Alternatives to Citadel products
This isn’t a rant about how much I hate Games Workshop because they ignore cool armies, neuter their rules, don’t support older game systems, or have completely screwed over Independent Stockists by not allowing them to use official pictures on their website to sell Games Workshop products.
This is (hopefully) just a helpful article on where to find alternatives to the hobby supplies that Games Workshop manufacturers.
Fact: Games Workshop has always charged too much, and they always will charge too much.
Fact: Games Workshop does not shy away from admitting that they have high prices. Read the following:
You are right to say that if prices are too high people will be alienated. The fact that we have been recruiting new Hobbyists over many, many years, that we are seeing excellent growth around the world with good retention of hobbyists is pretty conclusive proof that they are not. Making miniatures is not a simple process and so our R&D costs are high – you’ll see plenty of detail on this in our financial report (on this web site). Also, our miniatures are the best in the world and we believe in charging premium prices for our premium products and services.What we are selling is a hobby – not toys and not a pass-time. Committed gamers and collectors and modellers know they get wonderful value for money from Games Workshop products. Far better value, I suggest, than from similar amounts of money spent on meals out, sports events, boozy nights in the pub. Go to the cinema and you can have an hour and a half of fun. Buy Warhammer and you can enjoy it for the rest of your life!
- Quote from Tom Kirby, Chairman of Games Workshop
Fact: I love the worlds and models created by Games Workshop. I’ve been getting their stuff since 1988. But I still think they are out of their frakking minds. I do not think that they have the “best miniatures in the world”. Yes, there are many that are damn cool. I am a “committed gamer and modeller” and I do not believe that I am getting “wonderful value for the money”, especially when it comes to the Citadel range of products.
So what can you do to save some money here and there?
Paints
* Citadel Colour Paints:
- Price: $3.70 / 12ml pots
* Citadel Foundation Paints:
- Price: $3.70 / 12ml pots
* Vallejo Game Colour:
- Price: $2.99 / 17ml bottles
* Vallejo Model Colour:
- Price: $2.99 / 17ml bottles
* Formula P3 Paints:
- Price: $3.50 / 18ml pots
* Coat D’Arms Paints:
- Price: $2.50 / 18ml pots
* Foundry Paint System:
- Price: $6 / 20ml pots, or $16 for 3 pots
* Reaper Master Series Paints:
- Price: $2.99 / 20ml pots
* Reaper Pro Paints:
- Price: $2.99 / 17ml bottles
* Derivan Minis:
- Price: $4 (metallics are $5.25) / 36ml pots
Sprays / undercoats
* Citadel Spray Paints:
- Price: $15-$18 / 400ml can
For metal minis – any $3 400ml can of paint from your local hardware / automotive store will do the job. For plastic minis – pick up a 400ml can of Krylon for about $4. Again, it is important to note that Citadel’s new (this would be the stuff produced after 2005 or so) Chaos Black Spray is not a primer.
Overall, Citadel does make very good paints. There is very little preparation needed to paint tabletop standard miniatures with their products, and their Foundation line is very, very nice. But the question here isn’t the quality – it is the price for what you get, as well as how long it will last. The modern Citadel paints dry out very, very quickly once you have opened the paint pot.
Personally, if I were to recommend any of the above brands, it would be Vallejo. Their range is spectacular and the quality is amazing.
Brushes
Citadel brushes aren’t really bad at all, especially their drybrushes. You can buy far cheaper alternatives to them for less money, but it is a touch-and-go with what you can get. Sometimes you can buy a really nice brush for half the price of a Citadel model at a local hobby store. I can’t really name brands here because there are probably a thousand different types. The same goes for the brushes sold by Privateer Press or Reaper Miniatures, even though I would say that Citadel does have a better range.
For serious “show” painters (of which I fall into the same category) who have been at it for a while, there are not better brushes than the following:
They do cost many times more than a comparable Citadel brush, but using the very best brush and taking care of it will give you hundreds upon hundreds of uses, compared to the dozens of uses that a Citadel brush will. Eventually things will even up. I do only recommend the above brushes for experienced serious hobbyists. As I have said before, it is often best to replace cheaper brushes again and again before you decide that painting is what you want to do and get some experience under your belt.
