Speedpaint 2.0 is significantly cheaper, comes in dropper bottles, works on any light primer, and has a wider colour range than Contrast. Citadel Contrast costs more, comes in pots, performs best on Citadel-branded primers, and has the deeper integration with Games Workshop tutorials. For most painters, Speedpaint 2.0 is the better buy. For painters following GW tutorials precisely or painting in a Warhammer store, Contrast remains the right choice. They are the only two one-coat paints we stock, and they sell in roughly comparable volumes — both deserve serious consideration.

A note on Speedpaint 1.0: why we skipped it, and why our endorsement of 2.0 is meaningful

When the original Speedpaint launched in February 2022, it had a real problem. The paint reactivated when overpainted, meaning subsequent layers would discolour as the dye underneath bled through. Painters who tried to layer or correct mistakes ended up fighting the paint. The reviews were mixed and the reputation stuck.

We made the call as a store not to carry the original Speedpaint line. We wanted to wait and see whether the issues would be resolved. Army Painter went back to the lab and released Speedpaint 2.0 in April 2023 with a reformulated acrylic resin medium specifically designed to fix the reactivation problem. The new formula cures stable after about two hours.

We started carrying Speedpaint 2.0 from launch. Three years on, it is the only one-coat paint range that sells in volume comparable to Citadel Contrast at our store. We have had zero customer complaints about reactivation, and the popular colours are constantly being restocked. That is the basis on which we recommend it — not a manufacturer claim, but three years of real customers using the product without coming back to complain.

Which is cheaper, Speedpaint 2.0 or Citadel Contrast?

Speedpaint 2.0 is significantly cheaper. At Wheels & Wings, Speedpaint 2.0 is $6.25 for 18ml ($0.35/ml) compared to Citadel Contrast at $8.95 for 18ml ($0.50/ml). Contrast costs 43% more per ml for the same bottle size.

For painters working on full armies — where you might use a single Speedpaint or Contrast colour across 30 or more miniatures — the price difference compounds quickly. The savings are real, and they show up most clearly when you start replacing colours that have run out rather than buying a starter set.

Are Speedpaint 2.0 paints as good as Citadel Contrast?

Yes, with caveats. For most colours, Speedpaint 2.0 produces results that are comparable in quality to Contrast — same one-coat principle, similar flow into recesses, similar pigmentation, similar coverage. A finished miniature painted in either is hard to tell apart at tabletop distance.

Where the comparison gets nuanced is in the consistency across the range. Citadel Contrast has been on the market longer and Games Workshop has refined the formula across multiple range expansions. Some Contrast colours — particularly the saturated reds, yellows, and skin tones — remain the gold standard for one-coat performance. Speedpaint 2.0 matches them on most colours and arguably exceeds Contrast on certain greens and browns, but Contrast still wins on a handful of specific shades.

The other factor is metallics. Speedpaint 2.0 introduced one-coat metallics — a category that Citadel Contrast does not offer at all. If you want a one-coat workflow that includes weapons, armour highlights, and gold details, Speedpaint 2.0 has no direct competitor.

Do Speedpaint 2.0 and Citadel Contrast dry matte?

Both dry to a finish that ranges from matte to satin depending on the colour, but Citadel Contrast generally dries closer to matte than Speedpaint 2.0. Contrast's darker, more pigment-heavy colours dry quite flat, while lighter and more dye-heavy Contrast colours can show a slight satin sheen, particularly in the recesses where the paint pools more thickly.

Speedpaint 2.0 tends to have a more pronounced satin sheen across the range. This is a documented characteristic of the resin medium that gives 2.0 its stable cure — the same chemistry that prevents reactivation also leaves a slightly glossier surface than a traditional matte acrylic. The difference is most visible on darker colours and on flat surfaces like cloaks and large armour panels.

In practice, this rarely matters because most painters apply a matte varnish as a final sealing coat regardless of which paint they used. A coat of Army Painter Anti-Shine, Citadel Munitorum Varnish, or any other matte varnish will eliminate the sheen difference between the two ranges entirely. If you skip the varnish step, Contrast will look slightly more matte; if you varnish, the comparison becomes irrelevant.

