Looks like your local game store may be getting an upgrade soon with the new “Contrast” product line coming for Citadel hobby.
Before we jump into the latest on project “contrast”, check out the first wave of rumors to get caught up.
Warhammer Community previewed a video at their Adepticon preview called “Fifty Shelves of Grey”. The video showcased nothing but grey models in the”largest collection in the world” and popped up a “grey no more” title at the end of the video.
Is this a situation familiar to you? We know that while grey plastic has its charms, the dreaded backlog can feel a bit intimidating at times. Well, worry not – soon, we’ll be adding something huge to our paint range that’s going to make painting your models even simpler. Stay tuned for more teases soon…
Rumors of More Citadel paints & Hobby Gear Emerge
Earlier rumors said that we could be seeing a whole new line of Citadel paints along with a Citadel airbrush hit the market sometime in May/June. The “Fifty Shades of Grey” video wasn’t a foreshadowing of GW’s grey plastic sprues switching to colored plastic. Just that their line of painting support would help people get their miniatures looking the way they want them.
Faeit 212 quoted the following from “an anonymous source”:
No colored plastic.
Instead a new massive paint release in May/June (the timeline was mentioned and not confirmed by the other sources). This will be a huge expansion on the current paint range.
This will include a airbrush paints with the return of old paints and a new “blending” type of paint that will be very slow drying.
Faeit also quoted Nick Powell as saying the following:
Overheard at adepticon that well known painters have been working with GW to help create the new paints and some of them will be new formula washes that act more like acrylic pin washes and leave no staining on flat surfaces.
Rumors From GW at Adepticon
Adepticon 2019 is over, but on several occasions, a certain GW hobby presenter was overhead asking people if they had access to an airbrush when fielding questions on how to paint certain things.
Could this had been done to get sort of a “census” from the hobbyists to see if a Citadel airbrush would be a step in the right direction? They already have a complete Airbrush line of paints already, so an Airbrush may not seem too far out of the realm of possibility TBH.
Industry Insider Points Towards the Paint Racks
As for the latest update on these rumors, an industry insider mentioned:
Citadel hobby displays inside game stores will be getting an extension rack for the new product launch. Big things are coming, BIG!
You might not think that the Citadel paint racks have any extra space. In reality, the box marked in red from the pic above is all extra paints. That’s where all the runoff product goes. So if there’s an extension that is going to hook onto the rack, could it be to hold more paints? Could it be a flat shelf-type addon that holds boxes of airbrushes or painting starter sets? (Maybe something like 5 bases, 5 layers, 3 washes).
Or perhaps Triads of paint pots similar to Reaper’s set up.
After all, GW is the king of slick packaging and marketing hobby techniques back to us at prices that are higher than other comparable hobby supplies on the market.
Holiday Special Project Paint Set
We actually saw something similar around December as an online order option only. These could be finally making their way to the shelves. Either way, we smell something coming for the Citadel paint line. Both guesses of an airbrush or painting “get started” bundle are viable options.
They both fit in-line with the Fifty Shelves of Grey, and Contrast videos in the fact that both products would make it easier to get paint into people’s hands and onto the models easier.
Will GW be re-designing their paint pots? Could GW have an airbrush in the works that is designed to get painted minis completed faster? Either way, we can definitely chalk this up as even more weight added to the previous rumors from earlier. What do you think is around the corner? Would you like to see a new paint line?
What do you think we’ll be seeing added on to the paint racks in hobby stores? Will it be an airbrush or paint bundle? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
