I have seen some pictures that show like 60 things of paint in other threads, and I am kind of on a budget so what is the bare minimum I need to start painting tie fighters and x-wings? I know I need nuln oil, but what colors and brands do you recommend to get good results on a budget?

How many colors you need is a question of how elaborate you want to get and what else you think you'll be painting going forward.

I had a few colors and brushes from long ago that were still good but got White, Red, Purple, Blue, and a plate metal color and an additional small detail brush. I had black and a dark and light gray and a can of Citadel white spray primer.

I got the cheapest my FLGS had. Army Painter I think at like $3 each with a neat little droper style bottle.

There isn't really a right answer. If you're just starting off and just want the squadrons to not look unpainted on the table, black, white, red, and blue should get you "good enough" looking squads. You should be able to mix a gray color from the black and white. If you want to redo the capital ships or have lots of different color squadrons and so on you'll need more stuff.

Are you only going to paint Armada stuff?

The bare minimum you need is, white, black, blue, red and yellow. With those 5 you can mix any color you wish.

You don't actually nulin oil, it's nice and works well. But you can get the same effect with black, white and some water. I'm not saying don't get it, and if you're new to painting it will be easier to work with then mixing your own.

Also, and I'm sure some will call me heathen for this. But the hobby acrylic paint you get at Walmart is not as good as Citadel or other high end paints, but for Armada it will work just as well. I've used it for most everything I paint, Imperial Assault, Warmachine, Flames of War, and I've never had anyone comment about the quality of the paint.

But again, if you're new to painting you may be better off getting some nicer stuff to get better results easier.

Are you only going to paint Armada stuff?

The bare minimum you need is, white, black, blue, red and yellow. With those 5 you can mix any color you wish.

You don't actually nulin oil, it's nice and works well. But you can get the same effect with black, white and some water. I'm not saying don't get it, and if you're new to painting it will be easier to work with then mixing your own.

Also, and I'm sure some will call me heathen for this. But the hobby acrylic paint you get at Walmart is not as good as Citadel or other high end paints, but for Armada it will work just as well. I've used it for most everything I paint, Imperial Assault, Warmachine, Flames of War, and I've never had anyone comment about the quality of the paint.

But again, if you're new to painting you may be better off getting some nicer stuff to get better results easier.

I have some Testors enamel paint for plastic model aircraft that I build, do you think that that would work or do I need acrylics? Because I have all of the colors required if I can use those. Armada is the first game where I will be painting things like this.

You could go for white and black, just mixing the grays you need. So white, black and 1 colour to add some trim say red or blue. I guess you could just add black trim, and only need B&W as a minimum.

You could go with some Secret Weapon Miniatures Washes.

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=54

I love SWM's. Their washes and pigments are AMAZING!

I have some Testors enamel paint for plastic model aircraft that I build, do you think that that would work or do I need acrylics? Because I have all of the colors required if I can use those. Armada is the first game where I will be painting things like this.

I don't recommend Testors at all when working with small models. While acrylics dry faster than enamels, they are also more forgiving. Testors paints tend to be way too thick coming out of the bottles, and you need mineral spirits to thin them down properly. Acrylics like GW, Privateer Press or Army Builder thin with water.

That having been said, I do use enamels and oils for detail washes and weathering, but not for getting the colors on.

If you're going with base paints (primaries, etc) make sure to keep a paint log/journal. That way when you go back in 6 months or a year to paint a new model, you know how and what ratio is needed to match your previous models. That or buy unique paints from the vendors, then just write down which paints you used.

I can Tell you what I used:

Light grey to prime x wings, and tie Fighters

Black for the ties wings and x Wing cockpit

Dark grey, for all the details like tie cockpit, and xwing engine.

Red for x wing stripes and x+tie exhausts

Nuln oil, or a similar Black wash

Those 4 colors + wash will already be enough to make them Look very good on the Table.

If you want a bit more, you can use:

A light green for tie lasers

Silver for R2 units

Yellow, Green or blue for other x wing squadron colors and R2 unit variation

A gloss coat for the tie cockpit windows

I would recommend investing a few Bucks into good tabletop acrylics. Cheap colors will bring cheap results, and will be a lot harder to handle.

I will be doing a few different paint jobs. My TIE's will have different colors around the cockpit. I will likely wash them to make them look gritty. I want them to represent near the end of the war as the Imps are less able to clean and repair their fighters.