20% off RRPAstra Militarum · 25 models · 3 kits
£123.20 of contents → £87.20 (save approx £36.00)
How to Paint Astra Militarum
Practical military green, batch-painted for a whole regiment
Prices in £ for the UK
Before you commit
How hard to paint
77of 116 easiest
About average
Model size1 out of 5Detail density2 out of 5Technique demanded4 out of 5
Compare all 116 factions →
What it costs to start
£87.20
£0.31 per point
Combat Patrol: Astra Militarum, 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 Astra Militarum (Cadian) — 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 RRP
20% off RRPAstra Militarum · 19 models · 6 kits
£195.30 of contents → £132.00 (save approx £63.30)
Covers 8 of 12 colours in this scheme
Covers 8 of 12 colours in this scheme
AK Interactive Signature Set - WWII German Uniforms by Calvin Tan (AK11759)
18 paints
£44.55
£49.50-10%
+6
· compare 2 shops· priced 13 SepCovers 8 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 7 of 12 colours in this scheme
Covers 7 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 coatLuftwaffe GreenVallejo · Model Color 70.823View paint
- ShadeMilitary ShadeArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic Wash WP3209PView paint
- LayerRefractive GreenVallejo · Model Color 70.890View paint
- HighlightAfrikakorps Tank CrewVallejo · Panzer AcesView paint
- Edge highlightNacarScale75 · Scale Color RangeView paint
Additional details
Trim
Weapons
Leather
Skin
Lenses
Basing
Webbing & flak
- TrimNecron CompoundCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048View paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinBestigor FleshCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243View paint
- LensesMagecast MagentaArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3134PView paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- Webbing & flakOlive BrownVallejo · Model Color 70.889View paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
★ Our pick for base coat
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Death Korps Drab
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950302
from£2.33· compare 6 shops· priced 1 Oct
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
★ Our pick for shade
Similar
Similar
Dark Angels Green
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960106
from£4.03· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
Approximate
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
★ Our pick for layer
Very Close
Very Close
Death Korps Drab
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950302
from£2.33· compare 6 shops· priced 1 Oct
Close
CloseDiscontinued
Mage Hunter Green
P3 · Privateer Press Formula P3 SFP3-N185-S
from£3.48· compare 2 shops· priced 1 Oct
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
Death Guard Green
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950299
from£2.43· compare 4 shops· priced 25 Sep
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Close
Close
CloseDiscontinued
Details & accent colours
Everything else on the model - metals, skin, leather, lenses, basing and this faction's signature accents.
Metal — trim
Trim and bare plate. Basecoat steel, wash dark, then edge bright silver.
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Shining Silver
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
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
Close
Genestealer Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951308
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
Similar
Similar
Approximate
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
Webbing & flak
Pouches, boots and flak armour - brown-black over the practical green.
★ Our pick for webbing & flak
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
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 8 of 12 paints in this scheme (67%) — base coat, shade, layer, leather & pouches and more.
Or cover 92% of the recipe with 2 boxes (£224.83 total):
Vallejo Model Air - WWII British Aircraft RAF/FAA Set
16 paints
£38.16
£47.99-20%
+4
· compare 3 shops· priced 24 SepYour 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: Luftwaffe Green, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Olive Brown
- not stocked: Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Nacar, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
postage per seller
- not stocked: Military Shade, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
£4.99 UK delivery, 1-2 working days, free over £65
- not stocked: Luftwaffe Green, Refractive Green, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Nacar, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Olive Brown
free UK delivery over £75, from £2.66 below that
- not stocked: Military Shade, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Nacar, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Magecast Magenta
free UK delivery over £75, £3.99 below that
- not stocked: Luftwaffe Green, Refractive Green, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Nacar, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform, Olive Brown
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Luftwaffe Green, Military Shade, Refractive Green, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Magecast Magenta, English Uniform, Olive Brown
- not stocked: Luftwaffe Green, Military Shade, Refractive Green, Afrikakorps Tank Crew, Nacar, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Magecast Magenta, English Uniform, Olive Brown
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Luftwaffe Green
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepMilitary Shade
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctRefractive Green
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepAfrikakorps Tank Crew
Vallejo
No price tracked yetNacar
Scale75
at Wayland Games· priced 25 SepNecron Compound
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
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 OctMagecast Magenta
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctEnglish Uniform
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepOlive Brown
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 Sep
Recommended Box Set
Combat Patrol: Astra Militarum Affiliate links — how we make money What's inside this box
The fastest way to start a Astra Militarum army — a boxed force to paint with this scheme.
£123.20 of contents → £87.20 (save approx £36.00)
Best price
£87.20Wayland Games
in stock · priced 25 Sep · free UK delivery over £20
cheapest of 4 UK sellers · save £10.90 vs the most expensive · excl. delivery
Want the codex too? At Loaded Dice (UK):save £23.01 vs RRP(out of stock)
Want more in the box?save $25.50 vs RRP
Every Astra Militarum kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
The Astra Militarum are the human armies of the Imperium, and you need a lot of them. The whole approach is built around batch painting: a simple, practical scheme applied quickly across ranks of infantry, with tanks as the occasional centrepiece.
The signature look
The iconic Cadian look is military green armour and fatigues, with metal weapons, brown leather and webbing, and flesh faces. It is a grounded, realistic palette - no bright heraldry, just soldiers.
Batch painting infantry
Speed is everything with guardsmen:
- Undercoat, then basecoat the largest areas (armour/fatigues) across the whole unit at once.
- One all-over wash to shade everything in a single step.
- A quick drybrush or single highlight on the armour, then pick out metal, leather and faces.
Contrast paints shine here - a contrast over the right undercoat shades guardsmen automatically and gets a platoon done in an evening.
Tanks and regiments
Leman Russ tanks and Chimeras give you a canvas for weathering - mud, chipping and stowage. Swap the green for other regiments: Death Korps of Krieg (field grey), Catachan (olive and bare muscle), Tallarn (desert tan), Valhallan (greatcoats).
Tips and common mistakes
- Keep it simple. A guardsman should take minutes, not hours - save detail for tanks and characters.
- One wash to rule them. A single all-over shade is the fastest way to make ranks look finished.
- Weather the tanks. Mud and chips turn a flat green tank into a war machine.
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.