Building stunning Warhammer scenics transforms your tabletop battles from simple games into immersive narrative experiences. Whether you're constructing industrial Necromunda Bulkhead Doors for grimdark underhive skirmishes or assembling Necromunda Barricades and Objectives for tactical cover, the quality of your terrain painting makes all the difference. That's why we consistently recommend Citadel paints for achieving professional, Games Workshop-quality results.
Why Citadel Paints Are the Gold Standard
Citadel paints aren't just another hobby paint range—they're specifically formulated for miniature and terrain painting. Games Workshop has spent decades perfecting these paints to work seamlessly with their plastic kits, ensuring optimal coverage, durability, and colour matching with official studio schemes.
Superior Formulation
Citadel paints feature exceptional pigment density, meaning better coverage with fewer coats. The consistency is perfectly balanced for miniature work—thick enough to avoid running into recesses, yet thin enough to preserve fine details on your scenics.
The Complete Paint System
Unlike generic craft paints, Citadel offers a complete painting ecosystem: Base paints for coverage, Layer paints for highlights, Shades for depth, Technical paints for special effects, Contrast paints for speed, and Dry paints for drybrushing. This systematic approach simplifies the painting process and guarantees consistent results.
Building Warhammer Scenics: Step-by-Step Guide
1. Assembly and Preparation
Begin by carefully assembling your terrain kit. Remove mould lines with a hobby knife or file—these imperfections become glaringly obvious once painted. For pieces like Necromunda Bulkhead Doors, dry-fit components before gluing to ensure proper alignment. Use plastic glue for permanent bonds on plastic kits, as it chemically welds the pieces together for superior strength.
2. Priming Your Scenics
Proper priming is non-negotiable. Citadel spray primers (Chaos Black, Corax White, or Mechanicus Standard Grey) provide the perfect foundation. Prime in thin, even coats from 20-30cm away, ensuring complete coverage. Grey primer offers the most versatility, working well under both dark and light colour schemes.
3. Base Coating
Apply Citadel Base paints as your foundation colours. These high-pigment paints provide excellent coverage, often requiring just one or two thin coats. For industrial terrain, colours like Mechanicus Standard Grey, Leadbelcher (metallic), or Mournfang Brown create authentic foundations. Thin your paints slightly with water or Lahmian Medium for smoother application.
4. Shading for Depth
Citadel Shades (formerly washes) are absolute game-changers for terrain. Apply Nuln Oil to metallics and greys, Agrax Earthshade to browns and bone, or Reikland Fleshshade to golds. These liquid talent paints flow into recesses, creating instant depth and shadow. For Necromunda Barricades and Objectives, generous shading brings out every rivet and panel line.
5. Layering and Highlighting
Citadel Layer paints like Ulthuan Grey are perfect for building up highlights. Apply progressively lighter colours to raised areas and edges, creating dimension and visual interest. For metallic surfaces, edge highlight with Stormhost Silver or Runefang Steel to simulate worn, reflective edges.
6. Special Effects with Technical Paints
This is where Citadel paints truly shine. Blood for the Blood God creates realistic gore effects perfect for grimdark battlefields. Nihilakh Oxide produces authentic verdigris on bronze and copper. Typhus Corrosion adds rust and grime. These specialist paints achieve effects impossible with standard acrylics.
7. Weathering and Battle Damage
Pristine scenics lack character. Use sponge weathering with dark browns and metallics to simulate chipped paint. Dry brush with lighter colours to highlight edges and create dust accumulation. Citadel Dry paints are specifically formulated for this technique, with a thicker consistency that prevents over-application.
Expanding Your Terrain Collection Beyond Warhammer
Whilst Warhammer scenics are exceptional, diversifying your terrain collection creates versatile battlefields suitable for multiple game systems. Our 28mm scatter terrain range complements Games Workshop kits perfectly whilst offering unique thematic options.
Universal Scatter Terrain
Our Assorted Terrain collection provides versatile scatter pieces that work across sci-fi, fantasy, and historical settings. These pieces integrate seamlessly with Warhammer scenics, adding variety without clashing aesthetically. Paint them using the same Citadel techniques for cohesive battlefields.
Desert and Arid Environments
The Desert Terrain collection excels for Warhammer 40,000 desert world campaigns, Age of Sigmar Ossiarch Bonereapers armies, or historical North Africa battles. Citadel's desert colour palette—Zandri Dust base, Agrax Earthshade wash, and Ushabti Bone highlights—creates authentic sun-bleached terrain. Add Martian Ironearth texture paint for cracked earth effects.
Gothic Horror and Undead Themes
For Warhammer Age of Sigmar Death armies, Warhammer Underworlds Nightvault warbands, or gothic horror skirmish games, our Undead Terrain #8 collection provides atmospheric scenery. Paint these pieces with Citadel's bone and stone colours—Rakarth Flesh base, Agrax Earthshade or Seraphim Sepia wash, then highlight with Pallid Wych Flesh. Add Nihilakh Oxide to bronze elements for aged patina, and Blood for the Blood God for fresh carnage.
