Comparison · Paints & Primers
Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0 vs Vallejo Xpress Color
The two one-coat challengers — vibrancy or control?
Option B
Vallejo Xpress Color
Muted and controllable
| Spec | Speedpaint 2.0 | Vallejo Xpress Color |
|---|---|---|
| Finish character | Saturated, high-contrast, glossy-leaning | Softer, matte-leaning, more “scale” muted |
| Reactivation | Fixed in 2.0 — layers safely once dry | Stable; layers and mixes predictably |
| Flow behavior | Very fluid; races into recesses, can tide-mark on large flats | Slightly thicker; easier on big panels, less dramatic shading |
| Range | 90+ colors incl. metallics and fluoros | Growing range, strong midtones, fewer exotics |
| Dropper vs pot | Dropper bottles with mixing balls | Dropper bottles |
| Street price | ~$4.50–5.50 / 18 ml | ~$4.50–6 / 18 ml |
The verdict
Both are modern one-coat paints that shade and color in a single pass; they differ in personality. Speedpaint 2.0 dries brighter and punchier with harder shadow contrast — armies pop from across the table. Xpress Color dries calmer and more matte, closer to a traditional base-plus-wash result, and behaves better on large smooth areas.
Squad painters chasing table impact tend to pick Speedpaint; painters who glaze and layer on top of their one-coat base tend to prefer Xpress. They intermix fine, so many benches run both.
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Sheet 09 · Bench Goods
