Review: AMP Cosmic paint sets 1 and 2

There are two new paint sets from Monument Hobbies and Atomic Mass Games – and there’s quite a bit of confusion about what these AMP paints actually are. An expansion to Pro Acryl, or are they an entirely new standalone paint line? And is the formula different from the Pro Acryl main range? So many questions – and in this review, I’ve got the answers for you. I’ve tested both sets thoroughly and will explain the similarities and differences with Pro Acryl, and whether these AMP sets are worth a spot in your paint collection, or not.

I’ve already covered Pro Acryl and their Signature Series, but in this review, I’ll be looking at the AMP Cosmic sets 1 and 2. AMP stands for Atomic Mass Paints, from Atomic Mass Games, who are the company behind games like Marvel: Crisis Protocol, and Star Wars: Shatterpoint and Legion. And now they’ve teamed up with Monument Hobbies, the makers of Pro Acryl, to develop 18 new colours.

You’ll notice the AMP paints come in the same 22 ml screw-cap bottles as Pro Acryl, and the marketing claims “the world-renowned PRO Acryl formula, with the same premium high-density pigment in a superior acrylic medium.” Sounds straightforward enough, right?

Well – not quite. I’ve seen people online say the AMP paints would be thicker and richer than Pro Acryl. And that they have a different finish. And despite reading all the marketing material, I’m still not sure whether AMP is a standalone range specifically tailored to Atomic Mass Games, or just a Pro Acryl expansion in disguise. Monument Hobbies have done collaborations before, like with the Signature Series and the Adepticon and Nova colours, but always under the Pro Acryl banner. AMP, on the other hand, has its own branding and logo. So maybe you’re as confused as me.

I’ve put both AMP sets through their paces and will be answering the three key questions in this video:

1. Are the AMP paint sets a separate, self-contained paint line or simply an extension of the Pro Acryl palette?
2. What exactly are the 18 colours included, and how versatile are they in practice? To find out, I’ll paint a test model using nothing but AMP paints.
3. What are the similarities and differences compared to Pro Acryl? I’ll help you decide whether these AMP sets are a game changer for your collection, or better left on the shelf. So let’s dive in.

Unboxing the AMP Cosmic paint sets

Each set contains nine paints – Set 1 has two washes, while Set 2 has two washes plus a metallic. The sets come in Monument Hobbies’ signature boxes, and the artwork features both the AMP and Pro Acryl logos. Perhaps a first clue that the paints might not be so standalone after all.

As always, I’ve applied all 18 colours to primed plasticard and professionally digitised them:

Patreon bonus content: A higher-res version of this swatch can be downloaded here.

Now, looking at the swatch, there’s a lot of browns, beiges and greys, plus warm tones like yellows and oranges. There’s a dark blue, but no greens, magentas, or purples at all. But it’s safe to say the AMP sets aren’t designed as all-round starter kits. There’s no full spectrum of primary and secondary colours, and even essentials like black and white are missing.

I’ve also created a hand-painted swatch for the entire Pro Acryl range, which now includes the AMP colours as well:

This hand-painted swatch is available in my Patreon shop for a small donation (or by becoming an Autarch tier member). I also have swatches for Vallejo Game & Model Color, Citadel Colour, AK 3rd Gen, Warpaints Fanatic, and Two Thin Coats – all cross-compatible with each other so you can compare colours across different brands. Check out my shop for details.

And surprise, surprise – as you will see in this swatch, the AMP colours fit perfectly into the gaps in the Pro Acryl lineup. As for whether the colours are specifically tailored to Atomic Mass Games titles – well, I’m not entirely convinced. At the time of recording, Monument Hobbies have released just one tutorial using AMP paints only, which is a B2 Battle Droid from Star Wars. And it’s just all metal, so yeah. Not a very complex paint job.

AMP vs. Pro Acryl review

So, I’m going to run my own test. I didn’t have an Atomic Mass Games miniature to hand, but I did have this beautiful new Jade Warrior from Warhammer: The Old World. I want to find out if AMP paints can stand on their own, so I’ll paint the model using only the 18 AMP colours from set 1 and 2.

The metallic paint

Let’s start with the only metallic paint in the AMP lineup: AMP Steel. So far, Pro Acryl has only the very light PA Silver, plus the rather dark PA Dark Silver. AMP Steel now sits in between, similar to Citadel’s Ironbreaker, though a medium dark steel colour like Leadbelcher is still missing from the range.

Like all Pro Acryl metallics, PA Steel has a fantastic consistency. It barely needs thinning and flows really well. Unlike a lot of other metallic paints, Pro Acryl metallics don’t dry on the brush tip too quickly, making controlled highlights much easier. The metallic flakes are very fine, and the shine is lovely. Only in terms of covering power, Pro Acryl metallics don’t quite reach the top tier, but they’re up there. PA Steel covers nicely in two to three thin coats.

