Painting

Cadian olive armoured company

Deep military olive panels sit above dark track wells and steel weapons. Local seam shadows, quieter lower surfaces and a narrow dust band preserve the heavy vehicle's clean plate structure.

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Colours on the model

Letters identify paints. The same letter can appear in several places.

Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 5

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Set up the Valdor hull
Check the barrel for a seam, brush dust from the tracks and wash the printed hull before painting. Once dry, lay down Black Surface Primer from low and high angles, keeping the spray moving past the muzzle and the fine track teeth.
Expected result
The hull is uniformly black beneath the gun and between the tracks, with the barrel opening still crisp.
Points to watch
Do not build a rough primer ridge along the cannon or bridge the spaces between track links.

Read the complete guide · 5

1. Prepare the model

Set up the Valdor hull
Where to paint: Whole model
Blackvallejo · 70.602
Check the barrel for a seam, brush dust from the tracks and wash the printed hull before painting. Once dry, lay down Black Surface Primer from low and high angles, keeping the spray moving past the muzzle and the fine track teeth.
Expected result
The hull is uniformly black beneath the gun and between the tracks, with the barrel opening still crisp.
Points to watch
Do not build a rough primer ridge along the cannon or bridge the spaces between track links.

2. Apply the base colours

Base coat
Where to paint: Olive hull, casemate and upper armour
Death Guard Greencitadel · 21-37
Apply Death Guard Green panel by panel, carrying the brush to each rivet without filling the seams between plates.
Expected result
All armour is evenly olive, including narrow side walls, while rivets and panel lines remain sharp.
Points to watch
Keep the green off tracks, barrels, hoses and any surface reserved for bare steel.
Base coat
Where to paint: Tracks, main gun, exhausts and running gear
Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25
Push Abaddon Black into the track gaps, hoses and weapon bores with a pointed brush, checking the hidden lower run before moving on.
Expected result
All deep mechanics read as continuous black and no olive primer remains between track links or inside a muzzle.
Points to watch
Do not spread black over the armour plates or erase the metal surfaces reserved for Leadbelcher.
Base coat
Where to paint: Tracks, main gun, exhausts and running gear
Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28
Paint Leadbelcher along each complete metal component, following barrels lengthwise and turning the model to reach track teeth and pipe undersides.
Expected result
The exposed metal is opaque from every visible angle, with black still present in bores, gaps and deepest joints.
Points to watch
Do not leave olive patches on the track edges or bridge metal paint across hose corrugations.
Base coat
Where to paint: Lower hull, track teeth, muzzle and exhaust outlets
XV-88citadel · 21-21
Stipple XV-88 in a thin broken band along the lower hull and contact surfaces, increasing it behind tracks and beneath overhangs.
Expected result
Dust forms a restrained directional band that is strongest low down and never hides the armour colour.
Points to watch
Do not sponge random brown spots over the roof, upper hatches or untouched rear surfaces.

3. Build the shadows

Shade
Where to paint: Olive hull, casemate and upper armour
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Run Agrax Earthshade through each seam and around clusters of rivets, then wipe the damp excess from the centre of flat panels.
Expected result
The armour is divided by narrow warm shadows with no brown pools on the open hull faces.
Points to watch
Do not turn the recess shade into an all-over filter or leave rings around large rivets.
Shade
Where to paint: Tracks, main gun, exhausts and running gear
Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14
Place Nuln Oil into the metal joins and pull it away from the broad barrel and track faces before it dries.
Expected result
Each mechanical part is separated by a clean dark joint, with no glossy pools on the visible steel.
Points to watch
Do not wash the full barrel or let shade collect along the bottom edge of horizontal pipes.
Shade
Where to paint: Lower hull, track teeth, muzzle and exhaust outlets
Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15
Glaze Agrax Earthshade into the deepest weathering, feathering each stain upward so it fades before reaching the middle of the panel.
Expected result
The lower grime has depth and a soft upward fade, with no hard brown tide lines on the armour.
Points to watch
Do not pool shade in every rivet or make exhaust soot and ground dust identical in colour and placement.

