FauxHammer Hobby Awards 2020

Last Updated on February 8, 2021 by FauxHammer

Dumm Dum Dummmm Baaaa dumm dummmmmm, ba ba ba ba ba ba. BA BA, buh dah duh, Buh dah bum bum! I guess Fanfares don’t really work in written format. But it sounded great in my head, really exciting and gets you right in the mood to see what our best hobby picks are in 2020!

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I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a crazy year so far. Things have been very crazy on the FauxHammer front too! had an absolute stormer of a year following last Christmas. Everything as going in the right direction and I was throwing money at developing the site every which way. Speed features etc. Then a virus which will not be named came along and I personally almost ended up in financial ruin in the space of 2 months! It was almost the end of FauxHammer, but thanks to the generosity of the community. it not only kept us afloat but also gave us the power to grow even more.

The site is now available over 4 languages with a dedicated French translator and our writing team grew by 600%!

We’ve reviewed tonnes this year, starting a new series of Ask the Artist Articles and we have even more to come!

With all of those articles and more to come. We thought it would be great to summarise our top picks for 2020. I assume many of you will want to be spending most wisely over the coming period as our countries economies collapse into anarchy.

So on that positive note. check out our summaries of the best miniatures hobby stuff we worked on in 2020

We wanted nothing but the best for these awards – and so “spared no expense”. The badge alone for example cost over £8 from Fiverr!

BEST MINIATURE PAINT BRUSHES 2020

Why not start off strong, one of the most commonly asked questions in this hobby is “what are the best brushes for painting miniatures?”

SEE OUR BEST BRUSHES ARTICLE

Well, that’s a very personal thing really, what works for one may not necessarily work for the next person. brushes are a very natural and organic thing. You can often buy 3 of the same brush and have different feelings about them all. This is true across any brand. Honestly, I encourage you all to try a variety of the top brushes throughout your hobby career and see what suits. That being said, I’ve found my go-to;

Artis Opus

When you start using Kolinsky Sable brushes, there’s really very little between those different brands you’ve all heard of, and preferred shape is a very personal thing. But Artis Opus are the only company so far that make the whole range you would ever need.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Brushes 2020 - Artis Opus

SEE OUR SERIES S RREVIEW

SEE OUR SERIES D REVIEW

Don’t Take my word for it, ask people like David Soper, Bohun, Angel Giraldez, Richard Grey.

The reason people say that Windsor and newton are the best brushes is that it’s a pretty well known poorly-kept secret, that’s they are what most of the ‘Eavy Metal team use. Personally, I’ve turned my nose up to W&N because I’m just so used to seeing posts online like this one.

So if you take your mind away from Warhammer and ask some of the world’s best miniature painters what they use. They use Artis Opus.

For normal brushes, you’ve got the Series S, For detail work the Series M and for the ultimate in drybrushing (which you may know I am a fan of) the Series D. what more could you need?

Having personally had hands-on with these, along with all of the other Top Brushes, such as Squidmar Raphael, Winsor & Newton, Rosemary & Co and even Broken Toad. These are the ones I always default back to. Favourite picks include the Series S #3 & #1, Series M #0 and the Medium Series D brush. Space Marines… Done.

They really should release set with just these brushes in….

BEST MINIATURE AIRBRUSH 2020

SEE OUR BEST AIRBRUSHES ARTICLE

I’ve put a lot of Airbrushes through their paces this last year, reviewing the top brushes on the main 3 Brands, Harder & Steenbeck, Badger & Iwata. and I have to say there is one brush which is so far above the others. Someone needs to do a lot of work to top it

Cult of Paint H&S Evolution & Infinity CRplus

Another brand which ticks two boxes, Intermediate & Pro. If you are new to airbrushing. I highly recommend getting a cheap airbrush from eBay/amazon. The sort that comes free with a half-decent compressor. All that is for is to get you used to Airbrushing, they are trash but they are cheap trash. I’d Start there.

The FaThe FauxHammer Awards - Best Airbrushs 2020 - Cult of Paint Infinity & EvolutionuxHammer Awards - Best Airbrushs 2020 - Cult of Paint Infinity & Evolution

But when you want to get better quality work and more control you generally want to be spending over £100 ($130 USD, $200 AUD, 120€). Anything cheaper than this and from what I have seen you may as well buy a cheapo knock off airbrush becasue the quality is generally on par.

