Best Paints for Warhammer 40K Beginners

The fastest way to produce good-looking miniatures. One coat over white or grey primer gives basecoat, shade, and highlight in a single layer. Community consensus: not a replacement for traditional painting, but an incredible shortcut that produces genuinely excellent results.

Dropper bottle delivery means precise ratios, no waste, and bottles that don't dry out in the lid. Excellent coverage, huge colour range, and less reliant on GW-specific paint guides. The serious alternative to Citadel for painters who want more control.

Army Painter's answer to Contrast. Works similarly — one coat over primer for a base and shade — but with improved formula in version 2.0 that fixes the reactivation issues of the original. Excellent for batch painting rank-and-file troops.

The most recommended single paint in the hobby. A wash of Nuln Oil over metallic armour or basecoated models immediately adds depth and shadow. Works regardless of which paint range you use for the basecoat. Buy this first.

The brown wash that makes skin, leather, wood, and earth read as real materials with almost no effort. Pair with any fleshtone for instant realistic skin. The second must-have wash after Nuln Oil.

The Citadel Base range is formulated for maximum coverage in one or two coats. If you're following GW's own painting guides and tutorials, starting with Citadel Base paints gives perfect compatibility. The tutorial ecosystem alone justifies the price premium.