# Vallejo VS Citadel



## hacknslashgamer

This is not meant to be an advertisment for either just curious what people like to use.
I have heard that Vallejo is almost 1.50 cheaper but citadel is better.

Or some of each I will be painting a Blood Angel similar colors but different Chapter and a Salamander Space Marine army.


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## magician847

vajello is cheaper, and you get more paint in the bottle, and it lasts longer, and is generally better than citadel paints, i wanna get some soon, but they dont do a mega paint set... 

<M>


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## HorusReborn

Vallejo is comparable to the Foundation paints. You can't use them straight out of the dropper. That dropper bottle is a perfect creation compared to the citadel "pots" which are shit to be honest. Vallejo has a wider range of colours and pretty much every colour for the spectrum. It eliminates the need to do alot of mixing that you have to do with citadel paints. I use both so I have no qualms about either, but Vallejo does have better coverage and is recommended by most master class painters!


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## lav25gunner

Most professional painters go with the Vallejo brand. It's supposed to be better, cheaper and you get more than the Citadel.


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## dirty-dog-

i too want to get some vallego paints but what do you mean yopu cant use them straight out of the bottle?


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## Vinci76

the vallego paint pots are better designed and easier for mixing paint with.... but its really what you feel most comfortable using.... i think other paint companies are just as good... colour wise, but citadel paint makes it very easy to choose which colours are best for each mini.... especially for beginners... boltgun metal or ultramarine blue... dont get any simpler than that.


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## RecklessFable

I've found that both companies have their strengths. Different pigments seem to better depending on what color you are comparing.

For example, though vallajo has better pigments for many colors, I've found thattheir Tierra Earth is inferior to Graveyard Earth. 

Either way, I need less watering down with vallejo so far, but I only have their neutral tones so far. I have to drive 30 miles to buy Vallejo rather than 6 miles for citadel...

Oh, and I have one pot of P3 (Privateer Press's paints). Seems just like Citadel, but in the original pots. Weird. Like retro paint.


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## RecklessFable

dirty-dog- said:


> i too want to get some vallego paints but what do you mean yopu cant use them straight out of the bottle?


All paints should be thinned down, otherwise you are going to glop over the details.


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## dirty-dog-

i dont really find that with any paints that i have had to use, i maen i have never watered down paints.


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## lav25gunner

Vinci76 said:


> ... citadel paint makes it very easy to choose which colours are best for each mini.... especially for beginners... boltgun metal or ultramarine blue... dont get any simpler than that.


Vallejo has a convertion table precisely for this purpose. For example, the GW Real blue is the Vallejo Imperial blue. Just google "Vallejo Citadel convertion". Better yet, here is the link...
Citadel to Vallajo Paints Conversion Tablel


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## Djinn24

Vallejo does in fact have a paint set, I know because I bought it. As I have said several times I use Vallejo Model and Game colors for almost everything except the foudation paints and washes and some of the P3 paints. IMHO P3 are nothing like the GW paints, they have a better medium and have drying retarder premixed in. I have not tried the Reaper Master Series but I have heard good and bad things about them, mainly good.

As was stated above you should always cut your paints, but water is not always the best thing. A clear Acrylic floor wax is a great cut, as is flow improver as well as some drying retarders. Watering paints dilutes the pigments but helps the paint lay down better.

Another company is Coat D'arms, they are the ones who used to make the GW paints when they were in a Hex bottle.


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## neilbatte

I used both paint types, I prefer vallejo for detail pieces and centre piece models like harlequins but for basic troops I usually just use gamesworkshop stuff as its easier to get hold of. That being said 1 plus point for vallejo paint is that I've yet to have a pot dry out like the GW ones.


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## Syph

I've found a Vallejo stockist now in town, although they only sell the Model Colour paints, as opposed to game colour. 50p cheaper per pot, the dropper is ace. I'll let you know how good they are once I use them a bit more! 

Have to say though, I've never had a problem with GW paints and I've still got some pots from the early 90s that are fine. In fact, the only paints from GW that have ever dried out on me were the ones in the small screw top hexagonal pots. They were pants. Their Foundation paints and Washes are excellent too.


