The Official Miniature Paint System
Warhammer Colour
The complete Games Workshop paint range — formerly Citadel Colour — for every stage of painting a miniature. Base, Layer, Shade, Contrast and more, stocked in full at Loaded Dice with fast UK delivery.
Formerly Citadel Colour
The Warhammer Colour Story
Warhammer Colour is the paint range hobbyists know and trust — the same pots, formulas and colours that spent decades on shelves as Citadel Colour, now under a name that says exactly what they're for. Here's the range in a nutshell. Open as much, or as little, as you like.
What is Warhammer Colour?
Warhammer Colour is Games Workshop's official miniature paint range — the same pots painters have used for years, sold for decades as Citadel Colour. It's a complete system: rather than being sorted only by colour, each paint type is formulated for a different stage of painting a model, so they work together from the first undercoat to the final highlight.
Wasn't this called Citadel Colour?
It was. In 2026 Games Workshop renamed Citadel Colour to Warhammer Colour, to make it obvious the paints are made for the Warhammer hobby. The formulas, the colours and the pot names are all unchanged — Nuln Oil is still Nuln Oil, Macragge Blue is still Macragge Blue. If you learned to paint with Citadel paints, nothing about your technique needs to change, and every Citadel colour you know still lives on in this range.
How the system fits together
The classic route to a great-looking miniature is Undercoat → Base → Shade → Layer → Highlight. Prime the model, block in your colours with Base paints, sink a Shade into the recesses for instant shadow, then rebuild the colour and highlights with Layers. Prefer speed? A single Contrast paint does the shade and colour in one coat. Use the interactive demo above to watch each stage build up.
Which paints do I actually need to start?
Three pots will paint your first model: a Base in your main colour, a Shade (Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade are the two most useful in the whole range), and a Layer for highlights. Add a Spray undercoat and one good brush and you're away. From there, Contrast paints are the fastest way to get a whole army table-ready.
Do they work with other paint brands?
Yes. Warhammer Colour paints are water-based acrylics and mix happily with Army Painter, Vallejo, AK Interactive, Two Thin Coats and the rest — all of which we stock at Loaded Dice. Use whichever pot gives you the colour you're after; the paint police will not be calling.
The Full Range
Every Warhammer Colour paint — plus the kit
Eight paint types, each formulated for a different job, and the brushes and tools to put them to work. The swatch on each paint card shows roughly how much it covers — from opaque Bases to translucent Shades.
- Opaque BaseThe foundationThick, heavily-pigmented paint that covers in one or two coats. Your solid block of colour.Use it when: Laying down the first colour over your undercoat.e.g. Macragge Blue, Mephiston RedShop Base
- Semi-opaque LayerThe highlightThinner, brighter paint for building smooth highlights and colour transitions on raised areas.Use it when: Working up from midtone to bright edges, after shading.e.g. Fenrisian Grey, Pallid Wych FleshShop Layer
- Translucent ShadeThe shadowA thin, flowing wash that sinks into recesses to shade and define your model automatically.Use it when: Adding instant depth right after basecoating.e.g. Nuln Oil, Agrax EarthshadeShop Shade
- Translucent ContrastThe shortcutShade and colour in a single coat over a light undercoat — the fast track to a painted army.Use it when: You want great results fast, or you're just starting out.e.g. Blood Angels Red, Talassar BlueShop Contrast
- Semi-opaque DryThe textureThick, low-moisture paint made for drybrushing — catches raised detail and texture fast.Use it when: Picking out edges, chainmail, fur or terrain quickly.e.g. Longbeard Grey, Terminatus StoneShop Dry
- Opaque TechnicalThe effectsSpecial paints for texture, rust, blood, slime, snow and cracked-earth bases.Use it when: Adding bases, weathering and standout effects.e.g. Agrellan Earth, Blood for the Blood GodShop Technical
- Semi-opaque AirThe airbrushPre-thinned paints formulated to spray straight through an airbrush for smooth, fast coats.Use it when: Basecoating armies fast or blending gradients.e.g. Macragge Blue Air, Corax White AirShop Air
- Opaque SprayThe undercoatAerosol primers that undercoat a whole model in seconds, ready to take paint.Use it when: The very first step — priming bare plastic, resin or metal.e.g. Chaos Black, Corax White, WraithboneShop Spray
- Beyond The Pots
Brushes & Tools
The kit that turns paint into a painted model — the right brush for every stage, and the tools to build, hold and finish your miniatures.
- BrushesThe applicatorWarhammer Colour brushes for every job — from fine detail and layering to big basecoats, glazes and drybrushing. A good brush makes the paint behave.Use it when: Every stage of painting — matched to the pot in your hand.e.g. Base, Layer, Glaze & Drybrush brushesShop Brushes
- ToolsThe workbenchPainting handles, clippers, files, mouldline removers and palettes — the tools around the paints that make building and finishing models easier.Use it when: Assembling, holding and finishing your miniatures.e.g. Painting Handle, Clippers, Wet PaletteShop Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Warhammer Colour is Games Workshop's official paint range, formerly known as Citadel Colour. It is a complete miniature painting system with multiple paint types including Base, Layer, Shade, Contrast, Dry, Technical, and Air paints, all designed to work together.
Beginners need a Base paint in their main colour, a Shade paint to add depth (Nuln Oil or Agrax Earthshade are the most versatile), and a Layer paint for highlights. A spray undercoat and a starter brush set round out the essentials.
Base paints are high-pigment paints for first coats, giving excellent coverage. Layer paints are thinner for building up highlights. Shade paints are thin washes that flow into recesses to add shadow and depth automatically.
Yes — the Warhammer Colour system is specifically designed with beginners in mind. Contrast paints in particular allow impressive results with very little experience, applying shade and colour in a single coat.
Yes — Warhammer Colour paints are water-based acrylics and are compatible with most other hobby paint brands including Army Painter, Vallejo, and AK Interactive. We stock all of these ranges at Loaded Dice.
Yes — we stock the complete Warhammer Colour range in our Barry, South Wales shop and online at loadeddice.uk with fast UK dispatch.