Warhammer 40,000 · Space Marines
Deathwatch (Space Marines) Paint List for Warhammer 40,000
Black armour with a silver shoulder pad, and room to vary each marine's chapter badge. Great for painters who like a different subject on every model.
The silver right shoulder pad is mandatory, while the left one shows the marine's Chapter of origin. Nail the black and silver basics before you add the Chapter insignia.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority🔴 Must-Have
Black and silver — the base scheme
- Abaddon Black (Citadel) — Main armour · 2 opaque coats
- Leadbelcher (Citadel) — Right shoulder pad and metal · 2 opaque coats
- Nuln Oil (Citadel) — The whole model · Overall wash
- Runefang Steel (Citadel) — Shoulder pad (highlight) · Light drybrush
🟠 Core
Insignia and ornaments
- Retributor Armour (Citadel) — Deathwatch I insignia · Fine brushwork, 2 coats
- Agrax Earthshade (Citadel) — Shoulder pad and gold · Localised wash
- Administratum Grey (Citadel) — Armour (highlight) · Fine edge highlights
🟡 Recommended
Chapter of origin on the left shoulder pad
- Macragge Blue (Citadel) — Left shoulder pad (if Ultramarine) · 2 coats
- Bugman's Glow (Citadel) — Skin · 2 coats
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Step 1: black primer
2
Step 2: Abaddon Black to unify the armour
3
Step 3: Leadbelcher on the right shoulder pad and the metal
4
Step 4: Retributor Armour on the insignia and ornaments
5
Step 5: Nuln Oil overall wash
6
Step 6: Agrax Earthshade on the silver shoulder pad
7
Step 7: Runefang Steel drybrush on the shoulder pad
8
Step 8: Administratum Grey highlight on the black armour
9
Step 9: Chapter of origin colours on the left shoulder pad
Tips
Hints for this army
1
The silver right shoulder pad has to be flawless — it is the first thing the eye lands on. Give it the time it needs.
2
For the Chapter insignia on the left shoulder pad, use GW transfers — far cleaner than painting them by hand.
3
The Deathwatch lets you reuse marines from existing Chapters — economical and thematic.
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