Painting guides / Warhammer 40,000 / T'au Empire

How to paint T'au Empire

Every T'au Empire unit, and the colour schemes and paint lists other painters have published for them.

0 guides · 47 units

T'au Empire colour palette

The paints a T'au Empire force is built from, by area and by role — base, shade, layer and highlight. A starting point for every unit below.

Every paint below links to its equivalents in other brands.

T'au Empire signature colours

Beginner · 3 areas

Sandy ochre battlesuit plating trimmed in sky blue, the mark of the Greater Good's expeditionary caste.

Battlesuit

Tau Light Ochre Citadel Base
Agrax Earthshade Citadel Shade
Krieg Khaki Citadel Highlight

Trim

Caledor Sky Citadel Base
Drakenhof Nightshade Citadel Shade

Base

Astrogranite Citadel Base
Dawnstone Citadel Highlight

Units

Commander Shadowsun Epic Hero Commander Farsight Epic Hero Commander in Enforcer Battlesuit Character Commander in Coldstar Battlesuit Character Cadre Fireblade Character Ethereal Character Darkstrider Epic Hero Strike Team Battleline Breacher Team Battleline Kroot Carnivores Infantry Krootox Riders Mounted Stealth Battlesuits Infantry Ghostkeel Battlesuit Vehicle Firesight Team Character Pathfinder Team Infantry Piranha Vehicle Piranhas Vehicle Vespid Stingwings Infantry Kroot Hounds Beast Broadside Battlesuits Vehicle Riptide Battlesuit Vehicle Hammerhead Gunship Vehicle Sky Ray Gunship Vehicle Devilfish Dedicated Transport Razorshark Strike Fighter Vehicle Sun Shark Bomber Vehicle Tidewall Shieldline Fortification Tidewall Droneport Fortification Tidewall Gunrig Fortification Stormsurge Vehicle Kroot Farstalkers Infantry Ta'unar Supremacy Armour Vehicle Tiger Shark Vehicle AX-1-0 Tiger Shark Vehicle Manta Vehicle Crisis Sunforge Battlesuits Vehicle Crisis Fireknife Battlesuits Vehicle Crisis Starscythe Battlesuits Vehicle Kroot Trail Shaper Character Kroot War Shaper Character Kroot Flesh Shaper Character Kroot Lone-spear Character Krootox Rampagers Mounted Shas'nel [Crucible] Character Battlesuit Veteran [Crucible] Character Kinband Champion [Crucible] Character The Twin Lance Epic Hero

Track this project from sprue to finished

Building a T'au Empire force is a lot of pots to keep straight. Track the army, the paints you own and what each unit still needs — free, and without an account to start.

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