Looking for an extra large wet palette for your hobby setup? Maybe a 2-in-1 solution that’s also suitable for paints that shouldn’t come in contact with water, such as washes, Contrast and Speedpaints? Then The Army Painter’s new XL Wargamers Edition Wet Palette might be your cup of tea. Find out more about it in our review.

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The Army Painter Wet Palette Wargamers Edition XL unboxing
This item was kindly provided by The Army Painter. Thoughts and opinions are our own.

The Army Painter’s new Wargamers Edition Wet Palette is up for preorder and releases December 9, 2023 in Europe and the UK, with the US and rest of the world following in early 2024.

The Wargamers Edition includes:

  • Extra large 27.6 x 19.8 cm / 10.9 x 7.8 inch wet palette
  • Insert with 30 paint wells and room for brush storage
  • Red elasticated strap for closing
  • 2 hydro foam pads
  • 50 wet palette paper sheets
The Army Painter Wet Palette Wargamers Edition XL box contents
The box contents

Wargamers Edition Wet Palette review

The Army Painter’s Wargamers Edition Wet Palette, like their original Wet Palette I reviewed here a few years ago, features a stylish black design with a red rubber band. The size has been doubled, comparable to the Studio XL version of Redgrass Creative’s Everlasting Wet Palette. Below you can see a comparison with the regular-sized Everlasting Wet Palette V1 (or the Painter Lite), and the size difference is enormous.

The Army Painter Wet Palette Wargamers Edition XL size comparison with Everlasting Wet Palette
Redgrass Creative Everlasting Wet Palette (Lite) vs Wargamers Edition Wet Palette

However, the Wargamer Edition Wet Palette also feels significantly bulkier, as it includes an insert in addition to the painting surface. This insert provides storage space for smaller brushes with a maximum length of 185 mm and has 30 wells for washes and Contrast/Speedpaints that shouldn’t come into contact with water. The plastic is the kind of non-sticky plastic that allows dried paint to be peeled off, making cleaning easier. Unlike the The Army Painter’s original Wet Palette, the Wargamer Edition can close securely without the insert if you want to store it separately.

The Army Painter Wet Palette Wargamers Edition XL insert

The included foam pads are made of the same material as the previous Wet Palette. They are a bit on the large side, I like it better when foam pads are a couple of mm smaller than the palette body, like with Redgrass’ palette. The hydration paper is standard and does the job, nothing to complain.

By the way, it really is a misconception that wet palettes are only suitable for high level painters. The extended drying time, for example, is a blessing in summer. You can find more reasons why a wet palette is a must-have for all skill levels here.

Value

The Wargamer’s Edition RRP is 39.99 €, which is the same as the RRP of the Everlasting Wet Palette V2 in the regular size. While it’s arguably still a glorified plastic container, The Army Painter’s version offers the more stylish design, a painting surface comparable to the 15 Euros more expensive Studio XL, and a practical insert for Contrast and Speedpaints. The hydration paper might not be washable like the Redgrass ones, but with 50 sheets, they should last for a considerable time.

(Pre)order the Wargamer Edition

You can find the latest hobby products at our 🇬🇧/🇪🇺 partner stores Wayland Games, Element Games, and Firestorm Games, at 🇩🇪 Taschengelddieb and PK-Pro, and at 🇺🇸 Noble Knight Games with a welcome discount of up to 10–15% over RRP. Using our links helps to support Tale of Painters at no additional cost to you, so thank you very much for using them!

I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.

8.5
Score

Pros

  • Stylish black-and-red design
  • Large surface area, double the size of The Army Painter's regular size palette
  • Useful insert with painting wells and brush storage

Cons

  • Pretty bulky
  • Not cheap for what it is (but cheaper than similar wet palettes)
  • Foam pads could be thicker and have a better fit

Final Verdict

If you have a lot of space on your desk and are looking for a large wet palette with useful additional functions, then the Wargamers Edition Wet Palette is the right product for you. The attractive design makes it also appealing. Personally, I wish the hobby brands would perhaps come up with extra small wet palettes instead of extra large ones, as I only have limited space. But I'm probably in the minority here ;)