Part of our World Eaters hub: every World Eaters guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place.

How to Paint World Eaters — Step by Step Guide

Paints You Will Need

Step 1 — Assembly and Preparation

World Eaters Berzerkers come with dynamic, action-heavy poses. Clean mould lines carefully, particularly along the legs and arms where they are most visible. For the newer plastic Berzerker kits, the models are push-fit but benefit from plastic glue for a stronger bond.

Consider adding extra trophies, skulls, and chains from your bits box. World Eaters thrive on excessive detail — the more brutal the better. Skull piles, impaled helmets, and dangling chain accessories all add to the savage look.

Step 2 — Priming

For the red scheme, prime the model with Chaos Black spray, then follow with a zenithal coat of Mephiston Red spray from above. The zenithal approach leaves natural shadows in the lower recesses while giving bright red coverage on the upper surfaces. If you do not have the red spray, prime black and apply two coats of Mephiston Red by brush.

For the pre-Heresy scheme, prime with Corax White spray instead.

Step 3 — Basecoating the Red Armour (Khorne Scheme)

If you used the red spray, most of the work is done. Touch up any areas that need better coverage with Mephiston Red base paint. Make sure all armour panels have solid, even red coverage. Use Khorne Red in the deepest recesses between armour plates for added depth — this is a darker, cooler red that creates natural shadow.

Step 4 — Brass Trim and Metallics

Apply Brass Scorpion to all trim, helmet crests, belt buckles, and decorative elements. World Eaters have less ornate trim than Thousand Sons, but the brass still needs careful application. Paint Leadbelcher on chainaxe blades, bolt pistol barrels, chains, and any exposed mechanical parts.

Apply Retributor Armour to any Khorne icons, skull trophies, and special details you want to stand out from the general brass.

Step 5 — Shade Washes

Apply Agrax Earthshade over all the brass areas. This warm wash adds depth and makes the brass look worn and ancient. Apply Nuln Oil over the Leadbelcher metal areas and into the recesses of the red armour. The Nuln Oil in the red recesses adds grimy depth that suits the World Eaters aesthetic.

For the red armour panels, you can also use Carroburg Crimson shade for a more subtle, colour-matched shadow if you prefer a cleaner look. However, Nuln Oil gives a grimier result that works better for World Eaters.

Step 6 — Layering and Highlighting the Red

Apply Evil Sunz Scarlet as a layer colour over the red armour panels. Focus on the upper two-thirds of each panel, leaving the shaded Mephiston Red in the lower portions. This creates a top-lit effect that adds volume to the armour.

Edge highlight with Wild Rider Red along all the hard edges of the armour. World Eaters armour has chunky, aggressive shapes, so bold edge highlights look great. Do not worry about being overly precise — slightly rough highlights add to the battle-worn feel.

Step 7 — Highlighting the Metals

Highlight the brass trim with Sycorax Bronze on the upper edges. Add small dots of Stormhost Silver to the sharpest corners. Highlight the Leadbelcher areas with Ironbreaker on the blade edges and raised details.

Step 8 — Butcher’s Nails Glow Effect

The Butcher’s Nails are the neural implants that drive World Eaters into their killing frenzy. On the models, these appear as cables and ports on the helmet and skull. Paint these areas with Warpstone Glow, then highlight with Moot Green. For an OSL effect, thin Moot Green heavily and glaze it around the cable ports to suggest an eerie glow emanating from within.

Paint the eye lenses with Warpstone Glow as a base, then add a dot of Moot Green and a tiny speck of white for a reflective look.

Step 9 — Weathering

Weathering is essential for World Eaters. Apply Typhus Corrosion to lower legs, feet, weapon shafts, and chain links. This creates a grimy, corroded texture. Once dry, drybrush Ryza Rust over the Typhus Corrosion areas for orange rust streaks.

For battle damage, use a small sponge (torn from a blister pack) dipped in Abaddon Black and dab it lightly on edges and flat armour panels. Then add a thin line of Leadbelcher inside each black chip to simulate exposed metal beneath chipped paint. Focus damage on the shoulder pads, knee pads, and helmet — the areas that would take the most hits.

