Air Triads vs Standard Triads: Which Paint Set Should You Buy?

Quick answer

Choose Warpaints Air triads if you mainly airbrush and want pre-mixed, ready-to-spray colours. Choose standard Warpaints Fanatic triads if you mostly paint with a brush and want full control over thinning and layering. If you do both, start with a standard triad and add Air triads for your most-used colours.

If you're building a paint collection, you've probably seen two kinds of triads: Warpaints Air triads and standard Warpaints Fanatic triads. Both use the same Base, Mid, and Highlight logic, but they're formulated for different application methods.

This comparison breaks down the practical differences using catalog facts, so you can decide which set fits your hobby time, tools, and painting style. We'll look at airbrush-ready paints like Warpaints Air: Zombie Flesh and standard triads like Flexible Triad: Teals.

What is a paint triad?

A triad is a set of three or more paints designed to work together for basecoating, shading, and highlighting. The Army Painter's Warpaints Air range uses a Triad System where each Air colour has a matching Base and Highlight in the Warpaints Acrylics line. Standard Flexible Triads, like Flexible Triad: Teals, contain six 18ml Warpaints Fanatic acrylic paints ranging from deep and dark to bright and light.

The key difference is application: Air triads are pre-mixed for airbrushes, while standard triads are thicker acrylics meant for brush work. Both make colour choice easier, but they serve different tools.

• Air triads: pre-mixed, no thinning required, ready for airbrush.
• Standard triads: thicker acrylics, ideal for brush layering and glazing.

Warpaints Air triads: pros and cons

Warpaints Air paints are airbrush-ready right from the bottle and require no thinning. They include pre-loaded mixing balls to help shake the pigment into suspension. The range is developed in a Colour Triad System, so each colour has matching Base and Highlight tones for zenithal shading and highlighting. For example, Warpaints Air: Zombie Flesh is a single 18ml bottle, while bundles like Paint Blue with Warpaints Air include multiple paints and a tutorial.

The trade-off is that Air paints are less ideal for brush work because their low viscosity can make them runny on a palette. They also cost more per bottle than some standard acrylics, though the convenience of no thinning saves time.

• No thinning needed: saves time and avoids clogging.
• Pre-loaded mixing balls: easier to mix without a separate agitator.
• Less suited for brush-only painters who prefer thicker paint.

Standard triads: pros and cons

Standard Warpaints Fanatic triads, such as Flexible Triad: Vibrant Greens, come as six 18ml acrylic paints. They are designed for brush painting and offer a range from dark to light, making it easy to build highlights and shadows. These triads are not pre-thinned, so you control the consistency for layering, glazing, or drybrushing.

The trade-off is that you'll need to thin them yourself for airbrush use, which adds a step and requires practice. They also don't include mixing balls, so you'll need to shake or stir them thoroughly.

• Full control over thinning for brush techniques.
• Six colours per triad: more options for blending.
• Not airbrush-ready out of the bottle.

How to choose based on your tools and workflow

If you own an airbrush and use it for basecoating, zenithal priming, or smooth gradients, Air triads will save you time and reduce clogging. If you mostly paint with a brush and only occasionally airbrush, standard triads give you more flexibility for the money. Many painters keep both: standard triads for detail work and Air triads for their most common base colours.

Consider your storage space and budget. Air triads are sold as individual bottles or bundles, while standard triads come as six-paint sets. If you're just starting out, a standard triad like Flexible Triad: Teals can cover a wide range of projects, and you can add Air paints as your airbrush use grows.

• Airbrush-first: buy Air triads.
• Brush-first: buy standard triads.
• Both: start with standard, add Air for key colours.

Trade-offs at a glance

• Convenience vs control: Air triads are pre-thinned and ready to spray, saving time but limiting your ability to adjust consistency for brush work. Standard triads require thinning but give you full control over layering and glazing. Choose Air for speed, standard for flexibility.
• Cost per colour: Air paints are often sold individually, while standard triads come as six-paint sets. The per-colour cost may be lower in standard triads, but you may not need all six colours. Calculate based on the colours you actually use.
• Airbrush vs brush compatibility: Air triads are formulated for airbrushes and may run on a brush. Standard triads work well on a brush but need thinning for airbrush use. Match the paint to your primary tool.

Product facts

• Warpaints Air: Zombie Flesh: Airbrush-ready paints right from the bottle. No thinning required. Pre-loaded Mixing Balls. Developed in a Colour Triad System. Saves time and avoids clogging, and the triad system helps you find matching base and highlight colours easily.
• Flexible Triad: Teals: 6 x 18ml Warpaints Fanatic acrylic paint. Perfect for magical effects, vibrant flowers, and fantastical creatures. Makes colour choice easy. Flexible Colour Triad with six colours ranging from deep and dark, to bright and light. Provides a complete range for brush painting, with enough colours to blend and layer without buying separate pots.
• Paint Blue with Warpaints Air: Painting blue just got even easier with our new Warpaints Air-inspired bundle. Lay down that perfectly smooth basecoat and gradient before taking your paint job to the next level with a duo of Warpaints Fanatic paints to add that final punch. Designed to work with our painting tutorial, you’ll have every paint you’ll need to follow along every step of the way. Combines Air and standard paints in one bundle, ideal for painters who want to try both methods.

Which triad is right for you?

Best for

• Airbrush painters who want ready-to-spray paints and smooth basecoats.
• Hobbyists who value time-saving convenience and pre-mixed consistency.
• Painters who follow The Army Painter's triad system for coordinated colours.

Not for

• Brush-only painters who prefer to control paint thickness.
• Hobbyists on a tight budget who don't mind thinning paints themselves.
• Those who rarely use an airbrush and want maximum value per bottle.

There's no single winner—it depends on your tools and workflow. If you airbrush regularly, Air triads will streamline your process. If you paint mostly with a brush, standard triads offer more control and value. Many painters benefit from owning both, starting with a standard triad and adding Air paints for key colours.