Ardcoat Paint Guide

Ardcoat is a technical from Citadel (Games Workshop), commonly used for armour plates, cloth, and trim work.

Quick Equivalents

• Closest equivalent: Chipping Fluid (AK Interactive) – ΔE 12.3
• Vallejo equivalent: the closest Vallejo option in our database
• Army Painter equivalent: Brush-On Primer (Army Painter) – ΔE 1.9

How to Use Ardcoat

This paint is typically used for:

• Gloss varnish
• Special effect

Apply it over a suitable primer and build layers gradually. Coverage sits around null, so two thin coats usually give a more stable finish than one heavy pass, especially over a dark primer.

Paint Behavior and Tips

Consider the following when working with this paint:

• Coverage: null — affects how many coats are needed over primer
• Dilution: no thinning — keeping the right ratio maintains flow and prevents brushmarks
• Interaction with washes and highlights: always run a highlight pass to verify the tone does not shift after drying

A good equivalent should remain stable after shading and highlighting. Test this alternative on the same primer and in the same recipe before switching a whole unit.

Miniature Painting Tips

For best results with Ardcoat on Warhammer and other miniature projects:

• Use the same primer across the project to keep tonal consistency
• Test on a spare part before applying to a full unit
• Compare after shading and highlights, not just the base coat

Even small differences can become visible on a finished miniature. This match may behave differently on textured surfaces like cloth, fur, and metal trim once the full recipe is applied.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Ardcoat equivalent ensures consistent results across your painting workflow. Use this page as a paint conversion chart to compare the Vallejo equivalent, the Army Painter equivalent, and other close options before committing to a full army.

A paint guide is most valuable when it connects colour, handling, and recipe context in one place.