How to Paint Orruk Warclans — Colour Schemes Guide

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

Learning how to paint Orruk Warclans means learning two very different looks. The army is made up of the Ironjawz, big armoured brutes in heavy iron plate, and the Kruleboyz, sneaky swamp-dwelling orruks in rusty metal and scraps of leather. This guide gives you a full step-by-step recipe for the classic Ironjawz scheme of green skin and yellow iron, a separate recipe for Kruleboyz, and tested paint lists for a few other armour colours.

Essential Paints and Tools for Orruk Warclans

Here is the shopping list for the classic Ironjawz green skin and yellow iron scheme. The Kruleboyz recipe further down uses a few extra paints.

Citadel Paint List

Primer: Wraithbone
Base/Skin: Ork Flesh (Contrast), or Waaagh! Flesh if you prefer to layer
Armour: Averland Sunset for yellow iron, Leadbelcher for bare metal
Details: Mephiston Red for check patterns, Rhinox Hide for leather
Washes/Shades: Biel-Tan Green for skin, Agrax Earthshade for armour
Highlights: Skarsnik Green for skin, Yriel Yellow for armour
Basing: Stirland Mud with Mordheim Turf tufts

Recommended Tools

Brushes: A Size 1 Layer brush for detail work, a Medium Base brush for larger areas, and a Medium Dry brush for drybrushing
Palette: A wet palette keeps paints workable for longer, which helps when you’re layering the big armour plates
Water pot: Two pots, one for rinsing and one with clean water for thinning paints
Hobby knife and clippers: For cleaning mould lines before you prime
Plastic glue or super glue: Depending on whether you are working with push-fit or multi-part kits

Step-by-Step Painting Guide: Classic Ironjawz Scheme

This section walks you through the classic green skin and yellow iron scheme. Each step builds on the last, so follow them in order. We use Ironjawz Brutes as the example, but the same steps work for any armoured Ironjawz model.

Step 1: Preparation and Priming

Assemble your models and clean the mould lines with a hobby knife, especially on the big flat armour plates, where any line will show. Consider leaving shields, riders and heavily overlapping parts off until they’re painted, so you can reach everything.

Prime with Wraithbone. Spray in short bursts from about 20 to 30 cm away, turning the model between passes. Two thin coats beat one heavy one. A light primer matters for this scheme: yellow covers badly over dark colours, and Contrast skin needs a pale surface to shade properly.

Step 2: Base Colours

Thin your paints with a little water, roughly two parts paint to one part water, so they flow without leaving brushstrokes. Work from the largest areas to the smallest.

Start with the skin: one coat of Ork Flesh Contrast, or two thin coats of Waaagh! Flesh. Next do the armour plates in Averland Sunset, which usually needs two coats for smooth yellow, and any bare metal in Leadbelcher. Take care where armour meets skin. Finally pick out the details: Mephiston Red for check patterns and glyphs, Rhinox Hide for straps and leather.

Step 3: Washes and Shading

Shade the skin with Biel-Tan Green (skip this if you used Contrast, which shades itself) and the armour and metal with Agrax Earthshade. On the yellow plates, a recess wash works better than an all-over wash: run the shade into the gaps around rivets and plate edges and keep it off the flat panels, or the yellow will go muddy.

Use the tip of a clean, damp brush to wick away any pooling, and let the wash dry fully before moving on, at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4: Layering and Highlighting

Bring the brightness back with Skarsnik Green on the skin and Yriel Yellow on the armour. On skin, highlight the raised muscles, knuckles, brows, cheekbones and the bridge of the nose. On armour, edge highlight the top edges of each plate and the rivets by running the side of the brush along them. Ironjawz armour has lots of big, chunky edges, so this step reads very clearly at tabletop distance.

Step 5: Checks, Weapons and Details

Chequered patterns on shields, shoulder plates and banners are the signature Ironjawz detail. See the FAQ below for a simple method. Black checks on yellow are the classic look; red checks in Mephiston Red work too.

For weapons, base with Leadbelcher, wash with Nuln Oil, and highlight the cutting edges with Stormhost Silver. Wooden hafts can be painted with Mournfang Brown, washed with Agrax Earthshade and highlighted with Baneblade Brown. Teeth and claws look good in Ushabti Bone with an Agrax Earthshade wash.

Step 6: Basing

Texture the base with Stirland Mud, drybrush the dried texture with a light tan or bone colour, then add Mordheim Turf tufts. Paint the rim in Abaddon Black or Steel Legion Drab for a clean finish. Keep the base fairly muted so it doesn’t fight the bright yellow armour.

How to Paint Kruleboyz

Kruleboyz are the other half of the Orruk Warclans battletome, and they need a different approach. Instead of polished plate they wear rusty metal, rough leather and scraps of cloth, and their skin is usually a paler, more olive or yellowish swamp green. Gutrippaz are a good model to practise on.

Primer: Wraithbone or Grey Seer
Skin: Elysian Green base, Athonian Camoshade wash, Ogryn Camo highlight on knuckles, brows and noses. For speed, a pale green Contrast or Speedpaint over Wraithbone does the same job in one coat.
Rusty metal: Warplock Bronze or Leadbelcher, a coat of Typhus Corrosion, then a light stipple of Ryza Rust on raised areas
Leather and cloth: Rhinox Hide or Mournfang Brown, washed with Agrax Earthshade
Warpaint and shield designs: An off-white such as Ushabti Bone, or Mephiston Red, so the designs stand out against the dull greens and browns
Bases: Stirland Mud with dark brown washes in the low spots and a few tufts. Gloss varnish or a water effect in the dips gives a swampy look.

