Warhammer 40,000 · Space Marines
Raven Guard (Space Marines) Paint List for Warhammer 40,000
Pure black with white and silver accents, and the cleanest scheme to paint at speed. Raven Guard rewards neat edges rather than elaborate blending.
The Raven Guard is painted almost entirely in black. Put your effort into the subtle grey highlights — the Chapter has to stay dark and stealthy.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority🔴 Must-Have
The Raven Guard scheme in 4 colours
- Abaddon Black (Citadel) — Main armour · 2 opaque coats
- Leadbelcher (Citadel) — Weapons and metal · 1–2 coats
- Nuln Oil (Citadel) — The whole model · Overall wash
- Administratum Grey (Citadel) — Armour (highlight) · Edge highlights on the raised areas only
🟠 Core
Ornaments and insignia
- Corax White (Citadel) — Raven insignia · Fine brushwork, 2 coats
- Runefang Steel (Citadel) — Metal (highlight) · Light drybrush
- Retributor Armour (Citadel) — Ornaments · Fine brushwork
🟡 Recommended
Extra finishing touches
- Bugman's Glow (Citadel) — Skin · 2 coats
- Rhinox Hide (Citadel) — Leather and holster · 1 coat
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Step 1: black spray primer
2
Step 2: Abaddon Black to unify the armour
3
Step 3: Leadbelcher on the weapons and metal
4
Step 4: Retributor Armour on the subtle ornaments
5
Step 5: Nuln Oil overall wash
6
Step 6: Administratum Grey edge highlights on the armour
7
Step 7: raven insignia in Corax White
8
Step 8: Runefang Steel drybrush on the metal
Tips
Hints for this army
1
The Raven Guard has to stay DARK — resist the urge to over-highlight. Just one very fine grey line on the edges.
2
The white raven insignia on the black shoulder pad is the focal point — take your time and get it right.
3
The weapons can be a touch brighter than the armour to create an interesting contrast.
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