Warhammer 40,000 · Chaos Space Marines
Black Legion (Chaos Space Marines) Paint List for Warhammer 40,000
Absolute black with Abaddon gold, the most iconic Legion of the Chaos Space Marines. Simple, imposing, and a good first Chaos army to paint.
The Black Legion is one of the simplest Chaos schemes: black + gold + metal. The key is the quality of the gold — take care with the ornament.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority🔴 Must-Have
Black and gold — the emblematic pairing
- Abaddon Black (Citadel) — Main armour · 2 opaque coats
- Retributor Armour (Citadel) — Gold ornaments · 2 opaque coats
- Leadbelcher (Citadel) — Weapons and metal · 1–2 coats
- Nuln Oil (Citadel) — Whole miniature · General wash
- Agrax Earthshade (Citadel) — Gold ornaments · Localised wash into recesses
🟠 Core
Highlights and finish
- Liberator Gold (Citadel) — Gold (highlight) · Light drybrush on the gold
- Administratum Grey (Citadel) — Armour (highlight) · Fine edges only
- Runefang Steel (Citadel) — Metal (highlight) · Drybrush light
🟡 Recommended
Symbols and flesh
- Bugman's Glow (Citadel) — Skin (if visible) · 2 coats
- Rhinox Hide (Citadel) — Holster and straps · 1 coat
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Step 1: black primer spray
2
Step 2: Retributor Armour over all ornaments
3
Step 3: Leadbelcher on the metal
4
Step 4: Nuln Oil general wash
5
Step 5: Localised Agrax Earthshade on the gold
6
Step 6: Liberator Gold highlight on the gold
7
Step 7: Administratum Grey highlight on the black armour
8
Step 8: Runefang Steel drybrush metal
Tips
Hints for this army
1
Simple and effective: Abaddon Black + Retributor Armour applied cleanly already do 80% of the work.
2
For Chaos ornament: take care with the eight-pointed stars and the horns — they are the most visible details.
3
Vary the black tones slightly between units (mix in dark blue or brown) so the army does not read as one flat block.
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