Do You Need Citadel Paints for Warhammer? Miniature Paint Alternatives Explained

Open a Warhammer painting tutorial and you will probably hear a long list of paint names: a Base paint, a Shade, two Layers, perhaps Contrast or Technical paint, and a Citadel spray underneath everything.

That can leave a new painter with an obvious question: Do you actually have to use Citadel paints to paint Warhammer miniatures?

No.

Warhammer miniatures do not require one particular paint brand. Citadel Colour — renamed Warhammer Colour in 2026 — is Games Workshop's own paint system, so it naturally appears throughout official tutorials. But other miniature and model-painting products can be used for base coats, layering, highlights, metallic details, priming, weathering and finishing.

The important part is understanding what the paint is supposed to do, rather than trying to make every bottle on your desk carry the same brand name.

This guide explains how to use alternative miniature paints, how products such as AK Interactive 3GEN acrylics and Playmarkers fit into a Warhammer painting workflow, how to translate Citadel painting recipes, and which products require a little more care when substituting.

Do You Have to Use Citadel Paints for Warhammer?

No. You can paint Warhammer miniatures with other hobby paints.

A miniature does not know whether the paint on it came from Games Workshop, AK Interactive, Vallejo, Army Painter, Mr. Hobby or another manufacturer.

What matters is choosing a product that behaves appropriately for the job.

For example:

• An opaque hobby acrylic can provide a base color.
• A thinner acrylic can build highlights and layers.
• A wash can settle into recesses and create shadows.
• A metallic paint can color weapons, armor trim and machinery.
• A primer can prepare the surface before painting.
• A varnish can establish the final sheen and provide a finishing layer.

You can even use several brands on the same miniature. There is no requirement that the primer, base colors, washes, metallics and varnish all come from one company.

What Happened to Citadel Colour in 2026?

If you have recently noticed the name Warhammer Colour appearing where Citadel Colour used to be, Games Workshop changed the branding in March 2026.

The paint itself did not suddenly become a new formula. Games Workshop stated that Warhammer Colour is the same paint system previously sold under the Citadel Colour name.

The familiar categories remain:

• Base
• Layer
• Shade
• Contrast
• Technical

That means older tutorials referring to Citadel paints are not obsolete simply because the branding changed.

You will also continue to see hobbyists use the word Citadel because decades of tutorials, color recipes and painting discussions were created under that name.

What Kind of Paint Can You Use on Warhammer Miniatures?

For most conventional miniature painting, hobby acrylic paint is the easiest alternative.

Miniature and model acrylics are formulated around the small surfaces and fine details found on figures. They are available in colors ranging from ordinary black, white and red to skin tones, military colors, metallics and highly specific fantasy shades.

Water-based acrylic systems are especially popular because they can generally be thinned, layered and cleaned up without the stronger solvents associated with lacquer or enamel paint systems.

Happibee's Model Paints & Supplies section includes hobby acrylics, paint markers and related supplies from brands including AK Interactive and Mr. Hobby.

Can You Use AK Interactive Paints on Warhammer Miniatures?

Yes. AK Interactive makes paint specifically for modeling, figures, tabletop miniatures and wargaming.

One particularly useful option is AK Interactive 3GEN Acrylic Model Paint.

AK's 3GEN range is a water-based acrylic modeling system with strong pigmentation and a generally matte finish. It is designed for brush painting and can also be diluted appropriately for airbrush use.

That makes it suitable for many of the same basic jobs a Warhammer painter would normally perform with Citadel Base and Layer paints:

• Base coating armor
• Painting cloth and leather
• Skin tones
• Weapons
• Highlighting raised areas
• Layering progressively lighter colors
• Painting terrain and bases

The color names will obviously be different. That does not prevent the paint from working.

Citadel Base Paint vs Other Acrylic Paint

Base is a role in the Games Workshop paint system rather than a requirement that your first color coat carry the word "Base" on the bottle.

A Citadel Base paint is intended to provide useful opacity for establishing the main colors of a miniature.

With another brand, choose an appropriately opaque hobby acrylic in the color you need and build thin coats until you have the coverage you want.

For example, if a tutorial tells you to apply a dark green Citadel Base paint, you do not necessarily need that exact branded paint unless matching that exact shade is important to you.

