Wonderfully Weird World of Warhammer

It was 1998 when I was first introduced to Warhammer 40k. A few of my friends in Chess club, well most of my friends were from Chess Club, were playing with model soldiers in the library one lunch time. Being the curious sort, and as unofficial Warden of the Library, I would see what they were doing.

That's when I saw the little plastic men with their comically oversized shoulder pads and stubby little guns. Stright away I was hooked. Every other day I was in a shop called The Hope Chest, an arts and crafts store that whilst primarily used by those who did knitting, needlepoint, or crochet, also stocked up on the plastic little men known as Space Marines.

I had to have some.

I bought a box of Space Marines and a box of Skeletons from the Warhammer Fantasy section and kitbashed them into my custom chapter i called "The Hades Chapter." I wasn't aware kitbashing and custom chapters were a thing back in the late 90s but Iliked to do things differently, always have. Ask my wife, if there is a difficult way to do things guaranteed I will find it.

My plan to glue parts of the two kits together ultimately failed, largely because the superglue I was using at the time would've been more suited to gluing sheet metal together instead of fun-sized super soldiers. Eventually I would succeed in gluing some skeleton pieces, those not welded to my fingers by the over-the-shelf industrial superglue, only to bathe the model in the only two paints I had purchased at the time, Bleached Bone and Bubonic Brown.

The idea was to make soldiers that looked like they had just crawled out of the grave, I had backstories and eveything for these little plastic men. Looking back, if I had committed one iota of the energy I spent bringing these little guys to life on my schoolwork, things between my teachers and I may have been a tad more pleasant, but that is a story for another day.

Let us skip forward a few years; only because my hobbying took a sabatical, I would rejoin the Warhammer crowd at the tale end of 9th Edition, picking up the glass cannon army known as The Adeprtus Mechanicus, please hold all toaster jokes for anyone who gives a foxtrot uniform charlie kilo.

The designs of the models had only gotten better with time. The Tyranids weren't just an Alien rip-off, the Necrons were no longer dumpy looking T-800s (Terminator for those who may not know), and the Space Marines looked so much better thatn they did in the 90s. But still, Games Workshop had funny names for their paints which proved the point "No matter how much things change, they always stay the same." or something like that.

I would therefore, like to share with you lovely people the current line up of Warhammer Paints and the inspiration for these names. Some good, some bad, some bizarre.

Let's start with Base Paints because typically you have to basecoat your model before applying any paint to it.

