There is no best range of miniature paints in the abstract, because the ranges differ on axes that matter differently to different painters: pigment density, pot format, colour count, published recipes and, not least, whether your local shop stocks them. What can be said usefully is how they differ and which differences actually change what happens at your desk.
Best miniature paints: the ranking, and the criterion
- Citadel: The deepest UK stockist coverage of any hobby range and an explicit base, layer, shade, contrast and technical system, so the recipes assume the other pots and the colours are designed to sit on each other. Ranked first on the stated basis, which is availability over a long project rather than price or pigment.
- Vallejo: Dropper bottles rather than pots, which meters paint, wastes less and suits thinning on a palette or spraying through an airbrush. A wide colour count including dedicated model and game lines, and it is the range whose entry price was lowest of the three retailers read for this index.
- The Army Painter: Built around speed: the Speedpaint line finishes a tabletop model in one coat and the range pairs its paints with matched primer sprays, so a whole force can be primed and based in a matched colour without cross-range guessing.
- Scale75: A denser, more matt artist-style acrylic aimed at display painting rather than tabletop speed. It rewards careful thinning and punishes careless application, which makes it the wrong first range and a common second one.
The differences that show up on the model
Pigment density decides how many coats a colour needs, and it varies enough between ranges to be obvious. A dense paint covers in one or two thin coats; a thinner one covers in three, which is time rather than money but is still a cost. The second visible difference is finish: some ranges dry noticeably more matt than others, which matters when you mix ranges on one model. The third is the behaviour of the medium under a wet palette and through an airbrush, where some ranges are markedly easier than others.
Format, and why painters argue about it
Flip-top pots are convenient at the desk and dry out as the lid seal ages. Dropper bottles meter paint precisely, waste less and suit anyone thinning on a palette or spraying, and they are more awkward for dipping a brush straight in. This is genuinely a preference rather than a hierarchy, and the strength of feeling it generates is out of proportion to the stakes. What is not preference is volume: pot sizes differ between ranges, so a shelf price comparison that ignores millilitres is misleading.
Why availability beats specification
The practical constraint on a paint range is whether you can still buy the exact colour in two years, because a half-painted force in a discontinued shade is a genuine problem. Ranges backed by wide stockists and stable colour lines are worth a lot for that reason alone, and it is the argument that most often overrides a small advantage in pigment or price. Checking that the shops you actually buy from carry the range deeply, rather than carrying a token selection, is worth doing before committing a collection to it.
Questions people ask about best miniature paints
Which miniature paint range is best?
None in the abstract. Ranges differ in pigment density, pot format, colour count and stockist depth, and the last of those often matters most for a long project.
Do more expensive paints cover better?
Often, because they carry more pigment, but pot size differs between ranges so the shelf price is a poor comparison. Compare per millilitre and by how many coats a colour needs.
Can I mix paint ranges on one model?
Yes, and most painters do. Watch for differences in finish, since some ranges dry more matt than others, which shows where two ranges meet.