Citadel Shade Paints — Complete Colour Guide | Warhammer Colour
Wheels & Wings Hobbies · Paint Reference
Citadel Shade Paints — Warhammer Colour
Complete colour listing · 18ml water-based acrylic wash · Depth and shadow in one coat · Now branded Warhammer Colour
The fastest way to add depth to any miniature
Citadel Shade paints are thin, flow-enhancing washes formulated to flow into the recesses, panel lines, and surface detail of a miniature. Apply them over a dried Base coat — they do the shading work for you, leaving minimal pigment on raised surfaces while deepening every crease, joint, and sculpted detail. Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil are arguably the two most universally used paints in the entire Warhammer hobby; every collection needs them. The Shade range covers every colour family with dedicated washes designed to complement specific factions and paint schemes.
All Shade paints are 18ml in a wide-mouth flip-top pot. Apply with a large soft brush (Citadel Medium Shade Brush is ideal), flooding the wash over the area and allowing capillary action to pull it into recesses. Avoid pooling on flat surfaces — if this happens, draw the excess away with a damp brush. Click any SKU to check stock and add to basket.
Format 18ml flip-top pot
Medium Water-based acrylic wash
Step Applied after Base, before Layer
Colours listed 19
Tips for using Shade paints
For the best results, apply Shade over a fully dried, matte Base coat. Gloss or semi-gloss surfaces cause washes to bead and pool unevenly — always use a matte base coat or seal with a matt varnish first. Spot shading (applying Shade only into recesses with a detail brush) gives cleaner results on flat armour panels than flooding the entire surface. Full washes work best on textured surfaces: skin, fur, cloth, and basing material where all-over coverage speeds up painting without visible tide marks.
Lahmian Medium (CIT27-02) can be mixed 1:1 with any Shade to slow drying time, reduce tide marks on flat surfaces, and create a more controlled glaze effect when a full wash would be too strong.
Citadel Shade — Full Colour List
Washes for Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar. Faction application and painting use noted for every colour.
| SKU | Shade | Warhammer Application & Use |
|---|---|---|
| CIT24-15 | Agrax Earthshade | Warm brown wash. The single most universally useful paint in the Warhammer hobby — widely nicknamed “Liquid Talent” for how much it improves a model with one application. Essential for leather, bone, wood, earth tones, aged gold, and Nurgle-themed models across every faction. Shades Balthasar Gold to a rich antique finish, deepens Mournfang Brown leather, and enriches bone on undead armies. Used on almost every model in every army at some stage. |
| CIT24-14 | Nuln Oil | Cool black wash. The second universally essential shade — a cold, near-black wash for all metallics, dark armour, and mechanical detail. Used on Leadbelcher steel, bolter casings, vehicle exhausts, Necron metal plating, Adeptus Mechanicus machinery, and any dark colour requiring deep shadow. The go-to shade for all silver and iron metallic workflows. Also shades black armour on Space Marines — apply over Abaddon Black for panel line definition. |
| CIT24-24 | Reikland Fleshshade | Warm flesh-pink wash. The standard skin shading wash for human and humanoid models — used over Bugman's Glow, Ratskin Flesh, Rakarth Flesh, and all Cadian flesh tones to produce natural shadow in facial features, hands, and exposed muscle. Essential for Space Marine Chaplain and character faces, Astra Militarum infantry, Stormcast Eternals faces under helmets, and Age of Sigmar human warbands. Also works beautifully over Retributor Armour gold to give a warm, glowing result. |
| CIT24-17 | Drakenhof Nightshade | Deep blue wash. The go-to shade for blue Space Marine armour — Ultramarines, Dark Angels highlight recesses, Space Wolves blue-grey, and all blue faction models. Adds cold, deep shadows to Macragge Blue, Kantor Blue, and Caledor Sky base coats. Also used for shading Nighthaunt ethereal cloaks, undead skin with a pallid blue tint, and cold water effects on basing and terrain. |
