Warhammer 40,000
T'au Empire paint scheme
The T'au Empire paint scheme — every colour you need to paint T'au Empire, what each one is for, and a one-click route to the cheaper Vallejo, Army Painter or Pro Acryl equivalent. The classic tan/ochre Sept scheme — clean, panelled and easy to batch.
T'au Empire colour palette
Zandri Dust Karak Stone Ushabti Bone Agrax Earthshade Mephiston Red Leadbelcher Abaddon Black White Scar
A starting-point recipe using classic Citadel colours — approximate, not an official step-by-step. Tap any paint for its closest match in other brands, and confirm colours against a physical swatch.
Paint it in your brand
Don't own Citadel? Convert the whole list to Vallejo, Army Painter or Pro Acryl.
Open the Paint Converter →How to paint the T'au Empire scheme
Each row is a colour in the T'au Empire paint scheme and what it's for — undercoat, basecoat, highlight, metal or wash. Work top to bottom: undercoat and basecoats first, then washes to add depth, then highlights last. If you don't use Citadel, click any paint to see its closest Vallejo, Army Painter and Pro Acryl equivalents.
Other armies to paint
- Adepta Sororitas paints
- Nighthaunt paints
- Necrons — Sautekh Dynasty paints
- Necrons — Mephrit Dynasty paints
- Necrons — Nihilakh Dynasty paints
- Necrons — Novokh Dynasty paints
Compare the paints in this scheme
- Abaddon Black vs Vallejo Black — is the cheaper paint a match?
- Leadbelcher vs Vallejo Cold Grey — is the cheaper paint a match?
- Leadbelcher vs The Army Painter Shining Silver — is the cheaper paint a match?
- Mephiston Red vs Vallejo Bloody Red — is the cheaper paint a match?
Related
- All faction paint lists
- Paint Converter — swap any colour to another brand.
- All paint comparisons — Citadel vs Vallejo & Army Painter, side by side.
- Vallejo conversion chart — the whole Citadel range at a glance.
- Best starter paints for Warhammer