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REVIEWS

Review: Green Stuff World Dipping Inks

Seems like following the release of Games Workshop’s Contrast Paints, painting miniatures on easy mode became the new hotness. Different companies jumped on top of the hype wagon, releasing their own version of the recipe, with mixed results. The more the merrier, thus the Green Stuff World, a Spanish company well established in the hobby market, dipped their toes in the trend with their line of Dipping Inks paints.

Recently I have received a chunky package filled with Green Stuff World products, to do with them as I please. I took some of them for a spin and decided to share my experience with you. First on the line are the aforementioned Dipping Inks. Please note that this review is not sponsored by Green Stuff World.



Dipping Inks

The Dipping Inks is a speed painting system containing paint recipes designed and perfected by Green Stuff World. Thanks to a single coat producing both vibrant highlights and strong shadows, this type of semi-transparent paints is aimed at painting miniatures with ease and speed. It barely takes a bright undercoat such as white, a single coat of speed paint and you can call it done. Alternatively, depending on your skill and expectations, you can build from there by applying more coats, highlights and shadows. Personally I rarely use similar types of paints to start a paint job, but I find them perfect to substitute washes and/or apply blends with, instead.



Tests and Results

Dipping Washes come either solo, or packaged inside well thought through color themed sets of six. I have received three of such sets: Dipping Inks 03, Dipping Inks 04 and Dipping Inks 05 and put them to a test to compare the end results with box examples.



For the purpose of proper testing I have selected a set of old school Undead shield adornments (Warhammer Fantasy Battles), featuring some deep recesses, sharp detail and flat areas. Perfect to display what the Dipping Inks can achieve, depending on the surface.

I have painted each piece with a different Dipping Ink, one layer applied manually (by brush), let them dry and prepared a comparison exposition by gluing each piece beside its corresponding example at the back of the box.



The results are a mixed bag. Most (Deep Black, Elfwood Brown, Skeleton Brown…) really hit the mark, translating very well from the back of the box onto the miniature. Others (such as Green Stone and Skull Linen…) performed rather underwhelmingly, while a few (Turquoise Ghost, Blue Glacier..) produced interesting results that exceeded my expectations. Thorough shaking and more tests produced consistent results which is good news for the entire line, not so much for a selected few Dipping Inks that underperformed.

Dark colors definitely steal the spotlight, producing deep shadows and contrasts, whereas in my opinion the lighter tones might use some more juice to make the highlights pop. That being, due to personal preferences and the way I paint I am probably biased. I sincerely believe I will find a use for every single one of them at some point.


Key features:

  • Mat finish,
  • Mostly smooth texture,
  • Consistent results,
  • No reactivation,
  • Work well on bright undercoats from different suppliers,
  • Tiny bubbles in the recesses happen but not as often as some competitive brands,
  • Lighter tones could use more juice,
  • Fantastic, comfortable to use 60ml bottles,
  • Each bottle contains a mixing ball,
  • PRICE…

Price

Here’s where Green Stuff World Dipping Inks really shake the meta. Pricing is just out of this world. We are used to single 18ml pains coming at a price of between 4€ to 7€. Dipping Inks come in a 60ml bottle for a market bending price of 5.75€ (currently 4.31€ on Green Stuff World page!). It drops down to 4€/bottle if purchased as a set of 6!

By comparison:

Green Stuff World Dipping Ink 60ml – 5.75€ (currently 4.31€)
Games Workshop Contrast Paint 18ml – 6.30€
The Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 18ml – 4.25€

Hands down the best volume for the buck.



Summary

With how saturated the hobby paints market currently is, breaking through to general awareness is very difficult and requires some exceptional features on top of reliable results. The Green Stuff World Dipping Inks couldn’t avoid the curse that plagues every other line of paints – being a mixed bag varying between outstanding, ok (a few) and underwhelming. Still on top of offering a variety of effects they come in a large, comfortable bottle and at a phenomenally low price. Most importantly they get the job done on par with competition. Personally I will definitely include them in my day to day commission painting as it seems to me, like I have finally found a good solution for blacks and browns. I sincerely recommend the range and incline you to test it personally, because this is the only way to get to know if these paints work for you.


I hope you find this article interesting. In case of any questions, use the comments section below or contact me via Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate it if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who you think might find it useful. Stay tuned for more hobby content.

Review: A-Case Magnetic Token Box

Transporting your miniatures should be smooth and easy. No company seems to embody this philosophy better than A-Case. A relatively small company from Poland, dedicated to producing the very top miniatures transporters. Their entire shtick revolves around magnetism and believe me – Once you go magnetic there’s no going back!

