The Army Painter Warpaints Air Starter Set, 12 x 18 mL Pre-Thinned Acrylic Airbrush Paints, incl. 1 Metallic & 1 Grey 100 mL Primer Review (2026)

Who this airbrush starter set is for

This set targets painters who already own or are buying an airbrush and want a ready to spray paint system rather than assembling colors and a separate thinner from scratch. Twelve colors covering matt black, matt white, a metallic, and a spread of common army colors like greenskin, ultramarine blue and barbarian flesh give enough range to prime, basecoat and pick out metal details on a first airbrushed army without ordering more paint mid project. Because the paints are pre-thinned specifically for airbrush use, someone who only paints with a brush gets little benefit from this set and should look at standard bottled acrylics instead, since airbrush ready paint is generally too thin for effective brush coverage. For a painter setting up an airbrush station for the first time, though, having primer and color together in one purchase removes a common early stumbling block.

What is included and how the colors are organized

The set includes 12 bottles of Warpaints Air colors at 18 mL each, covering Matt Black, Matt White, Greenskin, Daemonic Yellow, Pure Red, Leather Brown, Barbarian Flesh, Ultramarine Blue, Plate Mail Metal, Alien Purple, Skeleton Bone and Uniform Grey, plus a separate 100 mL bottle of grey primer. Army Painter organizes its Warpaints Air range into matched triads meant to pair shadow, midtone and highlight shades together, which this starter set draws from to give a workable spread rather than a random assortment. Every bottle, including the primer, ships with mixing balls preloaded to keep pigment suspended, and the acrylic formula carries the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, indicating a lower environmental impact formulation compared with solvent based airbrush paints.

Getting the airbrush running and keeping it clean

Because the paints are pre-thinned, they can be poured directly into most airbrushes without adding water or a separate thinning medium first, which shortens setup time considerably compared with thinning bottled acrylics by hand. The grey primer goes down first as a base coat, giving the subsequent colors something consistent to adhere to and a mid tone base that works well for shading and highlighting with the darker colors in the twelve bottle range. Airbrushes clog quickly if paint is left sitting in the nozzle between colors, so flushing with water or cleaner between each color change matters more with an airbrush than it does with a brush, where leftover paint on bristles is less likely to ruin the next session. Keeping the mixing balls in each bottle and shaking before use helps prevent the pigment settling that can otherwise clog fine airbrush nozzles.

How this starter set compares with other airbrush options

A 16 color acrylic airbrush set from a rival paint brand covers a similar entry point with a broader base color range but does not include a primer in the same bundle, meaning a first time buyer needs a separate purchase to prime models. A larger 126 color complete airbrush range from the same Army Painter line offers far more depth for a painter who already knows they want to commit fully to airbrushing, at a proportionally higher price than this smaller starter set. An entry level dual action airbrush itself, sold separately from paint, is worth considering alongside this set for anyone who does not yet own the spray tool this paint is designed for. Against these, this starter set earns its spot by pairing primer and a workable color range in one affordable first purchase rather than requiring several separate buys to get started.

Verdict and when a different starter kit fits better

Buy this set if you are setting up an airbrush for miniature painting for the first time and want primer plus a workable color range bundled together rather than sourced separately. It earns our score of 8.8 out of 10, reflecting strong value and a sensible color spread, with a small deduction since the included grey primer is a better match for darker army schemes than for bright, light colored ones. Painters planning mostly white, yellow or other pale color schemes should budget for a white primer separately, since grey will require more coats to get a bright base underneath. Anyone who already owns Army Painter's Warpaints Air primers and just needs color range should compare this against the larger complete set instead, which offers far more colors for a painter ready to commit further.

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