How to Differentiate Your X Beys With a Little Bit of Paint!

Hey there bladers! today I want to show you guys how you can make your X beys just a little different and unique to you, so you can tell yours apart from another blader's beys with the power of paint! 



Now you might be wondering to yourself as to why one would ever want to paint their bey, and the answer is rather simple: to make them different from one another! In the competitive world of beyblade, bladers seek to win, and in that urge to win, bladers will look for the best possible combos to run in their decks. The chances of running into identical combos is bound to happen, and if that is the case, you need to be able to tell which bey is yours so you know if you lost or won. the best way to do this is to make your bey identifiable, either by stickers, decals, or perhaps, what I personally think is the best option, paint! Painting your bey can lead to nothing but benefits if done right! For starters, it solves the problem of knowing who's bey belongs to who, but it also allows your bey to be unique to you and it will make your bey truly feel like your partner in battle! Take a look at the two Dranswords in the picture below. On the left, we have a beyblade that has been left unpainted, and to the right, we have one where the prongs have been painted black. with how identical these two beyblades are, the black paint only helps in making the one on the right more different. There's virtually no downsides to painting your bey at all, especially since it'll help you and the people around you at your next tourney!



BUT WAIT!!! Before any painting can be done, lets go over the WBO's rulings on paint. Painting your beys is permitted, but there are a few conditions: 

 - The paint must be cosmetic only and remain on the blade of the bey.

 - The paint must be light and non-textured so it cannot affect performance.

 - Painting areas where the blade makes contact with the ratchet or bit is absolutely prohibited 

 - If the judge decides your bey is unsuitable for battle due to not following these regulations, then you must replace the blade with a suitable one, or admit to a loss.


Having said all that, let's go over the things you'll need for this painting project, and how to apply paint to your beys! 



First thing's first, get yourself a very small brush. the smaller, the better! Any brush set from a store like Walmart or Hobby Lobby will do, as they'll usually will have a tiny brush meant for the fine details of a painting. But, if you want any recommendations, I personally suggest going to your local game shop and see if they carry any hobby brushes meant for miniature figures found in games such as Warhammer or D&D. These brushes are very small, and are perfect for not only painting the microscopic details onto your little plastic soldiers, but they'll also perfectly fit into the little details found all around your X beys! 

Next, you're going to need paint. For this, we want one that 1: abides by the rules of the WBO, and 2: won't hurt your bey in the long run! X beys are made of metal, specifically Zamak, a relatively strong metal that is also quite resistant to corrosion. However, to ensure your beyblade will live a long and fulfilling life of countless battles, it is important to pick the right paint for the job, otherwise the bey might show signs of rusting earlier than an unpainted beyblade, so pay close attention to what kind of paint you use on your beys. Acrylic based paint in my personal experience is the best way to go as its the safest paint to use on the market, but if you want any recommendations, I strongly suggest picking up your paint from the company Citadel Colour. This paint is specifically designed to be used on not just plastic and resin, but also metal too! It can be found readily available in your local game store for a decent price. If this isn't available to you, then Apple Barrel paint will do just fine, though it may come up short compared to Citadel. 

Once you've chosen your desired color, prepare a decently sized space and, if you don't have Citadel paint, grab something to  use as the pallet for your paint on such as a paper plate or an actual pallet (which are cheap and reusable and can be found in virtually any store that sells paint). After that, be sure to grab a cup of water to wash off your brush, along with a paper towel to dry off the brush, and you will finally be ready to embark on your colorful journey! 


To begin the process, locate an area of the beyblade that you want to paint and simply apply a small, light coat over the desired area and make sure to get the paint all the way into the small crevasses for best results. If the area looks like the photo below, then you have done this part of the process perfectly! 



once you have completed painting the desired area, wash off your brush and dry it off before moving onto the next area on your bey that you wish to paint, to ensure your brush will not be damaged. Now, let's give your brush some extra time to dry off by taking this time to wipe away the excess paint left on the bey and reveal the details that are now far more noticeable compared to how they once were! When you are ready, pick up your brush and repeat these steps until you are satisfied with the result. Once you are, the final result should look relatively similar to the image shown below. 



Once you're all done with your project, don't forget to clean up your painting station, wipe off your brush one last time, clean off any other tools you may have used such as the cup that held your water, and give your beyblade a few minutes to dry before battling with it, just to make sure you don't make a mess in your stadium, and also not to ruin all the hard work you've done! Once ready, enjoy your new and cosmetically improved beyblade, and rest easy in knowing that where some bladers may struggle to know which bey is their's, you'll be able to tell which bey yours is thanks to the power of paint!