Glue
* Citadel Plastic Glue
- Price: $6.60 / 20g
* Pacer Poly Zap
- Price: $4.79 / 14g
* Citadel PVA Glue
- Price: $8.25 / 118ml
* Elmer’s School Glue
- Price: $15 / 4000ml (Yes, 4000. Not a typo)
* Citadel Super Glue
- Price: $6.60 / 5g
* Loctite Super Glue
- Price: $3 / 510g
Glue is where Citadel really fails miserably with prices, as do most “hobby brands”. Go to the grocery store and save yourself a lot of money.
Green Stuff
* Citadel Modelling Putty (Green Stuff)
- Price: $10 / 20g
* Gale Force Nine Green Stuff
Price: $19.99 / 100g
5 times as much for double the price? If you need it, Gale Force Nine has the Green Stuff you need.
Sculpting Tools
* Citadel Hobby Vice
- Price: $15
* Citadel Plastic Cutters
- Price: $15
* Citadel Razor Saw
- Price: $22
* Citadel Sculpting Tool
- Price: $15
* Citadel Modelling Files
Price: $12 / 3 files
* Citadel Hobby Drill
- Price: $15
* Citadel Hobby Knife
Price: $15
An alternative to almost everything listed above in the Sculpting Tools section (except the Hobby Vice) can be purchased for half the price or less (sometimes even a 3rd of the price) at a crafts store.
Privateer Press and Gale Force Nine have alternatives to most everything above, as well. The quality is similar to Citadel, but some things are slightly cheaper in price.
While you might be able to find an alternative to the Hobby Vice, it wouldn’t be a waste of money to get it anyway. I’m quite pleased with it and find it very worth the money.
Other Stuff
* Citadel Spray Gun
- Price: $30
* Citadel Spray Gun Propellant
- Price: $8.25 / 400ml
Their spray gun does work very well after a great deal of time and error getting the correct paint to water-ratio. The problem is with the propellant. The pressure is wildly inconsistent from can to can (and sometimes with the same can), and the cost of the cans themselves is very prohibitive. I honestly think you are better off with simply using regular cans of paint.
* Citadel Paint Station
- Price: $40
This costs about twice what it should… but I do have one and love it. You do not by any means need one of these, but it is really handy.
* Citadel Basing Products (Sand, Dead Grass, Snow, Burnt Grass, etc.)
- Price: $8.25 / 15g
A lot of gaming companies have their own versions for similar prices, but the best bet is to hit a model train shop and pick up 10x as much as the same thing for half the price.
* Citadel Palette
- Price: $4.95
There is no reason to buy this when a larger, better palette from a hobby store doesn’t even cost $1. Alternately, you can just use an old plate and pay nothing.
* Citadel Water Pot
- Price: $4.95
My personal feeling is that if you buy one of these you deserve to be beaten to death with something very heavy and preferably spiked. It has merit due to the slots for brushes, but there is really no justification for the price.
* Citadel Army Figure Case
- Price: $57.75 (room for 108 miniatures) / $99 (room for 2168 miniatures)
There are alternatives to these, all in varying but similar prices. The Citadel cases are nice, but lack in a lot of customization. Personally, I prefer Sabol Designs‘ ARMYTRANSPORT.
Wrapping it up
Now with all of this said, I have this last bit of information to pass along. Every year I watch my FLGS, Good Games, while the owner is away on vacation. I have never once had to justify the price of Games Workshop products to any parent purchasing something for their child. I have sat and talked with dozens of players who have complained about the prices (even at 20% off MSRP) for a solid 20 minutes and then dropped a wad of money for the product anyway.
I have attempted to sell a cheaper hobby supply item from Gale Force Nine or The Army Painter to customers instead of a Citadel product, or Vallejo paint instead of Citadel. 9 times out of 10, the customer would simply rather have the Games Workshop item based on the name alone.
Wargaming is a hobby that appeals to a very small part of the population… perhaps even as low as 5 out of every 12,000 people or so. Reducing prices will not bring more people into the hobby when interest is that low… so why should they? And with even such a huge monopoly, they do risk damaging their business by lowering their prices.
I’m not calling for a boycott to Games Workshop. I just really would like to see people open their eyes to cheaper hobby supply alternatives that are sometimes just as good or better.
The God Emperor of Mankind will not smite you for using a different paint on your army of Ultramarines. I promise.
