How to paint Space Marines
Contrast armour over Grey Seer. Chapter colour is the only hard choice. Difficulty 2 / 5. About 8 hours for a Combat Patrol with Contrast.
Updated 2026-07-10
Unofficial fan guide. Citadel paint and kit names identify products for sale. Not affiliated with Games Workshop.
Kits to buy, then paint
Live floors for stores that ship to the US.
Ultramarines (Contrast speed)
- Method
- contrast
- Difficulty
- 2 / 5
- CP time
- ~8 hrs
- Primer
- Grey Seer
- 01PrimeGrey Seer
- 02Blue armourUltramarines Blue
Two thin Contrast coats if coverage looks patchy.
- 03Trim / aquilaRetributor Armour
Careful brush. Gold pops on blue.
- 04WeaponsBlack Templar · Leadbelcher
- 05Lenses / purity sealsBlood Angels Red · Skeleton Horde
- 06BaseAstrogranite · Nuln Oil
- +Grey Seer primer makes Contrast blue cleaner than black primer.
- +Paint Intercessors in batches of 5 before characters.
Other Space Marines recipes
After the first box
Combat Patrol: Space Marines for a neutral sealed floor. Pick a chapter Combat Patrol if you already know your colour scheme. Add a Primarch only when sealed comps look fair.
Full start collecting path →Common questions
How long does it take to paint a Space Marines Combat Patrol?
About 8 hours with the Ultramarines (Contrast speed) Contrast recipe, batching infantry.
What primer should I use for Space Marines?
Grey Seer. Match the recipe on this page so Contrast colours land cleanly.
Where do I buy Space Marines kits at a fair price?
Open the Space Marines army hub or the linked Combat Patrol box page for live floors, then set a watch under the middle of the sealed band.