How to Paint a Black Legion Army on a Budget – Step-by-Step Guide for Warhammer Fans
How to Paint a Black Legion Army on a Budget – Step-by-Step Guide for Warhammer Fans
Meta Description (place under title): Learn how to paint a Warhammer Black Legion army on a budget. Step-by-step painting guide using affordable paints, drybrushing, and budget-friendly miniature painting techniques.
Introduction
The Black Legion is one of the most iconic armies in Warhammer 40k. Their dark armor, glowing trim, and chaos symbols make them a fearsome presence on the battlefield. But painting an entire army can feel expensive and time-consuming.
Don’t worry—this guide will show you how to paint a Black Legion army on a budget using cheap craft paints, layering shortcuts, and micro-budget hobby hacks. Whether you’re a beginner or a casual gamer, you’ll be able to build an army that looks menacing without draining your wallet.
A painted squad of Black Legion Chaos Space Marines in dark black armor with gold trim, tabletop style, budget painting focus.
Step 1: Priming the Models
Priming is the foundation of any paint job. Since Black Legion armor is mostly black, you can save time and money:
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Cheap Spray Primer: Use an affordable black primer spray from a hardware store.
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Alternative: Brush-on black craft paint thinned with water works if you don’t have spray.
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Make sure all recesses are coated—shiny plastic ruins the effect.
💡 Budget Tip: Don’t buy premium primers unless you’re painting hundreds of models.
Step 2: Painting the Black Legion Armor
The signature black armor is intimidating, but painting it is surprisingly simple:
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Basecoat: Leave the primer as your armor base.
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Edge Highlights: Mix grey with black and lightly brush along the armor’s sharp edges.
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Drybrush: Use a soft drybrush to catch raised details, giving the armor subtle depth.
🔥 Pro Hack: Old makeup brushes work perfectly for drybrushing and cost almost nothing.
Step 3: Gold Trim and Details
The gold trim is what makes Black Legion stand out. Instead of expensive metallic paints:
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DIY Metallic Gold: Mix yellow ochre craft paint with a touch of metallic gold paint.
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Apply carefully to the trim with a fine brush.
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Highlight with a lighter gold or mix in a little white for a brighter finish.
Close-up of a Black Legion miniature showing black armor with glowing gold trim and chaos details.
Step 4: Weapons and Accents
Weapons and chaos details bring the army to life:
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Bolters: Basecoat dark grey, highlight with silver.
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Plasma or Energy Effects: Use white + a thin glaze of neon blue or green.
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Capes and Cloth: Deep red base with a black wash for shading.
💡 Budget Tip: Instead of expensive washes, make your own with thinned black or brown acrylic paint.
Step 5: Basing on a Budget
No Black Legion army is complete without strong bases. You don’t need texture paints:
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Sand, dirt, or crushed coffee grounds glued with PVA glue.
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Drybrush grey or brown for rocky terrain effect.
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Add a few tufts of static grass for contrast.
A squad of Black Legion miniatures on textured rocky bases, photographed on a tabletop battlefield.
Step 6: Sealing the Army
To protect your models:
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Use a matte varnish spray (budget-friendly from art stores).
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Leave metallic areas slightly glossy for contrast.
FAQs – Painting Black Legion on a Budget
Q1: What’s the cheapest way to paint Black Legion armor?
👉 Use black primer as the armor base, then add grey highlights—no extra basecoat needed.
Q2: How do I make cheap gold trim look good?
👉 Mix craft yellow ochre with metallic gold and highlight with a lighter shade.
Q3: Can I paint Black Legion with craft paints?
👉 Yes! Thin them with water or medium, and layer slowly for smooth results.
Q4: How do I batch paint Black Legion quickly?
👉 Paint all black armor first, then do gold trim assembly-line style for efficiency.
Q5: Do Black Legion miniatures look better with dark or bright bases?
👉 Both work, but rocky grey or scorched earth bases emphasize their dark chaos aesthetic.
Conclusion
Painting a Black Legion army on a budget is not only possible—it’s rewarding. By using cheap primers, craft paints, and DIY washes, you can achieve a stunning tabletop-ready army without spending a fortune.
Whether you’re painting your first Chaos Space Marines or expanding your forces, these methods will help you build a fearsome Black Legion warband while keeping costs low.
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