A-Case is best known for their Hybrid series magnetic cases, coming in four different types (and sizes), but there’s more to the line than meets the eye. Lately the company released a Magnetic Token Box, a peripheral accessory fully compatible with their cases. The item is a huge step in improving the comfort of miniatures transportation. Today I will focus on this awesome gadget and present to you its many advantages.



Magnetic Token Box

The Magnetic Token Box is an accessory dedicated to transporting a variety of wargaming peripherals, be it dice, laser pointers, gaming tokens and more. Each box is 3d printed with an integrated powder coated metal lid. There are five strong magnets mounted in the underside to immobilize the box inside an A-Case transporter or on top of one another. Boxes come in four colors (Red, Blue, Black and Grey), each 18cm long, 12cm wide and 3cm high (about 7x5x1″). Within you will find adjustable compartments consisting of five powder coated metal walls.


Brilliant Design

Magnetic Token Box is more than just your typical dice/token holder. It has a wide range of features. The most interesting of, are compatible with the magnetic theme of the A-Case products.

  • Adjustable compartments allow you to adapt the box to your needs, including transportation of some rather uncommon items.
  • Metal, powder coated bottom is perfect to mount 6-15mm scale magnetized miniatures. The box can be used as a small scale transporter on its own.
  • Metal, powder coated lid is held in place by special rails, extending up the magnetic space the box itself occupies. In short the box does not use up horizontal magnetic space inside an A-Case, 1″ height is all!
  • Metal lid is compatible with Magnetic Painting Grip. No more toppling that grip mounted miniature between painting sessions.
  • Need to free up some space on the working desk? Or maybe it’s time to move to another table during a wargaming event? It is as easy as grabbing the box and moving it to another spot, all magnetized stuff attached on top.
  • Magnetic Token Boxes’ size makes it fit between A-Case shelves and inside any of the side pockets.
  • Need extra dice/tokens transportation space? You can stack two (or more) boxes on top of one another!
  • Finally something I wouldn’t recommend, but it seems possible. If you feel lucky you can attach the box upside down under an A-Case shelf. I’m not saying you should, but if you like to gamble, the option is there.

Summary

Although I have purchased both boxes used in this review fairly recently, I have been using the beta version of the Magnetic Token Box since last year. I have provided feedback, then watched as the design evolved through multiple iterations, new features being added, size adjusted. I can only say that the actual product got optimized to a point where I consider it perfect for wargaming related needs. The quality is great and the long list of features and possible uses is just mind blowing. It is also pretty well priced for what it offers. Magnetic Token Box is LEGO level of brilliant. I wholeheartedly invite you to try the product out.


I hope you find this review interesting. Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or at Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate it if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who might find it useful. Finally if you are looking for a professional miniatures painting service, be sure to contact me with this contact form. I always reply within 24 hours, after which please check out your spam folder.

Review: A-Case Carrier Backpack

Carrying your miniatures around should not be a challenge. No need to waste time and risk miniatures getting damaged with foam or other old school transportation methods. Once you go magnetic there’s no going back – at least for the vast majority of us, hobbyists. And when it comes to magnetic it would be difficult to argue the A-Case is at the very top of the food chain, producing high quality, stylish and user friendly miniatures carrying cases. 

Today I will present to you the latest A-Case’s release – the “Carrier” magnetic backpack for miniatures. 


Side note: Before we dig in, please allow me to emphasize that the reviewed item was purchased and not a gift. That being said, throughout the years of using A-Case products I got to personally know the owner and we became real life friends. I am a big sucker for anything A-Case, do my best to support the company and as such, my opinion is surely compromised.


The “Carrier”

That out of the way, let’s focus on the backpack itself. A-Case Carrier is a fourth magnetic transporter for miniatures in the current “Hybrid” series . It follows the same design philosophy. Black, powder coated and lightweight aluminium frame inside a poliester binding. Three to six removable shelves and some metal pins to lock them in place. I have already covered the basics in previous A-Case Review, but what sets this particular model apart is definitely it’s size. 39,5cm height, 19cm width and 15cm depth of transportation space packed within a more or less 45cm x 35cm x 20cm backpack with straps and extra pockets. Thanks to increased height the Carrier can pack anything between a skirmish and a medium sized forces from any mainstream range. Plus, being a backpack, is is very comfortable to carry around.


How to Build

The Carrier, just like all other A-Case transporters, is very user friendly. This includes a simple and intuitive build, presented below:

  • Set up a frame bottom part (same as the top).
  • Slide back frame into the bottom part.
  • Slide two side frames between the back and bottom parts. (both are the same, but you want them oriented with a double fold part up front).
  • Mount the upper part on top.
  • Insert four long metal pins on each side of the frame to hold everything in place.
  • Slide the complete frame into the backpack.
  • Insert shelves.
  • Block shelves with shorter metal pins.

