BLOG

This is our blog section. Here you’ll find all our posts in chronological order, like on our old website.

You can access and bookmark this “classic” view directly by www.taleofpainters.com/blog.

Banner for Stahly's 7-in-1 Colour matching document on Patreon
40k, Best ofs

Our top 5 Blood Angels army showcases & tutorials

Cinematic shot of a squad of Blood Angels Assault Intercessors plunging through the ruins of a smoke-filled battlefield

We’re kicking off our Road to Armageddon with a curated selection of the best Blood Angels posts from over 15 years of Tale of Painters. Let’s bridge the wait until the 11th Edition launch with our inspiring Blood Angels army and model showcases and painting guides. And if you love 2nd Edition style Blood Angels in bright orange-red armour, this is a must-read anyway.

Read more
40k, Product Guides

Ranking every 40k starter set (plus our thoughts on Armageddon)

The Warhammer 40.000 Armageddon box flanked by the 2nd Edition starter set and Assault on Black Reach, surrounded by blurry sparks

We’re going on a journey through time, ranking every 40k starter and launch set! With pre-orders for Armageddon just around the corner, we thought it was the perfect moment to pause and look back at everything that came before. We’ll tell you where we think Armageddon stands compared to all the previous 40k starter and launch sets, share our favourite starter sets from nearly 40 years of Warhammer, and show you our collections of lovingly painted starter set miniatures.

Read more
Reviews, Starcraft

Starcraft TMG Starter Set Founder’s Edition review: better value than Armageddon?

Starcraft Tabletop Miniatures game Founders Edition starter set, arranged on a grey background lit with purple and blue light
9.0

Terrans versus Zerg: one of gaming’s most iconic rivalries finally comes to the tabletop, and it arrives in style. The Starcraft Tabletop Miniatures Game Founders Edition is a massive two-player starter set packed with coloured multipart plastic miniatures, a fabric gaming mat, terrain, and everything you need to wage war across the Koprulu Sector straight out of the box. We’ve gone through every sprue in detail, have high-res sprue images for both factions below, and put the models side by side with Warhammer 40k miniatures for a scale comparison. Read on for our full unboxing and review.

Read more
Editorials

In memory of John Blanche

Aeldari Farseer black and white artwork by John Blanche

It is with great sadness that we share the news of John Blanche’s passing in early June 2026 at the age of 77. The hobby world has lost one of its true visionaries, and the Warhammer universe will forever bear the imprint of his extraordinary vision. This is our homage to John’s extraordinary talent and career.

Read more
Best ofs

The best of Tale of Painters: May 2026

Multipicture collage of the four best posts from Tale of Painters in May 2026

May was another busy month on Tale of Painters: Vostroyans, GUNPLA, Nighthaunt, Dunk’s visit to the MPO 2026 in Bristol, and of course plenty of reviews: all the new Cities of Sigmar models incl. a deep dive into the Cogfort kit, the new Legiones Astartes Falchion, Kill Team: Terror on Devlan, and a stack of paint reviews. Stahly took a close look at the new Pro Acryl 1-Step paints and the Ionic inks, among others. Catch up on everything you missed this month.

Read more
Paints & tools, Reviews

Can Mindworks artist acrylic paints really win you a Golden Demon? All sets reviewed

Five Mindworks heavy body acrylics tubes in front of a pink lit background, five colours from the core set

I’ve tested all the Mindworks Heavy Body Acrylic paint sets. Marco Frisoni claims he won a Golden Demon thanks to these paints… but can that really be true? Are they genuinely that good, or is it just clickbait? Heavy body artist acrylics are a completely different animal from your usual hobby paints, and knowing when to use them makes all the difference. So in this review, I’ll walk you through their strengths and shortcomings.

Read more
Paints & tools, Reviews

Ionic “Ioninks” are a joy to use – but perhaps not for everything (review)

Ionic Ioninks Smart Inks paint set arranged in front of a pink lit concrete background, with four bottles of ink in front of it
8.0

Ammo MIG has expanded the Ionic Smart Colors family with a dedicated set of 12 inks. And on paper, the Ioninks look like the perfect companion to one of the hobby’s most exciting newer paint ranges. High chromatic intensity, high opacity, and a highly fluid formula all sound promising. In practice, though, the Ioninks carve out a more specific niche than you might expect. Here’s everything you need to know before you buy.

Read more