You need:

a suitable dark green miniature paint that creates the base color you want.

Citadel Layer Paint vs Other Acrylic Paint

Layer paints are generally used after the main base color to refine areas, restore midtones and create highlights.

Other hobby acrylics work perfectly well for the same painting method.

You might paint a miniature using:

1. A dark green as the base.
2. A medium green over the raised areas.
3. A lighter green along the edges.
4. A very pale green for a few final highlights.

The four paints do not have to come from a product line literally labeled Base, Layer, Layer and Layer.

What matters is their relationship to one another.

Can You Mix Citadel and AK Interactive Paints on the Same Miniature?

Yes.

You do not have to finish using one brand before another brand is allowed onto the model.

For normal water-based miniature acrylics, painters routinely combine brands to get the colors and working properties they prefer.

You could, for example:

• Prime the miniature with one brand.
• Base coat it with AK 3GEN.
• Use an existing Citadel Shade.
• Paint a metallic detail with an AK Playmarker.
• Add highlights with another hobby acrylic.
• Finish the miniature with a separate varnish.

The bigger compatibility questions appear when you begin combining different paint chemistries such as acrylics, lacquers and enamels rather than merely changing brand names.

If you want to understand those differences, see our Acrylic vs Lacquer vs Enamel Model Paint Guide.

Can You Use Paint Markers on Warhammer Miniatures?

Yes — especially when the marker itself was designed for miniature painting.

AK Interactive Playmarkers are acrylic paint markers with flexible brush-style tips. AK specifically developed them for miniatures, tabletop figures and wargaming.

That makes them very different from grabbing an ordinary office marker and drawing on a miniature.

The paint inside is an acrylic hobby formulation designed to adhere to surfaces including plastic, resin, metal and wood.

What Are Paint Markers Good for on Warhammer Miniatures?

Paint markers can be particularly convenient for:

• Armor panels
• Weapons
• Metallic trim
• Buckles
• Icons
• Mechanical details
• Leather equipment
• Small accessories
• Touch-ups
• Adding color to terrain pieces

They can also be used more broadly. AK describes Playmarkers as capable of detailing small pieces or painting entire miniatures.

That does not mean a marker must replace your brush collection. Brushes still offer advantages for techniques such as very controlled glazing, wet blending and reaching certain awkward recesses.

A marker is simply another way to put hobby paint onto the model.

Can You Paint Metallic Warhammer Details With a Paint Marker?

Metallic details are one of the easiest places to understand the appeal.

Weapons, armor trim, jewelry, machinery and decorative fittings often occupy relatively small defined areas. A metallic brush-tip marker lets you apply paint directly without opening a bottle and loading a separate brush.

AK's Playmarker range includes metallic colors such as Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Brass and Gun Metal.

That makes the system useful for details that appear constantly across fantasy and science-fiction miniatures.

For a more detailed look at marker technique, our How to Paint Miniatures With Paint Markers guide covers preparation, layering and application.

We also compare AK's two marker systems in AK Playmarkers vs Real Colors Markers.

Do Paint Markers Replace Brushes?

Not necessarily.

A marker can replace a brush for some jobs and work alongside one for others.

A useful hybrid workflow might look like this:

• Use bottled acrylic for the major armor color.
• Use a brush for facial details and shading.
• Use a metallic Playmarker for gold trim.
• Use another acrylic for edge highlights.
• Use a wash for recessed shadows.

There is no prize for using the fewest tools. Use whatever method gives you control over the miniature.

Do You Need Citadel Primer for Warhammer?

No. The primer does not have to come from Games Workshop either.

The purpose of primer is to prepare the surface for the painting stages that follow. A suitable model or miniature primer can create a consistent base and help subsequent paint adhere predictably.

One alternative for model builders is Mr. Hobby Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500.

Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 is an extremely fine lacquer-based model surfacer, so it is a different chemistry from a water-based acrylic paint. Follow the manufacturer's ventilation and application instructions.

Its fine surface is useful when retaining small molded details is important.

If you want to understand how the Mr. Surfacer grades differ, see our Mr. Surfacer 500 vs 1000 vs 1200 vs 1500 Guide.

Does Primer Color Matter for Warhammer Miniatures?