Advanced Techniques for Stunning Results
Contrast Paints for Speed
Citadel Contrast paints like Ultramarine Blue revolutionise terrain painting. Applied over a light primer, they flow into recesses whilst leaving raised areas lighter, creating instant shading. Perfect for organic terrain elements like vines, flesh, or leather details. Use Skeleton Horde Contrast over white primer for instant bone effects on undead terrain.
Texture Paints for Bases
Citadel Texture paints (Stirland Mud, Astrogranite Debris, Martian Ironearth) create realistic ground textures. Apply generously to terrain bases, allow to dry, then drybrush with complementary colours for instant, professional-looking groundwork. Match your scatter terrain bases to your army bases for cohesive presentation.
Modular Painting Approach
For complex kits, paint components separately before final assembly. This ensures complete coverage in hard-to-reach areas and prevents frustrating touch-ups later. Particularly useful for multi-level structures or terrain with interior details.
Creating Narrative Battlefields
Mix terrain from different collections to tell stories. Combine Necromunda Bulkhead Doors with Desert Terrain for abandoned industrial outposts on arid worlds. Integrate Undead Terrain with Warhammer ruins for cursed battlefields where ancient evil seeps through Imperial structures. Citadel paints' consistent colour ranges ensure disparate terrain pieces harmonise visually.
Essential Citadel Paint Collection for Scenics
Build your terrain painting arsenal with these essentials:
- Base Paints: Mechanicus Standard Grey, Mournfang Brown, Leadbelcher, Abaddon Black, Zandri Dust, Rakarth Flesh
- Shades: Nuln Oil, Agrax Earthshade, Reikland Fleshshade, Seraphim Sepia
- Layer Paints: Ulthuan Grey, Runefang Steel, Ushabti Bone, Pallid Wych Flesh
- Technical Paints: Blood for the Blood God, Nihilakh Oxide, Typhus Corrosion, Martian Ironearth
- Contrast Paints: Ultramarine Blue, Skeleton Horde, Basilicanum Grey, Aggaros Dunes
- Texture Paints: Stirland Mud, Astrogranite Debris, Armageddon Dust
Painting Different Terrain Themes
Industrial/Necromunda Schemes
Base: Mechanicus Standard Grey or Leadbelcher. Shade: Nuln Oil. Highlight: Administratum Grey or Stormhost Silver. Weather with sponged Rhinox Hide and Leadbelcher for chipped paint. Add rust with Typhus Corrosion and orange drybrushing.
Desert/Arid Schemes
Base: Zandri Dust. Shade: Agrax Earthshade or Seraphim Sepia. Highlight: Ushabti Bone, then Screaming Skull. Texture bases with Armageddon Dust or Martian Ironearth. Drybrush with Terminatus Stone for sun-bleached stone.
Undead/Gothic Schemes
Stone: Rakarth Flesh base, Agrax Earthshade, Pallid Wych Flesh highlight. Bone: Skeleton Horde Contrast over white, or Ushabti Bone with Seraphim Sepia. Metals: Leadbelcher with Nihilakh Oxide for verdigris. Add gore with Blood for the Blood God.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't paint straight from the pot—always use a palette and thin your paints. Avoid thick coats that obscure detail; multiple thin layers always produce superior results. Never skip priming, as paint won't adhere properly to bare plastic. Don't over-wash terrain—whilst shades are brilliant, too much creates muddy, indistinct surfaces. Finally, seal your finished scenics with Citadel varnish (Munitorum Varnish for matt finish) to protect your hard work from gaming wear.
Building a Cohesive Terrain Collection
Start with core Warhammer scenics for your primary game system, then expand with complementary scatter terrain like our Assorted Terrain, Desert Terrain, and themed collections. Paint everything using consistent Citadel colour schemes—even terrain from different manufacturers will look cohesive when painted with the same palette and techniques.
Why Citadel Over Alternatives?
Whilst other paint ranges exist, Citadel paints offer unmatched convenience for Warhammer hobbyists. Colours are designed to match official studio schemes, making it easy to replicate box art. The paint range is comprehensive, eliminating the need to mix custom colours. Most importantly, Citadel paints are formulated specifically for Games Workshop plastics, ensuring optimal adhesion and durability. The investment in quality paints pays dividends in superior results and painting enjoyment.
Final Thoughts
Building exceptional Warhammer scenics requires patience, technique, and quality materials. Citadel paints provide the professional-grade tools needed to transform plastic kits into stunning tabletop centrepieces. Whether you're painting industrial Necromunda terrain, integrating Desert Terrain for arid battlefields, or creating gothic horror landscapes with Undead Terrain, the Citadel paint system offers everything needed for spectacular results. Combine official Warhammer scenics with our versatile 28mm terrain collections, paint them all with Citadel's superior paints, and watch your battlefields come alive with detail and atmosphere that elevates every game.
