Army Painting Guides
An army is recognised by its colours first: the red of the Blood Angels, the blue of the Ultramarines, the green of the Salamanders. This hub gathers the ChromaStack guides that explain how to choose those colours, in what order to apply them, and which paints from other brands can replace them.
Every guide starts from a specific army, faction or chapter and links each paint to a role: shadow, base, highlight. The method stays the same across every setting covered by ChromaStack — Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Horus Heresy and the other systems.
Available guides
The guides published so far, grouped by setting and then by faction. Only guides that are actually live are listed here.
Warhammer 40,000 · Space Marines
Best Blue Paints for Ultramarines: Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter & Alternatives
Choose the right blues for Ultramarines: shadows, basecoat, highlights, Contrast paints and alternatives from Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and AK.
Armies covered Ultramarines
Best Red Paints for Space Marines: Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter & Alternatives
How to choose a red paint for Space Marines: shadows, base coat, highlights and Contrast, with a comparison of Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and AK.
Armies covered Blood Angels Flesh Tearers
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy · Traitor Legions
Armies and chapters covered
These pages list the full paint scheme for each army, paint by paint, with the equivalents available in the ChromaStack catalogue.
Browse all armies →Choosing colours for an army
The method is the same whatever the army: start from the dominant colour, then build the rest around it.
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Start from the dominant colour
Identify the colour that covers the most surface — armour, skin or cloth — and pick it in three tones: a dark one for the recesses, a mid one for the surface, and a light one for the raised areas.
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Check the equivalents
The same tone exists across several manufacturers. Compare the Delta-E matches before buying, to avoid a duplicate or to replace a paint that is no longer available.
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Complete the palette
Then add the metal, the ornaments, the wash and the base. The army page gives the full list of paints used for that faction.
From guide to referential
The guides explain how to choose and apply colours. The army pages list, faction by faction, the paints actually used in ChromaStack.