I am in the midst of painting my Satyxis Raiders unfortunately since they are metal i need to varnish them (otherwise the paint will QUICKLY be chipped of)
I use army painters Anti shine (which i painted on) and as experience with almost every other varnish it more or less killed all the metal highlights.
My question is there a way to avoid this or at least minimize it or is it unavoidable?
Are you brush painting the clear coat on? Try spraying it, lightly, in layers. Get a can of spray clear, it comes in flat, satin, semi-gloss and gloss, depending on what you want your finish to be like. You can go to the hardware store and buy it in the Krylon spray cans. No need to pay for expensive hobby paint.
As to you metal figures, are you priming them before painting? Always put a primer coat on, it makes the paint adhere properly. you can also use the Krylon primers.