Buy list · ~£100 · UK

Your mini-painting kit

Everything to paint your 3D prints to Warhammer standard — tick it off at the shop. Ordered the way you'll actually use it: prime → paint → shade → finish. The bar at the bottom tracks what's left to buy.

01Primethe foundation

Grey primer spray

Even base coat + it buries FDM layer lines. Halfords Grey or Army Painter Uniform Grey. The single most important thing for good results on prints.

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£11approx

02Paintthe colour

Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 — Starter Set

One-coat paints that flow into recesses and shade themselves. On bigger 3D prints these get you to a great look fast — the modern game-changer.

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£24approx

Warpaints Fanatic — Starter Set (swap/add)

Classic layer-it-up paints if you want more hands-on control than one-coats. Great box, but £28 on its own — treat it as an upgrade, not part of the £97.

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£28not in total

03Shadethe magic step

Citadel Nuln Oil + Agrax Earthshade

The two legendary washes. Flow them over a basecoat and detail just appears — instant depth, recesses and edges pop. Don't skip these; they do the heavy lifting.

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£13approx

04Brushes

Army Painter hobby brush set

Your workhorses — basecoats, drybrushing, big areas. A set covers every size you'll reach for day to day.

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£12approx

Winsor & Newton Series 7 #1 (sable)

The one proper detail brush — Kolinsky sable, holds a razor point for eyes, edges, fine lines. One good brush beats ten cheap ones.

Splurge worth itfind on Amazon →

£12approx

05Finishalways last

Matt varnish spray (Army Painter Anti-Shine)

Seals the paint so it never chips or rubs off with handling. One or two light coats at the very end. Matt kills the plasticky shine.

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£11approx

06Prepfor 3D prints

Hobby knife + needle file set

Clean off seams/supports and knock back FDM layer lines before you prime. Resin prints are already mini-smooth; FDM wants a quick tidy.

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£8approx

Wet palette

Keeps your paint usable for hours instead of drying on a plate — smoother blends, less waste. A cheap one's fine (or DIY with a tub + baking paper + sponge).

Nice to havefind on Amazon →

£6approx

Tight on cash? The 4-thing minimum still gets great results: primer + Nuln Oil/Agrax + Speedpaint set + matt varnish (~£54). Add the brush set next, sable brush after that.

3D-print tip: for glass-smooth FDM, sand lightly then lay a coat of filler-primer before your grey primer — it hides the layer lines. And try a zenithal prime (black undercoat, white sprayed from directly above) for instant built-in shadows before you paint. Prices are approximate UK retail — check at the till.