Pros and Cons

The A-Case Carrier seems like the very peak of magnetic transportation. I know for a fact that the designer had put a lot of thought into its creation. I myself had thoroughly tested the beta and must admit that all the extra features, size and weight had greatly exceeded my expectations. Still, what some prefer, others might find to be inconvenient. For the purpose of this review I will set aside the basic pros and cons of magnetic transportation and focus on immediate differences between the Carrier and the rest of A-Case’s range.

  • Compact Size.
    The Carrier is similar in size to Messenger, but in a vertical orientation. This is quite interesting and allows to transport some extremely inconvenient miniatures, or multiple rows of standard sized minis. Larger forces might encounter limited space issues, but skirmish game size collections will definitely feel at home inside the Carrier.
  • Backpack.
    Not all of us like or even can parade with a case worth of miniatures in hand, thus a backpack might be a preferred solution. A-Case already had a backpack/Bag model (Kane), but the Carrier is a much more compact, dedicated backpack without an option to hide the straps. They will dangle around when carried in hand. This is not a big deal, but I thought it is worth to mention.
  • Extra Space.
    This is in my opinion the largest advantage of the Carrier. The backpack comes with three large pockets, one up front and two on the sides. This is a lot of extra space that depending on your preferences can, but might not need to be used. Each of these can pack stuff like tape measures, token boxes, cards, rulebooks etc. I found that with Victory 2.0 (smallest A-Case) I usually struggled to pack all the gaming aids, whereas the Carrier can eat up a lot!
  • Airlines friendly.
    For those who are used to carry their miniatures onboard planes the Carrier is a real treat. Its compact size was precisely designed to allow airplane passengers to carry it aboard alongside a Messenger case. Yes, you will be able to get your Carrier and a Messenger onboard, free of charge!


Summary

The Carrier expands Hybrid series range in a previously unexplored direction offering a relatively compact, airline friendly, carry-on size combined with extra height and additional peripheral space. Suitable for both skirmish and low points battle sized games, it is a transporter that you can simply put on your back and take to a gaming event. In my biased opinion, the Carrier is a fantastic miniatures transporter and I am very happy with the purchase. Once again the A-Case did not disappoint.


I hope you find this review interesting. Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments at Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who might find it useful. Finally if you are looking for a professional miniatures painting service, be sure to contact me with this contact form. I always reply within 24 hours, after which please check out your spam folder.

Review: A-Case Magnetic Painting Grip

Painting holders… love them or hate them, am I right? Personally, due to sheer quantity of miniatures that go through my desk I’m used to paint miniatures mounted on shot glasses. Standard painting grips are bulky and take up too much space, not to mention price and need of at least few dozen of these to keep up a comfortable work flow. This is why I was never truly interested in any Painting Grips available in the market… until now!


Magnetic Painting Grip

A-Case is a well known, one-man company from Poland, specializing in probably the best magnetic carrying cases for miniatures that money can buy. Let me put this up front: I am a big fan of A-Case product line and grew tight with the company. I might be a bit biased here. That being said I try my best not to get influenced by sympathy for A-Case, to a point of being very sceptic about any new product lines. Luckily I got samples for thorough beta testing. After some brutal, ruthless hobbying, I can honestly say all my misgivings got put to rest. More so I grew fond of Magnetic Painting Grip to a point of pre-purchasing multiple sets and extensions and switching to work with it almost exclusively. 


Quality:

At first glance A-Case Magnetic Painting Grip (MPG) might put you off. A mix of stylish design with a rather unorthodox production method result in a feel far from popular Chinese plastic we all are used to. A huge advantage of 3d printing is being able to fully integrate magnets and metal plates within the body, leading to increased durability and comfort of work. Apart from visuals, which are highly impacted by bare metal plates* (see update below), the MPG feels great and I had no quality issues amongst multiple Grips and about a hundred exchangeable heads I currently possess.


Visuals:

I really dig the shape and visual aspect of the MPG. The mix of colors and texture, specific to 3d print, makes it look sturdy and fit hobbyist’s workspace nicely. My only beef is with bare metal plates* (see update below), which look out of place. Still, these are almost always hidden beneath a miniature so it’s not a big aesthetics issue. All the while bare metal means better magnet compatibility.


Functionality:

Here’s where MPG shines. Large integrated magnets combined with a variety of exchangeable heads makes it, in my opinion, the most interesting painting grip in the market. Different head shapes can be used to distinguish different painting levels, or mark units, which is paramount in bulk painting. Switching miniatures is fast and comfortable. Weight is balanced between light and solid further increasing the comfort of work. On the downside the MPG might be difficult to keep clean, but the same is true for all painting grips, regardless of material.
Additionally:

  • MPG is fully compatible with BluTack and similar miniatures mounting methods.
  • The exchangeable heads system is fully integrated with A-Case transportation cases allowing for some awesome transportation shenanigans.