Yes, because the undercoat can influence how easily subsequent colors cover and how bright the overall scheme appears.

As a basic starting point:

• White or light primer: useful under bright colors and many transparent or marker-based workflows.
• Gray primer: flexible middle ground for general painting.
• Black primer: useful for dark schemes, metallic-heavy miniatures and areas where deep recesses are intentionally left dark.

AK specifically recommends white or bone-colored primer when trying to get the strongest result from Playmarkers.

You do not need to treat these as rigid rules. The undercoat is another creative choice.

Do You Need Citadel Shade Paints?

No, but this is where substituting based only on color becomes less reliable.

A Shade paint is designed to behave differently from an ordinary opaque acrylic. It flows into recesses and creates depth around sculpted detail.

If a Warhammer tutorial says:

"Apply a Shade over the armor,"

the important concept is not simply finding another bottle that looks like the same brown or black in the container.

You need a product with the appropriate wash-like behavior.

Other miniature-paint manufacturers make washes, shades and similar products, and experienced modelers can also use additional weathering systems depending on the desired result.

What About Citadel Contrast Paint?

Contrast paint deserves the same functional approach.

Contrast is not merely thin ordinary paint. It is intended to produce stronger color across raised surfaces while accumulating more heavily in recesses, allowing a base color and shading effect to develop in one stage over an appropriate light undercoat.

If a tutorial is built around Contrast paint, replacing it with a conventional opaque acrylic of approximately the same color will not automatically reproduce the same result.

You have two choices:

• Use another contrast-style or highly transparent shading system designed for similar behavior.
• Translate the tutorial into a traditional base coat, shade and highlight workflow.

This is why understanding the purpose of a product is more useful than simply matching its color.

What About Citadel Technical Paint?

Technical paints are even more product-specific.

The category includes products intended to create effects rather than simply establish a normal color. Depending on the product, that can include textures, blood effects, corrosion, glowing details or basing effects.

The correct substitute is therefore based on the effect.

If a tutorial uses a Technical paint to create earth texture, look for another terrain texture product.

If it creates rust, find an appropriate rust effect.

If it creates water, use a compatible water effect.

Happibee's Effects & Textures section includes AK Interactive products for terrain, weathering and diorama work that can also be useful when finishing wargaming miniatures and bases.

Can You Use Scale-Model Weathering Products on Warhammer?

Yes, with the understanding that some scale-model weathering products use different chemistry from ordinary water-based miniature paint.

The techniques themselves transfer extremely well.

Warhammer vehicles, machines, armor and bases can all benefit from effects such as:

• Rust
• Dust
• Mud
• Oil and fuel stains
• Streaking
• Chipping
• Soot
• Grime
• Pigments

This is one area where looking outside the traditional miniature-paint ecosystem can dramatically expand the finish you can achieve.

Enamel effects and their associated thinners require a different workflow from water-based acrylic paint, however. Make sure the underlying layers are properly cured and understand the chemistry before introducing stronger solvents.

Do You Need Citadel Varnish?

No.

A final varnish can come from another modeling brand as long as the product is compatible with the painting system underneath and produces the finish you want.

AK Interactive's Ultra Matte Varnish, for example, is an acrylic varnish designed to create a very flat final surface and can be applied by brush or airbrush.

Matte varnish is useful when you want armor, clothing, terrain or skin to lose unwanted shine.

That does not mean every part of every miniature should be dead matte. Metallic armor, wet effects, lenses, slime and polished surfaces may benefit from a satin or gloss finish instead.

Think of varnish sheen as another painting choice rather than a mandatory final setting.

How Do You Follow a Citadel Painting Tutorial Using Another Brand?

This is the skill that makes brand switching much easier.

Instead of memorizing every Games Workshop paint name, translate the tutorial into paint roles and color relationships.

Example

Imagine a tutorial tells you to:

1. Apply a dark blue Base.
2. Wash it with a dark Shade.
3. Restore the blue with a Layer paint.
4. Highlight with a lighter blue Layer.
5. Add a very pale blue edge highlight.

You do not necessarily need five exact Citadel bottles.

Translate it as:

1. Dark opaque blue.
2. Dark blue or black wash.
3. Medium blue.
4. Light blue.
5. Very pale blue highlight.

Now you can recreate the painting logic using colors from another miniature-paint range.

