Death Guard are among the most satisfying armies to paint in Warhammer 40,000 — their corroded, diseased aesthetic rewards the same kinds of weathering and texturing techniques that beginners find most accessible. Chipping, rust, slime, and Nurgle’s rot all work with thin-paint technique rather than against it. This guide covers how to paint Death Guard from primer to basing, including three colour schemes.
The fastest way to start a Death Guard army. Includes a Chaos Lord, 10 Plague Marines, 20 Poxwalkers, and a Foul Blightspawn — all the models you’ll need to start painting the tutorials in this guide.
Check price on Amazon →Accuracy note: Paint names and techniques in this guide are current as of mid-2025. GW updates paint ranges regularly — cross-check paint names against the current Citadel Colour range before purchasing.
What Makes Death Guard Unique to Paint
Death Guard are slow, heavily armoured Chaos Space Marines dedicated to Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and decay. Their models are covered in pustules, cracked armour, rot, intestinal tubes, and Nurglings — making them extraordinarily detailed and rewarding to paint. Unlike most armies where you aim for clean, pristine armour, Death Guard specifically benefit from:
- Sponge weathering — creating chipped, worn paint effects with a torn sponge
- Rust streaking — thin lines of rust colour drawn downward from metal areas
- Verdigris effects — green-blue oxidation on brass and copper areas
- Nurgle’s Rot technical paint — a translucent slime effect that works on pustules, wounds, and Nurglings
- Texture pastes — used generously on bases to imply diseased, polluted ground
| Product | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Chaos Black Primer | Standard primer for dark palette schemes | Check price → |
| Citadel Paints & Tools Set | Starter paint collection | Check price → |
Death Guard Colour Schemes
Standard Death Guard (Official Scheme)
The official Mortarion’s Sons scheme: pale creamy armour panels with green recesses and extensive weathering. The armour base is Death Guard Green (a desaturated, slightly warm green-grey) with Agrax Earthshade in all recesses. The trim and details are primarily Warplock Bronze → Hashut Copper, with Typhus Corrosion technical paint adding authentic rust texture to metal areas. Nurgling Green is used for skin and pustule tones.
Pale Sickly Scheme (off-white armour)
Some Death Guard painters prefer a paler, more sickly armour colour — Rakarth Flesh or Pallid Wych Flesh as the armour base, with Agrax Earthshade washes and Seraphim Sepia for warm, diseased discolouration. This scheme emphasises the diseased, deteriorated nature of the armour by making it look bleached and sick rather than green. Contrasts sharply with green flesh tones, making the organic elements pop.
Chaos Black Iron Warriors-Inspired (Dark Scheme)
A darker scheme using Leadbelcher metallic armour panels as the base — entirely metallic with Nuln Oil wash and Typhus Corrosion rust effects. Combined with verdigris (Nihilakh Oxide over Warplock Bronze), this scheme looks exceptionally corroded and ancient. Faster to paint than the official scheme and extremely effective for a pessimistic, rusted warband aesthetic.
How to Paint Death Guard: Step by Step (Official Scheme)
- Prime with Chaos Black. Death Guard work best over black primer — the dark base enhances the weathered, grimy appearance and makes the subsequent green armour colour look dirtier and more realistic.
- Base coat the armour in Death Guard Green. Apply 2 thin coats. This is a unique desaturated green-grey — it has none of the brightness of standard greens, which is precisely what gives Death Guard their distinctive pallor. Ensure full coverage, but thin the paint to preserve sculpt detail.
- Apply Agrax Earthshade to all armour recesses. Agrax is a warm brown wash that creates shadows in all the panel gaps, damage marks, and textured areas. Apply it carefully to recesses rather than flooding entire armour panels — Death Guard armour has so much surface texture that a recessed wash gives better results than an overall wash.
- Base coat the metal areas. Warplock Bronze for all trim, trophy racks, and decorative brass elements. Leadbelcher for bolter casings and other silver metal areas.
- Apply Typhus Corrosion to bronze areas. This technical paint creates authentic rust texture — apply it heavily to the base of bronze trim areas and around joints where corrosion would naturally accumulate. Brush it on thick and let it pool in texture — this is one case where you do not thin the paint.
- Drybrush with Ryza Rust over Typhus Corrosion. A light drybrush of bright orange-brown over the Typhus Corrosion areas creates a bright rust colour on raised points, contrasting with the darker corrosion underneath. The combination is remarkably effective and requires almost no skill to apply.