After spending couple hundred hours painting Warhammer 40,000 miniatures with this thing in hand I can say it feels like made just for me. Goodbye shot glasses, as from now on the MPG is my go to tool.


Price:

Price wise the A-Case Magnetic Painting Holder comes close to competition, depending on how you look at things. With a set of five caps it definitely wins over multiples of other handles, but is less more expensive than its immediate competition of Redgrass Games:

  • A-Case Magnetic Painting Grip (5 caps and handle) comes at a price of approximately 30€
  • Games Workshop (single) is 9€
  • Green Stuff World (single) is 12,25€
  • Redgrass Games Painting Hangle bundle (5 caps and hangle) is 25,48€

*UPDATE:

As of November 2023 the item has seen some improvements. In response to users feedback the bare metal plates got exchanged for black powder coated beauties and new types of caps/heads got introduced as well.


*UPDATE 2024:

As of January 2024 the extension range grew exponentially. Additional items include 25mm top, Oval Shaped top, Batch Painting top and Priming Top. I have tested all of them personally and can vouch for each and every one.
Whereas the 25mm and Oval is rather self explanatory, the large extensions are a bit more advanced. They work great both individually and alongside regular toppers, depending on the size of the miniatures bases mounted on top. Worth noting is the weight of mounted items – too much and there will be need to hold the base of the extension while operating as not to let the weight take the entire thing off of the handle. That being said – I have not encountered any issues when working on my own miniatures.


Summary:

To sum things up: Magnetic Painting Grip is a brilliant design that fits, but is also not dependent on the “magnetic” theme of entire A-Case brand. MPG is comfortable and user friendly. It also is fully compatible with A-Case transportation cases which adds additional value. Based on feedback the item seen improvement and is currently my very favorite painting holder of all time. And I’m talking purchasing multiple, multiple copies level of favorite. I sincerely couldn’t recommend it enough.

What’s your opinion? Have you used one? Let me know in the comments.

Where to buy:

A-Case online store

Review: Gamers Grass Laser Plants

Introduction:

Gamers Grass – is a Portuguese company producing a wide range of high quality basing accessories. For me Gamers Grass is a trustworthy, go to supplier of everything basing related. If you hadn’t had an opportunity to get to know their range, I recommend previous articles: Review: Gamers Grass Tufts, Review: Gamers Grass Flowers. Third time’s a charm and today I will go through GG’s innovative line of products: Laser Plants.


Quality:

For those of you who follow my articles it is a well known fact that I am a quality freak. When I choose tools and material to work with I always prioritize the very top of the line. At this point with dozens upon dozens of Gamers Grass products testes – I’m just positively biased towards their releases. Easy to say GG done it once again, introducing a high quality line of products that make me feel like a little kid coming to a hobby store for the first time. Everything looks breathtaking!

Hype aside, the quality is amazing. Prints are clean and on point, with crisp detail. Color depth looks great and each particular plant is well cut. The plants are much more durable than any paper counterparts found in the market and material is far less problematic than typical brass favored by modeling companies.


Visuals:

When it comes to visuals Gamers Grass Laser Plants look stunning. Nothing that I saw in the market can even compare. They are colorful, interesting, diverse and just beautiful. Ready to turn any base in to a small work of art.


Functionality:

I never was a fan of laser cut / etched plants. This is because although they fill a very specific niche in basing products, what used to be available in the market was never functional. Paper is difficult to work with and is susceptible to damage, etched brass plant are easy to form but also very easy to chip the paint off of. Both usually require painting, and it translates to a lot of time spent on painting something that is secondary to the actual miniature. Sure, there are some pre-painted paper plants available, but the quality of paint job is not that great and it is just too easy to break tiny stalks, ruining the base.

Here’s where Gamers Grass Laser Plants come in. Each plant is precisely cut from what seem to be a thin plastic sheet. They are easy to take out of the sheet and very – VERY – durable. Prints look great and are good to go from the moment of opening the box. No need for additional painting, although it can be done. One issue I found is repositioning the plants without creating hard angles, but after some testing I was able to produce good results by soaking the plants in hot water beforehand. These are really fun and easy to work with, which is not something I was expecting 🙂


Price:

Time to take in the price factor. I’ve done quick research and putting Etched Brass plants aside (as the market is full of these and price range is just too vast to compare) here’s how it looks like against immediate competition:

  • Gamers Grass is 6,95€/22 leaves of Bracken (pre-painted, plastic)
  • Green Stuff World is 6,50€/22 leaves of Fern (flat green, paper)

Summary:

I have a limited experience with laser cut / etched brass plants and all was rather disappointing. On the other hand Gamers Grass Laser Plants are very simple to use from the get go and look amazing. With stunning visuals these plants stand out amongst the competition and are fairly priced on top.
I might be a Gamers Gras shill at this point, but these plant are awesome and I appreciate the innovation.