Kruleboyz suit a grubbier finish than Ironjawz. Drybrushing and rust effects do most of the work, so you can skip careful edge highlighting on the metal.

Alternative Armour Colours for Ironjawz

Yellow iron is the classic look, but the steps above work for any armour colour. Only the paints change. Here are three schemes with full paint lists.

Red iron

Red armour is a popular alternative, and Bloodtoofs-themed armies often use it. Prime with Chaos Black or Mechanicus Standard Grey, base the armour in Mephiston Red (two coats), shade the recesses with Nuln Oil or Carroburg Crimson, then edge highlight with Evil Sunz Scarlet and a finer line of Wild Rider Red. Black or bone-coloured checks work well against red.

Stuck on a paint scheme? Roll a colour scheme with Citadel paint suggestions.

Generate a scheme →

Dark iron

For a grim, heavy-metal look, leave the armour as bare metal. Prime Chaos Black, base the plates in Leadbelcher, wash with Nuln Oil, drybrush with Necron Compound, and pick out the sharpest edges with Stormhost Silver. Use a single bright spot colour such as Mephiston Red or Averland Sunset on shields and glyphs so the army doesn’t look flat.

Orange and black

Prime Wraithbone and base the armour in Fire Dragon Bright or Troll Slayer Orange. Shade with Fuegan Orange or Agrax Earthshade, then highlight with Lugganath Orange. Add black checks or hazard stripes in Abaddon Black. This sits between the classic yellow and the red scheme and is very readable on the table.

Speed Painting Orruk Warclans for Tabletop Standard

Orruks are well suited to Contrast paints, because the skin is the biggest area on most models. Prime with Wraithbone, apply Ork Flesh Contrast to all the skin, and use a yellow Contrast such as Iyanden Yellow on the armour. Paint the metal with Leadbelcher and a Nuln Oil wash. A quick drybrush of Skarsnik Green on the skin, plus a clean base, gets a unit to a solid tabletop standard.

Batch paint 5 to 10 models at a time, applying one colour to every model before moving on. You can come back later to add edge highlights and checks to the armour.

Painting Orruk Warclans for Different Unit Types

Infantry: Ironjawz Brutes and Kruleboyz Gutrippaz are best batch painted. On Brutes, put most of your effort into the armour edges. On Gutrippaz, the rusty metal and shields matter most.

Cavalry: Gore-gruntas add a second large area: the pig hide. Use a brown or grey-pink that contrasts with the green skin of the riders, so the rider and mount read as separate shapes.

Heroes and monsters: Models such as a Megaboss on Maw-krusha or a Kruleboyz Killaboss on Corpse-rippa Vulcha are your centrepieces. Use the base-wash-drybrush method on large areas of hide, then spend your time on the face, the rider and any banners or freehand. An airbrush helps with smooth gradients on big monsters but isn’t necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What primer should I use for Orruk Warclans?

Wraithbone is the best primer for the classic green skin and yellow iron scheme, because yellow and Contrast paints both need a light undercoat. For the red or dark iron schemes, Chaos Black works well. Mechanicus Standard Grey is a neutral middle ground that suits almost any scheme.

How long does it take to paint an Orruk Warclans army?

It depends heavily on the models you choose and your experience. As a rough guide, an infantry model takes 1 to 2 hours to a good tabletop standard, while a big hero or monster can take 5 to 15 hours. Contrast paints and batch painting can roughly halve the time for infantry. Ironjawz armies tend to have fewer, larger models than Kruleboyz.

Can I use Contrast paints for the entire Orruk Warclans army?

Yes. Over Wraithbone, Contrast works very well for orruk skin, leather and cloth. For the best results, combine it with a drybrush highlight and use normal metallic paints for weapons and armour. Yellow Contrast on big flat armour plates can look streaky, so many painters use Averland Sunset there instead.

What are the best brushes for painting Orruk Warclans?

A Size 1 detail brush handles most work, including edge highlighting. A Size 0 or 00 helps with eyes, teeth and the finest details. A Medium Base brush speeds up large areas, and a Medium Dry brush is essential for drybrushing. Quality sable brushes such as the Winsor and Newton Series 7 hold their point much longer than synthetic brushes.

How do I strip paint from Orruk Warclans models if I make a mistake?

Soak plastic models in isopropyl alcohol (90 percent or higher) or a dedicated miniature paint stripper for 12 to 24 hours, then scrub gently with an old toothbrush. This removes acrylic paint without damaging the plastic. For resin models, use a gentler solution such as Simple Green. If you’re unsure, test on a spare part or sprue first.

Should I varnish my painted Orruk Warclans models?

Yes, for any models you plan to game with. Munitorum Varnish spray or a brush-on matte varnish protects the paint from handling and transport. For metal you want to keep shiny, apply gloss varnish first and then matte varnish everywhere else. A gloss coat in the puddles also helps with the swampy look on Kruleboyz bases.

Ready to explore more about this faction? Check out our Orruk Warclans army guide for tactics and army lists to go with your newly painted army.

How do you paint Kruleboyz skin?

Kruleboyz usually have a paler, more olive or yellowish swamp green than the darker greens used on Ironjawz. A quick method is a Contrast or Speedpaint green over Wraithbone, then a light highlight on knuckles, brows and cheekbones. Pair it with rusty metal, leathery browns and muddy bases to give the army its swampy look.

How do you paint the chequered pattern on orruk armour?

Paint the lighter colour first, then mark a light grid of thin lines across the plate with the darker colour, following the curve and shape of the armour rather than ruler-straight lines. Fill in alternating squares with the dark colour and tidy any edges with the light colour afterwards. Larger squares are far easier and read better at tabletop distance than tiny ones.