Do You Need Exact Citadel Color Matches?

Only if exact color matching matters to your particular project.

If you are trying to make a new squad look exactly like miniatures you painted three years ago, matching the original color becomes important.

If you are starting a completely new army, there is no requirement that your blue be the exact blue used on the box.

Choose the color scheme you prefer.

This is especially important for beginners. It is easy to spend more time worrying about finding a perfect branded equivalent than actually painting.

Are Citadel Conversion Charts Useful?

Yes, as a starting point.

AK Interactive itself provides downloadable equivalence and conversion resources, including charts involving Citadel colors.

But treat any conversion chart as an approximation tool rather than a guarantee of visual identity.

Two paints listed as equivalents can still differ in:

• Hue
• Saturation
• Brightness
• Opacity
• Finish
• Drying behavior

The primer underneath, number of coats, lighting and neighboring colors can also change how the finished paint appears.

If an exact match matters, test the replacement before committing to an entire army.

Can You Use Craft Acrylic Paint on Warhammer Miniatures?

Technically, many acrylic paints can adhere to a properly prepared miniature, but that does not mean every acrylic is equally pleasant to use at miniature scale.

Hobby paints are formulated around model and miniature work, where tiny details and thin controlled layers matter.

General craft acrylics can vary considerably in pigment density, consistency, finish and how well they thin while retaining coverage.

If you already own craft paint, it can be useful for things such as large terrain pieces and bases. For small figures where preserving detail and controlling layers matters, purpose-made hobby paint is generally the easier starting point.

Can You Use Model Paint on Warhammer Terrain?

Absolutely.

Terrain is one of the easiest places to combine miniature and scale-model products.

You can use:

• Acrylic paint for base colors
• Paint markers for small details
• Drybrushing for raised stone and rubble
• Washes for recesses
• Pigments for dust
• Texture products for soil and mud
• Water effects for pools and streams
• Matte varnish to finish the piece

The larger surfaces of terrain also make it a useful place to experiment with unfamiliar materials before using them on an important miniature.

Can You Paint Warhammer Without an Airbrush?

Yes.

An airbrush can speed up priming, base coating and smooth gradients, but it is not required to paint Warhammer miniatures.

A basic setup can be as simple as:

• Primer
• A few acrylic colors
• Brushes
• A wash or shading product
• A metallic color
• Optional varnish

Paint markers can provide another low-setup option for selected colors and details.

You can add an airbrush later if your painting style eventually benefits from one.

Can You Paint Warhammer Without Traditional Bottled Paint?

It is possible to do much more with paint markers than many miniature painters expect.

AK specifically says Playmarkers can be used both for small details and for painting entire miniatures.

For a beginner who dislikes the setup involved with palettes, thinning and brush cleaning, markers can therefore provide an accessible entry point.

But an all-marker workflow is an option, not a requirement.

For most painters, combining markers with bottled acrylics gives more flexibility than forcing everything into one system.

What Paints Does a Beginner Actually Need?

You do not need to buy an enormous paint collection before painting your first miniature.

Start with the colors your project actually requires.

A simple fantasy or science-fiction miniature might need:

• One main armor or clothing color
• Black
• White or off-white
• A skin tone if appropriate
• A metallic such as silver, gun metal or gold
• Brown for leather or equipment
• A wash or shading option
• One or two lighter colors for highlights

You can expand when a new project creates a reason to.

Buying 100 paints does not automatically make the first ten easier to use.

Should You Buy Citadel Paint or an Alternative?

There is nothing wrong with using Citadel or Warhammer Colour paints.

They have an enormous catalog of tutorials built around them, and following an official recipe is straightforward when the paint names on your desk match the names in the video.

Alternatives become particularly attractive when you:

• Already own another hobby-paint range
• Prefer dropper bottles
• Want different colors or finishes
• Want paint markers for certain details
• Use an airbrush
• Build scale models as well as miniatures
• Want access to specialized weathering products
• Simply prefer how another paint behaves

You do not need to choose a team.

A mixed workbench is completely normal.