What’s your opinion? Let me know in the comments.

Where to buy:

You can order through Gamers Grass official store, or try out your luck in a local hobby store. To make things easier for you, Gamers Grass prepared this awesome Store Locator.

Review: Gamers Grass Flowers

Introduction:

Gamers Grass – is a Portuguese company producing a wide range of high quality basing accessories. For me Gamers Grass is a trustworthy, go to supplier of everything basing related. If you hadn’t had an opportunity to get to know their range, I recommend this article: Review: Gamers Grass Tufts. Now, all that introduction done, allow me to share my excitement over a new series of products: Flowers.


Quality:

Painting miniatures is my hobby, but is also my job. Good quality tools and products used for modeling can save a lot of time (and nerves). This is why I strive to use only the very best stuff. I’ve been working with Gamers Grass range for quite some time now and can honestly say they meet my high standards.

Flower beds are precisely shaped with base being thinner in a natural way. Not many stray stalks protrude out of the main body. These are all done very precisely. The bottom is covered with a strong adhesive, capable of sticking into a variety of surfaces. I have no negative feedback to give about these. Most importantly, due to a more natural shape and no powdering Gamers Grass flowers present themselves much better than competition. Just see below:


Visuals:

Visually Gamers Grass Flowers present themselves great. A palette of colors to choose from, some strong, some a bit pastele, makes the range fit into all variety of projects and styles. There’s also a variety of shapes which makes flowers look more natural. 


Functionality:

All flowers types are user friendly and there’s no quality difference between particular colors . There’s a clear separation between every piece on the sheet. Glue is strong and sticks to a range of different surfaces. There’s not many stray hair that require removal after application onto a base. Once used, flowers hold their shape nicely. Joy to work with. Additionally they come in two formats, one being four different colors packed into a single blister. This is a great way to get a lot of variety in a single cheap purchase, or a cool anniversary bouquet for your partner!


Exceptions:

I generally don’t expect modelling flowers to make a good impression. This is because usually they are messy and not very user friendly, dragging other beds out of the sheet alongside them, leaving powder everywhere etc. That being said, the Gamers Grass Flowers are awesome. Easy and Fun to use, clean, well shaped. Just awesome.


Price:

Time to take in the price factor. I’ve done quick research and here’s how it looks like against immediate competition:

  • AP 77/pack is 5,99€ translates into 7,78€/100 pieces
  • Paint Forge 50/pack is 3,56€ translates into 7,12€/100 pieces
  • GG 70/pack is 5,95€ translates into 8,5€/100pieces

It seems that Gamers Grass is the more expensive, even though not that much.


Summary:

To sum things up: I have tested about a dozen different suppliers in the past few years and compared to competitors, the Gamers Grass Flowers stand out both in quality and functionality. Visuals are great, range is wide. Price might use a tweak, but in my opinion the product is totally worth the extra. Also due to reality we now live in, more suppliers will probably increase their pricing throughout the year. Call me a sucker and a fanboy of the Gamers Grass range, but for me price is not a decisive factor when compared to such high quality!

What’s your opinion? Does quality top price or vice versa? Let me know in the comments 😉

 

Where to buy:

You can order through Gamers Grass official store, or try out your luck in a local hobby store. To make things easier for you, Gamers Grass prepared this awesome Store Locator.

Review: Mantic Kings of War: Armada Ships

Mantic Games – a UK based company made up of hobby enthusiasts that brought about such titles as Deadzone, Kings of War and Warpath into the tabletop wargaming world. On top of that the company released some successful board game titles including Hellboy, The Walking Dead and DreadBall just to name a few. Just recently Mantic Games released a brand new Kings of War: Armada – a game of sea battles set in the already established world of Kings of War’s Pannithor. Today I would like to take you on a short cruise through two Armada sets – an Orc Booster Fleet and a Basilean Booster Fleet – to see how the miniatures present themselves straight from the box. Grab the railing and let’s set sail into the unknown!

I would like to move away from the usual Quality, Visuals, Functionality etc. review format. This time around I will go ship-by-ship with a summary at the end. Let’s get started!

Basileans:

First set to go is Basileans. I love the design of Basilean ships and decided this will be my main fleet. Purchased seven sets in total so you see I’m pretty serious about this. Anyhow – the design is great and each individual ship has a lot of character. Basilean ships seem a bit high fantasy, but also look realistic enough to feel like real ships. 