The first on that list is the Evolution. Exactly the same as Harder & Steenbeck’s Evolution, but with Cult of Paint Branding and a trigger which is unrivalled. Having a (reversible for left or right hand) lip on the trigger gives you so much more precise control when compared to any other brush

But the pro version is clearly the Infinity, with the same trigger and needle. But this comes with a few bonus extras. A cutaway for easy access to the needle nut. A quick-release needle stop (the best stopper due to the quick release nature). It has a micro colour cup, helping avoid waste. It’s aluminium making it one of the lightest airbrushes you can get. And it comes in a beautiful matte black.

Harder & Steenbeck’s Infinity CRplus is the best airbrush I have ever used. And Cult of Paint made it better, specifically for miniature painters. The biggest bonus of these two brushes is that you can get the Evo as an intermediate airbrush painter. As the components like the needle/nozzle and colour cups are interchangeable when you upgrade to the Infinity you can swap and change parts between them. None of the other brands has this perfect upgrade path for you.

BEST MINIATURE PAINTS 2020

SEE OUR BEST PAINTS ARTICLE

Choosing the best paints for 2020 was easy! Of all the paints I used this year, only one brand left me with my jaw, quite literally, on the floor!

Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl

Just see our review for the detail, but these paints are the paints that Citadel base paints wish they were.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Paints 2020 - Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl

SEE OUR REVIEW

The incredibly fine pigment in a medium so smooth it feels like cheating when you paint with these. Even colours like the white and yellow cover so much smoother than many other brands. If you want to nail basecoats, get these. iI you want blends to be smooth get these. If you want colours which go through your airbrush with ease, get these.

As a critic, I have to be careful with recommendations, there have been a few times where I have loved a product, said why bout others have said,they could not get on with them. With these I am so confident in them that I am happy to say, go any buy them and thank me when they arrive.

“I can’t get on with pro acryl paints and they are rubbish to use!” Said nobody ever!

BEST WET PALETTE 2020

SEE OUR BEST WET PALETTES ARTICLE

Again, an easier choice but this one has at least had some challengers this year. Wet palettes are fairly simple items and you can easily make your own. With buying a wet palette you are paying for the convenience of not having to cut up bits of baking parchment (or even find it in the first place). So why not choose one which is more convenient than any other.

RedgrassGames Everlasting Wet Palette

Despite The Army Painter coming out with their own version which is very close in comparison, where these guys succeed is in matching the Army painter price point and offering more functionality to you.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Palette 2020 - Redgrass Games Everlasting Wet Palette

SEE OUR REVIEW

Where TAP’s has a middle-tray to store your brushes. It’s actually very little use since you can’t actually carry the wet palette around with you lest it spill. That brush tray just becomes an extra lump of plastic to clutter your desk.

Redgrass games win by offering the Standard (painter) and Large (Studio) sizes, the lid fits under the palette to maximise the free workspace on your desk or even doubles up as a second palette. The wavy accessory is a great bonus extra where you can store all manner of fluids & mediums.

Hand’s down, the best thought out product across the board.

BEST SPRUE CUTTERS 2020

SEE OUR BEST SPRUE CUTTERRS ARTICLE

Ok, a bit of an odd one here. I mean, how important are Sprue cutters? It’s not like it’s Paint, Brushes or an airbrush. I considered an award for every tool category, but for things like Hoby Knives and Piv Vise’, there are some top picks but nothing stands out. With Sprue Cutters, however – different story!

DSPIAE STA 3.0 NIPPER

There were 2 top choices for best Nippes until these came along.

1 The GodHand SPN-120. Available in Japan or via import. they are the absolute best nippers you can buy, but only by a razor’s edge. It’s a shame that the price is astronomical due to import fees.

2. The next up is Redgrass Games Nippers which feature a similar design, but a thicker blade. The cut is nowhere near as good as the GodHand but they are far and above the rest of the cutters in a similar price range.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Sprue Cutters 2020 - DSPIAE ST-A

But the DSPIAE STA 3.0 Nippers feature the best of those two models with none of the downsides. The STA 3.0 Features a similar razor edge to the Godhand, and sells for a similar price point as Redgrass and most other hobby cutters. You need to be careful with these because that blade is so fine you can snap it (and with the GodHand I have). I literally can’t tell between these which one has the closer cut, I reach for the DSPIAE more often because I just don’t want to risk damaging a product which does pretty much the same job at double the cost.

