[Review] The perfect Primer

This is something that may be of particular interest to Adeptus Custodes or Stormcast Eternals players, but might also be helpful to anyone looking for a good undercoat for gold.

For the longest time, I'd been priming miniatures in black, and then using something like Mournfang Brown to basecoat sections that were to be gold.  It works okay, but you have the primer, then a couple thin coats of brown, then 1-2 thin coats of gold.

I've used Vallejo AV primer for the longest time, and I brush it on because weather and space concerns really keep me from using aerosol sprays or an airbrush.  But I've heard a lot of good things about Stynylrez from Badger.  They have a red-brown primer that looked to be perfect.  However, with the really cold weather we've had here for the last couple months, there was no way I could mail-order it and not have it frozen to uselessness by the time I get home to get the mail.  Well, the weather's finally warmed up to the mid-40s so I ordered some a couple of days ago and it arrived today.

I have got to say, the stuff is wonderful.  It goes on nice and smooth, even with a brush,  It's self-leveling like Vallejo but it dries with a matte surface rather than the shiny finish of Vallejo primer.  It's got more tooth for what you'll paint over it, and coverage is great.  And where Vallejo's ideal cure time is measured in days (one to three days was killing me to wait), Stynylrez cures in hours.  I primed a couple of Custodians before dinner, watched a little TV and came back to basecoat the gold.  They were ready to go.

Here's the best part.  Where I used to have to do three thin coats of gold to cover the black primer, Gold goes over red-brown Stynylrez in One. Thin. Coat.  And the brown undercoat makes the gold look really rich and warm.  Because you're applying fewer coats of primer, basecoat, and gold to cover, detail is preserved far better and the model doesn't look "painted".  I highly recommend this stuff for anyone who paints Custodes, Stormcast, or anything where you'll be doing a lot of gold.  You'll wonder why you waited so long.