Shopping list

The palette

Every colour in this recipe, named for the brand you picked. Each name is an approximate visual match based on our testing; results may vary. Copy the list to your phone before the hobby shop.

Black primerChaos Black (spray)
SteelLeadbelcher
Black washNuln Oil
Bright silverStormhost Silver
Dark greyEshin Grey
Mid greyDawnstone
BronzeWarplock Bronze
VerdigrisNihilakh Oxide (technical)
EmeraldWarpstone Glow
Glow greenMoot Green
WhiteWhite Scar
Dark earthRhinox Hide
KhakiBaneblade Brown

Watch

See it painted

Her videos first, then tutorials by other painters, credited to their creators. Videos load from YouTube only when you press play.

The Pigmentum · Episode 05 How I Batch Painted 3 Warhammer Poxwalkers TogetherEpisode notes

How to Paint CLASSIC Necron Warriors for Beginners | INDOMITUS Step by Step GuideTutorial by EonsOfBattle · watch on YouTube

How to Paint Necron WarriorsTutorial by The Brush and Boltgun · watch on YouTube

How Do You Drybrush Miniatures?How Do You Paint Metallics on Miniatures?How Do You Use a Wash on Miniatures?

Painted this one? We only ever show minis The Pigmentum painted herself, never official photos. Show her yours in the comments on her YouTube channel.

Step by step

The recipe

Area by area, in painting order: base, shade, layer, highlight. Thin every paint a little with water (how to thin paint).

Watch her paint itEpisode 05 · How I Batch Painted 3 Warhammer Poxwalkers TogetherHer real attempt, mistakes left in. Opens on YouTube.Watch on YouTube →

Metal body

Base
SteelLeadbelcher

Over black primer, a heavy drybrush of steel over the whole model. Fast and messy is fine.
Shade
Black washNuln Oil

Wash everything. This makes it look like old, dark metal.
Highlight
Bright silverStormhost Silver

Light drybrush or edge highlight on the head, ribs and shoulders.

Gun and cables

Base
Dark greyEshin Grey

The gun body. The black primer can also be left as it is.
Highlight
Mid greyDawnstone

Thin edge on the gun's long edges.

Bronze details

Base
BronzeWarplock Bronze

Optional: a few plates or the chest, so the metal is not all one colour.
Shade
VerdigrisNihilakh Oxide (technical)

Run a little into the recesses for an ancient, oxidised look.

Glow (gun rods and eyes)

Base
EmeraldWarpstone Glow

The glowing rods on the gun and the eyes.
Layer
Glow greenMoot Green

Leave a little emerald showing at the ends of each rod.
Highlight
WhiteWhite Scar

A thin line mixed 1:1 with glow green down the centre of each rod.

Base

Base
Dark earthRhinox Hide

Desert or ash bases suit Necrons.
Layer
KhakiBaneblade Brown

Drybrush.

Tips

Quick or display

Two ways to paint it, depending on how long you want to spend.

Tabletop, fast

Get it on the table tonight

Black prime, steel drybrush, black wash, green on the gun. That is a whole army in an evening.
Batch them: do each step on five models before moving on.

Display level

When you want people to stop and look

Paint glow onto the metal next to the gun rods: thin glazes of glow green on the nearby surfaces sell the light.
Add a little rust or verdigris weathering in the recesses.

Other directions

Same model, your look

Your miniature, your rules. Two alternative schemes that use the same steps.

Gold dynasty look

Swap steel for gold, shade with brown wash, keep the green glow. Or go black armour with gold trim and a blue glow.

Rusty tomb

After the black wash, stipple rust orange into the low parts and edges, then pick out raised edges with bright silver.

Can't find a paint?

Swap it or mix it

Our own colour notes from independent testing. Every brand name is an approximate visual match based on our testing; results may vary, never an official equivalent. For AK and Scale75 we describe what to look for. Mix ratios are starting points: test on your palette first.

