Yes, if you are starting a full army or hobby collection from zero and want the widest spread of Warpaints Fanatic in one purchase, including its effect paints. This is the largest box in the Army Painter starter lineup: fifty pieces built to take a painter from bare plastic to a finished, weathered miniature without a second trip to buy basics. It is also the only starter tier Fanatic set that ships with real texture and glaze effects rather than just base colors and a wash.
What is in the box
Fifty pieces in total: thirty six acrylic colors, four skin tones, three metallics, three Technical effect paints, four washes, plus a paint station and a brush. The specific names of the thirty six general acrylics, the four skin tones, and the four washes were not itemized in the source material used to build this guide, so treat that part of the list as a category count rather than a confirmed color roster, and check the current product listing if you need exact shade names before buying. What is confirmed and worth building the buying decision around are the three effect paints, all present in the current Army Painter catalog.
Effect colors: what they actually do
This is the set's real differentiator against the smaller Starter Set, which has no effects at all. All three are Technical type paints, meaning they are applied over a finished base coat as a texture or glaze rather than used as a standalone color.
| Color | Type | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| True Blood | Technical, translucent red glaze | Wounds, gore, and blood spatter on skin or weapons |
| Fresh Rust | Technical, stippled texture | Orange brown corrosion built up on metal surfaces |
| Oozing Vomit | Technical, translucent glaze | Sickly yellow green slime for basing or monster ichor |
True Blood goes on last, dabbed into a wound or dripped down a blade, and its translucency means the color underneath still shows through, which is what makes it read as wet blood instead of flat red paint. Fresh Rust works the opposite way: it has texture in the pot, not just pigment, and you stipple it onto a metal basecoat with a stiff brush so it builds up small raised particles that catch light like real corrosion. Oozing Vomit sits between the two, a glaze with enough body to pool in recesses on a base or drip from a monster's mouth, and it reads as fresh slime rather than a green stain because the color stays translucent over whatever is underneath.
None of the three work as a basecoat on their own. Apply your normal colors first, prime and paint the model as usual, then bring these in at the very end as the last step before varnish.
Coverage gaps
Three effect paints is a strong start but a narrow slice of what Army Painter's full effects range offers. There is no verdigris, no oil stains, and no dry blood in this box, so painters who want a wider weathering palette will still end up buying individual Warpaints Fanatic Effects pots later. The thirty six general acrylics also cannot be assumed to cover every faction color you need, since the exact names were not confirmed here, so check the listing against your specific army before assuming this one box is a complete solution.
Who this suits
Anyone starting a Warpaints Fanatic collection from scratch who wants gore, rust, and slime effects available immediately rather than added later, and anyone who prefers buying one large set instead of stacking several smaller boxes as they figure out what they need.
Who should skip it
Painters who already own a broad Fanatic collection and just want the effect paints should buy True Blood, Fresh Rust, and Oozing Vomit individually instead of the whole fifty piece box. If you specifically want a smaller, cheaper entry point, the Starter Set or the mid-size Most Wanted Set will cost less, at the tradeoff of fewer colors and, in the Starter Set's case, no effects at all.
Buy it
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Mega Set on Amazon(affiliate link)
FAQ
What effect paints come in the Mega Set?
True Blood, Fresh Rust, and Oozing Vomit, covering blood, rust, and slime. All three apply over a finished base coat rather than as a standalone color.
Do the effect paints replace a wash?
No. Washes shade recesses across the whole model, while these three are targeted glazes and textures used in specific spots for a specific look. Use them alongside a wash, not instead of one.
Is the Mega Set enough to paint a full army?
For color variety, mostly yes for a first army. It will not stretch across a large, varied force forever, and painters building multiple factions will eventually need to top up specific colors.
How does the Mega Set compare to buying effect paints separately?
If you only want the three effect colors, buying them as singles is cheaper and skips the general acrylics you might not need. The Mega Set makes sense when you also need the base colors, metallics, and washes at the same time.