If you like to make sure your miniatures are clean of sprue gates before painting. This will Save you a lot of time and effort with less risk to damaging parts of your minis.

Again, get them and put a smile on your face…

BEST HOBBY HANDLE 2020

SEE OUR BEST HOBBY HANDLES ARTICLE

Hobby handles are a divisive topic but I’m not surprised that the following winner was also mentioned more than any other handle when we asked for nominations on Paint Hub.

Garfy’s Get a Grip

Right out of the gate, there is 1 handle I would say is arguably better and that’s the Rathcore Miniature Grip. But that one really works best for pro painters who always pin their models. The price is also considerably more than Garfy’s Get a Grip;

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Hobby Handle 2020 - Garfy Get a Grip

With Garfys Get a Grip range, specifically the pro models you have so much versatility at an incredible price. Want to Pin your models to cork? Do it. Want to paint your models already affixed to bases? Yep, you can do that (with larger sizes than GW’s base handle). Ah and if for some reason you prefer your models affixed to your handle with putty, even though it’s not as rigid as the other two options, you can, of course, do that too.

At such a modest price, get one, heck if you paint armies get 5 or even 10! Yeah it’s 3D printed, but no other handle offers this much versatility, and certainly not at this price. Support a fan favourite miniature painter and buy his handles.

BEST PAINT SHAKER 2020

SEE OUR BEST PAINT SHAKER ARTICLE

The Most popular choice for Paint shakers is still the humble old hand, Chances are you have one, if you are lucky you have two. Don’t shun this, you are lucky, some people don’t. So there’s something to be grateful for today. If you are looking for something more mechanical, check out the following.

Mini Vortex Mixer

How Much!!!!!! Yeah, they aren’t cheap but let’s are honest this is probably still a lot less then you spent on little plastic people in the last few months…?

Exactly….

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Paint Mixer 2020 - Four Es Lab Genius Mini Vortex Mixer

Whist these come with a tall price tag, ask anyone who has one what they think. This truly goes beyond convenience. Whereas things like the Robart Paint mixer or a popular but cheap nail varnish mixer offer little more than convenience. a noisy one at that.

This can take some of your worst most avoided paints and turn them into favourites. Put it this way, I actually like White Scar…. yeah, they are that good.

This mixer can do everything from repair dried out paints to fully mix some of the thickest paints, metallics for example often suffer from poor mixing due to the heavy pigment. Every time you pick up a bottle of paint, just a few seconds on this should give you a really solid and consistent colour, the likes of which you have rarely seen.

BEST MODEL STORAGE 2020

When it comes to model storage, very little beats an old cardboard box. We’ve had some things pop out this year and many of us know Duncan Rhodes video showing how he makes storage boxes.

Let’s be fair, storing miniatures is tricky. They are various shapes and sizes and it’s not like the boxes you get them in help either. I’ve used everything from toilet paper for transport to an Ikea cabinet for display, but what is the absolute best you can get?

Problem is… there are 2 options. so this is a draw, with 2 winners,.

Feldherr Storage

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Miniature Storage 2020 - Feldherr

If pure storage is your bag (pun fully intended). There’s no better supplier than Feldherrr. Everything from Cardboard boxes to Steel & Poly cases is available.

All with cutout options ranging from pull out plush cubes to make your own spaces for oddly shaped miniatures to standard sizes for various units and vehicles.

My favourite part of this range is the core-set cut-outs they sell for retail boxes. So if you grab a boxed game, chances are there is a Feldherr foam made to perfectly fit that box along with all the built models and sundries within.

Crystal Fortress

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Miniature Storage 2020 - Crystal Fortress

Crystal fortress is Absolute beauty – If you have an army of display models then you want them looking good at all times – you want this.

Crystal Fortress is by far the sexiest miniature storage you can buy. But it is quite expensive.

A modular design which connects together almost like 3D Tetris blocks and sandwiched between a base and a lid for transport. these double up as display boxes for your shelving.

These can also come with cut-outs and magnets to store all of your based models upright and proud.

BEST HOBBY STORAGE 2020

Ok so that was all about storing your miniatures, but what about all your other hobby stuff? Brushes, Paints, Airbrush, More Paints, Files, More Paint, Basing Materials, Paints, Glues, Paints, Spare Model Parts and yet again…. Paint?. Where do you stick that lot if you want to upgrade from Cardboard Box?