Colour	Citadel	Vallejo	Army Painter	AK	Scale75	Mix it yourself
Black primer	Chaos Black (spray)	Surface Primer Black	Colour Primer Matt Black	look for: black spray or brush-on primer	look for: black spray or brush-on primer	No mixing: any black primer made for plastic miniatures. Thin coats, 20-30 cm away.
Steel	Leadbelcher	Gunmetal Metal	Gun Metal	look for: mid metallic steel	look for: mid metallic steel	Any silver + a little black (about 3:1). Mix metallics with metallics, not with normal paint, or they go chalky.
Black wash	Nuln Oil	Black Wash	Dark Tone	look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash	look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash	Black paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + one drop of flow improver or a tiny drop of dish soap so it runs into recesses.
Bright silver	Stormhost Silver	Silver	Shining Silver	look for: bright clean silver	look for: bright clean silver	Use the brightest silver you own, straight. Edges only.
Dark grey	Eshin Grey	German Grey (Model Color)	mix it	look for: dark neutral grey	look for: dark neutral grey	Black + white about 4:1. Add a speck of blue for a cooler armour grey.
Mid grey	Dawnstone	Stonewall Grey	Uniform Grey	look for: mid grey	look for: mid grey	Black + white about 1:1, then adjust. Test on the palette: it dries darker.
Bronze	Warplock Bronze	Bright Bronze	Weapon Bronze	look for: dark warm bronze	look for: dark warm bronze	Gold + steel about 1:1, then a brown wash.
Verdigris	Nihilakh Oxide (technical)	mix it	mix it	look for: pale blue-green oxide effect	look for: pale blue-green oxide effect	White + a little teal + a touch of green, thinned like a wash and run into the recesses of bronze.
Emerald	Warpstone Glow	mix it	mix it	look for: deep saturated green	look for: deep saturated green	Bright green + a touch of blue + a touch of black.
Glow green	Moot Green	Scorpy Green	Goblin Green	look for: bright vivid green	look for: bright vivid green	Bright green + a little yellow. For the hottest point, add white.
White	White Scar	Dead White	Matt White	look for: matt white	look for: matt white	Any matt white, including artist titanium white thinned with water.
Dark earth	Rhinox Hide	Charred Brown	Oak Brown	look for: very dark brown	look for: very dark brown	Brown + black about 3:1.
Khaki	Baneblade Brown	Khaki	mix it	look for: light grey-brown khaki	look for: light grey-brown khaki	Your bone colour + dark earth about 2:1.

Black primer

Citadel: Chaos Black (spray)
Vallejo: Surface Primer Black
Army Painter: Colour Primer Matt Black
AK: look for: black spray or brush-on primer
Scale75: look for: black spray or brush-on primer
Mix: No mixing: any black primer made for plastic miniatures. Thin coats, 20-30 cm away.

Steel

Citadel: Leadbelcher
Vallejo: Gunmetal Metal
Army Painter: Gun Metal
AK: look for: mid metallic steel
Scale75: look for: mid metallic steel
Mix: Any silver + a little black (about 3:1). Mix metallics with metallics, not with normal paint, or they go chalky.

Black wash

Citadel: Nuln Oil
Vallejo: Black Wash
Army Painter: Dark Tone
AK: look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash
Scale75: look for: black or dark-grey shade/wash
Mix: Black paint + lots of water (1:6 to 1:10) + one drop of flow improver or a tiny drop of dish soap so it runs into recesses.

Bright silver

Citadel: Stormhost Silver
Vallejo: Silver
Army Painter: Shining Silver
AK: look for: bright clean silver
Scale75: look for: bright clean silver
Mix: Use the brightest silver you own, straight. Edges only.

Dark grey

Citadel: Eshin Grey
Vallejo: German Grey (Model Color)
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: dark neutral grey
Scale75: look for: dark neutral grey
Mix: Black + white about 4:1. Add a speck of blue for a cooler armour grey.

Mid grey

Citadel: Dawnstone
Vallejo: Stonewall Grey
Army Painter: Uniform Grey
AK: look for: mid grey
Scale75: look for: mid grey
Mix: Black + white about 1:1, then adjust. Test on the palette: it dries darker.

Bronze

Citadel: Warplock Bronze
Vallejo: Bright Bronze
Army Painter: Weapon Bronze
AK: look for: dark warm bronze
Scale75: look for: dark warm bronze
Mix: Gold + steel about 1:1, then a brown wash.

Verdigris

Citadel: Nihilakh Oxide (technical)
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: pale blue-green oxide effect
Scale75: look for: pale blue-green oxide effect
Mix: White + a little teal + a touch of green, thinned like a wash and run into the recesses of bronze.

Emerald

Citadel: Warpstone Glow
Vallejo: mix it
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: deep saturated green
Scale75: look for: deep saturated green
Mix: Bright green + a touch of blue + a touch of black.

Glow green

Citadel: Moot Green
Vallejo: Scorpy Green
Army Painter: Goblin Green
AK: look for: bright vivid green
Scale75: look for: bright vivid green
Mix: Bright green + a little yellow. For the hottest point, add white.

White

Citadel: White Scar
Vallejo: Dead White
Army Painter: Matt White
AK: look for: matt white
Scale75: look for: matt white
Mix: Any matt white, including artist titanium white thinned with water.

Dark earth

Citadel: Rhinox Hide
Vallejo: Charred Brown
Army Painter: Oak Brown
AK: look for: very dark brown
Scale75: look for: very dark brown
Mix: Brown + black about 3:1.

Khaki

Citadel: Baneblade Brown
Vallejo: Khaki
Army Painter: mix it
AK: look for: light grey-brown khaki
Scale75: look for: light grey-brown khaki
Mix: Your bone colour + dark earth about 2:1.

Unofficial fan content. This is an unofficial painting guide created by independent hobbyists. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Games Workshop Limited, Warhammer, Citadel, or any of their trademarks, products, or subsidiaries in any way.

Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Citadel, and all associated names, characters, factions, units, and imagery are trademarks and/or copyright of Games Workshop Limited. All rights reserved. Used here solely for identification and descriptive purposes.

Paint recipes, colour matches, mixing tips, and any 3D visualisations are original work based on independent research and testing. They are approximate only and not official recommendations.

Photos of miniatures shown are of models painted by the site owner and are displayed for hobby illustration purposes only.

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