Top Five Beginner Paint sets for Miniature Painting

Top 5 Beginner Paint Sets for Miniature Painting (2025)

Ready to dive into miniature painting but not sure where to start? The right paint set can make all the difference. We've rounded up the top five beginner paint sets to help you level up your painting skills. Whether you're after vibrant colors, easy application, or value, we've got you covered. Keep in mind these paint sets are designed specifically for the miniature painting hobby and will apply better than most of your craft store paint sets like AppleBarrel and Folkart. These can be used if your on a tight budget and just want to get started. Griffin and I have painted plenty of minis using all of these paints and they work well.

1. Army Painter Speed Paints 2.0

The Army Painter Speed Paints 2.0 set is perfect for those who want fast, high-quality results with minimal effort.

• Pre-thinned, single-coat coverage

• Excellent for batch painting armies

• Vibrant colors designed for high contrast

Why We Like It: This set is ideal for speed painting larger groups of miniatures while still achieving great quality. Perfect for wargamers in a hurry! This paint gives you a great set of colors and works great over a zenithal prime or in conjunction with the slap chop method of painting. See our article on the Ultimate guide to miniature painting here! I just completed a few miniatures for my Conquest City States army Using the Speed paints 2.0 starter set.

2. Vallejo Model Color Starter Set

Vallejo's Model Color Starter Set is known for its smooth, highly pigmented paints.

• Dropper bottles for easy paint control

• Great for detail work

• Rich pigment load for fewer coats

Why We Like It: The precision of the dropper bottles makes it a favorite among beginners working on detailed miniatures. One of the original manufactures of Miniature specific paints they have always maintained a high standard of quality. Here recently they have been under fire with the recent worker strike but it has been resolved as of the writing of this article.

3. Citadel Paints Base Set

The Citadel Base Paint Set is famous for its high-quality base colors used widely in the Warhammer community.

• Thick, rich paints for strong base coats

• Designed for fantasy and sci-fi minis

• Paired with Citadel's wash and layering systems

Why We Like It: Citadel's paint quality is superb, making it a go-to for fantasy gamers who want bold colors right out of the pot. By far the most popular and easy to get paint sets on the market although they are also the most expensive set on this list. I have many, many colors from the Citadel paint range on my hobby desk. The washes in this range are my favorite by far.

4. Reaper Master Series Core Colors

Reaper's Master Series Core Colors are tailored for both gaming and display miniatures.

• Smooth consistency for blending

• Dropper bottles for precision

• Great color selection for characters

Why We Like It: The blending quality and control make it great for painters who want more control over color depth. By far the thinnest paints of the bunch. They make for easy wet blending and mixing of colors to provide a real depth to your miniatures. Griffin really like the Browns and Greens from this range and has used them on his StarWars legion forces. They do take a bit of practice to get used to though.

5. Pro Acryl Starter Set

Pro Acryl's Starter Set is a favorite for its professional-grade pigment and buttery smooth texture.

• Buttery smooth consistency

• Strong pigment load

• Great for blending and glazing

Why We Like It: The professional quality makes it suitable for both beginners and advanced painters who want top-tier results. These are newest paints on my shelf and although I don’t have a ton of colors, I have been impressed by each of the ones I’ve used thus far. Really digging the Blues and Greens from this line. Really work well in conjunction with a Wet Palette and are perfect for glazes and tinting your base colors.

Summary: Which Paint Set Is Right for You?

• Fast Painting? Army Painter Speed Paints 2.0

• Detail Work? Vallejo Model Color

• Fantasy Minis? Citadel Base Set

• Blending? Reaper Master Series

• Pro Quality? Pro Acryl Starter Set

No matter your painting goals, these five sets will give you a solid foundation to create stunning miniatures and you will be happy with whatever set you choose. If your like me though you will probably end up with multiple sets and a wide range of colors in your hobby space!