There’s a ton of choice in these areas but the best two are not too dissimilar from each other. In fact, they are all but cross-compatible, almost identical even. And those two would be The Hobbyzone Modular Workshop System and the ArttyStation Opera Modules

Dun dun dunnnnnm The winner is

ArttyStation Opera

We reviewed this set earlier in the year alongside Hobbyzone and well we have to say, we were surprised by what initially appeared to be a cheap knock-off when we found out that ArttyStation was the superior choice.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Hobby Tool Storage 2020 - Arttystation

SEE OUR REVIEW

Price-wise, there’s really not much in it as each has modules which are more expensive to similar options in the other. So we need to look deeper to see which one is best.

The reason ArttyStation stand out is mainly due to the fact that they are far easier to build with little to no glueing required making the set up much faster. But also the quality of the material is better with ArttyStation units being laminated or resin-coated (no idea how they have done it). But this means they are less susceptible to spills and other liquid damage.

The Standard Opera set up is the perfect storage collection for miniature painters, putting everything in arms reach and even offering an airbrush station along side.

ArttyStation Opera Review for Miniature Painters - OPERA-19A Slide&Tilting Drawer Paint Shelf
Showing just 1 of 2 drawers

With each brand having some clever designs in its modules. The best unit overall is ArttyStation’s Paint storage modules which house the most paint in the smallest area of real estate. And let’s be fair, it’s paint storage we want need most of all.

BEST CROWDFUNDED PROJECT 2020

We were going to call this Best Kickstarter but then we realised that there are more crowdfunding platforms than Kickstarter. Undecided on a catchy name we decided on this as it is, in the very least, descriptive.

There have been a lot of great ones this year. and you know what it’s made me realise how hard this job is. I’ve read so many other pages that do these yearly awards and I sit and chunter and disagree and argue with people online about what should have won. But actually choosing a winner amongst so many great choices is really hard. Especially feeling the pressure of knowing everyone will be having the same disagreements with me.

So at the very least, let’s have a look at some of the best ones up front.

  • Dungeons & Lasers 2 was absolutely smashing but it’s more of the same and really should just be a retail product by now.
  • Squidmar’s brushes! Wow! What it earned and how good the final product is, they are ace, check our Review. But we already have brushes on this list.
  • Heroquest was incredible, but I’m sorry, I’m just cautiously sceptical about how open companies are with their earnings when they have their own crowdfunding platform (Hasbro Pulse in this case).
  • Upzone is ace and is still ongoing, how has it taken so long for someone to come up with this idea? But oh, how much! Smaller tiers would have been a nice option.
  • Redgrass Games Earlier in the year with their excellent hobby handle, but again like D&L above, it’s a redux.
  • Minipedia by Scale 75 is a brilliant addition to the hobby sphere from some masters of the art. But it is as yet, unproven in value until it’s released and we can review it.

I’ve personally backed all of these but my absolute favourite (making it the winner) is;

Deorgard by Cult of Paint

I am somewhat biased about this one purely because they are the one Kickstater that supported us by sending over their test print on Indryhten to paint and preview on the site.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Crowdfunded Project 2020 - Deorgard by Cult of Paint

SEE OUR PREVIEW

But after 20 years of my love for all things Warhammer and turning my nose up to everything else. It was this model and this project that made me fall in love with 75mm miniatures and finally extend my reach beyond Citadel and some people paint guides I could copy /tweak.

It let me forced me to flex my hobby muscles and put into practise everything I learned with nobody holding my hand. My only regret is that my kids were being nightmare at the weekend and so I missed my chance to up my pledge to The Big Box.

It’s not just the models and the support that make this a stand out for me. it was the campaign itself.

This team is really just 2 guys, 2 guys who pulled together some of the worlds greatest hobbyists. They created a ton of tiers so that you can back them at an affordable level all the way up to the big box. The unlocks ranged from extra rewards, offered equally to all, including those at the lowest level to supporting videos. So that if this is your first bust or larger mini, they will guide you through the stages on how to paint it and make it your own.

Cult of Paint is well known for their painting classes and guides. So there’s no doubt these will be top-notch too.

Whilst this was technically one of the lowest earners of the list above where most made multiple hundreds of thousands. These guys made £70k. But that’s massive considering these are really just a few sculpts (though insanely detailed sculpts at that). I spoke to these guys around the time they Hit 40K and there was no dramatic hyperbole. they were genuinely humbled by this with no expectation they’d hit £50k. So, massive well-done guys!!!

