bottle of that.

 

That's my two cents, but paint preferences are wildly personal.

 

Also, WELCOME! These forums are one of the bestest places on the internets, and better now for having you.

Edited June 29, 2019 by Fnordlover

[Doug Sundseth]

23 minutes ago, Face_Rollan said:

So no major differences, like Vallejo game vs model color? 

 

Thanks again for the info and previous replies. 

 

There's a bit of difference between Bones/HD-branded (the HD brand has been cancelled, but it's still available some places and is basically the same as Bones) and MSP-branded paints. but within the MSP line, there isn't the kind of systematic difference there is between VMC and VGC.

[WhiteWulfe]

My personal vote would be for the Bones Colours full set, as it gives a decent variety with its 54 colours, has some nice metallics in there too... Then maybe add in the Bones Dungeon as well as Monsters sets...  And then add from there as desired. 

 

But I tend to prefer Bones over MSP, although just slightly. 

[Face_Rollan]

1 hour ago, Doug Sundseth said:

 

There's a bit of difference between Bones/HD-branded (the HD brand has been cancelled, but it's still available some places and is basically the same as Bones) and MSP-branded paints. but within the MSP line, there isn't the kind of systematic difference there is between VMC and VGC.

Is the HD the one that's a hybrid gel medium? 

[Doug Sundseth]

1 hour ago, Face_Rollan said:

Is the HD the one that's a hybrid gel medium? 

 

I don't think it's a gel. I do think that it's a thicker acrylic medium, possibly with a higher pigment load. They feel different in use, but not all that much different.

 

Most people who use MSP regularly have no problem (and no real change to the way the paint is used), in alternating between MSP and Bones lines.

[buglips*the*goblin]

On 6/29/2019 at 2:52 PM, Face_Rollan said:

I've also considered the Vallejo Model set, and Army Painter Mega Set.

 

Vallejo model colour is a useful line, but I would strongly recommend against Army Painter.  It's very cheaply made, and it shows.  I do not often declare paint lines to be junk, being that I can usually find something good to say about any of them, but Army Painter is the first line I've come across that I would absolutely write off as a waste of money.  It's a special kind of terrible, I can't understand how it's still on the market.  It's so low on my list that if I buy a paint set for a specific army or period that was compiled by a game manufacturer, and if the paint set comes with Army Painter mixed in among the VMC, the AP goes immediately into the trash so I don't accidentally use it.  I have a well-earned reputation as a paint hoarder, so if I'm throwing something away that's a pretty strong statement.  

[Gadgetman!]

I have an earlier AP Megs set, that I'd give you for free, except that I'm not that cruel.

 

The white was way past chalky, and heading towards spackle... 

There's no agitator beads in the bottles, and because the bottles are slightly smaller than other brands, they're also much fuller, so they can be very difficult to shake up properly unless you have a vortex mixer.   

 

They have some washes in large cans for DIPPING minis, and also a large series of coloured spray primers, but that's all I'd recommend from them.  

 

For a beginner, I'd suggest either grabbing a Bones set, or the two Learn To Paint Kits, and adding to those as you need to. 

(The Bones Metallics are nice, but need a lot of shaking before use)

If you decide on a Non-Bones core set, I'd suggest that you still pick up the Dragon White. 

 

Vallejo have some good stuff. 

I use a lot of their primers, sealers, diluters and stuff. 

(Most importantly is that the primers and sealants comes in larger bottles. )

 

Scale75 have some really sweet metallics.  

(Comes in sets with  a shade, midtone, highlight and 'accent colours, with each set targeted towards a different type of metallic such as Copper, Gold, Steel))

 

And GreenStuffWorld has recently launched a set of coloured metallics, with Reds, Blues, Greens, instead of the traditional metallics. Probably good for armor...   (I haven't had time to play with the ones I bought, yet)  

 

 

[Madog Barfog]

If you're asking the difference between Vallejo Game Color and Vallejo Model Color, that's easy.

 

Model Color is based on the colors used by militaries around the world, and is meant for display pieces. That means it might not stick so well.

 

Game Color is more akin to standard GW colors, and is meant to be a tougher paint for minis that are played with.

 

For gaming minis, I'd pick the VGC between the two of those. However, while I've been using Vallejo in the past, I prefer Reaper Master Series and have been switching over as I run out of Vallejo paint. Eventually, the only Vallejo color I'm likely to have is Smoke. It has issues, but I like it a lot.

