Games Workshop has made a pro-style paint range. Warhammer Tone Pro was announced at the Big Autumn Preview and is GW’s answer to triad and quintet systems like Warpaints Fanatic and Pro Acryl. You no longer need to memorise which three oddly named pots go together. Each colour comes in five numbered tones, from dark to light. This guide explains how the system works, what it costs, how to use it, and whether it’s worth buying.
What is Warhammer Tone Pro?
- 30 colour families × 5 tones = 150 paints, plus 2 mediums.
- Tones are numbered 1 (darkest) to 5 (lightest). A paint is named by its family and a number, like Megaboss Yellow 3 or Bloodtoof Red 5.
- Four new drybrushes (XS, S, M, L) launched alongside the paints.
- 12ml pots, the same size as the main range.
Tone Pro sits alongside the existing range; it doesn’t replace it. In March 2026 Citadel Colour was renamed Warhammer Colour with the same paint inside, and Base, Layer, Shade and Contrast are all still there. Tone Pro is an extra system for painters who want ready-made highlight steps.
Release date and price
- In-store try-outs: from 26 September 2026
- Pre-orders: 10 October 2026
- On shelves: 24 October 2026 (with a collectable Tone Pro coin while stocks last)
- Reported price: about £4.10 / US$6.75 / €5.45 per pot
Reviewers point out that, per ml, this makes Tone Pro one of the most expensive miniature paints on the market. Our best paints for Warhammer roundup and Citadel vs Vallejo vs Army Painter comparison show how it compares on value.
How the five tones work
The tones aren’t simply the midtone with black or white mixed in. Each tone has its own pigment mix. That has a few effects:
- Tone 3 is usually the most vibrant, but occasionally tone 2 or 4 is.
- Tone 1 leans muted and tone 5 leans pastel. Mixing 1 and 5 together won’t give you tone 3.
- A few families, notably the yellows and some skin tones, have a narrow value range, so neighbouring steps can look almost the same.
Practical tip: most painters will get by with tones 1, 3 and 5. Treat 2 and 4 as convenience steps for smoother blends, not as must-buys.
How to paint with Tone Pro
Classic layering
Basecoat with tone 3, shade recesses with tone 2 → 1, then highlight with tone 4 → 5 on smaller and smaller raised areas. It’s the standard layering method with the colour choices already made for you.
Edge highlighting
This is where Tone Pro is strongest. The paint is strongly pigmented, so a single pass of undiluted tone 4 or 5 is often enough for a clean edge highlight.
Drybrushing
Start with tone 1 over the whole area, then drybrush progressively lighter tones over smaller areas. Reviewers say soft, domed brushes (including the new Tone Pro drybrushes or makeup brushes) give very smooth transitions without much chalkiness.
Blending and glazing
Strong pigment makes glazing and feathering harder. Thin heavily or use the Blending Medium, which slows drying so you have more time for wet blending. The Shading Medium turns any Tone Pro colour into a wash, but it’s more opaque than a traditional shade. Testers rated it below Lahmian Medium or Contrast Medium for glazes.
Airbrushing
It sprays well with a little airbrush thinner, and the whites go on smoother than most.
Coverage and finish
- Bright colours (whites, yellows, oranges, reds, light greens) cover well. Most colours still need around three thin coats to go fully opaque, because the pigment settles into recesses.
- The paint is thinner than Layer paints, very smooth and self-levelling, with no visible brushstrokes.
- Drying time is longer than Warhammer Colour. A thick coat can take up to 20 minutes.
- The finish is satin-matte for most colours, though the blues dry slightly glossier.
Tone Pro vs other paints
| Tone Pro | Warhammer Colour | Warpaints Fanatic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| System | 5 numbered tones per colour | Individually named Base/Layer/Shade | Triads/sextets per colour |
| Consistency | Thin, smooth, self-levelling | Thicker Base, thinner Layer | Smooth, self-levelling |
| Strength | Edge highlights, clear colour ramps | Huge range, coverage of Base paints | Value, dropper bottles |
| Weakness | Price per ml, pot lids, harder glazing | Recipes to memorise | Some colour families weaker |
Reviewers see Tone Pro as a clear step up from Warhammer Colour in paint quality. It matches, rather than beats, premium rivals like Pro Acryl and Two Thin Coats. Its real advantage is the simple, numbered system.
Is Tone Pro worth it?
Yes, if you’re an army painter who wants a quick, repeatable recipe across a lot of models. Tone 1 to 3 to 5 on every model is very easy to repeat, which suits batch painting in particular. It’s less useful for display painters who already mix their own tones and do a lot of glazing.
Our advice is to buy one or two colour families for your army’s main colour before committing to the whole range. Use our colour scheme generator to decide which colours you’ll actually use.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Warhammer Tone Pro paints are there?
150: 30 colour families in five tones each, plus a Shading Medium and a Blending Medium.
When did Tone Pro release?
Pre-orders opened 10 October 2026, and the paints went on sale on 24 October 2026, after in-store try-outs from 26 September.
Does Tone Pro replace Citadel / Warhammer Colour?
No. It’s an additional range. Warhammer Colour (the renamed Citadel Colour) carries on unchanged.
Do I need all five tones?
No. Tones 1, 3 and 5 cover shadow, midtone and highlight. Tones 2 and 4 give smoother steps if you want them.
Are Tone Pro paints in dropper bottles?
No. They come in pots. Images of Tone Pro dropper bottles circulating online are edits.
Can you mix Tone Pro with Warhammer Colour or Contrast paints?
Yes. Tone Pro paints are water-based acrylics like the rest of the Warhammer range, so you can mix them on the palette or use them over and under Base, Layer, Shade and Contrast paints. Many painters will use Tone Pro for one main colour and keep their existing paints for everything else.
Do you need to thin Tone Pro paints?
Usually only a little. Tone Pro is already thinner than Layer paints and self-levelling, and a single pass of undiluted tone 4 or 5 often works for edge highlights. For glazing and feathering, thin it heavily with water or use the Blending Medium, because the strong pigment otherwise makes smooth glazes hard.