Legiones Astartes · 50 models · 5 kits
1× Saturnine Praetor · 1× Centurion in MKII power armour · 1× Saturnine Dreadnought · 1× Araknae Quad Accelerator Platform · 6× Saturnine Terminators · 40× Legionaries in MKII power armour
Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy) Paint Scheme
XV Legion · The Sons of Prospero · Magnus the Red ·Traitor
A full Horus Heresy Thousand Sons paint scheme, generated and ready to test: the armour ramp from basecoat to edge highlight plus trim metals, accents, lenses and basing — every step matched to real paints from Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and 35+ more ranges, with live prices. The Legion's own painting guides name Citadel pots and stop there; every row below carries the nearest pot from the other ranges too.
Your scheme
Only paints we can link you to a shop for. Pick a brand to build the whole recipe from one range.
Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy) boxes to start with
Compare Legiones Astartes boxesThe Thousand Sons (Horus Heresy) boxes we can price in your market, cheapest first.
Legiones Astartes · 22 models · 3 kits
10× MkVI Tactical Squad Legionaries · 10× MkVI Heavy Support Squad Legionaries · 1× Leviathan Dreadnought with Ranged Weapons · 1× Deimos Pattern Rhino
Legiones Astartes · 32 models · 4 kits
20× MkIV Tactical Legionaries · 10× MkIV Assault Legionaries · 1× Sicaran Battle Tank · 1× Contemptor Dreadnought
Paint sets that cover this scheme
All paint setsOne box of paints instead of 13 pots. Each card says how many of this scheme's colours it holds.
69 paints
Covers 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
50 paints
Covers 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 6 of 13 colours in this scheme
24 paints
Covers 6 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 5 of 13 colours in this scheme
Or cover 85% of this scheme with 2 paint sets, $307.79 together: PRO Acryl Mega Set (69 Colors) + Warpaints Fanatic Metallics Paint Set
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Tap a colour to change its paint.
- Base coatWazdakka RedCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951305View paint
- ShadeFlesh Tearers RedCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960207View paint
- LayerDragon RedArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- HighlightFaded RedVallejo · Model Color 70.747View paint
- Edge highlightRosy FleshVallejo · Game Color 72.100View paint
Additional details
- TrimBright GoldArmy Painter · WarpaintsView paint
- WeaponsJohn Blanche Masterclass: Heavy MetalArmy Painter · Warpaints FanaticView paint
- LeatherBeasty BrownVallejo · Game Color 72.043View paint
- SkinBestigor FleshCitadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243View paint
- LensesAmulet AquaArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3048P≈ Closest paint we sellView paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- White tabardsWhite GreyVallejo · Mecha Color 69.002View paint
- Black secondaryCoal BlackMonument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA002View 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
Transparent Red
Monument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA047
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
Close
Close
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Suggested
Flesh Tearers Red
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960207
from$6.63· compare 5 shops· priced 13 Sep
★ Our pick for shade
Very Close
Close
Close
Approximate
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Suggested
Dragon Red
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
★ Our pick for layer
Exact Match
Very Close
Very Close
Transparent Red
Monument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA047
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Suggested
★ Our pick for highlight
Close
Close
Close
Rogue Hobbies Orange Red
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S31
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
Close
Wild Rider Red
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951304
from$4.55· compare 7 shops· priced 5 Jul
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
Suggested
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Close
Lugganath Orange
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951381
from$4.55· compare 6 shops· priced 5 Jul
Details & accent colours
Change scheme ↑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.
Suggested
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
Balthasar Gold
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Base 99189950310
from$3.87· compare 6 shops· priced 13 Sep
Close
Metal — weapons
Bolters, blades and casings. Dark gunmetal, washed black, edged with bright steel.
Suggested
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
$4.55at War Games USA· priced 1 Sep
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
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Adepticon Magnesium
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S42
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
Similar
Leather & pouches
Straps, holsters and bare wood. Mid brown, shaded, then drybrushed a lighter tan.
Suggested
★ Our pick for leather & pouches
Very Close
Flameon Dark Green Brown
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S25
from$4.50· compare 2 shops· priced 13 Sep
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
from$4.55· compare 5 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.
Closest paint we sell — not an exact match for this colour
Suggested
★ Our pick for eyes & lenses
Close
Similar
Basing — earth
Groundwork. Earth basecoat, drybrushed bone, finished with your choice of grass, sand or snow.
Suggested
★ Our pick for basing — earth
Very Close
White tabards
Robes, tabards and scroll-work in off-white - the Prosperine counterweight to all that crimson and gold.
Suggested
Close
Black secondary
Inner plates and cabling in black, so the generous gold trim has something to sit against.
Suggested
★ Our pick for black secondary
Exact Match
Very Close
Close
Your paints
Tick off what's already on your shelf — whatever's left is your shopping list.
13 paints in this scheme
Price this recipe
13 paintspostage per seller
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Coal Black
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, English Uniform, White Grey, Coal Black
$6.99 US delivery, 3-5 business days
- not stocked: Faded Red, Rosy Flesh, Bright Gold, Beasty Brown, English Uniform, White Grey
$10 US delivery, 4-8 business days, free over $75
- not stocked: Faded Red, Rosy Flesh, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Bestigor Flesh, English Uniform, White Grey
- not stocked: Dragon Red, Faded Red, Rosy Flesh, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Bestigor Flesh, Amulet Aqua, English Uniform, White Grey, Coal Black
- not stocked: Wazdakka Red, Flesh Tearers Red, Dragon Red, Faded Red, Rosy Flesh, Bright Gold, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Bestigor Flesh, Amulet Aqua, English Uniform, White Grey
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
Flesh Tearers Red
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960207
from$6.63· compare 5 shops· priced 13 Sep
Dragon Red
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Bright Gold
Army Painter · Warpaints
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
$4.55at War Games USA· priced 1 Sep
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
from$4.55· compare 5 shops· priced 5 Jul
Painting the XV Legion
The armour method is shared across all eighteen Legions — how to paint MkII to MkVI plate — and the rest of the game, from army lists to what a Legion costs to field, sits on the Horus Heresy hub.
On the colour: A deep crimson pitched dark enough that the very generous gold trim stays the brightest thing on the model. Gold over red is the whole scheme - if the red highlights up too far, the trim stops reading as metal. This scheme is our reading of the Legion's Heresy livery, not an authorised palette — and the recipe above is matched by colour distance, so treat it as a strong starting point and test in person where it matters.
More The Horus Heresy schemes
Dark Angels Emperor's Children Iron Warriors White Scars Space Wolves Imperial Fists Night Lords Blood Angels Iron Hands World Eaters Ultramarines Death Guard Sons of Horus Word Bearers Salamanders Raven Guard Alpha Legion
Want the recipes written out, with the pots priced? Painting the Heresy Legions.
Is Thousand Sons 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 Thousand Sons paint schemes?
This page has the generated recipe for the classic Thousand Sons scheme — armour ramp, metals, skin and basing, matched across 35+ paint ranges — plus every other The Horus Heresy faction's paint schemes below, or set your own colour in the full generator.