Which colour primer should you use for Warhammer models?
Pick the undercoat by the paint that goes on top. Use Wraithbone, Grey Seer or White Scar for Contrast paints and light colours. Use a dark spray such as Chaos Black for mostly dark models. Grey Seer is the safe middle if you have not decided.
Grey Seer spray costs £12.25 (sold out at the moment). Neither the 10th Edition Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set nor the 11th Edition Paints & Tools set lists a spray, so you buy one separately.
Which spray for which plan
The undercoat shows through every thin coat above it, so it sets how bright or dark the finished model looks.
| Your plan | Spray | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast paints on most of the model | Wraithbone, Grey Seer or White Scar | Games Workshop's guide says to undercoat with one of these, then add one coat of Contrast per colour. |
| The brightest yellow or other light colours | White Scar | It gives the brightest yellow. |
| Warm, sandy or bone colours | Wraithbone | It gives a much warmer, sandier yellow than the white spray. |
| Contrast paints, but a darker, colder result | Grey Seer | It gives a darker, colder yellow than White Scar. |
| Brown leather or a swampy green skin | Zandri Dust | A Games Workshop painter primed a Kruleboyz Orruk with it so the brownish base suited the leather and gave the green skin a swampy look. |
| Armour or metal that is mostly dark | Chaos Black or Leadbelcher | Our advice: light paint over a dark undercoat needs more coats, so go dark only when the model is mostly dark. |
If one model mixes a big light area with a big dark one, let the light area decide. Pale paint is the hard part to fix.
Do you have to use a spray at all?
Games Workshop describes its sprays as the foundation for everything else: one even coat over the whole model before any other colour goes on. An undercoat helps paint grip and cover, and bare plastic is a gamble, so use one.
If you cannot spray
Some people have no outdoor space or live where the weather is wrong for a can. A thin, even coat of a Base paint in the same colour is a substitute some hobbyists use. Grey Seer, Wraithbone and Abaddon Black all come as 12ml Base pots. It takes more time and a steadier hand than a spray.
Spray mistakes to avoid
A dark spray under Contrast paint defeats it, because Contrast needs a white or light basecoat to work. One heavy coat of spray fills detail, so use short passes and let each one settle before the next.
The Warhammer Colour sprays we list
For Contrast paints, Games Workshop names Wraithbone, Grey Seer and White Scar. Any of the three works, so take whichever you can order.
Common questions
Should I use white or black primer for Warhammer?
Use white or light grey if you will paint with Contrast paints or light colours, and black if the model is mostly dark. Grey Seer sits between the two and suits most first projects. When one model has both, let its biggest light area decide.
Which Citadel primer should I use?
Citadel is the old name for the Warhammer Colour range. No spray suits every job, because the right one depends on the paints that go on top. For Contrast paints, Games Workshop names Wraithbone, Grey Seer and White Scar. The Grey Seer spray is the middle choice and is sold out at the moment.
Can I prime miniatures without using primer spray?
Some hobbyists use a thin coat of a matching Base paint, such as Grey Seer or Abaddon Black. Keep the coat thin so detail stays sharp, and allow extra time for even coverage.
Do the Introductory Set and Paints and Tools set come with primer?
No spray is listed in either box. The Warhammer 40,000 Introductory Set (10th Edition) lists paints, brushes and tools. The Paints & Tools set lists 13 paints, a brush, clippers and a mouldline remover.
Spray and Contrast guidance: Warhammer Community, 24 June 2022 (sprays and paint types), 28 June 2022 (Just What Is Battle Ready?), 14 July 2023 (Highlights, Basing, and Eyes) and 9 September 2021 (Kruleboyz and Contrast). Citadel renaming: Warhammer Community, 6 March 2026. Brush-on undercoat and dark-spray advice: hobbyist threads on Reddit, 2026. Box contents: our product listings, read 29 October 2026. Prices and stock: this shop, read live.