P3 paint is the acrylic line built for Privateer Press miniatures, sold as Formula P3 and organized around the factions and color schemes of Warmachine and Hordes. If you own Cygnar, Khador, Cryx, or any of the other Privateer Press factions, the range gives you named colors that match faction schemes directly, similar to how Citadel names colors after Warhammer factions.
What is in the P3 range
Formula P3 splits into two ranges in the catalog here: the core Formula P3 line of base acrylics, and a separate P3 Metallic line for golds, steels, and bronzes such as Pig Iron and Radiant Platinum. The core line covers the usual jobs a painter needs: deep blacks like Coal Black, off whites like Menoth White, and a wide spread of faction reds, blues, and greens for Khador, Cygnar, and Cryx armies.
Bottle sizes and cap style differ from Citadel and Vallejo, which trips up painters switching brands for the first time. The paint itself handles like a mid-body acrylic: thinner than straight-from-pot Citadel base colors, closer in consistency to Vallejo Model Color once you factor in a drop of water or medium.
How P3 compares to Citadel and Vallejo
P3 does not try to be a full hobby ecosystem the way Citadel or Vallejo does. There is no dedicated contrast-style one-coat line and no technical effects range built into Formula P3 the way Citadel has textures and technical paints. What you get instead is a tight, faction-organized base and metallic lineup that covers Warmachine and Hordes color schemes without needing much mixing.
If you already paint other systems in Citadel or Vallejo and are adding a Privateer Press army, you do not need to replace your existing kit. Cross-brand color matching works the same way it does for any two ranges: look up the closest match by converting P3 to Vallejo or P3 to Citadel and reuse washes, drybrush colors, and metallics you already own rather than buying a second full set.
Where P3 fits for a new painter
For someone starting exclusively in Warmachine or Hordes, a P3 Paints Starter Set(affiliate link) gets you faction-relevant colors without guessing which twenty from a huge Citadel or Vallejo core set you actually need. For someone already invested in another brand, buying single P3 bottles for faction-specific colors and matching everything else with the converter is the more economical route.
Metallics are worth calling out on their own, since Warmachine armies lean heavily on steel, brass, and bronze trim. The P3 Metallic line covers that need directly rather than forcing a workaround with a general-purpose metallic from another brand.
Storage and shelf life
P3 bottles use a standard flip-top dropper cap, similar in behavior to Vallejo, rather than the twist-off pot lid Citadel uses. That makes P3 easier to store upright in a standard dropper-bottle rack rather than needing a pot-shaped slot. Like any acrylic, the paint separates over long storage, so give a bottle a firm shake before use if it has sat unopened for a while, and check consistency on a palette before applying it straight to a model.
Building a Warmachine or Hordes palette from scratch
A practical way to start is to buy the faction-defining colors first, the two or three tones that make an army instantly recognizable at a glance, then fill in secondary colors like metallics, leather, and skin with either more P3 bottles or matches from a brand you already own. This keeps the early cost down while still getting a full faction scheme finished quickly. Painters who already keep a broad Citadel or Vallejo collection often find they only need to add five or six P3-specific bottles to cover an entire faction's signature colors, with the rest of the scheme built from paint already on the shelf.
FAQ
Is P3 the same as Privateer Press paint?
Yes, Formula P3 is the official Privateer Press acrylic paint line, named after the company's in-house rules and hobby division.
Do I need P3 paints to play Warmachine or Hordes?
No. Tabletop games do not require a specific paint brand. P3 simply gives you colors pre-matched to official faction schemes, which saves the guesswork of building those colors from another range.
Can I mix P3 with Citadel or Vallejo on the same model?
Yes, all three are acrylic and mix and layer together without issue once dry. Many painters use P3 base colors with Citadel washes or Vallejo metallics on the same miniature.
Does P3 have contrast-style one-coat paints?
No, the core P3 range is built around traditional base and layer application, not a one-coat contrast system. If you want that workflow, look at a Citadel Contrast or Army Painter Speedpaint alongside your P3 collection.
Where does P3 fall on price compared to Citadel and Vallejo?
P3 sits in the same general bracket as Citadel and Vallejo Model Color, a mid-range acrylic rather than a budget or premium outlier.