Gur Panther

Elohi

Slopes

Impressions:

Basilean set is impressive but not without issues. The Gur Panther and Slopes are of a very good quality with crisp detail, just few air bubbles. Elohi in the other hand turned out to be damaged (hull part missing one lantern) and with one mast below expected quality. Anything between bent and air bubbles I have no issues with. This is to be expected with resin models and is easy to deal with. Damaged parts and miscasts are something entirely else and I will be placing a complaint about the Elohi. I can’t stop but wander if this is a rare occurrence, or is this something Quality Control accepted as a valid product.

Orcs

Time for some Orcs! Amongst humans, dwarves and undead, the Orc ships stand out as ragtag, crude, scrap-built hulks. This seems classic Orcs, regardless of what game you’re coming from, and I like this about Mantic – they go “classic” a lot. 

Hammerfist

Blood Runner

Rabble Squadron

Impressions:

Except for one shifted casting sail and some bent masts, this set turned out to be of a very good quality. A lot of uneven detail clearly forced Mantic to divide the sculpts into more parts – some cannons and hull elements being packed on their own. Everything fits though and I can say this is the quality I would expect from such a set. No issue beyond standard miniature preparation to deal with.

Price:

Kings of War: Armada stuck me as a rather cheap to get into. With two players set priced at 90€, Booster and Starter Fleet both being 40€ and an additional large Ship being 20€ you’re looking at a pretty low entry point. You can get into the game for about 50€. Furthermore you can get to an entire fleet with backup models for about 100-150€ more. Seems very well priced for a full skirmish tabletop game experience.

Booster Fleet price of 40€ for four resin ships (six to be precise, but four playable miniatures) is a legit price, especially taking into account these are large resin miniatures. 

Summary:

I won’t lie – I’m totally biased towards this product. I’m hyped for the game to a point where I ordered couple sets on top of a huge pre-order, just to get them few days before the main order arrival. There are clearly some issues with particular parts which I hope will get resolved. Either way a rating is required of me thus on a scale where 10 is awesome, 8 is good, 6 is ok, 5 is mediocre, 3 is bad and I don’t want to even mention 1 – I’d say Kings of War: Armada Booster Fleet sets are a solid 8 plus. They rub on “awesome” and are of much higher quality than most resin miniatures I worked with up to now. What’s your thoughts? Is this rating fair, or do you disagree? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers!

Where to buy:

Mantic Online Store is the way to go. 

Alternatively if you’re from Poland – I highly recommend any of these two stores: Vanaheim / Minibitwa

Review/Tutorial: AK Interactive Diorama Series

Introduction:


AK – Interactive – a Spanish company behind a well established series of products for modelers. They managed to become one of the most recognized brands in the modeling world with continuously evolving range of paints, brushes, weathering products and effects.  I have been a fan of their products for years now. Recently I decided to take another step and expand a range of  texture paints at my disposal. Knowing the quality of AK’s products and lured by sweet pricing I went berserk and got a lot of Diorama Series textures. 
Now I’m here to share my impressions. 

Usually I do the entire Quality, Visuals, Functionality thing. This time though I decided to take a different approach and just jump right into testing the actual products, with pictures taken at every step. Consider this to be a Review/Tutorial hybrid. I will share my thoughts in the summary, so no worries 😉

Terrains Asphalt

Very happy with this one. Not too grainy. Perfect coloration. Two steps process with a final touch of white markings airbrushed through a stencil. End result – very satisfactory.

Terrains Dark Earth

Say goodbye to sand on PVA glue! This puppy is now my favorite two-steps basing for fantasy miniatures!

Terrains Dry Ground

Would have never expected to go with such a color, but seeing the end result I’m getting strong Star Wars The Last Jedi / Mad Max Salt Planes vibes… many possibilities! 

Terrains Sandy Desert

No need to explain – just look at this! Two steps and your miniature is based on a desert!

Terrains Concrete

This one didn’t hit the mark for me. I expected a more paste-like, smooth surface. More of a Dark & Dry Crackle end result (below). Either way the product itself is solid, just not what I expected, thus once dried, I didn’t follow up on it. I plan to give it another go on my next project so who knows…

Dark & Dry Crackle Effects

This one required a third step to bring out the cracks as they are super tiny. The end result is very interesting. I’m sure that a mix with Dark Earth will bring magnificent results. Right now it looks like a trampled ground, or a road. Will definitely use.

Wet Crackle Effect

Well… not what I’ve expected. Tried few times, taking different routes. End result is pretty disappointing. So much so that I just skipped further work with this.

Light & Dry Crackle Effects

Now that’s “crackled”! Three steps and it looks great! I bet it would look even better with Terrain Dry Ground. Count me in babe! 