Which primer should I use with each?

Citadel Contrast is designed to work specifically with Citadel's Contrast primers — Grey Seer (light grey) and Wraithbone (warm bone). The results on those primers are noticeably better than on a generic white or grey, especially for the lighter Contrast colours. GW's tutorials assume you are using one of these two primers, and the colour outcomes documented in their painting guides will be correct only if you do.

Speedpaint 2.0 is more forgiving on primer choice. It works well on any light primer — white, light grey, or bone — and the results are consistent across them. We recommend Army Painter Matt White or Bone primers for the closest match to Army Painter's own tutorial documentation, but Contrast primers also work fine if you already have them, and any other brand of light primer will produce comparable results.

Can you mix Speedpaint 2.0 and Citadel Contrast?

Yes. Both are water-based one-coat paints with compatible chemistry. You can use Speedpaint 2.0 for some areas of a miniature and Contrast for others, layer regular acrylic paint over either once they have cured, and apply Citadel Shades over both. Many of our customers do exactly this — using whichever brand has the specific colour they need rather than committing to one range.

A common workflow is using Contrast for skin tones (where it remains slightly stronger) and Speedpaint 2.0 for everything else. Another is using Contrast for faction-specific colours that match GW's recipes exactly, and Speedpaint 2.0 for cloth, leather, wood, and metallics. The two ranges complement each other and there is no reason to choose only one.

Does Speedpaint 2.0 still reactivate when you paint over it?

No, not in the way that the original Speedpaint did. The 2.0 formula uses a more stable acrylic resin that cures hard after about two hours and forms a stronger bond to the surface. After it has cured, you can paint over it with regular acrylics, washes, or Speedpaint itself without the underlying paint dissolving and bleeding through.

Some painters have reported very minor reactivation if you work over a freshly painted area within the first two hours, but this matches the manufacturer's stated cure time and is rarely an issue in practice — if you are painting an army you are typically moving on to other miniatures while the first ones cure. We have not had a single customer return to the store complaining about reactivation since we started carrying the line.

If you are concerned, applying a thin coat of matte varnish over your Speedpaint base before adding details guarantees no reactivation regardless of cure time. This is the same practice many painters use with any one-coat paint as an extra precaution.

Which is better for beginners?

It depends on what you are painting and which tutorials you are following. If you are a beginner painting Warhammer specifically, Citadel Contrast is the easier path because every GW tutorial calls out specific Contrast colours by name. Following along is much simpler when "Apply Iyanden Yellow" means buying the bottle labelled Iyanden Yellow.

If you are a beginner painting anything else — board game miniatures, D&D figures, miniatures from games other than Warhammer — Speedpaint 2.0 is the better starting point. The dropper bottle is more forgiving for new painters who tend to use too much paint at once, the wider primer compatibility means you can use whatever you have, and the lower price means mistakes are less expensive.

For new painters specifically interested in batch painting board game miniatures — the use case Speedpaint was originally designed for — the Speedpaint 2.0 Starter Set is one of the best-value entry points into miniature painting we sell.

Where Citadel Contrast still wins

An honest comparison has to acknowledge that Contrast is not just the more expensive option — there are specific situations where it remains the right choice.

Following GW tutorials precisely. Every Warhammer painting guide on YouTube, Warhammer TV, and the Warhammer app uses Contrast colours by name. If you want to paint a Stormcast Eternal in the box-art scheme exactly, you need the specific Contrast colours the GW painters used. Speedpaint 2.0 has equivalents but they are not exact matches, and the substitutions take research.

Specific colour performance. Some Contrast colours — particularly Blood Angels Red, Iyanden Yellow, and the warmer skin tones — remain the gold standard for one-coat performance on those specific hues. Speedpaint 2.0 has comparable colours that work well, but the GW originals have an edge on those specific shades.

Painting at a Warhammer store. If you regularly paint at a GW store, the staff and other painters will be working with Contrast and offering Contrast-based advice. Using the same range as the people around you is genuinely useful when you are learning.

When to choose which

Both Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 and Citadel Contrast are stocked in full at Wheels & Wings Hobbies in Toronto and available online with Canada-wide shipping.