CamoSpecs Online
CamoSpecs Online: The Bible for BattleTech Paintings
Anyone involved in painting BattleTech miniatures will sooner or later stumble across CamoSpecs Online. The site is far more than just a gallery; it is the official archive for everything to do with the appearance of mechs and vehicles in the BattleTech universe.
Here is an overview of what you can expect there, how you can use the site and what makes it so special.
What can you see on the page?
CamoSpecs (short for Camouflage Specifications) is a huge, curated database of photos of painted BattleTech miniatures. The focus is not on individual works of art, but on accuracy.
- Thousands of miniatures: You’ll find over 5,000 photos of mechs, tanks, air and space fighters and battle armor.
- Sorting by factions: The pictures are logically sorted according to the great houses (Davion, Steiner, Kurita etc.), clans, mercenary brands (Mercenaries) and other groups.
- Artist Profiles: You’ll see work from official “CamoSpecs Artists” – painters whose work is so good and accurate that they are recognized as official.
- Tutorial section: There is a section with “how-to” instructions (text and video) showing how to paint certain effects (e.g. cockpit jewel effects, weathering) or specific camouflage patterns.
What can you use the site for?
The site is the ultimate tool for hobbyists who want to paint their units “lore-accurately” (i.e. true to the background story).
- Research for color schemes: You want a lance of the Eridani Light Horse or a star of the Clan Ghost Bear but don’t know exactly what colors and patterns they use? CamoSpecs shows you exactly what the scheme looks like.
- Inspiration: Even if you don’t want to paint a strict canon scheme, the quality of the miniatures shown is an excellent source of inspiration for techniques, base design and conversions.
- Identification: Often there is only a textual description of a regiment in the novels or rulebooks. CamoSpecs visualizes these texts.
- Learn: The linked tutorials are extremely helpful for learning advanced painting techniques specifically for mechs (as painting large, flat robots is often different from painting organic figures).
Special features & status
The most important thing to know about CamoSpecs is its status:
- Official Canon: CamoSpecs is no ordinary fan site. It is the official source for paint schemes in the BattleTech universe (in cooperation with Catalyst Game Labs). If a scheme is featured on CamoSpecs, it is considered “canon”. This means that the interpretations shown there are binding for the official appearance of a unit.
- Strict quality control: Not just anyone can upload images there. The artists (CSO Artists) go through a strict application process. This guarantees that the miniatures shown are not only of the highest quality in terms of craftsmanship, but also correctly reflect the details of the background story (badge placement, warning stripes, etc.).
- Free material: There are often useful downloads, such as PDFs with detailed “Unit Color Compendiums” that you can download for free.
Verdict: For any BattleTech fan who wields a paintbrush, CamoSpecs Online is a must-have bookmark in your browser. It is the bridge between the written rules/novels and the visual hobby on the gaming table.
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