TTCombat recently released a huge range of spray paints at really affordable prices, and as Games Workshop Chaos Black is currently impossible to get hold of it only made sense to do a side by side comparison to see if the new TTCombat sprays would make a good stop gap or a replacement for Chaos Black.
Now, as an impartial reviewer and a shop that’s been asked about Army Painter sprays a number of times we added their Matt Black spray to the mix (we even express ordered a tin off Amazon to get it to us in time), to set a 3 way battle to see which spray would get our recommendation.
Our review is based on spray in 2 tanks with each spray and covering resin, metal and plastic.
Round 1 – Price
To be honest there was only going to be one winner and one loser here… All 3 sprays cans are the same size (400ml) but the costs vary by £3.50 between cheapest and most expensive!
- Games Workshop Chaos Black – RRP £11 (Our price £9.90)
- Army Painter Matt Black – RRP £8.50 (Our price would be £7.65)
- TTCombat Black Spectre – RRP £7.50 (Our price £6.75)
Round 1 – The winner is TTCombat (but remember price isn’t everything!)
Round 2 – What it’s like to spray
In our test we gave each can a good shake for an equal amount of time, and as they are all the same size, they are easy to hold while shaking. Where I noticed a difference was in the actual spraying.
The GW can has a slightly lower nozzle which is also wider and larger, this makes it (for me) a much nicer spraying experience, the other 2 can have taller nozzle heads that have more movement which caused me to have finger pain while spraying.
Side note – I’d be amazed if the TTCombat and AP sprays aren’t actually made side by side in the same factory, the cans are the same, they smell the same, and just feel really similar, the spray lids are also identical in design.
Round 2 – The winner of this round is GW’s Chaos Black
Round 3 – Coverage
All 3 sprays were fine.
Personally I think the GW spray goes on better (which might be down to what it’s like to spray), but all gave a good even coverage of the models.
Round 3 – Draw
Round 4 – Finish & Drying Time
The AP & TTCombat sprays are identical (I really do think they are the same spray), both had a slightly glossy finish and took longer to cure than the Chaos Black. All 3 sprays left a good finish that can easily be painted over.
Round 4 – The winner of this round is Chaos Black
Fun fact, it’s really hard to take a photo of a model that is just black…
The test models used belonged to one of our customers, here’s what he had to say about the new TTCombat spray:
“I would say that although a slightly glossier finish it does cover well which is my main concern for a primer. For the cost it really does the job you want from a primer.”
The Final Result…
Having looked at the tests and pondered upon it fully, the winner of our Primer Test is…
Vallejo Black Airbrush Primer!
The primer is an exact match for Chaos Black in terms of finish and colour and gives a great surface to prime over. It also lasts an age, the only downside of it is that you need to invest in an airbrush (we can help with that).
All joking aside – all 3 spray primers are great. Chaos Black has always been a solid spray paint and gives a great coverage and the new TTCombat spray appears to be the same at the Army Painter Black.
Our first choice for spray is GW Chaos Black as it’s just a good all round spray, however if it’s not available or you’re looking for a cheaper alternative then the Black Spectre Spray from TTCombat will do you proud. The only reason that the AP Black spray doesn’t also get a recommendation is that it feels the same as the TTCombat offering just for a £1 more, but other than that we have nothing against it.