[Highlander]

On 6/29/2019 at 11:22 AM, Face_Rollan said:

I'm looking into buying a complete paint set. I've been doing a ton of research and have settled on a reaper core set ...  I just want to make it simple, buy a set and build from there. 

 

I agree.  I'd go whole hog on Reaper MSP.  You already like the paint and leaning to work with one manufacturer's paints is a solid step forward in painting.  HST, I love Scale 75's colors and I've moved strongly into their paints ... having learned with Reaper.

 

On 6/29/2019 at 11:22 AM, Face_Rollan said:

I'll mostly be painting 40k and privateer press models with some terrain and 3d prints mixed in (i have a cheapo set of acrylics from Michael's for large terrain and 3d prints).

 

If these are you subjects and you're not doing competition minis ... again ... Reaper MSP.

[buglips*the*goblin]

3 hours ago, Highlander said:

I agree.  I'd go whole hog on Reaper MSP.  You already like the paint and leaning to work with one manufacturer's paints is a solid step forward in painting.  HST, I love Scale 75's colors and I've moved strongly into their paints ... having learned with Reaper.

 

Highlander makes a good point here.  Reaper is a good, versatile "middle paint".  If I were to take Vallejo, Reaper, and Scale 75 it would shake out like this:

 

Vallejo:  Tends to flatten and blend layers together.  This makes it more forgiving because you don't have to finesse it, but also makes it more work to get good high contrast.  You have to put more layers to build up a highlight, and add more paint to change or lighten/darken it.  It's a good paint line, but having to work it hard to highlight means you get used to a more extreme ratio.  

 

Reaper:  Versatile, easy to use.  Reasonably forgiving, but takes less work to get to a high contrast.  If you go from Vallejo to Reaper you'll probably overcompensate and wind up with transitions too stark.  Reaper is well-behaved and pretty consistent, and can be used with gentle care so it'll let you do a lot and work on your skills and technique.  This makes it good as a starter paint that lets you grow into more advanced work.

 

Scale 75:  Great line, but can be finicky if you don't really know what you're doing.  This is a line that really needs gentle work to get the most out of.  I tend not to use it because my technique is too brutish to really get much out of it, but that's more my limitation than the paint's.

 

All of these lines are good, just different.  Reaper being in the middle means that if you learn how to make it work, the other two will be easier to figure out and use.  I sometimes see longtime Vallejo users try Reaper paint and not like it, and I think that's because they're not used to how quickly it can go from "just enough" to "too much" because with Vallejo you really almost have to brute force it into high contrast.  Using that method with Reaper (I tested this on a demo model) will result in a stark and streaky look.  This gets interpreted as "bad to layer with" but that's not true, you just have to be more gentle with it.  Going from Reaper to Vallejo is much easier because it's immediately apparant that you can be more rough with it and that's easy to compensate for.  Similarly, if you're used to thinning and carefully blending Reaper then it's not much of a leap to move onto Scale 75 and work with it.    

 

The sum of this is that while the Reaper line itself is very versatile, it's also versatile training if you decide to try other paint lines.  I use a lot of Vallejo because I like the convenience of the military colours being pre-mixed, and also because I don't need to be too careful with them if I want to belt out a mess of infantry.  For fantasy I would probably use mostly Reaper.  Scale 75 is useful for good contrast, vivid colours, and is worth learning its quirks to get a lot out of it.  

 

Other paint brands fall somewhere on these spectrums.  There are more good paint lines than bad ones, and more selection today than ever before, but how you want to use your paint is at least as important as what paint you want to use.  In trying to figure that out, Reaper is a great place to start because it's a good combination of useful traits and relatively few bad habits.  

[Inarah]

On 6/30/2019 at 4:01 PM, buglips*the*goblin said:

... I would strongly recommend against Army Painter.  It's very cheaply made, and it shows.  I do not often declare paint lines to be junk, being that I can usually find something good to say about any of them, but Army Painter is the first line I've come across that I would absolutely write off as a waste of money.  It's a special kind of terrible, I can't understand how it's still on the market.  It's so low on my list that if I buy a paint set for a specific army or period that was compiled by a game manufacturer, and if the paint set comes with Army Painter mixed in among the VMC, the AP goes immediately into the trash so I don't accidentally use it.  I have a well-earned reputation as a paint hoarder, so if I'm throwing something away that's a pretty strong statement.  

 

On the other hand, Army Painter inks are some of the better ones available. Transparent (not muddy like Reapers), and they don't leave 'tide marks' like some other popular brands.  I go through several bottles of Strong Tone (brown) a year, and Dark Tone (black) is useful too.