Monday 1 September 2014

R.I.P. Boltgun Metal - Hello Vallejo




Finally my last pot of Boltgun Metal citadel paint has been used up, this was a sad day for me, I've been using Boltgun Metal since my very first paint set over 20 years ago now, and it's been used on nearly every model as base for all metal parts ever since.



Oh well off I go to my local GW and I come back with a pot of Ironbreaker from the new citadel paint range, it might be a slightly different shade, but surely it will be fine I think.  How wrong I was, possibly I got a dud pot, but this is awful.  It's so thin and the pigment seems to clump and not give a smooth colour.  It takes at least two coats to achieve anything and then still looks awful and sort of pale.  Not happy I go off to ebay and try to find another alternative.



I find and order this pot of game color chainmail silver made by Vallejo.  It cost around the same as a pot of GW paint but is 17ml instead of 12ml, which is actually a significant saving.  Upon trying it out I'm happy enough and will be continuing to use this, it's not quite as dark as the old Boltgun Metal, but at least it goes on properly and provides a perfectly good metallic base for highlighting/applying copper/gold over.

As I was trying out my new Vallejo paint I realised something; that paint was pretty much the only thing I ever bought from GW now (almost all GW minis entering my collection now come second hand off ebay).  This paint disappointment might be the thing to help me make that final break from a company whose products, whilst mostly great, I simply can not afford any more. 

Rest in peace Boltgun Metal, you will be missed.

10 comments:

  1. I just use some of the washes and one old foundation paint,

    Ian

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    Replies
    1. The washes are good I'll admit, I've bought a few of the new 'base' paints that have replaced the foundations, nowhere near as good either.

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  2. I find that the Vallejo Model Color Gunmetal grey is almost a perfect match for boltgun metal.

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    Replies
    1. thanks for the tip. I've ordered a pot and will see how it is :)

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  3. I have to say, I was never too fond of the GW paints, for they always seem to be harder on my brushes, but I always loved the metals they sold in the hexagonal pots. Those were easily the best metals Ipoh the market with good coverage and very fine metallic particles. Vallejo may not be far behind, but I still loved those and was willing to pay the premium there.

    IMHO it was the dumbest decision they could ever make to drop those. But I guess there will be enough fanboys out there who buy the new stuff regardless, so why should they care!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah they really were fantastic metallic, why I was willing to put up a whole post on one pot of paint.

      I think they're loosing their fanboys, in our group we have all been making that move slowly away from GW for around 3 years now, and that's after 15+ years each of buying nothing but GW

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  4. I'm also using the Vallejo 863 Gunmetal Grey as a substitute. Works great.

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    Replies
    1. thanks for the advice, I've ordered a pot and am eager to see how it is

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  5. I've still got my old pot of Boltgun Metal, will have to keep it going as long as I can. But as you've mentioned, I looked at my paint collection & am seeing far more Vallejo & craft paint bottles these days. I agree with the price of the miniatures at GW as well...so like their paints, their sales to me are drying up.

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    Replies
    1. Part of me is sad at my growing distance from the worlds of 40K and Warhammer that I have loved for so long, but on the plus side my gaming collecting and painting in much more varied now than it ever war before GW started upping their prices so much.

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