null
Free Shipping $150 for Ontario/Quebec on qualifying orders  •  $200 for Rest of Canada  •  We are currently not shipping to the USA
Free Shipping $150 for Ontario/Quebec
$200 for Rest of Canada
We are currently not shipping to the USA

Citadel Spray Primers — Complete Guide | Warhammer Colour

Wheels & Wings Hobbies · Paint Reference

Citadel Spray Primers — Warhammer Colour

Complete listing · 400ml aerosol · Primer & base coat in one · Colour-matched to the pot range

Primer and base coat in a single pass

Citadel Spray cans serve as both primer and base coat simultaneously. They bond to plastic, resin, and metal, provide a tooth for subsequent paint layers to grip, and are colour-matched exactly to their pot equivalents — so you can prime an entire army in the right base colour and move straight to shading without any brush basecoating at all. Every spray in the range is formulated to work seamlessly with the rest of the Citadel paint system.

The sprays we stock fall into two groups: primer colours (Chaos Black, Wraithbone, Grey Seer, Mechanicus Standard Grey, White Scar) used as universal starting points across any army, and army-specific base coat sprays (Leadbelcher, Retributor Armour, Mephiston Red, Macragge Blue, Zandri Dust, Deathguard Green) matched to specific factions for fast batch basecoating.

Size 400ml aerosol
Surfaces Plastic · resin · metal
Function Primer & base coat
Sprays listed 12

Spraying tips

Temperature: Spray between 15°C and 25°C (60°F–77°F) in still air. Cold temperatures cause grainy, chalky results. Humid or wet conditions can cause the same — always spray indoors or in a sheltered area.

Shake well: Shake for at least 2 minutes before use and periodically during. Hold the can 25–30cm from the model. Use short, sweeping passes — never hold in one spot.

Multiple thin coats: Two light passes produce better results than one heavy coat. Flooding the model obscures detail and causes pooling. Allow 15–20 minutes between coats.

After use: Invert the can and spray briefly to clear the nozzle before storing. This prevents blockages and extends can life significantly.

Universal Primer Colours

General-purpose primers used as the starting point for any army. Choice of colour determines how subsequent paints behave — see notes for each.

SKU Price Spray Warhammer Application & Use
CIT62-02 $22.95
Chaos Black Spray		 Named for Chaos Black — the darkest black in the Citadel range. The most widely used primer in the Warhammer hobby. A black undercoat makes subsequent colours appear richer and more saturated, naturally deepens recesses without any shading work, and suits dark armies where shadows should stay very dark. The standard primer for Black Legion, Raven Guard, Sisters of Battle, Death Guard, Chaos Space Marines, Drukhari, and any army with a predominantly dark palette. Also the standard starting primer for zenithal highlighting — spray black from below, then Wraithbone or Grey Seer from above.
CIT62-33 $25.95
Wraithbone Spray		 Named for Wraithbone — the psychically-grown structural material of the Aeldari. Warm off-white. The primary Contrast paint primer — all official GW Contrast painting guides are written for models primed with Wraithbone. Produces warm, rich results with Contrast paints. Also the standard primer for Stormcast Eternals gold armour, Aeldari Craftworld armour, Idoneth Deepkin skin, Necron bone details, and any army where a warm, light starting tone will show through final colours. The single most important spray to stock if you're using Contrast paints.
CIT62-34 $25.95
Grey Seer Spray		 Named for the Grey Seers — the powerful Skaven psykers. Cool pale off-white. The cool-toned alternative to Wraithbone as a Contrast primer — Contrast paints over Grey Seer produce cooler, more muted, slightly less saturated results than over Wraithbone. Preferred for Space Wolves, Nighthaunt, Ossiarch Bonereapers, and any Contrast scheme where a cooler or more desaturated result is wanted. Also used directly for Skaven Grey Seer model skin and ghostly undead pale surfaces. The pot version (CIT21-54) matches exactly.
CIT62-36 $25.95
White Scar Spray		 Named for the White Scars — the fast-strike Space Marine Chapter. Pure bright white. Produces the most vivid, saturated results with Contrast paints — brighter than Wraithbone or Grey Seer underneath. The primer for White Scars and Deathwing white armour, Lumineth Realm-lords white armour, and any scheme requiring maximum brightness. Also the best undercoat when painting light or pastel colours that would be muddied by any tinted primer. When Contrast colours need to be as vivid as possible, White Scar is the base to use.
CIT62-26 $25.95
Mechanicus Standard Grey Spray		 Named for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Dark neutral grey. The standard primer for Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii and Techpriest models, Grey Knights (silver armour sits best over a dark grey undercoat), and any army where metallic paints are the dominant colour — silver and steel look more natural and less flat over a grey undercoat than over black or white. Also a good mid-tone primer for armies with both light and dark elements where neither black nor white is ideal.

