Alternatives to Ultramarine Blue: Army Painter Primer?

I’ve been plagued with cans of Ultramarines Blue spray paint that just don’t work. I must have ten cans of this in my garage which are mostly full, yet they refuse to spray and I can’t come up with a solution to breathe some life into them. As a result, I’ve had to find a different means of basecoating my army. I’ve used an airbrush in the past to some success, but the cost of GW’s paint pots is really getting out of control, so I’m looking for an alternative.

I know some people prefer vallejo paints, or even the cheap bottles of paint you can find at Walmart or arts and crafts stores. I’ve nothing against either, but I can’t seem to find one that matches closely. So, when I heard that the navy blue primer from Army Painter was a close match, I ordered a couple of cans to see for myself. (Yes, I know I should only order a single can when testing, but due to the cost of shipping, it made sense to order two at once).

Pricewise, Army Painter’s solution is $14.99 retail (or $11.99 from thewarstore.com), so it’s roughly similar to GW’s primers. No great savings there, but it does mean you don’t have to prime and paint, saving you a step, and a smidge of paint to boot. It shook up nicely and went on really smooth, so I had no complaints there. So far, so good, right?

Well, when it came to the purpose I actually purchased it for, it fell short. As you can see from the photo of the termagants below, the color frankly doesn’t match Ultramarines Blue very well. Granted, since I spray my ‘Nidz and then dip them, the wood stain will probably do a relatively good job of hiding the difference in color.

: From Left to Right: Army Painter, Army Painter with Ultra Drybrush, Black Primer with Ultra Basecoat

The model on the left was a base model sprayed with the Army Painter Primer: Navy Blue. The model on the right was primed black (Armory spray primer), and then sprayed with the can of Ultramarines Blue (the last working can I own). The middle model was primed with the Navy Blue, and then received a quick wetbrush of Ultramarines Blue. The color differences between the three seem fairly obvious to me–how about you?

The Navy Blue is just too bright to pass for Ultramarines, though I think with the stain, I can get the middle model to blend in with the rest of my forces relatively easily. Long story short, I think the Army Painter primer is a decent product, though it’s a little pricey, and it certainly doesn’t match Ultramarines. So, if you’re starting out Ultras (or some other suitably BLOO force), go ahead and pick up a couple of cans. For me, I’m chalking this up to a loss.

So, while I’m on the subject, if anyone knows of a solution for cheap Ultramarines Blue paint, or knows of a way to nurse spray cans back to life, please let me know.

Mahalo….

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