Impressions:

Working with these products was very comfortable. These are definitely high quality and very user friendly. I used a large brush to apply all the effects and simply cannot stress enough how great and easy it was! Growing up on Games Workshop’s products, moving onto these I felt like if I switched a worn out car for a new one, straight out of the factory! No more “fishing” for dry’ish conglomerates of grains to try and smear them onto a base. Nothing of the sort! Smooth. Great to use. Very easy. Zero stress. Just awesome! 
Now Wet Crackle Effect turned out to be a disappointment, but all the rest behaved as they should and brought awesome results. The rest is so good that I’m willing to give Wet Crackle a benefit of a doubt and assume I’ve used it incorrectly. Will go back to it at some point and try to bring forth it’s full potential. 

Other than that – these are pure gold! I love them. I will be working with them from now on and definitely prefer them over other products that I used until now. 

Price:

Price factor is very important, especially with paints. You know how it is – you spill half of it, then use up like a one third and the rest dries out 😛 Just kidding, still I’m sure we can all agree that for many hobbyists pricing matters a lot. Just take a look at this:

  • AK Interactive Sandy Desert 250ml = 8,95€ (10ml = 0,36€)
  • Vallejo Desert Sand 200ml = 8,5€ (10ml = 0,42€)
  • Games Workshop Armageddon Dust 24ml = 6,3€ (10ml = 2,62€)

What else is there to add? 🙂

Summary:

Except for the Wet Crackle, the AK – Interactive’s Terrains series is a solid 10/10. On top of being extremely easy to use and very efficient, the effects look great. Full recommendation on my end. 

I hope you enjoyed this little Review/Tutorial. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Cheers!

 

Where to buy:

You can get these straight from AK’s web store, or if you happen to live in Poland, go to a well equipped Vanaheim online store.

Review: Gamers Grass Tufts

Introduction:

Gamers Grass – a Portuguese company focusing on delivering a wide range of basing accessories. Formed in 2015 by a group of hobbyists, Gamers Grass brought many interesting products to the market. Alongside well established Tufts, Flowers and Shrubs, their range consists of ready to use Bases, but also basing Bitz and very colorful Alien Tufts. It was the latter that drew my attention to Gamers Grass, which instantly resulted in some shopping. 
Now it’s a few days after the delivery. I have thoroughly tested a range of Tufts/Shrubs/Flowers and done some research, hence I am ready to share my opinion with a wider public.


Quality:

As a full time miniatures painter I cannot allow myself to use products of questionable quality. This is why quality is the first thing I look out for when purchasing hobby related items.
That being said Gamers Grass Tufts and Flowers strike me as well thought through, top quality products. They are mostly precisely shaped, with near to none stray hair. Each Tuft has a bit of adhesive at the bottom and can be applied straight from the sheet. Adhesive strength is comparable with Army Painter’s tufts, so less “goo” than for example Paint Forge’s and GW’s, but perfect for my personal taste. I apply some Super Glue either way.
Most importantly, except just just a few, the Gamer’s Grass Tufts hold their shape firmly. Not much hair fell off when I was removing the tufts from the sheets and applied them onto the bases.



Visuals:

Visually Gamers Grass Tufts look stunning. Apart from classic tufts, there’s Alien and Spikey series, which are like nothing I’ve seen previously in the market. All tufts are fluffy and solid and thanks to a wide variety of colors and shapes – they turn bases into little pieces of awesome. 



Functionality:

Most Gamers Grass Tufts are very user friendly. Separated on the sheet by a clear line, easy to pick and apply. Once picked, they hold their shape. I could go on, but let’s just say they are a joy to work with.



Exceptions:

Like with all product series not everything is perfect. Amongst the batch I purchased there are two products that do not entirely hold up to the standards described above.



12mm Wild Winter Tuft is a bit too messy for my tastes. There’s not enough separation between particular tufts and there’s a lot of “leftover” coming off the tufts during use. It looks pretty dope once separated from the sheet, still I had issues separating particular tufts from one another. 



Similarly Wild Spikey Green and Wild Spikey Beige Tufts are very messy to work with. Whereas they look insanely cool, it is very difficult to remove them from the sheet intact. They lose a lot of strands in the process. 

Fortunately these issues don’t translate to the entire range, which for the most part is full of top quality, high end products.



Price:

Time to focus on the price. I’ve done some math comparing the price of standard and “Wild” tufts from Gamers Grass, Games Workshop and Army Painter. Here’s where I’ve landed:

  • AP 77/pack+77/pack= 11,98€ translates into 7,78€/100pieces
  • GW Mordian Corpsegrass Tufs 125/pack = 12€ translates into 9,60€/100pieces
  • GG 144/pack plus 70/wild pack = 9,9€ translates into 4,63€/100pieces

Easy to say that when it comes to price Gamers Grass beats its competition hard and that is great news! 


Summary:

To summarize, when it comes to professional hobby tufts Gamers Grass is totally in the lead. The vast variety of unprecedented lush colors and types is by itself a good reason to try their offer out.  To top it all there’s perfect pricing. Their range as a whole is super solid. I will definitely use these from now on and wholeheartedly recommend you to test it yourself. 


