Last Updated: November 10, 2026
Miniature painting rewards the right paint far more than it rewards expensive brushes. A set that arrives with dozens of colors can look like a bargain until you discover half the bottles are shades you will never use, or that the pigment is too thick to flow into recesses on a 28 mm figure. The real question behind this keyword is whether you want a small, curated starter selection from a hobby brand, or a large color library that lets you experiment for months without reordering.
This guide is for tabletop wargamers, board game collectors, and model builders who are staging their first army or revisiting the hobby in 2026. We looked at seven sets, comparing bottle count, size, and whether the title states brush, airbrush, or thinner support. Think of your budget in tiers: budget sets favor sheer volume, mid-range kits bundle tools with paint, and premium hobby-brand sets sell consistency. Everything is drawn from the listing details rather than judgments about coverage, so use it to shortlist and then check the color lineup against the figures you plan to paint. A brush-only set and a kids’ craft acrylic bundle were left out, since neither is a miniature paint set in the sense most hobbyists mean.
Quick Picks
Smallbudi 20 Colors Model Paint Set 20ml/0.68oz Miniature Acrylic Paint | With 3 Brushes & 1 Thinner for Brush Use & Airbrushing, Modeling Paint Set for Miniatures Car, Figures, 3D Prints, Crafts
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
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Nicpro 80 Colors Model Paint Set with 8 Thinners & 5 Specialty Bottles | 20ml Ready to Use Acrylic Modeling Paints, Matte Metallic Wash Effect Miniature Paint Kit for Models, Scale Figure & Dioramas
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
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FansArriche Model Paint, 28 Colors with 2 Thinners, 8 Brushes & 2 Drybrush | Airbrush Compatible Miniature Paint Set, Acrylic Model Paint and Brush Set for Miniatures, Gaming Figures, 3D Prints & Crafts
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
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Vallejo - Game Color Introduction Set, 16 Bottles x 0.60 fl oz | 18 ml, acrylic paint set, fantasy and wargame figures paints, eyedropper caps, brush and airbrus happlication, matt finish
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
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Nicpro 18 Colors Model Paint Set, 20ml Ready to Use Modeling Acrylic Paints | Brush & Airbrush Compatible, Miniature Paint Set for Beginners & Artists on Models, Figures, Crafts, Canvas, with 1 Thinner
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
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Nicpro 30 Colors Model Paint Set, 20ml Ready to Use Modeling Acrylic Paints | Brush & Airbrush Compatible, Miniature Paint Set for Beginner & Professional on Model, Scale Figure, Crafts, with 3 Thinner
Included for '6 Best Miniature Paint Sets (November 2026)' as a representative consumer electronics in this roundup; selection reflects the product set returned for this topic.
View on Amazon| Product | Best for | Key spec from the title |
|---|---|---|
| Smallbudi 20 Colors Set | Compact starter with brushes | 20 x 20 ml, 3 brushes, 1 thinner |
| Nicpro 80 Colors Set | Huge color library for big collections | 80 colors, 8 thinners, 5 specialty bottles |
| FansArriche 28 Colors Set | All-in-one with brushes | 28 colors, 2 thinners, 8 brushes, 2 drybrushes |
| Vallejo Game Color Introduction Set | Established hobby-brand colors | 16 bottles x 18 ml with eyedropper caps |
| Nicpro All-In-One Painting Kit | Beginners who need tools | 18 colors, 11 brushes, palette, thinner |
| Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Starter | Wargamers painting first squad | 11 x 18 ml with 1 free miniature |
How to Choose
Count bottles, not just colors
A listing with 80 bottles of 20 ml holds 1,600 ml of paint, enough to finish a lifetime of projects, while an 11-bottle starter holds under 200 ml. For a first army, 12 to 20 well-chosen colors are plenty, since you can mix midtones. Buy the big sets only if you paint a lot or want to try metallics and washes without extra orders.
Check airbrush and brush compatibility
Several listings say “ready to use” and “airbrush compatible,” which means the paint is pre-thinned for spraying. That is convenient if you own an airbrush, but if you only hand-paint, thin paint can need more coats. Listings that include thinner help you adjust consistency in either direction. Dropper bottles allow measured drops, while open-mouth jars are easier to dip a brush into but dry out faster. Whichever style you choose, store bottles upright and wipe the rim after use so the cap does not seal shut.
Think about finish range
Matte is the standard for figures, because it hides the shine of plastic. Metallic, wash, and specialty bottles add depth. Washes shade recesses automatically, which is the fastest way to make a figure look finished. A set that includes at least one wash and a couple of metallics gives you the techniques most tabletop standards need.
Avoid sets aimed at general craft use
Craft acrylics in large 2 fl oz bottles are designed for canvases, not for 28 mm detail. The pigment may be coarser and the colors tilted toward primary tones. Where budget sets cut corners is in finely ground pigment and in dropper-style packaging, so make sure the title says model or miniature paint. A premium tier usually means a recognized hobby brand with deeper color matching, while a budget tier trades that for volume.
The 6 Best Options
Smallbudi 20 Colors Model Paint Set
This set offers 20 colors in 20 ml bottles with three brushes and one thinner, positioned for both brush painting and airbrushing. It is the straightforward all-around starter in the group.
- Strength: Includes brushes and a thinner, so you can begin painting without extra purchases.
- Strength: The 20 ml bottle size gives more paint per color than many hobby-brand dropper bottles.
- Trade-off: The brush count is only three, so detail work may eventually need better tools.
Skip it if you want hobby-brand names or a specific faction color scheme. It suits a newcomer painting a few board game minis or a first set of terrain pieces. Treat it as a low-risk way to learn thinning, layering, and drybrushing before committing to a larger collection.