Step 10 — Blood Effects

Blood for the Blood God technical paint is your best friend here. Apply it to chainaxe teeth, fist weapons, lower legs, and anywhere that would logically be splattered with blood. Use a small brush and flick it toward the model from close range to create fine blood spatter. You can also drip it from weapon edges for a trailing blood look.

Start with less blood than you think you need. You can always add more, but removing it is difficult. A common mistake is overloading the model — even World Eaters look better with strategic blood placement rather than being completely drenched.

Step 11 — Basing

World Eaters look fantastic on rubble or urban destruction bases. Apply Stirland Mud or Astrogranite Debris as a base texture. Add small pieces of cork for rubble and glue on a few spare skulls from the Citadel Skulls box. Drybrush the base with Administratum Grey, then add splashes of Blood for the Blood God around the model’s feet and on nearby skulls.

Alternative Colour Scheme — Pre-Heresy War Hounds (White and Blue)

The pre-Heresy World Eaters wore white armour with blue shoulder pads and the legion symbol in red. This is a challenging but striking scheme.

Prime with Corax White spray. Apply Ceramite White or two thin coats of Corax White paint over the armour. Shade recesses carefully with thinned Apothecary White Contrast or very diluted Drakenhof Nightshade. Layer with White Scar on upper panels. Paint the shoulder pads Macragge Blue, shade with Drakenhof Nightshade, and highlight with Caledor Sky.

The beauty of this scheme is that you can add progressive blood staining and damage to show the legion’s descent into madness. Models on the left of a display can be clean white, gradually becoming more blood-soaked toward the right, telling the story of the Heresy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best primer for World Eaters?

For the red Khorne scheme, prime with Chaos Black followed by a zenithal of Mephiston Red spray. For the pre-Heresy white scheme, use Corax White spray. The zenithal method on the red scheme gives you built-in shadows and speeds up the painting process significantly.

How do I make blood effects look realistic?

Use Blood for the Blood God technical paint and apply it in layers. Start with dried blood (mix Blood for the Blood God with a tiny amount of Rhinox Hide) in areas where blood would have dried, then add fresh, glossy Blood for the Blood God on weapon edges and recent impact points. The contrast between old and fresh blood sells the effect.

Should I paint World Eaters with the Khorne symbol on every model?

Not necessarily. The newer kits come with Khorne symbols moulded on, which you should paint. For freehand, adding the symbol to one shoulder pad per model is sufficient. Use Khorne Red or Mephiston Red for the symbol on brass or gold surfaces.

How do I paint the Butcher’s Nails cables?

Base them with Leadbelcher, wash with Nuln Oil, then pick out individual cable ridges with Warpstone Glow and Moot Green for the neural glow. The contrast between dark metal cables and bright green glow creates a sinister, technological look.

Can I use Contrast paints for World Eaters?

Yes. Flesh Tearers Red Contrast over a Wraithbone or Grey Seer primer gives a rich, deep red with built-in shading. It works especially well for batch painting. Add edge highlights with Evil Sunz Scarlet over the Contrast for a polished finish.

For more on the World Eaters army, rules, and strategies, visit our World Eaters army guide.

How do you paint World Eaters skin?

A simple recipe is a Bugman’s Glow basecoat, a Reikland Fleshshade wash, then a Cadian Fleshtone layer and Kislev Flesh highlights on the cheekbones, brow and knuckles. Many Berzerkers have scarred, bare heads, so add a little thinned Blood for the Blood God to scars and the Butcher’s Nails ports for a brutal finish.

How do you paint a World Eaters army quickly?

Use the red spray and batch paint. Prime black, add a zenithal coat of Mephiston Red spray, then do the brass, metals and wash on 5 to 10 models at a time. A single Evil Sunz Scarlet edge highlight and a touch of Blood for the Blood God gets a squad table-ready fast, and you can add Wild Rider Red highlights later.

Related Content

• World Eaters Army Guide — full army overview for World Eaters
• Warhammer Painting for Beginners — start painting with confidence
• Best Paints for Warhammer — our top paint recommendations