20% off RRPTyranids · 18 models · 4 kits
£122.80 of contents → £87.20 (save at least £35.60)
How to Paint Tyranids
Carapace, skin and chitin done fast for a whole hive fleet
Prices in £ for the UK
Before you commit
How hard to paint
32of 116 easiest
Easier than most
Model size2 out of 5Detail density5 out of 5Technique demanded4 out of 5
Compare all 116 factions →
What it costs to start
£87.20
£0.22 per point
Combat Patrol: Tyranid Assault Brood, 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 Tyranids (Leviathan) — 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 RRPTyranids · 30 models · 6 kits
£170.40 of contents → £132.00 (save at least £38.40)
Covers 10 of 13 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 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
Covers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Color - American Colonial Set
16 paints
£38.39
£47.99-20%
+4
· compare 3 shops· priced 3 JulCovers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
Vallejo Model Color - Basic Colors USA Set
16 paints
£33.19
£47.99-31%
+4
· compare 6 shops· priced 5 JulCovers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
Covers 4 of 13 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 coatAlien PurpleVallejo · Game Color 72.076View paint
- ShadeShyish PurpleCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960101View paint
- LayerBlue VioletVallejo · Model Color 70.811View paint
- HighlightKakophoni PurpleCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951382View paint
- Edge highlightDechala LilacCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951378View paint
Additional details
Trim
Weapons
Leather
Skin
Lenses
Basing
Carapace
Fleshy muscle
- TrimBright GoldArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinWyvern FuryArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3116P≈ Closest paint we sellView paint
- LensesRainforestArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3057PView paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- CarapaceAncient StoneArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3088PView paint
- Fleshy muscleWyvern FuryArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3116P≈ Closest paint we sellView paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
★ Our pick for base coat
Close
CloseDiscontinued
Close
Close
Naggaroth Night
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950269
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Shyish Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960101
from£4.16· compare 5 shops· priced 25 Sep
★ Our pick for shade
Very Close
Close
Similar
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
★ Our pick for layer
Very Close
Alien Purple
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Close
Genestealer Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951308
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
Close
Similar
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Kakophoni Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951382
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
★ Our pick for highlight
Close
Close
Close
Similar
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Similar
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.
Closest paint we sell — not an exact match for this colour
★ Our pick for skin & flesh
CloseDiscontinued
Murderous Magenta
P3 · Privateer Press Formula P3 SFP3-N192-S
from£3.48· compare 2 shops· priced 1 Oct
Similar
Emperor's Children
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951366
from£2.43· compare 4 shops· priced 25 Sep
Similar
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 CloseDiscontinued
Very Close
Very 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
Carapace
Claws, talons and chitin plates - bone shaded brown, highlighted to white.
★ Our pick for carapace
Exact Match
Exact Match
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Fleshy muscle
Skin between the carapace - pink-purple washed red for that raw look.
Closest paint we sell — not an exact match for this colour
★ Our pick for fleshy muscle
CloseDiscontinued
Murderous Magenta
P3 · Privateer Press Formula P3 SFP3-N192-S
from£3.48· compare 2 shops· priced 1 Oct
Similar
Emperor's Children
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951366
from£2.43· compare 4 shops· priced 25 Sep
Similar
Buy It as a Box
Paint sets that cover this recipe - a set is usually cheaper than buying pots one by one.
Covers 10 of 13 paints in this scheme (77%) — base coat, shade, layer, 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: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
postage per seller
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
£4.99 UK delivery, 1-2 working days, free over £65
- not stocked: Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
free UK delivery over £75, £3.99 below that
- not stocked: Shyish Purple, Blue Violet, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform
- not stocked: Shyish Purple, Blue Violet, Kakophoni Purple, Dechala Lilac, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Blue Violet, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Wyvern Fury, Rainforest, English Uniform, Ancient Stone
free UK delivery over £75, from £2.66 below that
- not stocked: Shyish Purple, Kakophoni Purple, Dechala Lilac, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Wyvern Fury, Rainforest, Ancient Stone
- not stocked: Alien Purple, Blue Violet, Dechala Lilac, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Wyvern Fury, Rainforest, English Uniform, Ancient Stone
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Alien Purple
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepShyish Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Wayland Games· priced 25 SepBlue Violet
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepKakophoni Purple
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctDechala Lilac
Citadel (Warhammer Paints)
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 SepWyvern Fury
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctRainforest
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 OctEnglish Uniform
Vallejo
at SnM Stuff· priced 24 SepAncient Stone
Army Painter
at Merlin's Miniatures· priced 1 Oct
Recommended Box Set
Combat Patrol: Tyranid Assault Brood Affiliate links — how we make money What's inside this box
The fastest way to start a Tyranids army — a boxed force to paint with this scheme.
£122.80 of contents → £87.20 (save at least £35.60)
Best price
£87.20Wayland Games
in stock · priced 25 Sep · free UK delivery over £20
cheapest of 5 UK sellers · save £21.80 vs the most expensive · excl. delivery
Want the codex too? At Loaded Dice (UK):save £23.01 vs RRP
Every Tyranids kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
Tyranids are a horde army, so the goal is a striking, cohesive scheme you can apply quickly across dozens of models. The classic split is a hard carapace colour against a contrasting softer skin/flesh, and contrast paints make both fast.
The signature look
A hive fleet scheme is built from two or three colours: a carapace (the hard plates), a skin/flesh (the muscle and limbs), and claws/teeth (bone). Hive Fleet Leviathan, for example, pairs a purple carapace with pale bone skin. Pick a carapace and a complementary skin and you have an instantly recognisable fleet.
Painting a horde fast
- Carapace - the recipe above gives the ramp; a contrast paint over the right undercoat does it in one pass on small models.
- Skin - a flesh or bone contrast over a light undercoat, shaded automatically.
- Claws and teeth - bone basecoat, brown wash, light drybrush.
A zenithal undercoat (dark up to light) under contrast paints does most of the shading for you - ideal for getting a hundred gaunts painted.
Hive fleet variations
Swap the two main colours to invent your own fleet, or follow the classics: Leviathan (purple/bone), Hive Fleet Kraken (purple/cream), Behemoth (red/bone), Gorgon (green/purple).
Tips and common mistakes
- Two colours, applied well, beats five rushed ones. Keep the scheme simple for a horde.
- Use contrast paints. They are made for organic, textured models like these.
- Batch ruthlessly. Do every model's carapace, then every model's skin - never one model at a time.
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.