If you missed it, keep an eye on this set as it’s gonna be a great kit for you to play with. Especially if painting is your thing over gaming.

BEST BOXED GAME 2020

Not even gonna do an intro, it’s Indomitus, Let me check by looking at the title below, yeah it’s Indomitus

Warhammer 40,000 Indomitus

Is this any surprise? really? I don’t know what I liked most about this? Was it the announcement, The models, the sheer value? the gorgeous Limited Edition Artbook. Or was it the fact that all the scalpers got completely screwed over 3 days after it sold out in record time when GW announced that they would make it available on made-to-order for over a month?

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Boxed Miniatures Game 2020 - Indomitus

SEE OUR REVIEW

It came out right at the end of the UK’s first Covid Lockdown and week after Warhammer world reopened. I remember this vividly as I was actually the first customer to buy a copy from Warhammer World on Release day. (kinda proud of that one).

I’ve bought it built it and painted it, twice, and I still want another box.

Whilst there are the Recruit, Elite and (somehow illiterately greater than Elite) Command Editions available. Nothing beats the value of this box. With it’s (still at the time of publication) Exclusive Models.

If you are eagle-eyed, you’ll notice that more than a few retailers decided to wade in on made-to-order so (as of now) you can still pick this up for yourself or as a gift this holiday season. But when they are gone. They are truly gone.

BEST MINIATURE 2020

This entry was entirely Community Choice – of all the miniatures released this year (and there have been some greats) – the one that stands out to our readers more than all the other’s is;

C’tan Shard of the Void Dragon

An absolutely incredible sculpt here by Darren Latham, it makes me wonder if there is anything this man cannot do. He can Paint, he can Sculpt and I’ll put money on him being able to fly. having met him in person I also need to say he is also just a super nice guy.

The FauxHammer Awards - Best Model 2020 - C'Tan Shard of the Void Dragon

The sculpt itself is juct beeautiful, There’s sso much to play with here, you have the tri-fecta of forms. Hard Metallic and Rock surfaces. Smooth Humanoid forms and Windy-Swirly Effects galore. And wiuth the model being larger than your typical infantry or even character level model, you get to throw so much more paint at it and really make it your own.

Remember when i said above that it was Deorgard that made me fall in love with 75mm models. This is why….

There have been some incredible paint jobs for thois guy which is unsurprising considering his scale. He is screaming out to have a massive range of contrast, just check out some of the Amazing work on Instagram.

If you fancy one yourself, you can still go out any buy one, or…..

We’ve decided, in honour of the innagural FauxHammer Awards in 2020 we’re going to give him away.

FauxHammer Hobby Awards 2020 Giveaway

That’s right, we are giving 1 lucky reader the chance to get theor hands on this years winning “Best Model”, There’s a reason that we never said this when arranging the poll, (we didn’t want everyone voting for the most expensive!).

Entry is simple, All you need to do is comment below between now and a month from now (December 26/12/20). All we want to know is what you think of these yearly awards? Good, bad ugly? What and how should we improve this for next year? I’ll be the first to admit there will probaly be things here we did not get right, maybe in the approach or how it was announced, missing categories. etc. But this is our first go and I don’t think any other sites do a similar thing. So, unlike my old homework, there was nobody to copy off.

We want to make this bigger and better guys, a nice yearly event, but we need your feedback to do it. Give us some and we could be sending you a free C’tan as a thanks!

FauxHammer out…

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FauxHammer

Self-appointed Editor in chief of FauxHammer.com - But I need to thank the team for existing and therefore enabling me to give myself role - without them, I'm just a nerd with a computer and a plastic addiction.

57 thoughts on “FauxHammer Hobby Awards 2020

  • November 26, 2020 at 4:14 pm
    Permalink

    Am I actually the first to comment? Great.

    Loved these awards, actually given me a lot of new products I hadn’t seen before or missed (like the Bobbie station)

    For next year – maybe a “game of the year” could be voted for by fans of the site?

    Could also add more brush categories – best dry brush or detail brush. However this could lead to lots of new awards.
    Maybe best brush set?

    Also big up the awards more, advertise them earlier – send out info on who the 3 finalists in each category are etc.

    But ultimately this was a great award ceremony and glad I attended.

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 4:21 pm
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    List looks great! Couldn’t agree more with the Artis Opus paintbrushes!

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 4:23 pm
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    I totally agree with the wet pallet. Changed the game for me!