| CIT24-22 | Coelia Greenshade | Deep blue-green wash. Ideal for teal and turquoise surfaces — Idoneth Deepkin armour, Seraphon scales, Stegadon Scale Green base coats, and aquatic/ocean-themed models. Used for Nighthaunt cloak tinting, Deep Sea terrain effects, and Tzeentch daemon green-blue feathers. A more specific shade than Biel-Tan Green — reach for Coelia when you want a cold, aquatic depth rather than a warm forest green shadow. |
| CIT24-19 | Biel-Tan Green | Warm forest-green wash. Named for Biel-Tan — one of the major Aeldari Craftworlds. The definitive shading wash for Ork skin — apply over Waaagh! Flesh for instant, convincing Ork musculature. Also used for Dark Angels and Salamanders green armour recesses, Sylvaneth bark, foliage basing, and Nurgle pustule effects. The standard green wash for the vast majority of green-skinned models in the hobby. |
| CIT24-13 | Carroburg Crimson | Deep crimson-red wash. Named for Carroburg — a Free City in Age of Sigmar. The red shade for Blood Angels Space Marine armour, Khorne Berserker red deepening, red robes and cloth across all factions, and raw wound effects on skin. Particularly effective shading Mephiston Red to a rich, deep blood-red. Also used as a light wash over flesh tones where you want a flushed, sunburned, or wounded look. Thinner and more transparent than Agrax Earthshade — gives a warm crimson shadow rather than a brown one. |
| CIT24-16 | Druchii Violet | Deep purple wash. Named for the Druchii — the Dark Elves. The shade for Slaanesh and Drukhari purple schemes, Daughters of Khaine robes, Emperor's Children armour recesses, and Tzeentch Lord of Change feather gradients. Also used as a purple glazing wash over pink (Screamer Pink, Pink Horror) to push tones cooler and add depth to daemon skin. Extremely useful for any purple or pink paint scheme. |
| CIT24-23 | Seraphim Sepia | Warm amber-sepia wash. Named for the Seraphim — Sisters of Battle jump pack infantry. Lighter than Agrax Earthshade — produces a warm golden-brown shadow rather than a deep earthy one. Ideal for parchment, scrolls, and aged paper on all models; Stormcast Eternals gold details shaded to a warm glow; pale or sandy skin tones; and rope, twine, and natural fibre textures. Also adds warmth to white robes (Space Marine Apothecaries, Deathwing Terminators) without going too dark. |
| CIT24-18 | Casandora Yellow | Orange-yellow wash. Named for Casandora — a Celestial Hurricanum construct. The shading wash for yellow paint schemes — Imperial Fists Space Marines (over Averland Sunset), Ork yellow armour variants (Speed Freeks), and Kharadron Overlord yellow sigil details. Also works on Tau ochre armour to deepen the recesses. Essential for any army where yellows need defined shadow without going brown. |
| CIT24-20 | Fuegan Orange | Warm orange-red wash. Named for Fuegan — the Phoenix Lord of the Fire Dragons Aspect Warriors. The shade for Salamanders (fire and ember effects), Fyreslayers orange flame hair and rune skin, Khorne armour highlights, and fire/lava basing. Applied over Jokaero Orange or Averland Sunset it creates a rich, hot ember effect. Also used over skin tones for sunburned and feverish effects on Chaos mortal models. |
| CIT24-21 | Athonian Camoshade | Murky olive-green wash. Named for Athos — a Tzeentch-aligned setting. Excellent for Astra Militarum Catachan jungle camouflage uniforms, Death Guard corroded armour, swamp and murky water basing, and any model requiring a gritty, greyish-green organic shadow. Slightly cooler and more desaturated than Biel-Tan Green — use Athonian Camoshade when you want a grimy, natural shadow rather than a vivid forest green one. |
| CIT24-29 | Kroak Green | Cold, deep blue-green wash. Named for Lord Kroak — the legendary Seraphon Slann Mage-Priest. Designed for Seraphon (Lizardmen) scales and Slann skin, providing a cold, swampy shadow on green reptilian surfaces. Also excellent for Idoneth Deepkin aquatic creatures, Nurgle slime and ichor effects, and dark swamp basing. Replaces Coelia Greenshade when a deeper, more specific green-blue shadow is needed. |