Where to buy:

You can order through Gamers Grass official store, or try out your luck in a local hobby store. To make things easier for you, Gamers Grass prepared this awesome Store Locator. So what are you waiting for? I invite you to, at the very least, take a peek at their offer.


July 2023 Update:

It’s July 2023 and I am still a huge fan. I have been working with Gamers Grass products for a few years now and throughout that time I got rid of all the alternatives. Gamers Grass is beyond any competition. I just love the quality, visuals and how user friendly their products are, at an affordable price on top.

More importantly the Gamers Grass range is growing. Just recently they sent me a package containing a variety of new releases. Just look at this stuff – it is out of this world!




February 2024 Update:

February 2024 hit and we’ve seen some expansion of the Gamers Grass regular 2mm tufts. Eight new products combining the features of “wild” and “tiny” lines into a 2mm series. As it happens, the Gamers Grass gifted me with a full set of eight. Now when I had sufficient time to get to know these streamlined products thoroughly, I am ready to share my take on them.



In terms of user friendliness, surface adherence and stalk length coherency – the product quality is of the same utmost best that you can expect from any and all Gamers Grass tufts. Shape variety is great with a mix of really small, medium and large swathes of tuft goodness.



Colors are strong and vibrant (where varanted) and with a few exceptions, do match their larger counterparts that I had in stock to compare. Sadly, even though they do properly convey the ‘feel’, Burned and Brown 2mm tufts look out of synch with 4mm versions. Depending on your preferences this might be a positive, allowing for a bit of variety on a base by combining slightly different color tones and sizes. Still it seems like something worth being aware of beforehand.



Personally I love to see the 2mm tufts line expanded. They are easy to work with, offer wide variety of uses and look amazing. I also very much appreciate the Gamers Grass pro customer move of offering all the options from really tiny to large wild swathes of grass in just a single pack of tufts. This is a big deal for anyone who wants to try out these amazing tufts but is not invested in a large scale miniatures project.


I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments below or via Facebook or Instagram. I would also appreciate it if you considered sharing this content with your friends, who might find it interesting. Finally if you are looking for a professional miniatures painting service, be sure to contact me with this contact form. I always reply within 24 hours, after which please check out your spam folder.

Review: Army Painter Super Glue

INTRODUCTION

Today is a special day. The Army Painter – a worldwide supplier of hobby products, such as paints, colour primers, glues, brushes, tufts and more, is now twelve years old! It’s hard to believe that the company which entered the market in 2007th introducing a medium sized offer of hobby products grew to be a giant we know today. I remember when Army Painter appeared for the first time in a hobby store I ran. Easy to say I fell in love with some of their products and stuck with AP to this day.

So, let’s celebrate Army Painter’s 12th birthday with a review of my favorite AP product of all time – the Army Painter Super Glue!

FEATURES

  • The Army Painter Super Glue comes in a handy bottle containing 20ml of Cyanoacrylate.
  • The bottle is equipped with a long plastic feeder that helps apply the glue in precise dozes. It is also easy to clean up from glue residue which helps maintain the glue.
  • In contrary to regular tubed glues you can apply Army Painter Super Glue without fear of an air bubble spilling glue all over the miniature. All thanks to partially translucent, medium hard bottle that provides much better control than regular soft tube.
  • If maintained properly the Army Painter Super Glue can stay functional for about 3-4 months after being open. After that time it thickens slightly with every passing week, up to a point of turning into a gel about half a year from initial use.
  • Once applied onto a properly prepared surface the glue binds in just few seconds and I can tell you – it holds like a bitch! I rarely use pins thanks to this glue’s holding power.
  • It can be further reinforced using Army Painter Magic Glue Activator, which fastens the binding process and hardens the end result even more than glue by itself.
  • Forget Plastic Glue – from now on Army Painter Super Glue is all you need!

PRICE?

The Army Painter Super Glue comes at a suggested price of 4,99€. Compared to a small tube of glue this might come across as expensive, but taking into account how much stuff you’ll be able to glue with a single bottle of AP’s glue and the fact it will stay functional long after first use – it’s totally worth it! Not to mention Games Workshop glue, which comes in four 5ml tubes, that once opened don’t stand a chance against Army Painter’s king of a glue!

SUMMARY

I simply love this glue. I use it for twelve years now and used up more than a hundred bottles. I prefer it over any other Cyanoacrylate glue and I totally recommend you to try it out. I just can’t imagine hobbying without it. For me it’s essential.

WHERE TO BUY?

Best to ask in your local hobby store, but if you want to support the great company Army Painter had become – head to Army Painter Website and order from them directly.

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