50 paints
Covers 11 of 14 colours in this scheme
Bolt Action Japan Paint Scheme
A full Bolt Action Japan paint scheme, generated and ready to test: the armour ramp from basecoat to edge highlight plus metals, skin, lenses and basing — every colour matched to real paints from Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and 35+ more ranges, with live prices. Use it as a planner, tweak any colour, or take it into the full generator.
Your scheme
Only paints we can link you to a shop for. Pick a brand to build the whole recipe from one range.
Paint sets that cover this scheme
All paint setsOne box of paints instead of 14 pots. Each card says how many of this scheme's colours it holds.
16 paints
Covers 7 of 14 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 6 of 14 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 5 of 14 colours in this scheme
8 paints
Covers 4 of 14 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 4 of 14 colours in this scheme
General starter boxes
All boxesWe can't price a Bolt Action Japan box in your market today, so these are general starter boxes, and each card says so.
Not Bolt Action Japan — general starterSkaven · 25 models · 2 kits
5× Stormcast Eternals Liberators · 20× Skaven Clanrats
Not Bolt Action Japan — general starterOrks · 12 models · 4 kits
1× Space Marines Lieutenant · 5× Intercessors · 1× Ork Nob · 5× Ork Boyz
Not Bolt Action Japan — general starterDeath Guard · 14 models
7× Angels of Death Kill Team operatives · 7× Plague Marine Kill Team operatives
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Tap a colour to change its paint.
- Base coatDead FleshVallejo · Game Color 72.035View paint
- ShadeCamouflage GreenVallejo · Xpress Color 72.467View paint
- LayerDark Golden BrownMonument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA062View paint
- HighlightDesert Dust WashVallejo · Mecha Color 69.522View paint
- Edge highlightIce YellowArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3096PView paint
Additional details
- 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
- LensesRogue Hobbies UltramarineMonument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S35View paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- Puttees & webbingDark YellowVallejo · Arte DecoView paint
- Hinomaru redScarlet BloodVallejo · Game Color 72.106View paint
- Helmet netting & foliageHeavy GreenVallejo · Game ColorView paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
Suggested
★ Our pick for base coat
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very CloseDiscontinued
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Suggested
★ Our pick for shade
Similar
Garaghak's Sewer
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960035
fromA$10.26· compare 4 shops· priced 5 Jul
Similar
Similar
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Suggested
★ Our pick for layer
Very Close
Karak Stone
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951333
Very Close
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Suggested
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
Suggested
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Close
Close
Details & accent colours
Change scheme ↑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.
Suggested
Necron Compound
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048
fromA$5.50· compare 4 shops· priced 5 Jul
★ Our pick for metal — trim
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.
Suggested
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
Close
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
Suggested
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
CloseDiscontinued
Skin & flesh
Faces and hands. Basecoat, a flesh wash into the recesses, then build the highlights back up.
Suggested
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
fromA$5.45· compare 2 shops· priced 5 Jul
★ 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.
Suggested
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Very Close
Very Close
Close
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
Suggested
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
XV-88
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950285
Puttees & webbing
Leg wraps, belts and pack straps a shade greener than the mustard tunic - the two-tone khaki is what makes an IJA figure read as Japanese and not desert British.
Suggested
Very CloseDiscontinued
Very CloseDiscontinued
Hinomaru red
Rank patches, flags and the sun disc on banners. One small red note per figure; the banners carry the rest.
Suggested
★ Our pick for hinomaru red
Exact Match
Evil Sunz Scarlet
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951303
fromA$5.76· compare 3 shops· priced 5 Jul
Very Close
Exact MatchDiscontinued
Very Close
Helmet netting & foliage
Scrim and tied foliage on helmets - a mid-green scumble broken with darker leaves, the jungle-theatre signature.
Suggested
Very Close
Deathworld Forest
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950279
fromA$5.40· compare 2 shops· priced 5 Jul
Close
Close
Army Green
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
14 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
14 paintspostage per seller
- not stocked: Dark Golden Brown, Desert Dust Wash, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine, Heavy Green
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Dead Flesh, Camouflage Green, Dark Golden Brown, Desert Dust Wash, Ice Yellow, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine, English Uniform, Scarlet Blood, Heavy Green
- not stocked: Dead Flesh, Camouflage Green, Dark Golden Brown, Desert Dust Wash, Ice Yellow, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Bestigor Flesh, Rogue Hobbies Ultramarine, English Uniform, Dark Yellow, Scarlet Blood, Heavy Green
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Necron Compound
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Dry 99189952048
fromA$5.50· compare 4 shops· priced 5 Jul
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
fromA$5.45· compare 2 shops· priced 5 Jul
Every Japan kit and box, priced
Prices compared across the shops that stock them — boxes ranked by cost per model.
More Bolt Action schemes
Want the recipes written out, with the pots priced? Best paints for Bolt Action.
Is Bolt Action Japan a big job? See how every faction rates for difficulty — model size, detail and what the scheme demands — or work out what an army costs per point.
Common questions
Is there a full list of Bolt Action Japan paint schemes?
This page has the generated recipe for the classic Bolt Action Japan scheme — armour ramp, metals, skin and basing, matched across 35+ paint ranges — plus every other Bolt Action faction's paint schemes below, or set your own colour in the full generator.