Warhammer 40,000 · Chaos Space Marines
Thousand Sons (Chaos Space Marines) Paint List for Warhammer 40,000
Deep sorcerous blue with Tzeentch gold, a scheme that rewards patient layering. The dust and gold details are what make the army read at tabletop distance.
Thousand Sons Blue is their exclusive colour — darker and more saturated than the Ultramarines' Macragge. The gold is everywhere and has to be very neat.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority🔴 Must-Have
Blue Tzeentch and ostentatious gold
- Thousand Sons Blue (Citadel) — Main armour · 2 opaque coats
- Abaddon Black (Citadel) — Joints and detail black · 1 thin coat
- Retributor Armour (Citadel) — Gold ornaments · 2 opaque coats
- Leadbelcher (Citadel) — Weapons and metal · 1–2 coats
- Drakenhof Nightshade (Citadel) — Armour (shade) · Wash into recesses
🟠 Core
Gold highlights and shading
- Altdorf Guard Blue (Citadel) — Armour (layer 1) · Over raised areas
- Agrax Earthshade (Citadel) — Gold ornaments · Wash into recesses
- Liberator Gold (Citadel) — Gold (highlight) · Light drybrush
- Nuln Oil (Citadel) — Metal · Wash
🟡 Recommended
Magic finishes and details
- Hoeth Blue (Citadel) — Armour (highlight) · Edges only
- Runefang Steel (Citadel) — Metal (highlight) · Drybrush light
- Screaming Skull (Citadel) — Skulls and bone · Layer + drybrush
🟢 Optional
Magic effects and sorcery
- Aethermatic Blue (Citadel) — Eyes and magic gems · Contrast on white
- Sotek Green (Citadel) — Plumes Tzeentch · Layer on plumes
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Step 1: primer blue or black
2
Step 2: Thousand Sons Blue over the full armour
3
Step 3: Retributor Armour over all the ornament (there is a lot)
4
Step 4: Abaddon Black on the joints and parts black
5
Step 5: Leadbelcher on the firearms
6
Step 6: Drakenhof Nightshade wash into the armour recesses
7
Step 7: Agrax Earthshade on the gold
8
Step 8: Altdorf Guard Blue layer on the blue raised areas
9
Step 9: Liberator Gold highlight on the gold, Hoeth Blue on the armour edges
Tips
Hints for this army
1
The Thousand Sons carry more gold than any other Chapter — budget far more Retributor Armour than usual.
2
Drakenhof Nightshade (blue shade) is essential — it deepens the blue without greying it out the way Nuln Oil would.
3
For glowing blue eyes: a small dot of Corax White, then Aethermatic Blue Contrast over it — a spectacular result in 2 minutes.
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