Best Speed Paints for Fast Miniature Painting
Updated How we research
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 Dropper Bottles 18ml incl. 1 Paint Palette and 2 Brushes
Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 dropper bottles of 18ml speed paint plus a palette and 2 brushes.
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL incl. 10 Metallics, 1 Medium & 1 Brush
Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL bottles including 10 metallics, a medium and a brush.
Speed paints are all-in-one acrylic formulas that deliver base color, shading, and a hint of highlight in a single application over a light undercoat. Built for tabletop miniature painters with big backlogs, they turn a hundred-model horde from a months-long project into a few weekends while still looking sharp on the table. The category has grown quickly, and formulas differ more than the marketing suggests. When comparing speed paints, check whether dried layers reactivate when you paint over them, how strongly the paint pools in recesses, opacity on large flat areas, and the breadth of the color range. Bottle design, included mixing balls, and how well the line pairs with standard acrylics for touch-ups also matter.
The short version
We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.6 to 9.1 out of 10.
- Best overall:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 Dropper Bottles 18ml incl. 1 Paint Palette and 2 Brushes. Highest overall score in this guide at 9.1/10.
- Also great value:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush. Value score of 9/10, overall 8.6/10.
- Solid build:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL incl. 10 Metallics, 1 Medium & 1 Brush. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.9/10.
- Feature-rich:The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Set Combo, 90 x 18 mL, 4 Brushes & 1 Paint Palette. Features score of 10/10, overall 8.9/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 Dropper Bottles 18ml incl. 1 Paint Palette and 2 Brushes9.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL incl. 10 Metallics, 1 Medium & 1 Brush8.9/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Set Combo, 90 x 18 mL, 4 Brushes & 1 Paint Palette8.9/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint Set, 10 x 18 mL Acrylic Contrast Paints incl. 1 Basecoating Brush8.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.The Army Painter, Speedpaint Most Wanted Set 2.0, 24 x 18 ml8.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml incl. 1 Metallic and 2 Brushes8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.The Army Painter, Speedpaint Marker Starter Set, 10 x 6 ml7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 dropper bottles of 18ml speed paint plus a palette and 2 brushes.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 10/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 9/10
- + 50 speed paints cover almost any army or display scheme you plan
- + Paint palette and two brushes are included for immediate use
- + Strong per-bottle value for painters committed to speed painting
- - Big upfront spend if you are still unsure about the technique
- - Needs a lot of desk or rack space to keep bottles organized
#2Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL bottles including 10 metallics, a medium and a brush.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 10/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 90 bottles make it the full Speedpaint 2.0 range in one purchase
- + Medium lets you thin speed paints into lighter glazes and tints
- + 10 metallics cover weapons, trim and armor without extra buying
- - Very large investment, best suited to dedicated hobbyists
- - One brush is far too few for a collection of this scale
#3Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Set Combo with 90 x 18 mL paints, 4 brushes and a paint palette.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 10/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Complete speed paint range plus 4 brushes for broad and fine work
- + Palette included, so mixing and thinning start straight away
- + Ideal for clubs or painters running several armies at once
- - Highest price in the guide, which only pays off with heavy use
- - Storage for 90 bottles needs planning before it arrives
#4Army 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
#5The Army Painter Speedpaint Most Wanted Set 2.0 with 24 x 18 ml bottles: 21 popular colours, 2 metallics and a Speedpaint Medium for thinning and blending.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 9/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 21 colours plus 2 metallics cover most armies without buying single bottles
- + Includes Speedpaint Medium, so you can thin the paint without losing the one-coat effect
- + Water-based 2.0 formula is the reformulated version of the original Speedpaint
- - A 24 bottle set is a real investment if you only want to try speed painting
- - One-coat paints need a smooth, light primer underneath to look their best
#6Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml speed paints including 1 metallic and 2 brushes.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Includes a metallic speed paint, so weapons are covered from day one
- + Two brushes let you split broad coats and detail work
- + Combo bundle adds useful extras over the standard starter kit
- - Costs a bit more than the plain starter for a few extras
- - Still limited to one metallic, so trim-heavy minis need more
#7The Army Painter Speedpaint Marker Starter Set, ten 6 ml markers filled with the Speedpaint 2.0 one-coat formula for painting miniatures without a brush.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 6/10
- + Ten Speedpaint 2.0 colours in marker form, so there is no brush to load or clean
- + One-coat formula shades and highlights as it settles, which suits fast army painting
- + Marker tips make it easy to control where the paint goes on small areas
- - 6 ml per marker is a third of an 18 ml bottle, so the cost per millilitre is high
- - Markers suit detail and small models better than big vehicles or terrain
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.
- Big upfront spend if you are still unsure about the technique (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set...)
- Very large investment, best suited to dedicated hobbyists (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete...)
- Highest price in the guide, which only pays off with heavy use (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Set...)
- Only one brush, so fine detail work needs a smaller tip (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Paint...)
- A 24 bottle set is a real investment if you only want to try speed painting (The Army Painter, Speedpaint Most Wanted Set...)
- Costs a bit more than the plain starter for a few extras (The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among speed paints for fast miniature painting?
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 Dropper Bottles 18ml incl. 1 Paint Palette and 2 Brushes is our top overall pick. Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Mega Set Combo, 50 dropper bottles of 18ml speed paint plus a palette and 2 brushes. It earns our score of 9.1/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL incl. 10 Metallics, 1 Medium & 1 Brush is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 Complete Paint Set, 90 x 18 mL bottles including 10 metallics, a medium and a brush.
›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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