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## Triaspia

hey djinn how much was that kit?


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## dirty-dog-

the set is $189 from the warstore. heres a link:
Clicky!!!


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## humakt

I like Vallejio paints, but dont have a preference. I have found that some colurs are not exact matches. For instance, bleached bone is lighter than bone white. I would probably use just Vallejio paints but its tricky to get them singlarly anywhere in the UK, so I end up getting them mail order.

I would probably be better off ordering the big paint set. Oh and smokey ink is fantastic.

I have heard that the Citadel metalics are better? Anybody have any comments on that?


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## HorusReborn

Citadel Metallics are pretty well used by everyone, military modellers, historical figure painters. They are the rave, and honestly are the best metallics out there


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## Triaspia

189 huh *runs that through a currency converter* :shok: $287 AUD :shok: adding on international shipping charges and fees, it would work out cheeper for me to get the citadel mega paint set for $360 AUD, 1 more colour, more brushes, some flock


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## Djinn24

I got mine "used" form someone and I also have the model color vs thegame color suitcase. Yeah I did forget to mention that Vallejo metallics are shit,unless you are using the alchol based, and I have never tried P3s, I normally stick with GW for those as well.


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## scrotrot

Vallejo and Coat d'arms are better value, and seem just as good if not better than citadel.


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## Vinci76

lav25gunner said:


> Vallejo has a convertion table precisely for this purpose. For example, the GW Real blue is the Vallejo Imperial blue. Just google "Vallejo Citadel convertion". Better yet, here is the link...
> Citadel to Vallajo Paints Conversion Tablel



good link LavGunner.... cheers. :good:


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## magician847

is it possible to like, get a mega paint set of vallejo colours? and also, can you pick the colours that go into it? lol

M


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## dirty-dog-

i might have to look into getting some of the vallejo colours.

also what company was it that done the triad packs?


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## alunno181e

magician847 said:


> is it possible to like, get a mega paint set of vallejo colours? and also, can you pick the colours that go into it? lol
> 
> M


http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php?act=cat&cre=hob-val-gcl

I think this is the best place where you can get your vallejo colours... price is quite cheap but the really good thing is shipping free worldwide .
Site is not mine but it's nice so i think i can share it :grin:


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## magician847

cheers dude, i will have to check that later when I have more time 

M


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## whatwhat

If your like me and you don't paint on a regular basis it has to be Vallejo. Citadel paints dry up really badly because their pots are useless.


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## Djinn24

dirty-dog- said:


> i might have to look into getting some of the vallejo colours.
> 
> also what company was it that done the triad packs?


Vallejo paints sets are locked in but if you buy the general color pack then you should have to pick up very few paints to complete your collection. 

The Traids are done by Reaper Master Series, from what I heard they are slightly better for the casual user then Vallejo (I have not tested) because they pre mix flow aid and drying retarder into the paints (the RMS) while Vallejo only mixes in a drying retarder.

I premix my own Flow Aid and Drying retarder so I like the Vallejo better.

Also the paint brushes you get in the Vallejo set are pretty darn good as well.


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## Death Shroud

Has anyone tried the Foundry paints yet? I'm curious to know what they are like.


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## jordan_darko

Vallejo through and through lots of different tones and shades of one colour and have a way better consistency, citadel make bad paints and they know they do.


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## Troajn

Hi guys,

I have only just decided to learn to paint, so complete noob. Anyway just wanted to say after reading about paints I bought a range form Snm Stuff based in Farnborough Hants.

http://snmstuff.co.uk/VallejoPaints.aspx

The delivery was quick and priced seems to be reasonable, and they seem to stock the whole range, even the sets that djinn24 showed. They also have a mix n match option like you can but 8 colours of your choice for £9.95


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## banik

Just to add another opinion, I bought the Vallejo Game Color set when I was getting into the painting side of the hobby, afer much research. They're a better quality, for the most part, and a much better value.

I'm happy with them so far, just remember to shake them, a lot. In fact, buy a bunch of BBs and put them in the bottles to help.