| CIT24-34 | Berserker Bloodshade | Dark, deep red wash. Named for Khorne Berserkers. The dedicated red shade for dark red armour on World Eaters, Khorne Berserkers, and Khorne Bloodbound — deeper and more intense than Carroburg Crimson. Also excellent for deepening wounds and gore effects (layer over Blood for the Blood God Technical for a more controlled result), shading Daemon skin recesses, and darkening Flesh Tearers Blood Angels armour. |
| CIT24-31 | Targor Rageshade | Deep magenta-purple wash. Named for Targor — an Orruk warboss. A vivid, saturated purple-red wash used for shading Slaanesh daemon skin (over Screamer Pink and Daemonette Hide), Daughters of Khaine deep flesh shadows, and Hedonite Slaanesh mortal model skin. Also produces striking results as a glaze over pink or pale flesh to push shadows toward a lurid, otherworldly hue. |
| CIT24-32 | Mortarion Grime | Murky, desaturated yellow-brown wash. Named for Mortarion — Primarch of the Death Guard. The dedicated shade for Death Guard Chaos Space Marines — over Death Guard Green armour it produces a corroded, diseased olive shadow. Also used for Nurgle daemon skin (Plaguebearers, Great Unclean Ones), putrid Maggotkin of Nurgle Age of Sigmar warbands, and any weathered, decayed surface that needs a sickly organic shadow rather than a clean brown or green one. |
| CIT24-33 | Tyran Blue | Rich, saturated blue wash. Named for Tyran — the first world destroyed by the Tyranid Hive Mind. Specifically designed for the classic blue-purple Tyranid chitin colour scheme. Produces a vivid, rich blue shadow over Kantor Blue, Macragge Blue, or Contrast blues on Tyranid carapace panels. Also useful for shading Tzeentch blue feathers, Idoneth Deepkin armour, and any deep blue scheme where Drakenhof Nightshade doesn't go saturated enough. |
| CIT24-35 | Soulblight Grey | Cool dark grey wash. Named for Soulblight — the vampiric bloodline curse of the Mortal Realms. The go-to shade for grey Space Marine armour, Necron metal with a cooler tone than Nuln Oil, Soulblight Gravelords armour recesses, and undead warrior plate. Also excellent for shading white armour (Space Wolves white pelts, Deathwing) where Nuln Oil would be too black and Agrax Earthshade too warm. Provides a clean, cold shadow without muddying pale colours. |
| CIT24-30 | Poxwalker | Desaturated grey-brown wash. Named for the Poxwalkers — the diseased undead foot soldiers of the Death Guard. A muted, murky wash designed for Poxwalkers, Plague Zombie models, undead human skin, and rotting zombie flesh across Age of Sigmar (Flesh-Eater Courts, Soulblight Gravelords). Produces a sickly, corpse-like shadow over pale flesh tones without adding colour — keeps the zombie pallor while adding depth. Also useful for weathering cloth and rope on any model. |
Shopping for Citadel Shade paints at Wheels & Wings
Citadel Shade paints are stocked continuously at our Toronto store and ship across Canada. If you're starting a new collection and want to pick only two to begin with, Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil cover the majority of use cases for any army. Add Reikland Fleshshade as your third for skin tones.
Browse and purchase all Citadel Shade paints in our online store.
Shop Citadel Shade →May 08, 2026
Recent Posts
-
Citadel / Warhammer Colour Complete Paint Guide — All Lines | Wheels & Wings Hobbies
Wheels & Wings Hobbies · Paint Reference Citadel Colour Complete Guide — Warhammer Colour Complete …May 08, 2026 -
Citadel Technical Paints — Complete Guide | Warhammer Colour
Wheels & Wings Hobbies · Paint Reference Citadel Technical Paints — Warhammer Colour Complete list …May 08, 2026 -
Citadel Spray Primers — Complete Guide | Warhammer Colour
Wheels & Wings Hobbies · Paint Reference Citadel Spray Primers — Warhammer Colour Complete listing …May 08, 2026