- Paint Nurglings and flesh. Nurgling Green for the small Nurgling demons. Cadian Fleshtone for any exposed marine skin — Death Guard marines may have rotted flesh visible through cracked armour. Apply Druchii Violet shade over skin areas to add a sickly purple-grey undertone.
- Paint pustules and organic elements. Base in Nurgling Green or Pallid Wych Flesh, then apply Iyanden Yellow or Casandora Yellow wash to create a sickly, infected appearance. Small dots of Nurglings Green on the raised pustule surfaces complete the effect.
- Apply Nurgle’s Rot technical paint. This is the finishing move for Death Guard models — apply it generously to wounds, Nurgling mouths, slime tubes, and any organic openings. It dries translucent and slimy, creating a repulsive but authentic Nurgle effect that no other technique matches.
- Drybrush armour edges (optional). A very light drybrush of Deathworld Forest or Ogryn Camo on the armour edge highlights breaks up the flat Death Guard Green and adds a slight dirt/organic buildup appearance to edges — appropriate for corroded armour.
- Complete the base. Stirland Mud or Agrellan Badlands texture paint for a cracked, diseased earth effect. Drybrush with Karak Stone or Ushabti Bone. Add Nurgle-appropriate details: patches of green static grass, dead brown tufts, or Typhus Corrosion on any exposed rocks to tie the base to the army’s Nurgle theme.
- Varnish. Apply matte varnish. For a particularly slimy, diseased look, consider a satin varnish as the final coat — it enhances the organic, wet appearance of the Nurgle elements without making armour look obviously shiny.
Weathering Techniques for Death Guard
Sponge Chipping
Tear a small piece from a foam blister pack or kitchen sponge to create an irregular sponging surface. Dip it lightly into a dark brown/black paint (Rhinox Hide or Abaddon Black), dab most of it off on a paper towel, then stipple lightly onto armour panels. The irregular texture creates convincing paint chips and battle damage that takes 2 minutes per model and looks like hours of work.
Rust Streaking
Add rust streaks by loading a small brush with thinned Typhus Corrosion or Ryza Rust, placing the brush tip at a point where rust would naturally form (bolt heads, joints, damage chips), and dragging downward. The direction matters — rust always streaks downward under gravity. Apply 3–5 streaks per armour panel. This single step can transform an average Death Guard paint job into a convincingly decayed one.
Verdigris (Green Oxidation)
Apply Nihilakh Oxide technical paint to raised areas of bronze trim after the Typhus Corrosion step. The blue-green verdigris colour contrasts with the rust and dark bronze, adding colour variety and increasing the sense of age. Less is more — apply to the upper edges and most exposed areas where rain and moisture would accumulate, not over the entire trim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour is Death Guard armour?
The official GW scheme uses Death Guard Green — a desaturated, slightly warm grey-green that is deliberately muted rather than bright. It is significantly different from other Citadel greens and is a key part of what makes the faction’s appearance distinctive. The armour is always paired with Agrax Earthshade shading and extensive rust and weathering effects.
How long does it take to paint Death Guard?
A tabletop-quality Death Guard Plague Marine takes 30–45 minutes with the approach described above. Primaris-scaled Death Guard models (the standard multipart marine kits) have less surface detail and take slightly less time. A full 10-man squad can be completed in 5–8 hours using batch painting techniques — all models at the same stage before moving to the next step.
Can I use Contrast paints for Death Guard?
Yes — Plaguebearer Flesh Contrast paint works well for quick Death Guard flesh and organic elements. For the armour, Death Guard Green as a traditional base coat gives better results than any Contrast paint alternative because it is a precisely calibrated, desaturated colour that Contrast equivalents do not quite replicate. However, using Dark Angels Green or Militarum Green Contrast over Grey Seer primer can approximate the look in significantly less time.
What is Nurgle’s Rot used for?
Nurgle’s Rot is a GW Technical paint that dries as a translucent slime texture. It is applied to organic openings, wounds, Nurgling mouths, slime drips, and any area where a disgusting wet material would appear. It is one of the most effective technical paints in the range — the result is immediately convincing and requires no skill to apply. Apply it after all other painting and before varnish. Use satin or gloss varnish over Nurgle’s Rot areas specifically — matte varnish will reduce the wet slime appearance.
Is Death Guard a good beginner army to paint?
Yes — Death Guard are one of the most forgiving armies for beginner painters. The weathered, decayed aesthetic means that imperfect highlighting actually improves the result by adding to the battle-worn appearance. Techniques like sponge chipping and rust streaking are also beginner-accessible and produce impressive results immediately. The main complexity is the number of detail elements on each model — Plague Marines have significantly more individual elements to paint than standard Space Marines.