20% off RRPAdeptus Custodes · 14 models · 4 kits
£121.20 of contents → £87.20 (save approx £34.00)
How to Paint Adeptus Custodes
Rich gold armour, done with metallics or NMM
Prices in £ for the UK
Before you commit
How hard to paint
17of 116 easiest
One of the easiest
Model size5 out of 5Detail density2 out of 5Technique demanded4 out of 5
Compare all 116 factions →
What it costs to start
£94.50
£0.13 per point
Combat Patrol: Adeptus Custodes, cheapest shop we track
Compare armies by value →
Painting ratings are our judgement, with the reasoning on the comparison page; prices are live and dated.
Start Adeptus Custodes — boxes & paint sets
The boxes we can price for this faction, cheapest first, and the paint sets that cover most of the recipe below.
20% off RRPCovers 9 of 12 colours in this scheme
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Mega Paint Set
50 paints
£136.00
£160.15-15%
+38
· compare 4 shops· priced 1 OctCovers 7 of 12 colours in this scheme
Covers 6 of 12 colours in this scheme
Covers 6 of 12 colours in this scheme
Covers 6 of 12 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Color - American Colonial Set
16 paints
£38.39
£47.99-20%
+4
· compare 3 shops· priced 3 JulCovers 6 of 12 colours in this scheme
Recommended recipe
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Base coat
Shade
Layer
Highlight
Edge highlight
- Base coatTallarn SandCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951332View paint
- ShadeGolden ArmourArmy Painter · Speedpaint Set 2.0 WP2069PView paint
- LayerPeanut ButterScale75 · Fantasy & Games RangeView paint
- HighlightAverland SunsetCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950265View paint
- Edge highlightInner LightArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3102PView paint
Additional details
Trim
Weapons
Leather
Skin
Lenses
Basing
Red plume & cloth
- TrimBright GoldArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinBestigor FleshCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243View paint
- LensesCaledor SkyCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950273View paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- Red plume & clothGemstone RedArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3198View paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
Tallarn Sand
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951332
★ Our pick for base coat
Very Close
Military Yellow
Vallejo · Model Color 70.764
Close
Close
CloseDiscontinued
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
★ Our pick for shade
Very Close
Close
Snakebite Leather
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960113
from£4.16· compare 5 shops· priced 25 Sep
Similar
Similar
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
★ Our pick for layer
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Averland Sunset
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950265
★ Our pick for highlight
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Close
Close
Close
Details & accent colours
Everything else on the model - metals, skin, leather, lenses, basing and this faction's signature accents.
Metal — trim
Aquilas, rims and ornament. Basecoat gold, wash with a brown shade, then edge a brighter gold.
Bright Gold
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Close
Metal — weapons
Bolters, blades and casings. Dark gunmetal, washed black, edged with bright steel.
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
Close
Adepticon Magnesium
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S42
£4.29at Loaded Dice· priced 13 Sep
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Exact Match
Very Close
Flameon Dark Green Brown
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S25
£4.29at Loaded Dice· priced 13 Sep
CloseDiscontinued
Skin & flesh
Faces and hands. Basecoat, a flesh wash into the recesses, then build the highlights back up.
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
★ Our pick for skin & flesh
Very Close
Barbarian Flesh
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Very Close
Very Close
CloseDiscontinued
Eyes & lenses
Lenses, eyes and energy. A bright spot colour that pops against the armour - dot it on and add a white glint.
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Very Close
Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S35
from£4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 25 Sep
Close
Close
Close
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
Red plume & cloth
Crests and tabards - deep red shaded black, highlighted orange-red.
★ Our pick for red plume & cloth
Very Close
Transparent Red
Monument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA047
from£4.19· compare 2 shops· priced 25 Sep
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Buy It as a Box
Paint sets that cover this recipe - a set is usually cheaper than buying pots one by one.
Covers 9 of 12 paints in this scheme (75%) — base coat, shade, highlight, edge highlight and more.
Or cover 92% of the recipe with 2 boxes (£216.05 total):
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
12 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
12 paintsfree UK delivery over £20
- not stocked: Tallarn Sand, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
free UK delivery over £75, £3.99 below that
- not stocked: Peanut Butter, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform
£4.99 UK delivery, 1-2 working days, free over £65
- not stocked: Golden Armour, Peanut Butter, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
postage per seller
- not stocked: Averland Sunset, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Caledor Sky
- not stocked: Tallarn Sand, Golden Armour, Peanut Butter, Averland Sunset, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Caledor Sky
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Golden Armour, Peanut Butter, Inner Light, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform, Gemstone Red
- not stocked: Golden Armour, Peanut Butter, Inner Light, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, English Uniform, Gemstone Red
free UK delivery over £75, from £2.66 below that
- not stocked: Tallarn Sand, Golden Armour, Peanut Butter, Averland Sunset, Inner Light, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Caledor Sky, Gemstone Red
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Tallarn Sand
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's MiniaturesGolden Armour
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctPeanut Butter
Scale75
at Wayland Games· priced 25 SepAverland Sunset
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's MiniaturesInner Light
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctBright Gold
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter
No price tracked yetBeasty Brown
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepBestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctCaledor Sky
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctEnglish Uniform
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepGemstone Red
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 Oct
Recommended Box Set
Combat Patrol: Adeptus Custodes Affiliate links — how we make money What's inside this box
The fastest way to start a Adeptus Custodes army — a boxed force to paint with this scheme.
£121.20 of contents → £87.20 (save approx £34.00)
Best price
£94.50Model Workshop · eBay
priced 5 Jul · postage per seller
excl. delivery
Want the codex too? At Loaded Dice (UK):save £23.01 vs RRP
Shopping from the US?save $25.50 vs RRP(out of stock)
Every Adeptus Custodes kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
Custodes are a small, elite army where every model is a centrepiece, so it is worth slowing down and getting the gold to look genuinely rich. The low model count means you can spend the time that a horde army never allows.
The signature look
Almost entirely gold armour with red and black detailing, blue or red plumes, and ornate trim. The gold has to carry the model, so depth - dark recesses up to bright highlights - is everything.
Painting the gold
Two approaches:
- Metallic gold (easier). Basecoat a rich gold, shade heavily with a brown/sepia wash plus targeted dark recesses, then highlight edges with brighter gold and a final silver touch on the sharpest points. The contrast between deep brown recesses and bright edges is what sells it.
- Non-metallic metal, NMM (advanced). Paint the "metal" with browns, yellows and creams to fake reflections. Stunning but time-consuming - save it for characters.
Accents
Red and black panels, gilded laurels, and coloured plumes break up the gold. Keep them clean and deliberate - on such a rich base, sloppy accents stand out.
Tips and common mistakes
- Shade gold deeply. Flat gold looks like brass; deep recesses make it look like gold.
- Take your time. With so few models, each one deserves character-level effort.
- Vary the metallics. A slightly different gold on trim vs plates adds richness.
Recipes are generated by perceptual colour matching against our cross-brand paint database. Use them as a strong starting point and test paints in person when precision matters.