A Practical Alternative Warhammer Painting Workflow

Here is one example of how a miniature could be completed without relying entirely on the Games Workshop paint ecosystem:

1. Prime the miniature with a suitable hobby primer.
2. Base coat major areas using AK 3GEN or another miniature acrylic.
3. Shade recesses using an appropriate wash.
4. Restore the midtone with the original base color.
5. Add highlights using progressively lighter acrylic colors.
6. Paint metallic details with bottled metallic paint or a Playmarker.
7. Add weathering if the model calls for rust, dirt, dust or grime.
8. Finish the base with paint and texture products.
9. Apply a compatible varnish if desired.

The workflow is essentially the same painting logic found in countless Warhammer tutorials.

Only the labels on the bottles have changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Warhammer miniatures require Citadel paint?

No. Warhammer miniatures can be painted with other suitable model and miniature paints. Citadel, now branded Warhammer Colour, is Games Workshop's own system rather than a technical requirement for the miniature.

Is Citadel Colour now called Warhammer Colour?

Yes. Games Workshop announced the Warhammer Colour name in March 2026. Games Workshop stated that the paints themselves remain the same, including Base, Layer, Shade, Technical and Contrast products.

Can I use AK Interactive paint for Warhammer?

Yes. AK Interactive produces acrylic paints specifically for models, figures, tabletop miniatures and wargaming. AK 3GEN acrylics can be used for conventional miniature-painting techniques such as base coats, layering and highlighting.

Can I use AK Playmarkers on Warhammer miniatures?

Yes. Playmarkers are acrylic brush-tip hobby markers designed for miniature and tabletop painting. They can be used for details, small areas and broader painting depending on the technique.

Can you mix Citadel and AK paint?

Yes. Painters can use different brands within the same project. When working with normal water-based hobby acrylics, brand differences are generally much less important than paint behavior, color and technique.

Do I need Citadel primer for Warhammer?

No. Use an appropriate hobby or model primer that suits the miniature material and your painting system. Follow the instructions and ventilation requirements of the specific primer you choose.

Do I need Citadel washes?

No, but replace a Shade with another product that performs the same job rather than simply choosing an ordinary opaque paint of a similar color.

Can I replace Contrast paint with regular acrylic?

Not directly if you expect the same one-step behavior. Contrast paints are formulated to create transparent color and stronger accumulation in recessed areas. With ordinary acrylics, you can recreate a similar overall color scheme through separate base, shade and highlight stages.

Can I use different paint brands across one Warhammer army?

Yes. The main challenge is maintaining consistent colors between models. Keep a record of the paints and mixes you use if you want future units to match an existing army.

Do paint conversion charts give exact matches?

Not necessarily. They are useful starting points, but equivalent paints from different manufacturers can differ in color, opacity and finish. Test replacements when exact matching matters.

Can I use normal acrylic paint on Warhammer?

Purpose-made model and miniature acrylics are generally easier to control at miniature scale. General craft acrylics can work for some jobs, particularly terrain, but may behave differently when thinned or applied over very fine detail.

Can you paint Warhammer without an airbrush?

Yes. Brushes, acrylic paints, washes and optional paint markers are enough to paint complete miniatures. An airbrush is useful but not required.

The Paint Brand Is a Tool, Not a Rule

Games Workshop's paint system is convenient because its tutorials can tell you exactly which named paint to pick up next. But that convenience should not be confused with a requirement.

A Warhammer miniature needs appropriate paint and good technique, not a particular logo on every bottle.

AK 3GEN acrylics can handle conventional base coats, layering and highlights. Playmarkers provide another way to add acrylic color and metallic details. Other hobby primers can prepare the miniature. Other washes can shade it. Other weathering products can dirty it. Other varnishes can finish it.

Once you start translating painting recipes into base color, shadow, midtone, highlight, metallic, effect and finish, following tutorials from almost any paint brand becomes much easier.

Browse Happibee's Model Paints & Supplies for AK Interactive Playmarkers, AK 3GEN acrylics, Mr. Hobby paints and other hobby supplies, explore Preparation & Finishing for primers, thinners and varnishes, or visit Effects & Textures for weathering and terrain materials.

Warhammer, Warhammer Colour and Citadel are trademarks of Games Workshop Group PLC. Happibee is not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop. Brand names are used here solely to explain compatible hobby-painting workflows and product categories.