Base Paint

• Corax White: Named after Corvus Corax, the Primarch of the 19th Legion, the Raven Guard. Great paint but use it quickly, once it seperates it becomes unusable.
• Grey Seer: A Grey Seer is a Skaven wizard. Skaven are the little rat men in Fantasy and Age of Sigmar.
• Celestra Grey: Celestra is a dying star somewhere in the 40K universe, an example of "What do we call this shade of grey?"
• Averland Sunset: Averland is one of the Empire of Man's southern counties, where Bavaria meets Austria IRL. The paint is named after their fondeness of yellow and not for the award winning sunsets in Averheim.
• Jokaero Orange: The Jokaero is the archnemesis of Bataeroman. Only joking. They are sentient Orangutans the Imperium uses in the Guard under "acceptable abhumans."
• Khorne Red: Khorne is the blood god, and what colour is blood? Well that depends on whether you are asking Doctor McCoy or Mr Spock.
• Mephiston Red: Mephiston is the badass Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels, this dude beat the Black Rage twice.
• Gal Vorbak Red: You son't see many Gal Vorbak outside of the Horus Heresy. Whilst it might sound like Gal Gadot's distant cousin, it is actually named after the elite Word Bearer Space Marines that allowed themselves to become "blessed" by allowing a demon to inhabit their body. Read The First Heretic because it is amazing and it will give you more info.
• Barak-Nar Burgundy: Barak-Nar is one of the skyports for the Kharadron Overlords in Age of Sigmar. The Kharadron are steampunk dwarves that fly around in awesome looking ships.
• Screamer Pink: A Screamer is lesse daemon of Tzeentch. It looks like a stingray had sex with a Styracosaurus. These things are predominantly blue, I am at a loss for what could be pink on this thing. Erm, nevermind, I'd rather not know.
• Daemonette Hide: Daemonettes are the hideously sexy lesser daemons of Slaanesh. One part lobster, one part woman, one part Baraka from Mortal Kombat
• Phoenician Purple: Named after Fulgrim, the Primarch of the 3rd Legion, the Emperor's Children. His whole army had a purple and gold fetish.
• Naggaroth Night: Whilst it sounds like a racial slur, Naggaroth is where the Dark Elves live in the Old World. It's real life location would be Canada, take what you will from that.
• Caledor Sky: Caledor is a mountainous region on the isles of Ulthuan, so only the Elves live there.
• Macragge Blue: Homeworld of the Ultramarines. Blue is their favourite colour. Cheese, movies, the Boyband and even the song. All things blue are loved on Macragge. Rumour has it, Guilliman's Blu-Ray
• Kantor Blue: A name like Pedro Kantor that this shade of blue is related to the Ultramarines but alas no, Pedro Kantor is the Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists who are an Imperial Fists successor.
• Night Lords Blue: In Midnight Clad, Ave Dominus Noctis. The Night Lords are the result of mixing a Space Marine with the Batman Who Laughs and seasoning with Megacity 1's Justice System.
• Thousand Sons Blue: Named for the army of Wizards and Dust powered robots, the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion.
• Stegadon Scale Green: Big Frikkin' Lizard in Warhammer Fantasy. You would think that it is related to the IRL Stegosaurus, but no. It's a Triceratops with a spikey tail.
• Lupercal Green: Horus Lupercal, Primarch of the 16th Legion, The Luna Wolves or Sons of Horus depending on who you ask.
• Incubi Darkness: The Incubi are a specialist Drukhari unit.
• Death Guard Green: Named after the 14th Legion, the Death Guard
• Deathworld Forest: A death world is a literal hell hole. Some are barren deserts such as Tallarn, some are radioactive tourist destinations such a Krieg, or some have flora and fauna that will kill you upon sight like Australia Catachan
• Castellan Green: A Castellan is the highest rank in the Cadian Armed Forces
• Death Korps Drab: This greyish colour is in honour of the trenchcoats your average Krieg trooper wears.
• Waaagh! Flesh: It is pronounced War, but in the accent of a cockney. The only race who commit a Waaagh! is the Orks. It's a shade of green.
• Caliban Green: Former homeworld of the Dark Angels, maybe it should be rebranded to Caliban Brown?
• Nocturne Green: Nocturne isn't known for being green, it is a reference to the green armour of the Salamanders, the 18th Legion
• Wraithbone: A magical material used by the Aeldari, they use it in everything. They use it like Wakanda use Vibranium.
• Morghast Bone: the Morghast are elite troops of Nagash when Nagash was just a necromancer trying to conquer Nehekhara
• Zandri Dust: Zandri was once a busy port in Nehekhara, until the Tomb Kings took control and it became a port of dust.
• XV-88: This yellow colour is named for the XV-88 Broadside Battlesuit, when the Tau were fans of beige and yellow.
• Steel Legion Drab: In a similar vein to Krieg Drab, it's the colour of the trenchcoats worn by the Armageddon Steel Legion.
• Mournfang Brown: Named after the Mournfang Cavalry, a heavy cavalry unit used by the Ogre Tribes.
• Rhinox Hide: A Rhinox is what happens when you take leftover rhinocerous parts and mix it with an Aberdeen Angus. It's big, it's hairy, and it has two horns.
• Dryad Bark: Dryads are treefolk
• Ionrach Skin : The Ionrach Enclave are one of the kingdoms of the Idoneth Deepkin, the race of Elves that lives under the sea.
• Rakarth Flesh: Now this is an interesting one. There is a Dark Elf in Warhammer Fantasy called Rakarth of Karond Kar, affectionately known as The Beastmaster. There is also Urien Rakarth, Drukhari Master Haemonculous of the Dark City if Commoragh. Funny how both are Dark "Elves"
• Ratskin Flesh: It's the skin colour of ratfolk
• Bugman's Glow: Bugman's is the most popular Beer in The Old World, Gotrek Gurnisson swears by it. The paint is named for the drunken glow patrons experience when inebriated
• Catachan Flesh: Do you like hot, sweaty beefcakes with an 80s Action Hero vibe? You'll love the Catachan. Named for the people who call Catachan home.
• The Fang: The Fortress Monastary of the Space Wolves
• Mechanicus Standard Grey: Apparantly the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus are fans of Grey? I always thought it was red
• Corvus Black: The second paint named after the Primarch of the Raven Guard
• Abaddon Black: Named after Ezekial Abaddon, former 1st Captain of the Luna Wolves/Sons of Horus, current Warmaster of Chaos and Warlord of the Black Legion.
• Grey Knights Steel: A nice silvery blue colour, can't say I've seen any Grey Knights with armour that isn't pure silver in colour
• Iron Hands Steel: Named for the 10th Legion, the Iron Hands.
• Leadbelcher: This would be an awesome name for a heavy metal band. A leadbelcher is an ogre artillery unit in Warhammer Fantasy
• Iron Warriors: Named for the 4th Legion, the Iron Warriors, who would've thought
• Retributor Armour: This comes from the Retributor unit from the Stormcast Eternals in Age of Sigmar. Retributors are a heavy infantry unit that swing massive Lightning Hammers or Starsoul Maces.
• Balthasar Gold: Named for the Master of Metal Magic, Balthasar Gelt.
• Screaming Bell: A screaming bell is an artillery unit the Skaven like to use, rumour is it is how they dispose of their garbage.
• Warplock Bronze: Warplock is a Warpstone powered black powder musket, or more specifically a Jezzail.
• Runelord Brass: Runelords are the greatest of the Dwarven Runesmiths
• Orruk Flesh: Orruks are what the AoS Orcs call themselves, all part of Gork & Mork's rebranding plans
• Hobgrot Hide: Hobgrots are sadistic little bastards. A specialist Grot unit for the Kruleboyz Orruk faction
• Thondia Brown: Thondia is a country in the realm of Ghur, which isn't a fun place to live at the best of times.