Nicpro 80 Colors Model Paint Set
The colossal option: 80 colors in 20 ml bottles plus eight thinners and five specialty bottles, covering matte, metallic, and wash effects. It is built for the person who wants everything in one box.
- Strength: Enormous range means you rarely need to mix, which saves time across large armies.
- Strength: Specialty bottles and thinners add technique options beyond a plain color set.
- Trade-off: Eighty bottles take real storage space, and many shades may sit unused.
Skip it if you are only painting a handful of figures or have limited desk space. It is for a hobbyist with several projects, a club painting night, or someone who hates running out of a color mid-project. Group the bottles by color family on a shelf or in a drawer, because hunting through eighty bottles is the main annoyance of a set this big.
FansArriche 28 Colors Model Paint Set
A mid-sized bundle with 28 colors, two thinners, eight brushes, and two drybrushes, described as airbrush compatible. It pairs paint with the tools most beginners lack.
- Strength: Eight brushes plus two drybrushes cover base coating, detail, and texture work.
- Strength: The 28-color count is a practical middle ground between starter and full library.
- Trade-off: The brand has less hobby community recognition, so color matching to official guides is harder.
Skip it if you want to follow a box-art color scheme closely. It works well as a gift for a teenager or adult getting into miniatures who has no tools yet. Since the title mentions drybrushes, you can pick up texture work such as fur, stone, and rust right away.
Vallejo Game Color Introduction Set
Sixteen 18 ml bottles from a long-established hobby paint line, aimed at fantasy and wargame figures. The bottles have eyedropper caps for controlled dispensing.
- Strength: Recognized in the hobby, with community tutorials that often reference its colors.
- Strength: Eyedropper caps let you dispense measured drops and limit waste.
- Trade-off: Sixteen bottles gives a narrower palette than the bigger sets, so mixing is expected.
Skip it if you want a huge range or an all-inclusive tool bundle. It suits painters who value brand consistency, who plan to expand the collection later, or who follow online guides that name specific paints. Over time, you can add single bottles for the colors you use most, which is how many painters grow a collection without wasting money.
Nicpro All-In-One Miniature Painting Kit
An 18-color starter that includes 11 detail brushes, a drybrush, thinner, palette, and a miniature to paint. It is the most complete beginner box in this list.
- Strength: Everything needed, from palette to miniature, arrives in one package.
- Strength: The variety of brushes supports base coats, details, and drybrushing from day one.
- Trade-off: Eighteen colors is limited for larger armies, and you will probably buy more later.
Skip it if you already own brushes and a palette. It is aimed at someone starting from zero, such as a parent buying for a new hobbyist or an adult trying miniatures for the first time. Beginners often find having a palette included removes one of the small frustrations of getting started.
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Starter Set
Eleven 18 ml bottles: seven acrylic colors, two metallics, one wash, a brush, and a free miniature. It is designed to get a wargamer painting a first unit quickly.
- Strength: The mix of colors, metallics, and a wash covers core techniques with minimal bottles.
- Strength: Hobby-focused branding and a bundled figure make it a ready-to-start package.
- Trade-off: Eleven bottles is the smallest palette here, so expect to add colors fast.
Skip it if you want a big color library right away. It fits a newcomer to tabletop gaming who wants a focused kit rather than a mountain of bottles. Add a few extra brushes later and a primer, and you will have a respectable starting kit for a first squad.
Which One Fits Your Situation
You are painting your first miniature ever
The Nicpro All-In-One Painting Kit gives you paint, brushes, palette, and a figure in one box. The Army Painter Fanatic Starter is a similar idea with a hobby-brand label.
You own an airbrush
Go with the Nicpro 80 Colors set or the Smallbudi 20 Colors set. Both list brush and airbrush use, and the big Nicpro set includes thinners for fine adjustment. If you spray large batches of figures, the extra volume in 20 ml bottles also means fewer refills during a session.
You paint a lot and hate running out
The Nicpro 80 Colors set holds the largest library by far. Pair it with a Vallejo set later if you want hobby-brand shades for key characters, such as a hero model or a faction leader that deserves extra attention. A shallow storage tray keeps the bottles visible and stops caps from being lost.
You want hobby-brand colors and tutorials
The Vallejo Game Color Introduction Set suits you, since many painting guides reference these paints directly. The FansArriche set is the alternative if tools matter as much as paint. Either way, you will find it easier to follow along with online tutorials when your bottles match the ones on screen.
Common Mistakes
- Buying the biggest set before knowing which colors you actually use, then letting half the bottles dry out untouched.
- Choosing general craft acrylics for fine miniature detail.
- Ignoring whether the paint is pre-thinned for airbrush or needs thinning.
- Skipping a wash, which is the quickest route to depth on a figure.
- Assuming a free brush in the box is enough for detail work, when a decent small-tip brush is one of the best upgrades you can make.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many colors do I need to start?
Twelve to twenty is plenty for a first army. You can mix midtones and add shades as projects demand them.
Do I need an airbrush?
No. Many painters finish armies by hand with a brush. An airbrush speeds up base coats and smooth gradients, but it is an optional upgrade that most painters add after they have a few projects finished.
Are craft acrylics okay for minis?
They can work for basing or terrain, but figure detail benefits from finely ground model paints. Choose sets that state miniature or model use.
What does thinner do?
Thinner adjusts paint consistency so it flows smoothly. It helps with airbrushing and with thin, controlled layers on small figures. A small drop is usually enough, and adding too much can leave the color looking weak and patchy.
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