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
Iron Hands Paint Scheme
X Legion · The Clans of Medusa · Ferrus Manus ·Loyalist
A full Horus Heresy Iron Hands 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.
Iron Hands (Horus Heresy) boxes to start with
Compare Legiones Astartes boxesThe Iron Hands (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.
82 paints
Covers 11 of 13 colours in this scheme
50 paints
Covers 11 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
24 paints
Covers 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
71 paints
Covers 9 of 13 colours in this scheme
16 paints
Covers 8 of 13 colours in this scheme
Or cover 100% of this scheme with 2 paint sets, £211.09 together: Vallejo New Formula Game Color - All The Colours + Warpaints Fanatic Metallics Paint Set
How the scheme reads on a model
Armour — base to highlight
Tap a colour to change its paint.
- Base coatPure BlackVallejo · Mecha Color 69.042View paint
- ShadeBlackVallejo · Wash FX 76.518View paint
- LayerCoal BlackMonument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA002View paint
- HighlightDark Blue GreyVallejo · Model Color 70.867View paint
- Edge highlightBasalt GreyVallejo · Model Color 70.869View 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
- LensesScarletVallejo · Model Color 70.817View paint
- BasingEnglish UniformVallejo · Model Color 70.921View paint
- Clan markingsRotten WhiteVallejo · Game ColorView paint
- Red detailsGemstone RedArmy Painter · Warpaints Fanatic WP3198View paint
1
Base coat
Lay the foundation colour down over primer, slightly darker than the final tone.
Suggested
★ Our pick for base coat
Exact Match
Exact Match
Very Close
Very Close
2
Shade
Wash the recesses to add depth and separate the details.
Suggested
Exact Match
Very Close
Dark Tone
Army Painter · Quickshade Washes Set
No shop price tracked yet — the paint’s page has every seller we find.
Close
Close
Black Legion
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Contrast 99189960237
from£4.03· compare 7 shops· priced 1 Oct
3
Layer
Rebuild the main colour on the raised areas, leaving the shade in the cracks.
Suggested
★ Our pick for layer
Exact Match
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
4
Highlight
Pick out the upper edges and surfaces that catch the light.
Suggested
★ Our pick for highlight
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Close
5
Edge highlight
Sharpen only the sharpest edges for a crisp, finished look.
Suggested
★ Our pick for edge highlight
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Very Close
Warpfiend Grey
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951011
from£2.33· compare 5 shops· priced 1 Oct
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
★ Our pick for metal — trim
Very Close
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
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
£3.99at Athena Games· priced 12 Oct
★ Our pick for metal — weapons
Very Close
Close
Close
Adepticon Magnesium
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S42
£4.29at Loaded Dice· 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
Exact Match
Very Close
Flameon Dark Green Brown
Monument · Monument Pro Signature Series MPA-S25
£4.29at Loaded Dice· 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£2.33· compare 6 shops· priced 1 Oct
★ 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
John Blanche Masterclass: Bloodmoon Red
Army Painter · Speedpaint 2.0
£4.39at Athena Games· priced 12 Oct
Very Close
Very Close
Wild Rider Red
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951304
from£2.33· compare 6 shops· priced 1 Oct
Very 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
Very Close
Very CloseDiscontinued
Close
Clan markings
White clan-company markings on pauldrons and knees - the one clean note on a scarred machine.
Suggested
Very Close
Close
Close
CloseDiscontinued
Red details
Lenses, cabling and small heraldry in dark red against the oily black.
Suggested
★ Our pick for red details
Very Close
Transparent Red
Monument · Monument Pro Acrylic Paints MPA047
from£4.19· compare 2 shops· priced 25 Sep
Very Close
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 paintsfree UK delivery over £20
- not stocked: John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Rotten White
£4.99 UK delivery, 1-2 working days, free over £65
- not stocked: Coal Black, Basalt Grey, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Rotten White
postage per seller
- not stocked: Coal Black, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh
free UK delivery over £60, 2-4 working days
- not stocked: Pure Black, Coal Black, Beasty Brown, Rotten White
free UK delivery over £75, from £2.66 below that
- not stocked: Coal Black, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Rotten White, Gemstone Red
- not stocked: Pure Black, Coal Black, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Bestigor Flesh, Rotten White
free UK delivery over £75, £3.99 below that
- not stocked: Coal Black, Dark Blue Grey, Basalt Grey, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Scarlet, English Uniform, Rotten White
prices shown on Amazon at checkout
- not stocked: Pure Black, Black, Dark Blue Grey, Basalt Grey, Necron Compound, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Scarlet, English Uniform, Rotten White, Gemstone Red
- not stocked: Pure Black, Black, Coal Black, Dark Blue Grey, Basalt Grey, John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal, Beasty Brown, Scarlet, English Uniform, Rotten White, Gemstone Red
totals excl. delivery · affiliate links
John Blanche Masterclass: Heavy Metal
Army Painter · Warpaints Fanatic
£3.99at Athena Games· priced 12 Oct
Bestigor Flesh
Citadel (Warhammer Paints) · Layer 99189951243
from£2.33· compare 6 shops· priced 1 Oct
Painting the X 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 cold near-black with a blue-grey cast, chosen so it separates from the gunmetal it sits beside. As with every black scheme, the edge highlight in the recipe below does more work than the basecoat hex. 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 World Eaters Ultramarines Death Guard Thousand Sons Sons of Horus Word Bearers Salamanders Raven Guard Alpha Legion
Want the recipes written out, with the pots priced? Painting the Heresy Legions.
Is Iron Hands 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 Iron Hands paint schemes?
This page has the generated recipe for the classic Iron Hands 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.