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## Death Shroud

Cheers for the link Troajn, I've just placed an order on that site for various flesh tones (damn games workshop for killing off "Tanned Flesh"). I've used the Vallejo "Pale Flesh" colour in the past and it seems good, but it doesn't seem to mix too well with the GW stuff (it's hard to judge the mix because of the different pigment levels both companies use).
I've also ordered a few Foundry paints (damn expensive that they appear), I'll let everyone know how they turn out.
I've only used Coat D'Arms paints once or twice (their "flesh" colour) I'm not a huge fan of the colour but the coverage and consistancy seem very good.


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## LandRaiderLove

magician847 said:


> vajello is cheaper, and you get more paint in the bottle, and it lasts longer, and is generally better than citadel paints, i wanna get some soon, but they dont do a mega paint set...
> 
> <M>


 yeah vallejo is better on all fronts, i think the only drawback is im used to proper citadel names, so vallejo's throw me off lol, but yeah everything magician says is true

@magician if you look for wayland games in google they do a set that has all the vallejos but its like a 100 quid


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## LandRaiderLove

banik said:


> Just to add another opinion, I bought the Vallejo Game Color set when I was getting into the painting side of the hobby, afer much research. They're a better quality, for the most part, and a much better value.
> 
> I'm happy with them so far, just remember to shake them, a lot. In fact, buy a bunch of BBs and put them in the bottles to help.


best idea!!! gonna do that right now


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## Troajn

LRL, I'm sure I saw the post on here, but here is a link that shows the vallejo equivalent of the Citadel colours if it's any use

http://www.nugaming.com/html/vallejo_paints.html#CitadelVallajoConversionTable


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## LandRaiderLove

Troajn said:


> LRL, I'm sure I saw the post on here, but here is a link that shows the vallejo equivalent of the Citadel colours if it's any use
> 
> http://www.nugaming.com/html/vallejo_paints.html#CitadelVallajoConversionTable


i must have missed it, but cheers for the linky mate!! :good:


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## Troajn

LandRaiderLove said:


> i must have missed it, but cheers for the linky mate!! :good:


Your welcome.

I ordered some paints and brushes from the Snm Stuff site yesterday morning and the arrived today :biggrin:


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## Death Shroud

Just bought 9 pots of Vallejo stuff from the linky Troajn provided (6 paints plus thinner, matt varnish and smoky ink) and it cost me £13.85 including 2nd class uk post and packing. 

Bought 9 paints (3 of the triple packs at £7.50 each) from foundry and it cost me £30.50 including 1st class post and packing (that's £8 first class postage! wont do that again!). Single pots are available for £3.00 each.

Artemis Blacks are selling Coat D'arms paints for £1.40 each (no idea how much posting and packing are). They do an "Any 10 for £13 deal".

As I said before I'll post my opinions of the Foundry paints, I'm hoping they impress considering amount I paid for the blighters!


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## General Panic

I use Vallejo almost exclusively, disagree with the "their metallics suck" bit. I'm lucky, living in Spain they're the easiest brand to get hold of (being a spanish company), the cheapest by far and the brushes are also fantastic....


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## Death Shroud

The Foundry sets came yesterday with the Vallejo peints arriving today.

The 3 Foundry "sets" (each set is 3 pots, shade, mid-tone and highlight) Charcoal Black, Nipple Pink and Flesh. I have to say I was really impressed. I experimented with the paints on a black undercoated model to see how they'd turn out. The paints covered extremely well, not as well as foundation paints but they are far superior in every other aspect. They went on very smoothly, no grainyness to the paint at all. The Black paint gave the same kind of coverage as the other colours and could not be used as an undercoat in the way you would use Chaos Black however.

Are they worth the 75p more per pot than the GW paints? I'd said, definately yes. The quality alone makes the difference worthwhile but the fact the are 20ml pots doesn't hurt either.

Are they worth the fact they are double the cost of the Vallejo paints? I've only had limited use of the Vallejo paints but I'd say probably not if you are looking to get all your paints from one supplier. But I think I'll definately be buying more paints from them to try.


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