Reference photos, colour schemes with the exact paints for every area, and finished models from other painters — everything you need to start Terminator Squad for your Imperial Fists force.

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What Terminator Squad looks like

Colour schemes

Imperial Fists — Terminator Squad

Intermediate · 7 areas

Bigger plates, more bare metal and more room for weathering than a battleline squad — a good second project once the armour recipe is habit. Painted in Imperial Fists colours, from primer to based.

Power armour

Undercoat light Primer — Yellow has almost no covering power over black. Starting from a bone primer is the difference between two coats and six.
Basecoat the armour plates Basecoat — Two thin coats, leaving the recesses slightly darker. Thin with water until the paint flows off the brush rather than sits on it.
Shade the recesses Recess shade — Run the shade into panel lines and around raised details only. A full wash over the plates flattens the armour.
Edge highlight the plates Edge highlight — A fine line along the top edge of each plate, where light would land. Stop before the line meets the next edge.
Sharpen the brightest edges Edge highlight — Only the corners and the very top of each plate — this is a fraction of the previous line.

Bolter and metal

Leadbelcher Citadel
Nuln Oil Citadel
Ironbreaker Citadel

Basecoat the metal Basecoat — Leadbelcher over the bolter body, barrel and any exposed pistons.
Shade the metal All-over shade — Nuln Oil across the whole weapon — metallics are the one area that wants a full wash.
Bring back the edges Edge highlight — Ironbreaker on the barrel rim and casing edges, then a spot of steel on the ammo feed.

Shoulder trim and steel

Leadbelcher Citadel
Nuln Oil Citadel
Ironbreaker Citadel

Basecoat the trim Basecoat — Keep the line clean — trim is what the eye follows, so a wobble here is more visible than one anywhere else.
Shade the trim Recess shade — Agrax Earthshade where the trim meets the plate, so it reads as a separate piece of metal.
Highlight the trim Edge highlight

Helmet lenses

Caliban Green Citadel
Warpstone Glow Citadel
Moot Green Citadel
White Scar Citadel

Fill the lens Basecoat — Fill the whole lens recess with the darkest green.
Leave a dark rim Layer — Cover the lens again but stop short of the bottom edge, leaving a crescent of the base colour.
Dot the catchlight Detail — One small dot in the upper corner. The dot is what makes the lens read as glass.

Terminator plate and hazard stripes

Pick out the storm bolter and power fist Layer — Terminator armour carries far more bare metal than a battleline marine — shade it harder so the bulk reads.
Hazard stripes on the fist Detail — Averland Sunset field, then thin black diagonals. Mark the stripe spacing in pencil first.
Weathering on the boots and skirt Stipple — Stipple Typhus Corrosion low on the legs, then a light Ryza Rust catch on the rivets.

Black plates and chapter badge

Basecoat the black plates Basecoat — Imperial Fists break up the yellow with black knee and shoulder plates — paint these before the final yellow highlight so overspill is easy to fix.
Edge the black Edge highlight — A single Eshin Grey line; anything brighter fights the yellow for attention.
Paint the fist Layer — Mephiston Red field with a Flash Gitz Yellow fist, or a transfer over gloss varnish.

Base

Astrogranite Citadel
Administratum Grey Citadel
Dawnstone Citadel
Abaddon Black Citadel

Texture the base Texture — Astrogranite straight from the pot with an old brush, kept off the rim.
Drybrush the rubble Drybrush — Administratum Grey, then a lighter pass so only the highest grit catches it.
Paint the rim Detail — Abaddon Black around the rim in one steady pass. A clean rim is what makes a squad look finished.

Every paint on this page

20 paints across every scheme and tutorial above. Tick what you need to build a list, or follow a paint through to find it in another brand.

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