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 4:24 pm
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    Brilliant as always. Valued winners chosen by the people who want to use the best. Loved the opening music at the beginning as well for that real sense of theatre. :)

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 4:37 pm
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    This is really useful info – thanks! I’ve been trying to figure out model storage for a couple of months but it’s difficult to know what a lot of it is actually like. I was leaning towards Feldherr for long-term storage (and transporting to games) – think this pretty much cements that decision

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 4:53 pm
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    I’d love to see you add an award for best hobby company. Otherwise great!

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 5:33 pm
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    Indomitus is incredible (got 2,5) for my necrons army.
    Wanna test the brush potentially later when i am better.
    As for the void dragon, can’t agree more, love the fig, totally worth it (stk was really good too).
    For storage, i hesitate for fedherr but still get an army case, bad memory with this kind of storage/transport from old day.
    Nice awards.

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 6:09 pm
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    Good job, good job.
    I thought it was the starwars theme at first, (I was slow with that one).

    The awards are a great way for new hobbyist to get their hands on high quality equipment and supplies from the off(and what to avoid)

    All options are not the highest price which is nice,

    I actually got the garfys get a grip handle off your recommendation earlier in the year, at £9.99 it’s absolutely brilliant, I mainly use it for pinning shields etc with its built in cork.

    So my personal experience with the best of series has been helpful!

    Looking forward to what you do next and well done on all the detailed hard work.

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 7:50 pm
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    What about a best paint job or painted army category or even best tutorial painter

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 8:03 pm
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    Great set of categories, I feel like a category for best glue was missing since there are so many options out there. Otherwise a pretty strong list. Based on your recommendation I plan on getting one of the paint mixers as the next big purchase after I upgrade my airbrush to a Harder & Steinbeck.

    Reply
    • November 26, 2020 at 11:20 pm
      Permalink

      I was gonna do an article on best glue, but they are all the same. then I need to break it down to Super, Cement, resin etc.

      Leave it with me/

      Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 9:30 pm
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    Awesome round up, it feels like a great time to be in the hobby, there’s a lot of innovation and new technologies pushing the boundaries.

    Can’t wait to see what we’re celebrating next year

    Reply
  • November 26, 2020 at 10:32 pm
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    I agree with the best paint and boxed set. Pro Acryl is amazingly good paint. And the Indomitus box was such a good deal, it’s what made me finally get into 40k as a hobby!

    Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 12:16 am
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    I think these awards are great – especially the hobby supplies as it can be a bit much to research.

    Perhaps next time a top 3 in each might be useful, and a quick links section with the full list.

    Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 12:52 am
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    Great awards guys, agree with most but I didn’t like the garfy handle at all I much prefer the boring option of gw haha the Artis Opus brushes are supreme I recommend the texture pallette with the series d

    Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 1:37 am
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    Clearly lots of time, energy, and thought was put into formulating this list. As a person who has only been in the hobby for a year and half the information is very helpful as I begin to upgrade my entry level tools. Thanks fauxhammer!!

    Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 8:37 am
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    I have found this list really useful for the present ideas I am constantly asked for. A specific list of “for under £?” would be good too.

    Reply
    • November 27, 2020 at 4:38 pm
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      Do you know at the top of all our pages we have over 100 gift ideas? This also links to another article showing a significant other how to buy for you?

      Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 12:02 pm
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    totally agree on the Void Dragon a absolutely beautiful engineered and designed model that just screams to be painted

    Reply
  • November 27, 2020 at 12:03 pm
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    Thank You for this, I already got the Pro Acryl box set based on your review, Pre-order only delayed by a week so i have it in my grubby mitts. Now, Instead of regular Artist Opus brushes, Santa will hopefully be bringing me the Black Friday set !!!! woo-hoo!!!

    I do agree with Richard Pearce a “Gift guide” at certain price points would be class.

    Reply
  • November 28, 2020 at 7:11 am
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    Loved the awards, and was really pleased to see that many of your “Best in Category” are things that I have got myself after research (often via your reviews).
    It has made me even keener to get some ProAcryl paints – especially as there is now a UK distributor – though I think my wife will have a fit if I buy more paints!

    Just a thought for future awards, maybe have a “best for beginners” option in the categories. Like you mentioned under airbrushes about a beginner first getting a cheapo before upgrading.

    Thanks, looking forward to next year’s awards.