Army-Specific Base Coat Sprays

Colour-matched to specific factions — prime and base coat an entire army in one step, then go straight to shading.

SKU Price Spray Warhammer Application & Use
CIT62-24 $25.95
Leadbelcher Spray		 Colour-matched to Leadbelcher Base pot. Dark silver metallic. The army spray for Iron Hands, Grey Knights, Necrons, Adeptus Mechanicus, and any predominantly metallic army — primes and base coats the entire model in one pass, ready for Nuln Oil shading and Ironbreaker/Stormhost Silver highlighting with no brush basecoating required. Also used to prime vehicles and walkers before weathering with Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust.
CIT62-25 $36.95
Retributor Armour Spray		 Colour-matched to Retributor Armour Base pot. Bright vivid gold metallic. The essential spray for Stormcast Eternals — primes the entire army in gold, reducing the most time-consuming step of Stormcast painting to a single spray pass. Also used for Sisters of Battle gold trim, Space Marine aquila gold armour variants, and Fyreslayer gold-rune armour. A premium-priced spray due to real metallic content; the time saved on Stormcast armies easily justifies the cost.
CIT62-15 $25.95
Mephiston Red Spray		 Colour-matched to Mephiston Red Base pot. Deep, rich crimson. The army spray for Blood Angels Space Marines and their successors — primes and base coats entire squads in one pass, ready for Carroburg Crimson or Agrax Earthshade shading, then Evil Sunz Scarlet highlighting. Saves hours of brush basecoating on large Blood Angels armies. Also used for Khorne Bloodbound, red Chaos Space Marine warbands, and any red-armoured army being painted in volume.
CIT62-16 $25.95
Macragge Blue Spray		 Colour-matched to Macragge Blue Base pot. Classic Ultramarine blue. The army spray for Ultramarines and most blue Space Marine Chapters — by far the most popular army-specific spray in the range. Primes and base coats entire Primaris and Firstborn squads in one pass, ready for Drakenhof Nightshade shading and the Calgar Blue / Alaitoc Blue / Hoeth Blue highlight progression. Also used for Idoneth Deepkin blue armour and any predominantly blue 40k or Age of Sigmar army.
CIT62-20 $25.95
Zandri Dust Spray		 Colour-matched to Zandri Dust Base pot. Light warm khaki. The army spray for Ossiarch Bonereapers, Tomb Kings, Necrons, and desert-scheme Astra Militarum regiments (Tallarn, Armageddon). Primes models in a sandy mid-tone that works as a pre-shaded surface — Contrast Skeleton Horde or Aggaros Dunes applied directly over Zandri Dust spray produces a completely finished undead or desert model with minimal effort. A favourite for painters who batch large undead armies quickly.
CIT62-32 $25.95
Deathguard Green Spray		 Colour-matched to Death Guard Green Base pot. Muted, desaturated olive-green. The army spray for Death Guard Chaos Space Marines — primes and base coats entire Plague Marine squads, Bloat Drones, and Daemon Engines in one pass, ready for Mortarion Grime or Agrax Earthshade shading and Elysian Green highlighting. Also used for Nurgle Rotbringers and Maggotkin warbands, and any army whose armour, clothing, or skin calls for a corroded, disease-ravaged green foundation.
CIT62-03 $25.95
Munitorum Varnish (Satin)		 Named for the Munitorum — the vast Imperial logistics organisation. A protective satin varnish spray for sealing completed miniatures. Produces a slight sheen — less reflective than gloss, less flat than pure matt — that suits armoured models well and holds up to gaming table handling. The spray equivalent of a brush-on varnish, applied as a final coat over a completed and fully dry model. Covers a squad in seconds versus brush-on alternatives. Use outdoors or in well-ventilated space.

Which primer should you use?

Chaos Black — Dark armies, any scheme with a lot of black, zenithal priming base layer. Recesses stay naturally dark.

Wraithbone — The standard Contrast primer. Warm tone. Best for Stormcast gold, Aeldari, undead bone, and any Contrast-first workflow where warmth suits the colour scheme.

Grey Seer — Cool Contrast primer. Best for Space Wolves, Nighthaunt, cold-toned armies, and when Wraithbone would make Contrast colours look too warm or orange.

White Scar — Maximum vibrancy. Best for light-coloured armies (White Scars, Lumineth) and when Contrast colours need to be as bright as possible.

Mechanicus Standard Grey — Best undercoat for metallic-heavy armies (Grey Knights, Adeptus Mechanicus, Necrons). Silver over grey looks more natural than over black or white.

Shopping for Citadel Sprays at Wheels & Wings

Citadel Sprays are stocked continuously at our Toronto store and ship across Canada. If you're starting a new army and want to confirm which spray to use, the staff at Wheels & Wings are happy to advise in-store or by phone.

Browse all Citadel Colour paints in our online store.

Shop Citadel Colour →
May 08, 2026 Wheels & Wings Hobbies

Recent Posts