Army Painter makes two paint lines that solve different problems: Warpaints Fanatic, a traditional acrylic range built for full control over layering and detail, and Speedpaint 2.0, an ink-wash hybrid built to take a model from primer to tabletop-ready in one or two coats. Most painters end up owning both rather than picking one over the other.
What is in the Army Painter range
Warpaints Fanatic is the larger of the two lines, a base-color acrylic range with dedicated metallics, washes, and technical effect paints mixed in. Speedpaint 2.0 is a smaller, purpose-built line of ink-and-acrylic hybrids plus its own metallics, designed to pool into recesses and shade automatically as it dries.
| Range | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Warpaints Fanatic | Full acrylic range: bases, washes, metallics, technicals | Layered, detailed painting |
| Speedpaint 2.0 | Ink-acrylic hybrid speed paints plus metallics | Fast, tabletop-ready armies |
How Warpaints Fanatic is built
Warpaints Fanatic is dominated by flat base colors, which make up the bulk of the range, alongside a solid block of technical effect paints, a set of metallics for armor and trim, and a smaller run of washes for recessing and shading. That mix mirrors how most painters actually work: mostly base coats, with washes and metallics used sparingly to finish a model. If you already own a Citadel or Vallejo base collection, Fanatic slots in as a direct swap using the Army Painter to Citadel conversion chart or the Citadel to Army Painter chart to match colors you already know.
How Speedpaint 2.0 is built
Speedpaint 2.0 is almost entirely dedicated speed paints, with a small run of speed metallics rounding out the line. It is not meant to replace a full base coat collection. It is meant to replace the base, wash, and highlight steps on large batches of infantry where getting armies on the table matters more than competition-level blending. Painters who own Fanatic for characters and centerpiece models often keep Speedpaint 2.0 on hand specifically for rank-and-file units.
Which one should you buy first
If you are painting one model at a time and want full control over shading and highlights, start with Warpaints Fanatic and its included washes. If you are staring down a full army of identical infantry and want it table-ready fast, start with Speedpaint 2.0 over a light zenithal primer, since the ink pools into recesses on its own and does most of the shading work for you. Many painters run Fanatic bases with a Speedpaint wash layered over the top as a middle path, getting the depth of a wash with the speed of a hybrid formula.
Army Painter's starter and mega sets exist for exactly this reason: a curated cross-section of the range so you are not guessing at 200-plus individual pots on a first purchase. The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Starter Set(affiliate link) covers core bases and a wash or two, while the Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set(affiliate link) is built for exactly the fast-army workflow described above.
How Army Painter compares to Citadel and Vallejo
Army Painter sits closer to Vallejo than Citadel on bottle format and consistency, both using dropper bottles instead of Citadel's pot format, which matters if you are setting up a wet palette workflow. See the full Army Painter vs Vallejo comparison for a side by side on catalog size and finish coverage. Whichever range you land on, a wet palette(affiliate link) keeps thinned Army Painter acrylics workable across a painting session instead of skinning over in twenty minutes.
FAQ
What is the difference between Army Painter and Army Painter Speedpaint?
Army Painter is the company; Warpaints Fanatic and Speedpaint 2.0 are two separate paint lines under that name. Fanatic is a standard acrylic range, Speedpaint is an ink-hybrid shading formula.
Is Army Painter as good as Citadel?
The two ranges cover overlapping colors with different bottle formats and slightly different consistencies. Neither is objectively better; painters pick based on bottle preference, price point, and whether they already own one range's washes or metallics.
Do I need both Warpaints Fanatic and Speedpaint?
No, but many painters keep both: Fanatic for detailed, layered work and Speedpaint for fast batch painting of large units. Starting with one and adding the other later is a common path.
What comes in an Army Painter paint set?
Army Painter sells both a starter set and a larger mega set for Warpaints Fanatic, plus a dedicated Speedpaint 2.0 starter set, each curated to cover core bases, a metallic or two, and a wash without buying the full range at once.
Does Army Painter make its own primer?
Yes, Army Painter sells a liquid brush-on colour primer alongside its paint lines, which pairs directly with either range without needing a separate primer brand.