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  • November 29, 2020 at 11:13 am
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    Good, useful. I can’t agree with garfy’s grip handle being good, I found it a faff. I am a non paint handle user though. It’s cheap enough people can just try it out I guess

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  • December 2, 2020 at 6:02 pm
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    For most catagories to my knowledge are pretty good new to hobby but look good i would definatly add more for creators and people in the hobby cominity like most inflental and best new painter

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  • December 5, 2020 at 2:42 pm
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    I can’t aggree on all of your choices (e.g. on the best cutter). But I really like your reviews and they give a very good start when looking for miniature tools – thank you.
    The suggestion for new categories of former posts are worth a look ;-)

    Reply
  • December 12, 2020 at 11:04 am
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    As a relative newcomer to gaming an painting warhammer and citadel products I find these awards really useful and I totally agree on the indomitus box winner and the ctan shard! I really want to try out the artis opus brushes thanks fauxhammer

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  • December 14, 2020 at 9:22 pm
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    In all honesty, I skipped most until I came to the part that interested me the most- The ArttyStation & The Model of the year. The Station looks like a great addition to the new workspace, and I’ve already saved it to check it out once we’ve moved. And C’tan… Oof, that is a beauty. I only collect AOS to use in D&D games, and he would fit right in! …But €60 for a single miniature is quite a price tag, and one I’m sadly not able to afford with the moving and all. The give away is a great chance to get him, thanks a bunch!

    Also, thanks to you guys I discovered Mortal Realms. Already got sets 41 & 48 ordered, and have Fauxhammer in the toolbar to see whenever new spoilers are available.

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  • December 16, 2020 at 11:25 pm
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    Thanks for the article – what a great year to have joined the hobby.

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  • December 17, 2020 at 11:49 am
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    Great article! I’ve really been enjoying your content, and this makes for interesting reading. I’d love to get into airbrushing in 2021, but family might have another idea.

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  • December 21, 2020 at 3:56 pm
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    Overall the awards variety is very good in my opinion.

    I would like to see in future years a more comprehensive breakdown of the runners up and any honourable mentions.

    Perhaps also have a runner up category for the best mini, broken down by gaming system.

    Good luck in the giveaway everyone!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:09 pm
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    Enjoyed the article, thanks. Think you had most things covered pretty well. How about an innovation award – something new so could be equipment, game, model etc

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:14 pm
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    I’ve been following the page for some time now and i’ve seen it grow into something i love to check out regularly. Ahough i’ve been into thoe hobby on and off since 1997, I always love these ‘best of’ articles. Of course they’re always a bit about personal taste but you give enough explanation to why something won so that’s a plus. I look forward to seeing the site grow and i’d love to see the painted models or armies of the staff.

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:27 pm
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    These awards are are really nice overview for good hobby products, so keep ’em going.
    Maybe for next year you could also do a bit about modelling and terrain, since it is also a big part of the hobby.

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:49 pm
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    Greg article, actually going to use this to buy a wet pallate and new snips

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:51 pm
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    Loved the ‘best of awards’ it has definitely inspired me in my reawakened love for the hobby.
    One thing I would think encourage more people into the hobby would be to write articles about other media related to, let’s say, Warhammer and show them where their favourite game or YouTube fan film has its origins.
    Love the work though keep it up!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 4:54 pm
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    I think it was really good, but I would like to see more honourable mentions, or have subcategories by cheap-mid-expensive.

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  • December 21, 2020 at 5:33 pm
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    It was great! Some of the products I just discovered them. Maybe for next year an entry about the best army to receive an update or new minis. Your miniature news are very interesting!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 5:39 pm
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    It was great! Some of the products I didn’t know and just discovered. Maybe for next year an entry for the best army to receive an update or new minis. Your miniature news are very interesting!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 6:21 pm
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    I just got my son into painting this year and a lot of these reviews were massively helpful. I’d always been old school with my equipment but this year I’ve branched into airbrushing and all the different paints that’s held, upgraded my brush range from the basic games workshop ones and even started using a wet palette and painting handles. It’s always nice to have an informed opinion even if all I initially came to the site for was an advanced look at the mortal realms stuff so thanks.

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  • December 21, 2020 at 6:41 pm
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    Loved the awards, it was extremely helpful, and it helped me purchase many tools to help improve my painting and hobbying. I think next year you should maybe also poll the community and see what they would choose for their top choices as well. The more opinions, the better!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 7:27 pm
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    Really like that storage is a category. Missed the review so looking forward to checking that out!

