Necrons are some of the easiest Warhammer 40k models to get looking good, because their smooth metal bodies reward simple techniques. You don’t need an airbrush or years of practice to field a decent silver-and-green army. This guide walks through the classic approach, step by step.
What you need to get started
Prime black. A black undercoat does half the work for you: any recess the spray can’t reach stays dark, which reads as shadow and makes the silver pop later.
Stick to a small paint list. You’ll want a silver base, a black wash, a couple of silver highlights, and a green for the energy glow. That’s genuinely enough for a whole army.
- Chaos Black spray primer
- Leadbelcher for the silver base
- Nuln Oil for shading the metal
- Ironbreaker and a brighter silver for highlights
- Tesseract Glow or Moot Green for the green energy
- A white for the eye dot
The fast method: drybrush and wash
This is the tabletop-standard approach, and it’s quick. Prime black, then drybrush the whole model with your silver base. The black primer stays in the deepest recesses while the silver catches every raised edge.
Wash all the metal with Nuln Oil and let it settle into the recesses. This step matters most, because it’s what gives the flat armour depth. Once it’s dry, drybrush a brighter silver over the raised surfaces to bring the shine back.
Paint the green last. Apply Tesseract Glow or Moot Green to the energy rods, chest gem, and eye sockets, then dot a tiny white spot on each eye for the reflection. A matte varnish finishes it off.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prime black |
| 2 | Drybrush silver over the whole model |
| 3 | Wash all metal with Nuln Oil |
| 4 | Drybrush a brighter silver on raised areas |
| 5 | Paint green energy, add white eye dots |
| 6 | Matte varnish and base |
Basing and details
Necron bases are usually a quick texture job. A sandy texture paint, a couple of drybrush layers, a brown wash, and a black rim gets them done fast.
If you want gold accents on characters or vehicles, paint them after the silver and wash so they don’t get muddied. Keep the green glow as the focal point, since that’s what makes a Necron army read as Necrons on the table.
Going further, and how it ties to the lore
Once you’re comfortable, you can push into non-metallic metal or object source lighting, where the green glow appears to cast light onto nearby surfaces. That’s the style you’ll see on competition pieces.
The silver-and-green look isn’t arbitrary. Necrons are ancient, self-repairing machines, so clean metal with glowing energy reads as ‘living metal’ waking up. That’s why the scheme has stuck for decades.
Paint names and ranges do change, so check the current Citadel app or your Necrons Codex if a colour here has been renamed or discontinued.
Key facts
- Necrons are one of the most beginner-friendly armies to paint thanks to their smooth metal surfaces.
- The classic scheme is dark silver armour with green energy glow.
- Black primer does a lot of the shading work for you.
- Nuln Oil over the metal is the single most important step for depth.
- A basic Warrior takes about 20 to 30 minutes with drybrushing and washes.
FAQ
What’s the easiest way to paint Necrons?
Prime black, drybrush silver over the whole model, wash with Nuln Oil, then drybrush a brighter silver on the raised edges. Finish with green energy on the rods and eyes.
How long does it take to paint a Necron Warrior?
With the drybrush and wash method, a single Warrior takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes once you’ve got the steps down.
Do I need an airbrush to paint Necrons?
No. An airbrush helps with smooth blends and larger vehicles, but the classic silver-and-green scheme works fine with brushes alone.