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Painting guides / Warhammer 40,000 / Ultramarines / Terminator Squad

How to paint Terminator Squad

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 Ultramarines force.

Role InfantryPoints 160Faction UltramarinesSystem Warhammer 40,000

ImperiumTerminatorTerminator Squad

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What Terminator Squad looks like

Terminator Squad reference photo

Colour schemes

Ultramarines — 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 Ultramarines colours, from primer to based.

Power armour

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Bolter and metal

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

Shoulder trim and gold

  1. 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.
  2. Shade the trim Recess shade — Agrax Earthshade where the trim meets the plate, so it reads as a separate piece of metal.
  3. Highlight the trim Edge highlight

Helmet lenses

  1. Fill the lens Basecoat — Fill the whole lens recess with the darkest red.
  2. Leave a dark rim Layer — Cover the lens again but stop short of the bottom edge, leaving a crescent of the base colour.
  3. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Hazard stripes on the fist Detail — Averland Sunset field, then thin black diagonals. Mark the stripe spacing in pencil first.
  3. Weathering on the boots and skirt Stipple — Stipple Typhus Corrosion low on the legs, then a light Ryza Rust catch on the rivets.

Chapter markings

  1. Block in the right shoulder pad Basecoat — Ultramarines wear a bone pad on the right shoulder. Two thin coats beat one thick one over blue.
  2. Shade and clean up Recess shade — A pin-wash into the pad rim only — flooding the whole pad turns bone into mud.
  3. Highlight the pad and paint the chapter symbol Edge highlight — Screaming Skull on the upper edge, then the omega symbol freehand or transfer.

Base

  1. Texture the base Texture — Astrogranite straight from the pot with an old brush, kept off the rim.
  2. Drybrush the rubble Drybrush — Administratum Grey, then a lighter pass so only the highest grit catches it.
  3. 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

22 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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