Best Miniature Painting Kits and Starter Sets
A miniature painting kit puts paints and the tools to use them in one box, so a first model can be finished without a shopping list. The contents differ far more than the box art suggests. Some kits are paint sets with a brush added. Others include clippers and a mold line scraper for building plastic models, a practice miniature, or a wet palette and a painting handle. Check four things before buying: how many paints you get and in what bottle size (18 to 20 ml droppers last far longer than 10 ml bottles), whether a wash and a metallic are included, how many brushes come in the box and in what sizes, and whether there is something to paint. No kit here includes a spray primer, so plan for a can of grey or black primer as well. This guide compares learn-to-paint boxes with miniatures, brand starter sets from The Army Painter and Citadel, and budget all-in-one kits with brushes and palettes, and lists what each box contains.
The short version
We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.4 to 8.6 out of 10.
- Best overall:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush. Highest overall score in this guide at 8.6/10.
- Also great value:Nicpro All-In-One Miniature Painting Kit, 18 Colors Starter Model Paint Set. Value score of 9/10, overall 7.8/10.
- Solid build:Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn to Paint Kit Core Skills, Master Series Paint Box Set. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.4/10.
- Feature-rich:Nicpro All-in-One Miniature Painting Kit with 18 Model Paints & Wet Palette. Features score of 9/10, overall 8.0/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush
Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set of 10 x 18 mL contrast-style paints with a basecoating brush.
Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn to Paint Kit Core Skills, Master Series Paint Box Set
Reaper's Learn to Paint Kit: Core Skills, a guided box set that teaches layering and shading with Master Series paints.
#1Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set of 10 x 18 mL contrast-style paints with a basecoating brush.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + Speedpaint 2.0 is reformulated for more even flow and less pooling
- + 10 bottles give enough range to finish a small warband quickly
- + Basecoating brush is suited to laying speed paint over broad areas
- - Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip
- - Requires a light undercoat, which is not included in the box
#2Reaper's Learn to Paint Kit: Core Skills, a guided box set that teaches layering and shading with Master Series paints.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Structured lessons walk beginners through core techniques step by step
- + Includes paints, brushes and practice figures chosen to match the lessons
- + Great for self-taught painters who want a clear learning path
- - Colors are chosen for the lessons, not for any particular army scheme
- - Experienced painters will find the guided content too basic
#3Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 Paints + Tools Set (2023 Edition) holds 13 Citadel paints plus a starter brush, starter clippers and a mouldline scraper to assemble, prepare and paint miniatures.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Thirteen Citadel paints: nine Base colors plus a Layer, a Contrast, the Agrax Earthshade shade and a Technical texture paint
- + Includes Citadel Starter Clippers and a Mouldline Scraper, tools that most paint-only kits leave out
- + Colors cover black, white, bone, blue, red, purple, a silver and a gold, enough to finish a first squad
- - Only one starter brush is included, so a finer detail brush is a likely early add-on
- - No miniatures or glue in the box, and the listing does not state the pot size
#4The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Starter Set Combo packs 11 x 18ml acrylic paints with a starter brush, a basecoating brush and a miniature figure, so painting can start straight from the box.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Eleven 18ml Warpaints Fanatic paints, described in the listing as highly pigmented with strong coverage
- + Includes two brushes (starter and basecoating) and a miniature figure to practice on
- + Paints belong to the Flexible Colour Triad system, so matching shades and highlights can be added later
- - No clippers, glue or other assembly tools, so building a plastic kit needs a separate purchase
- - Eleven colors is a tight palette, and the listing does not name the exact colors in the box
#5Nicpro All-in-One Miniature Painting Kit with Wet Palette adds a painting handle and a stay-wet palette to 18 model paints in 20ml dropper bottles, thinner, 8 detail brushes and 3 drybrushes.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 6/10 · Value 7/10
- + Painting handle with mounting putty, 360 degree rotation and swappable caps holds the model while you work
- + Triple wet and dry palette with lid, 2 gray sponges and 50 sheets of palette paper keeps paint workable
- + 18 pre-thinned paints in 20ml dropper bottles plus 11 brushes cover the same ground as the basic Nicpro kit
- - Costs roughly twice the basic 18-color Nicpro kit, so it only pays off if you want the handle and wet palette
- - Still no miniature or primer in the box, despite the all-in-one name
#6Nicpro All-In-One Miniature Painting Kit is a 32-piece set: 18 acrylic model paints in 20ml bottles, a thinner, 8 detail brushes, 3 drybrushes, a plastic mixing palette and a color wheel.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 6/10 · Value 9/10
- + 18 colors at 20 ml each, pre-thinned for brush painting and listed as drying to a matte finish
- + 11 brushes in the box: 8 detail brushes from #2 down to 10/0 plus 3 domed drybrushes
- + Comes with thinner, a mixing palette, a color wheel and a printed instruction sheet for beginners
- - No miniature, primer or assembly tools are included, so you still need a model and a primer
- - A newer hobby brand, so its colors do not map onto the Citadel or Army Painter names used in most tutorials
#7FansArriche Model Paint set includes 28 bottles of acrylic model paint at 0.34 fl oz each, 2 thinners, 8 detail brushes and 2 drybrushes. The range covers basic tones, skin tones, shadow colors and metallics.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 6/10 · Value 8/10
- + 28 colors including skin tones and metallics give the widest palette among the budget kits here
- + Pre-thinned for both brush and airbrush use, with two bottles of thinner for further adjustment
- + Ten brushes are included: 8 detail brushes and 2 drybrushes for texture and highlights
- - Bottles are small at 0.34 fl oz (about 10 ml), half the volume of the 18 to 20 ml bottles in other kits
- - An unfamiliar brand, with no palette, painting handle or miniature in the box
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint...)
- Colors are chosen for the lessons, not for any particular army scheme (Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn to Paint Kit...)
- Only one starter brush is included, so a finer detail brush is a likely early add-on (Games Workshop - Warhammer 40,000: Paints +...)
- No clippers, glue or other assembly tools, so building a plastic kit needs a separate purchase (The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Starter...)
- Costs roughly twice the basic 18-color Nicpro kit, so it only pays off if you want the handle and wet palette (Nicpro All-in-One Miniature Painting Kit with...)
- No miniature, primer or assembly tools are included, so you still need a model and a primer (Nicpro All-In-One Miniature Painting Kit, 18...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among miniature painting kits and starter sets?
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush is our top overall pick. Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set of 10 x 18 mL contrast-style paints with a basecoating brush. It earns our score of 8.6/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn to Paint Kit Core Skills, Master Series Paint Box Set is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Reaper's Learn to Paint Kit: Core Skills, a guided box set that teaches layering and shading with Master Series paints.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Mini Paint Lab independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
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