Warhammer 40,000 · Adeptus Custodes
Shadowkeepers (Adeptus Custodes) Paint List for Warhammer 40,000
beginner
Adeptus Custodes
Severe black armour with rich gold trim and restrained red accents.
Prime in black to keep the force threatening from the start, then build the grey highlights before the gold trim.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority
I Must-Have
The dark foundation of a Shadowkeepers force
II Core
Highlights that stop the black from looking flat
-
Eshin Grey
(Citadel)
— Armour edges
· Edge highlights
-
Khorne Red
(Citadel)
— Plumes and cloth
· 2 thin coats
-
Leadbelcher
(Citadel)
— Blades and mechanics
· 1-2 coats
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Prime the whole model in black.
2
Tidy the armour panels with Abaddon Black where needed.
3
Apply Retributor Armour to trim, aquilas, and sacred details.
4
Shade the gold recesses with Agrax Earthshade.
5
Paint the plumes and cloth with Khorne Red.
6
Basecoat the weapons and mechanics with Leadbelcher.
7
Edge highlight the armour with Eshin Grey.
Tips
Hints for this army
1
Do not chase pure black everywhere: Eshin Grey on the edges is enough to create volume.
2
Agrax Earthshade reads better than Nuln Oil on Shadowkeepers gold trim.
3
Keep the red accents small so the scheme stays severe.