I decided to paint all my bases black and I really love how they turned out.

I primed the parts, used Vallejo black acrylic and then sealed with Dullcoat. I've never had a problem with that before on other models but after only a few games it's become apparent that the paint is wearing off rather quickly. I've thought of using an enamel but only as a last resort. Has anyone else had problems with paint wearing off their bases?

If I may, a suggestion.
Especially in areas that are scratching off,

1: Take some sandpaper and rough up the surface. The concept is that it will make it easier for the paint to adhere to.
2: Spray with black spray primer. Primer IIRC will adhere to the surface better.
3: Touch up with other black
4: Seal with your desired product.

Might work better for you.

two things I would suggest are like Shadoq suggest, use a proper primer, and use something other then just dullcoat to seal it. Dullcoat is great to give it a flat finish but doesn't do much in terms of protection, I would suggest a coat of Gloss varnish (or in a pinch satin, although Gloss is better) and then a coat of dullcoat only to give it a flat finish

I just spray black primer on mine. Not had any problems with paint coming off and I've been using some of the bases since the core set was released. So far I've used Army Painter (not so good, tends to pool), GW's newer Chaos Black spray (more than up to the job, what I'm using at the moment) and a generic black primer from Halfords (car parts store in the UK) and not really had any issues.

To quote myself, note the bold text:

10 hours ago, Dameon13 said:

I primed the parts, used Vallejo black acrylic and then sealed with Dullcoat...

I used Rustoleum Automotive Primer, which is a very dark grey. I use it because I've never had a problem with it working on any type of surface or material. The primer is still adhering quite well, it's the paint on top of it that is rubbing off.

I'll try a test sealing it again with a glosscoat.

Yep - it'll need to be sealed. Good use on the Etching style Automotive Primer (that's required for ultra-smooth plastic surfaces, really) - but you might have hit a small incompatibility with the Paint and the Primer...

But a decent proper sealant - matt, satin or gloss - should help with the adherence... Dullcote is fantastic for dropping the shine of things, but as an actual barrier seal, its generally lacking - which is why a lot of people use Dullcote to purely knock down a Gloss coat - the Gloss is there to be the actual protection , and then the Dullcote just tones that gloss effect down.

It could also be that the Automotive primer needs a longer whack of time to cure before paint is applied over the top (note, Cure, not Dry... BIIIIG difference), but I wouldn't be able to tell that without addressing the can and its directions in particular

I used black flat krylon spray, many games no wear at all on the squads. Did no prep.

To also quote myself, note the bold text.

7 hours ago, HoundsTooth said:

I just spray black primer on mine.

If the problem is with the black paint you're putting over the primer, prime the bases black. As I suggested if you use the current version of Chaos Black you won't need to go over them with black paint. Problem solved. If you're that worried about possible wear and tear give them a second, lighter coat.

The primer had over 24hrs to dry, not by design but just because I primed it and got busy with the rest of life for a while. I used Rustoleum Auto primer for pretty much anything, and my go-to paints are Vallejo and I haven't had any problems before... I felt the real clue was the paint was rubbing off, revealing the primer.

I tested some other paints, including another bottle of Vallejo, cheap Apple Barrel craft paint and an enamel. I figure the original Vallejo black I used must have been a bad batch as it rubbed off far more easily compared to all the others. The lack of a gloss sealant just made it even easier to do so.

1 hour ago, Dameon13 said:

I figure the original Vallejo black I used must have been a bad batch as it rubbed off far more easily compared to all the others.

Happens from time to time... Even with Vallejo's paints!

5 hours ago, HoundsTooth said:

Happens from time to time... Even with Vallejo's paints!

I've used Vallejo for a long time, before they "got big" and started selling their paints in larger stores (Hobby Lobby started to carry part of the Vallejo line a few years back). I have noticed a change in their paints: a subtle change in viscosity and pronounced change in the smell.

On 5/22/2017 at 10:02 AM, Darthain said:

I used black flat krylon spray, many games no wear at all on the squads. Did no prep.

This, use the Krylon ultra flat black camo spray. Make sure the bases are washed in soap/water to remove oils. Can do a second coat of semi-gloss spray paint or even lacquer finish on top to even out the flat finish.

3 hours ago, Mep said:

This, use the Krylon ultra flat black camo spray. Make sure the bases are washed in soap/water to remove oils. Can do a second coat of semi-gloss spray paint or even lacquer finish on top to even out the flat finish.

mine wasn't even the camo, but those lines of paints are the flattest of the flat typically.

Some more info on this from Uncle Atom.

First time, I tried it I used a high end black primer. Even after 3 days dry time, it was rubbing off & stuck to the ship cards. Ended up sealing it with a clear gloss, followed by a clear matt.

Now I use the generic .99 cent flat black from either Lowes or Home depot. No sticking, rubbing off or sealing needed. It also dries in about an hour, 3 if very humid. Only downside is that it is very thin paint, and give a slightly translucent look unless you want to do multiple coats.