4. Build the highlights

Highlight
Where to paint: Olive hull, casemate and upper armour
Elysian Greencitadel · 22-30
Layer Elysian Green toward the upper edge of each panel, widening it on rounded forms and leaving Death Guard Green across the lower half.
Expected result
Every large volume turns visibly from olive shadow to a lighter upper plane without losing the midtone.
Points to watch
Do not brighten the undersides or make every panel equally pale.
Edge highlight
Where to paint: Olive hull, casemate and upper armour
Ogryn Camocitadel · 22-31
Draw Ogryn Camo in short broken lines along selected upper edges, concentrating the sharpest marks around the front silhouette.
Expected result
The vehicle has crisp scale-appropriate edge light at its front and top, while rear and lower edges stay subdued.
Points to watch
Do not outline every armour panel or draw uninterrupted pale lines around the hull.
Final point highlight
Where to paint: Tracks, main gun, exhausts and running gear
Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75
Touch Stormhost Silver onto the worn metal peaks, using short directional marks on track teeth and one clean arc on each muzzle lip.
Expected result
The steel catches sparse bright wear at contact points while most mechanics remain dark and heavy.
Points to watch
Do not outline whole tracks or turn exhausts and barrels into bright chrome.
Final point highlight
Where to paint: Lower hull, track teeth, muzzle and exhaust outlets
Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75
Add Stormhost Silver in tiny irregular marks where metal would actually scrape, placing the brightest points inside the darker XV-88 and Agrax wear.
Expected result
A few fresh steel chips sit inside older dirt, making the wear layered and physically plausible.
Points to watch
Do not scatter silver over flat armour or add equal chips to protected rear and upper panels.

5. Paint the details

Base coat
Where to paint: Hatch handles, raised trim and markings
Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16
Block these small details with Zandri Dust using the side of the brush, following the sculpted shape rather than inventing a new emblem.
Expected result
The chosen details are solid khaki with a crisp olive border around every raised shape.
Points to watch
Do not freehand numbers, stripes or insignia that are not present in the sculpt.
Base coat
Where to paint: Hatch handles, raised trim and markings
XV-88citadel · 21-21
Place XV-88 along the lower edge and into the deepest cut of each marking, keeping the upper Zandri Dust face visible.
Expected result
Each small detail now has a readable dark lower edge instead of appearing as a flat beige spot.
Points to watch
Do not cover the full marking with XV-88 or spread brown shadow onto the olive panel.
Highlight
Where to paint: Hatch handles, raised trim and markings
Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32
Add Ushabti Bone as a narrow upper line and a single corner accent, leaving both Zandri Dust and XV-88 visible beneath it.
Expected result
The khaki details read cleanly at scale with a three-step light transition and no invented decoration.
Points to watch
Do not outline every side in bone colour or make the markings brighter than the main gun and hull focal edges.

All paints and materials (12)

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Agrax Earthshadecitadel · 24-15

Death Guard Greencitadel · 21-37

Elysian Greencitadel · 22-30

Ogryn Camocitadel · 22-31

Abaddon Blackcitadel · 21-25

Leadbelchercitadel · 21-28

Nuln Oilcitadel · 24-14

Stormhost Silvercitadel · 22-75

Ushabti Bonecitadel · 22-32

XV-88citadel · 21-21

Zandri Dustcitadel · 21-16

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Painting stages

All stages

Stage 1 of 5

Prepare the model

Where to paintWhole model

For this stage

Blackvallejo · 70.602

Detailed instructions · 1

Set up the Valdor hull
Check the barrel for a seam, brush dust from the tracks and wash the printed hull before painting. Once dry, lay down Black Surface Primer from low and high angles, keeping the spray moving past the muzzle and the fine track teeth.
Expected result
The hull is uniformly black beneath the gun and between the tracks, with the barrel opening still crisp.
Points to watch
Do not build a rough primer ridge along the cannon or bridge the spaces between track links.

Cadian olive armoured company

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Set up the Valdor hull

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Set up the Valdor hull

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

3. Build the shadows

Shade

Expected result

Points to watch

Shade

Expected result

Points to watch

Shade

Expected result

Points to watch

4. Build the highlights

Highlight

Expected result

Points to watch

Edge highlight

Expected result

Points to watch

Final point highlight

Expected result

Points to watch

Final point highlight

Expected result

Points to watch

5. Paint the details

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Highlight

Expected result

Points to watch

Comments …

Cadian olive armoured company

Colours on the model

Painting stages

Prepare the model

For this stage

Set up the Valdor hull

Expected result

Points to watch

1. Prepare the model

Set up the Valdor hull

Expected result

Points to watch

2. Apply the base colours

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result

Points to watch

Base coat

Expected result