Four new washes

To shade the armour, I use AMP Payne’s Grey Wash from Set 1. Up until now, Pro Acryl had only three washes: Black, Brown, and Flesh Wash, but the AMP sets add four new ones.

Set 1 has AMP Petroleum Brown Wash, which is a sepia-brown with a green tinge. Basically, it looks like, well… poo. But super useful when you want to get nasty. Also included is AMP Magenta Wash, which is surprisingly rich and vibrant. It’s fantastic for Hive Fleet Leviathan Tyranids, though I’d recommend thinning it with a drop of Contrast Medium or Lahmian Medium as it is a bit thick, at least my bottle is.

Set 2 has PA Brown Grey Wash, which is a dark brown-black with a hint of olive green. Great for grimy metals and very versatile as an alternative to a pure black wash. Plus there is PA Payne’s Grey Wash, the one I used for the silver armour. A bluish-grey which is a bit on the softer side when it comes to tinting. 

Now, Pro Acryl washes have a slightly higher viscosity compared to the current Citadel Shade paints, so they’re not as runny. They remind me more of lighter Contrast paints like Plaguebearer Flesh and Dreadful Visage. The result on the silver details is quite lovely, as you can see here. To complete the armour, I give it a quick drybrush of PA Steel to bring out the edges. An even lighter silver would have been better, but I wanted to stick to the contents of the AMP sets.

Comparing the acrylics with Pro Acryl

After I painted, washed and drybrushed the base, I paint the undergarment with AMP Bright Green Blue, which is a light Grey with a hint of green and blue, just as the name suggests. 

So how do the acrylics feel compared to Pro Acryl, are they any different? Well, despite what I read online, I’d say that the consistency is pretty much the same. Both AMP and Pro Acryl require little to no thinning for basecoating, especially when using a wet palette. I found that several of the grey colours in the Pro Acryl range tend to be a bit thicker, but that’s not the case with AMP. AMP Grey Green, AMP Slate Grey, and AMP Cool Grey are just as fluid as the rest of the range, so if anything, the AMP paints are more consistent. 

Speaking of AMP Slate Grey, I use this cool dark grey to mix it into AMP Bright Green Blue and blend this mixture into the recesses of the clothes. Thinning and blending is a joy with AMP, as they apply smoothly and the working time is quite long.

Washing, Glazing, Layering

Next, I paint the armour trims with AMP Black Red, which unfortunately has a slightly weaker covering power than I expected for such a dark red. I then shaded the trims with AMP Brown Grey Wash. Because of the higher surface tension, you need to work the wash into the recesses with your brush a bit more actively to avoid pooling. Sounds a bit negative, but I really love the Pro Acryl washes when I want a stronger tint. I feel that once you have them where you want them to, they settle really nicely and create soft gradients. And thanks to AMP, there are finally more colours to choose from.

To highlight the trims, I mix AMP Peachy Flesh into Black Red. Since neither black, white nor an off-white aren’t included in the two Cosmic AMP sets, I had to find other ways to lighten and darken the colours. Luckily, the salmon tone of AMP Peachy Flesh works nicely with AMP Black Red to create a light burgundy colour.

I glazed the yellow with AMP Red Orange to add some shading. AMP Red Orange is a quite transparent paint, fantastic for glazing but not really suitable for basecoating, so watch out. I do wish Monument Hobbies had put a note about that on the label. The included AMP Orange Yellow, which I used for the yellow basecoat, has quite decent covering power for such a saturated yellow, though.

Next, I painted the skin with AMP Peachy Flesh, the only skin tone in the set. It’s actually not all that peachy – more of a light Caucasian skin tone. Not quite ideal for Jade Warriors, but it shades well when mixed with AMP Burnt Umber. By the way, the eyes were the only details for which I had to use paints from outside the sets, namely black and white.

Answering all your AMP questions

Time to revisit the three questions from the beginning:

First, is AMP a standalone paint range? I’d say no. Think of AMP more like an extension of Pro Acryl’s Signature Series, a curated selection of colours with a thematic focus. You can paint a complete miniature with them, as this Jade Warrior proves. Despite the limitations, I think the colour scheme turned out quite balanced and striking. But the 18 paints included are quite specific, and for me, a standalone range needs to cover all the core hues on the colour wheel.

Second, how versatile are the colours? Well, AMP fills some noticeable gaps in the Pro Acryl range. More washes and grey and beige tones are always useful, there’s finally a darker warm yellow, and I really liked the Bright Green Blue.

And third question, are there any differences between AMP and Pro Acryl? Honestly, apart from the label design, I’d say not really. AMP paints behave exactly like the Pro Acryl paints you know and love. The finish is slightly more satin, but not as satin as the colours marked with (satin) in the Signature Series, like PA Bone or PA Dark Sea Ben.

Where to get

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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.