Top Collections of Citadel Paints

You’ve probably stood before the hobby-store shelf, brush in hand, struck by how many shades Citadel offers. Before diving into the top collections, take a breath.

This overview will guide you through the ranges without telling you what to buy.

If you’re curious about the full lineup, browsing the Citadel paints pages can help you see how each series is grouped. Ready to compare favorites? Let’s start right now.

Citadel Contrast Paints

Contrast paints changed miniature painting forever, letting hobbyists lay down base, shade, and highlight with a single, silky coat that saves time without sacrificing depth.

How Contrast Works

Pigment-rich colour pools in recesses while translucent medium tints raised areas, meaning a single careful brushstroke truly delivers tabletop-ready shading and mid-tones.

Preparing the Model

A smooth, light primer such as Wraithbone or Grey Seer is vital; those neutral hues keep colours vibrant and allow Contrast pigments to perform optimally.

Favourite Hues

Basilicanum Grey renders stone statues quickly, Talassar Blue pops on plasma coils, and Magos Purple gives Tyranids an eerie biotech glow straight from the bottle.

Advanced Tricks

Thin Contrast with Contrast Medium to create glazes, or layer two complementary colours wet-on-wet for organic blends perfect on cloaks, carapaces, or demon skin.

Citadel Air Paints

Air paints take the established Citadel palette and optimize it for airbrushes, offering pre-thinned consistency, smoother flow, and reduced clogging for pristine gradients.

● Pre-Mixed Accuracy: Colours match their Base equivalents, so Zenithal highlights sprayed with Mournfang Brown Air blend seamlessly into layered brushwork later.

● Clog-Free Medium: Finely milled pigments and extra flow improver minimise tip-dry, making long spraying sessions far less frustrating for newcomers and veterans alike.

● Time-Saving Coverage: Broad armour panels on knights or tanks receive an even coat in seconds, freeing hours for weathering, transfers, and glorious battle damage.

● Versatile Effects: Dialing air pressure low turns these paints into glazes; raise pressure for crisp stencilled patterns or masked camouflage on Tau battlesuits.

If you ever wondered how Air differs from Base formulations, the community discussion on Reddit highlights practical experiences and compressor tips for beginners.

Citadel Shade Paints

Shade paints are thin, pigment-heavy washes engineered to flow into recesses, defining edges and adding dramatic contrast that instantly breathes life into any sculpt.

Choosing Your Shade

Nuln Oil remains the universal favourite for metallics, while Agrax Earthshade warms leathers; Druchii Violet enriches eldritch areas without overpowering surrounding colours.

Application Secrets

Flood one section at a time, wick away pooling with a clean brush, and rotate models to prevent coffee-staining on smooth capes or Space Marine pauldrons.

Gloss Vs. Regular

Gloss variants, like Nuln Oil Gloss, retain shine on silver armour; regular Shades dry matte, perfect for organic surfaces such as fur or cork skin.

Citadel Texture Paints

Nothing frames a finished miniature like a realistic base, and Texture paints let hobbyists whip up cracked desert, churned earth, or alien wastelands with ease.

● Sandy Classics: Armageddon Dust and Astrogranite build believable battlefield grit straight from the pot, needing only a quick drybrush to pop.

● Thick ‘n’ Chunky: Stirred Martian Ironearth cracks as it dries, producing Martian landscapes ideal for Mechanicus or Necron tomb worlds in minutes.

● Pigment Variety: From snowy Valhallan Blizzard to tar-black Stirland Mud, each texture includes colour so you’re not trapped painting every grain later.

● Time to Seal: Varnish textured bases last, locking sand and pigment before transport, tournament tables, or that inevitable shelf-diving accident.

For bulk purchasing or rare pots, Alpha Omega Hobby stocks an impressive range, often with seasonal discounts on multipacks for army projects.

Citadel Layer Paints

Layer paints contain less pigment than Bases, flowing smoothly to create controlled highlights that build vibrant colour transitions and elevate miniatures beyond the gaming standard.

The Two-Step Highlight

Use a mid-tone like Calgar Blue after Macragge Base, then edge with Fenrisian Grey; the triad method produces crisp armour lines worthy of box art.

Blending Potential

Because Layers thin easily with water, you can feather edges, wet-blend cloaks, or stipple bone plates without gritty tide marks ruining smooth gradients.

Metallic Magic

Stormhost Silver layered over Ironbreaker gives weapons a premium gleam; add a thin Guilliman Blue glaze for powered lightning effects along lascannon coils.

Keeping Organised

The free Citadel Colour app tracks paint inventory and suggested colour recipes, preventing mid-project panic when your only pot of Kislev Flesh runs dry.

Citadel Dry Paints

Dry paints arrive as thick, almost waxy pigments engineered for quick, clean dry-brushing, catching raised edges and textures faster than traditional paper-towel techniques.

● Rapid Highlights: Necron Compound instantly defines mechanical skeletons, while Tyrant Skull brightens bone plates without over-saturating deeper recesses already shaded.

● Controlled Mess: Less medium means paint stays on bristles, reducing unwanted splatter across freshly painted armour panels or fragile eyes.

● Textured Surfaces: Rocks, fur, chainmail, and tree bark leap into focus after two brisk passes, saving hours of meticulous edge highlights.

● Brush Maintenance: Use a dedicated stiff brush; swirl bristles in soapy water afterward to avoid crusting that can scratch subsequent projects.

Finish with a fine detail brush to re-pick extreme points like sword tips, ensuring your speedy highlights still look intentionally crisp under bright lighting.

Citadel Technical Paints

Technical paints deliver special effects—from oozing blood and spectral glows to corroded bronze—adding cinematic drama and storytelling cues your opponents will notice instantly.

Weathering Wonders

Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust combine to create convincing pitted metal; stipple lightly for aged weapons or smear heavily on tank treads after muddy battles.

Magical Energies

Hexwraith Flame and Nighthaunt Gloom are translucent, glowing greens and blues that transform generic skulls into chilling ethereal spirits with just two watery coats.

Realistic Liquids

Blood for the Blood God dries glossy, crimson, and horrifyingly thick—perfect on chain-axes or the hungry maws of Tyranid Carnifexes mid-feast.

Basing Excellence

Add Valhallan Blizzard or Mordant Earth after Texture layers to simulate harsh winters or cracked lava plains, instantly transporting models to narrative-rich settings.

Citadel Base Paints

Base paints pack dense pigment, providing strong foundation layers that adhere smoothly and cover primers in one coat—crucial for efficient, repeatable army workflows.

Choosing the Right Brush

A medium layer brush balances coverage and control; swap to a large base on tanks, aiming for thin coats to preserve sculpted rivets and panel lines.

Thinning Is Winning

Add a single brushful of water on the palette; two thin coats of Mephiston Red beat one thick, streaky application every single time.

Colour Consistency

Shake vigorously; sediment can settle at the bottom, leading to glossy, translucent results that undermine the whole point of high-pigment Base formulas.

From Base to Brilliance

Once dry, follow with complementary Layer and Shade steps discussed above, locking in vibrant mid-tones and shadows that transform plastic grey into narrative-driven heroes.

Paint Smarter

You now grasp how each formula shapes miniature finishes, letting you match method to model without guesswork. When your palette runs dry, step beyond the screen: locate an art supply store near me to inspect pigments firsthand, compare tones under real light, and refine your selections before the next brushstroke.