    Maybe a best time saver category for next time? Things to get armies onto the table faster, or achieve hobby goals with less effort. Cuts across categories a bit but could help show off something that you think is really useful but doesn’t top a different category.

    Sorry if posted twice but it didn’t go through first time, I don’t think.

    Reply
  • December 21, 2020 at 7:28 pm
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    You know what, I really needed a new nipper. The Xuron one I had bought was kinda disappointing for all the reviews stating how great they are. I wondered if I needed to just buy the Godhand but this new STA one is interesting.

    Reply
  • December 21, 2020 at 7:43 pm
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    Excellent idea. The award categories are nice and diverse, spanning the hobby. I was interested in the model/hobby storage category – as my model and paint count has grown i have had to expand my storage. I also liked the Kickstarter / crowdfunder category as it is something i havent really looked into before.
    Someone said above but its a good idea so i am repeating it – a potential future category is a “user-submitted” painted model category. Or best YouTube hobby channel – there are lots of hobby channel categories so could be broken down further if needed!

    Reply
  • December 21, 2020 at 10:50 pm
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    Very good read.. saw a bunch of reviews I missed and added a bunch of stuff to my wish list!

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  • December 21, 2020 at 11:06 pm
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    Great article, good selection of categories. Wouldn’t try expanding the selection too much, as there is so much out there, maybe some sub-categories, like different brushes, low and high cost airbrush. Maybe some details on how the winners were selected/determined.

    Reply
  • December 21, 2020 at 11:49 pm
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    I’m glad I stumbled here. I lost a good 20 minutes poring over the reviews!

    I enjoyed the style and the categories – it’s refreshing to see the ‘hobby’ side given such love and attention.

    I’ll keep an eye out for several of these products and bookmark the page too, for when the time comes to replace things.

    Keep up the fantastic content!

    – Matt

    Reply
  • December 22, 2020 at 12:46 am
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    Thanks for the info, been looking to get some new tools and stuff so good to know the best options.

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  • December 22, 2020 at 9:46 am
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    Fauxhammer has truly earned its spot on my bookmark Toolbar. There’s really not any other hobby blog with the breadth and depth of review content, particularly with regard to tools and products. I’ll be honest, I came here for the Conquest listings but stayed for the writing :)

    The awards are great! Maybe a “hobby hero” for the team’s favourite Instagram/Twitter accounts would be cool too.

    ~ @moosepaints <3

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  • December 22, 2020 at 9:56 am
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    I’ll admit I came for the conquest contents but stayed for the rest! I <3 Fauxhammer. There really isn’t another site around with the breadth and depth of hobby tool reviews. The comparison articles are very well balanced and honest. And now, an interesting awards list too! The only suggestion I could come up with was a “hobby hero” award, for the team’s favourite insta/twitter accounts to follow.

    ~Jon/moosepaints <3

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  • December 22, 2020 at 11:19 am
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    Thanks for this great wrap-up!

    What does this article does well:
    – The review is extremely well written, in simple and approachable language while still being nuanced in its analysis of the products. The reviews feel balanced and it really feels like you are trying to recommend the best possible products for any level of hobbyist!
    – The awards are grouped logically and each award flows well into the next.
    – Visual elements are helpful without being overwhelming.

    What could be done better:
    – This article, and others that I’ve read on the site, can sometimes be extremely long and that can make navigation extremely unwiedly, especially if you’re on a phone and navigating between articles (for example, to visit a specific set of reviews that you may link). Some improved navigation options would he greatly appreciated!

    Thanks again for your hard work!

    Reply
  • December 22, 2020 at 2:17 pm
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    How about best 3D printer or best Patreon (categories for WH, WH40K, D&D, other tabletop games, etc) Perhaps expand it to top 3 for each category or best overall and best budget choice? Admittedly this may make it unwieldy but would sum up much of your website in one mega must-read article. Whatever you choose, thanks for all the fantastic work guys, you are my third most visited website, only loosing out to Google and BBC News.

    Reply
  • December 26, 2020 at 12:00 pm
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    Just in time to enter! Phew!

    The last two categories feel sort of out of place next to all the hobby tools, and also sort of grimly pointless. GW can’t hear anyone’s accolades over all that money.

    Reply
  • January 5, 2021 at 5:27 pm
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    the void dragon is super cool

    Reply

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