How to paint Warhammer 40K armies
Contrast-first recipes for the box you are buying, with live kit floors on SprueSentry. Pick a faction, paint the Combat Patrol, then expand.
Unofficial fan guide. Citadel paint and kit names identify products for sale. Not affiliated with Games Workshop.
Armies with paint guides
- ~6h CP · 1/5Necrons
Metal + one glow colour. One of the fastest 40K armies to table.
- ~8h CP · 2/5Space Marines
Contrast armour over Grey Seer. Chapter colour is the only hard choice.
- ~7h CP · 1/5Orks
Messy green skin and scrap metal. Contrast loves Orks.
- ~8h CP · 2/5Tyranids
Carapace and skin Contrast. Swarms batch-paint cleanly.
- ~9h CP · 2/5Death Guard
Green armour, heavy weathering. Spray primer saves hours.
- ~10h CP · 3/5Aeldari
Clean panels and gems. Slightly fiddlier than Marines.
- ~10h CP · 3/5Drukhari
Dark armour and pale skin. Raiders share the recipe.
- ~8h CP · 2/5T'au Empire
Flat panels and sept marks. Suits reward patience.
- ~9h CP · 2/5Astra Militarum
Infantry spam with three colours. Tanks are drybrush jobs.
- ~10h CP · 3/5Adepta Sororitas
Black, red, and gold. Readable at arm's length.
- ~11h CP · 3/5Adeptus Mechanicus
Metal spray + red robes. The classic Mars look.
- ~8h CP · 2/5Chaos Space Marines
Black Legion gold trim. Same bones as loyalist Marines.
- ~10h CP · 3/5Thousand Sons
Blue and gold. Trim time is the real cost.
- ~8h CP · 2/5World Eaters
Red, brass, blood. Messy on purpose.
- ~10h CP · 3/5Emperor's Children
Pink and purple. Pick two accents and stop.
- ~7h CP · 2/5Grey Knights
All-metal spray army. Tabards are the colour break.
- ~8h CP · 3/5Adeptus Custodes
Few models, gold spray. Each kit is a showcase.
- ~9h CP · 2/5Genestealer Cults
Purple hybrids and work clothes. Neophytes batch well.
- ~8h CP · 2/5Leagues of Votann
Grey armour and one League accent. Kin-scale infantry.
- ~6h CP · 3/5Imperial Agents
Small elite kits. Match accents to your allied army.
- ~7h CP · 2/5Chaos Daemons
Single-colour flesh Contrast. Swap hue by Chaos God.
Space Marine chapter schemes
Kill Team paint leaves
Common questions
Where should I start painting a new 40K army?
Open the faction paint hub for your army. Use the default Contrast recipe on the Combat Patrol first, then expand with the same colours.
Are these official Games Workshop paint schemes?
No. These are unofficial fan recipes that name Citadel paints and kits as products. SprueSentry is not affiliated with Games Workshop.
Why link paint guides to box prices?
SprueSentry tracks live floors for the kits you are about to paint. Buy at a fair all-in price, then follow the recipe for that box.