The Army Painter Speedpaint Starter Set 2.0 is worth considering when its ten colours cover your first miniature scheme and you want to learn the paint system before buying a large collection. It is a less sensible bargain when most bottles will stay unused or when your goal is opaque, precisely layered display painting from the outset.
We checked current manufacturer contents, use guidance and larger-set references on 30 September 2026. We have not painted miniatures with this set or timed a squad. The colour-plan worksheet is our original purchase aid. The Amazon link is a labelled exact-set search because our session did not verify an individual WP8059P offer.
Match WP8059P, not merely Speedpaint
The official Starter Set 2.0 reference identifies WP8059P, ten 18 ml Speedpaints, a Basecoat Brush and a painting guide. The 2.0 name matters: older Speedpaint sets, larger collections and Speedpaint Markers are separate products. Do not copy their bottle counts or contents into this purchase.
The manufacturer describes a paint designed to flow over a primed miniature and create shading effects. Its use instructions recommend a suitable light primer for vibrant results and a hard palette. It warns that Speedpaint can bleed through a wet-palette sheet and stain the underlying foam.
That makes the undercoat and miniature surface part of the buying decision. The set does not remove preparation, brush control or drying between steps. “One coat” is the maker’s positioning, not a promise that every surface, colour and mistake needs only one pass.
A miniature scheme worksheet
Pick one actual model or unit before comparing sets. Write the planned colour beside each area, then check the WP8059P colour chart against it.
| Model area | Your intended result | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Main clothing or armour | The colour repeated across the unit | Is an appropriate starter bottle included? |
| Skin, fur or exposed material | A second important surface | Is the colour usable over your chosen primer? |
| Belts, straps and equipment | Distinct secondary material | Can an included colour serve without awkward mixing? |
| Metal parts | A metallic or painted-metal finish | Does the scheme need a separate metallic paint? |
| Base and scenery | A consistent finish | Include any separate texture or opaque paint |
| Correction areas | Recovering an accidental stroke | Plan primer/basecoat and touch-up materials |
If the two largest repeated colours are missing, buying those singles may be more efficient than a starter bundle plus several immediate additions. If most of the included colours have a named job, the set is easier to justify.
Do not turn the worksheet into a promise of a finished miniature. It identifies materials. The actual appearance remains something to learn on a spare piece or inconspicuous area before committing an entire unit.
Count useful colours, not all colours
The larger Speedpaint Mega Set 2.0 reference describes a much larger fifty-bottle package with additional colours and medium. That is a different commitment in cost and storage, not an automatic upgrade for a beginner.
Compare the current set price divided by the number of bottles with a realistic job in your scheme. For example, a hypothetical $40 set with eight useful bottles is $5 per useful bottle. If only four are useful, it is $10 per useful bottle before the missing colours are purchased. These are illustrative prices, not current offers.
A bigger box may reduce the average price per bottle while increasing total spend on colours you never use. Start with the next project rather than a speculative lifetime palette. Replace or add a single colour when an actual scheme proves the need.
What still belongs on the bench
Check whether you already own a suitable primer, a hard palette, clean-water containers, paper towels, a protected work surface and a way to hold the model. The included basecoat brush is useful, but it does not establish that every tiny detail can be painted with one brush.
The manufacturer’s paint-consistency Academy guidance is a learning resource about consistency and brush movement, not a test of this kit. Use the current Speedpaint-specific directions when choosing medium or dilution. Instructions for conventional opaque acrylics should not be transferred blindly to a flowing paint system.
Shake as directed and work on a small trial model before a long batch. Note the primer, colour, any dilution and the result you want to repeat. We do not provide an unsupported universal drying time or claim that the newer formula prevents every reactivation problem.
Hand painting versus more equipment
A starter paint set has a different job from a spray system. The miniature airbrush guide covers the compressor and airbrush purchase. The compact versus full model-tool kit guide covers building and preparing models. Neither replaces checking what paints the scheme needs.
For larger terrain and props, the compact versus full-size paint-sprayer comparison examines a different project scale. Do not buy a small flowing miniature-paint set as if it were bulk paint for large flat surfaces.
Buy WP8059P when its actual contents support your first scheme and a small experiment is the goal. Choose selected singles or another paint system when the contents miss your palette or the desired finish relies on opaque layers. Avoid a larger set until a real project explains where the extra bottles will go.
See Also
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