Layer

Layer paints are typically used after you've soaked your basecoated model in whatever shade or contrast the Citadel Three Step Method suggests. A lot of painters don't really give a damn and use them for whatever purposes they choose.

• White Scar: The White Scars, the 5th Legion, are known for their love of going really fast. Often described as being so fast they are like a white scar on the landscape. White armour BTW, is a bugger to paint and keep clean.
• Ulthuan Grey: Ulthuan is the home to the Elves in The Old World, kind of donut shaped island between Europe and North America on the map
• Dorn Yellow: Rogal Dorn, the Primarch not the tank, is the leader of the Imperial Fists who have a love for the colour Yellow. Which is funny given Dorn's armour was gold like dear old Dad's.
• Phalanx Yellow: The Phalanx is a giant frikkin' spacestation commanded by the Imperial Fists, none of it is yellow.
• Flash Gitz Yellow: Flash Gitz are orks who have spent considerable amount of Teef, which is currency to Orks, getting the best possible gear they can get their fungoid hands on. Each Flash Git will try to outdo other Flash Gitz to make their Snazzgun the best. There is one model out there with a bullet belt fed plasmagun, of course this is befor GW sanitised the Orks.
• Yriel Yellow: Prince Yriel, leader of the Aeldari Corsairs. The Jack Sparrow of the Aeldari
• Lugganath Orange: Lugganath is an Aeldari Craftworld where it's residents actually have the right idea. They want all the craftworlds to move into the webway and rebuild Aeldari civilisation away from the ever clutching grasp of She Who Thirsts. The other Aeldari however, think them to be nothing but pirates.
• Fire Dragon Bright: The Fire Dragons are a band of Aspect Warriors who love using flamethrowers and other fire based weaponry, they also love toasting marshmallows and making smores.
• Troll Slayer Orange: In The Old World, there was a band of Dwarves known as the Troll Slayers. These were Dwarves that had committed a crime or a sin in the eyes of Dwarven Law and were sentenced to fight until they died a heroic and/or meaningful death. Gotrek is perhaps the most famous member of the Slayers. They all die their hair a kind of orange red, let's just call it ginger, and hurl themselves at anything that looks like it would give a good fight.
• Squig Orange: Squigs are anything if not the most versatile creature in any Warhammer setting. You need a laser sight for a gun? There's a squig for that. You want a new hairdo? There's a squig for that. There is even a bagpipe squig
• Wild Rider Red: There are two Wild Riders in Warhammer. There is the Wood Elves' Wild Riders who wear mostly green, and then there is the jetbike riding Wild Riders of the Craftworld Saimm-Hann. This paint is named for the latter given the colour of their jetbikes, which must make it difficult telling two apart after a night in the pub.
• Evil Sunz Scarlet: Whilst Evil Sunz sounds like an Ork version of the Mafia, they are infact a clan of Orks who are part of the Kult of Speed. The Evil Sunz love going fast and all things that go fast, they are big beleiver that anything painted red will go faster, I dare you to challenge the Orks on this beleif.
• Wazdakka Red: Another fast Ork paint, this one is named for Wazzdakka Gutsmek.
• Word Bearers Red: This deep read is named for the 17th Legion, the Word Bearers, Warhammer 40K's version of those evangelical nutjobs you find across the world.
• Fulgrim Pink: One of two colours that Fulgrim loves.
• Emperor's Children: Like the paints named after other legions, this is named after the 3rd Legion, the Emperor's Children.
• Pink Horror: A Pink Horror is the 1st Form of this daemon of Tzeentch.
• Slaanesh Grey: I'm not entirely sure Slaanesh likes the colour grey, daemonettes and the odd Keeper of Secrets may have grey flesh
• Warpfiend Grey: Warpfiends are just another name for daemons
• Dechala Lilac: Dechala was once and Asur Princess, Elven Royalty, who became a heavily corrupted Champion of Slaanesh in The Old World. She has six arms and a snake-like tail. Fulgrim dreams of one day becoming as great as Dechala.
• Kakophoni Purple: Imagine that your surgeon one day decided to fit the most insane audio equipment you can fit into a car, such as the MTX Jackhammer, where your mouth, ears, and other vital parts would be. That is the Kakophoni
• Genestealer Purple: Genestealers aren't always purple, but the most popular ones are. Orks have a hard time fighting the purple ones
• Xereus Purple: Another paint with two names attached. One is the God of the Ending in The Old World, the other is a librarian for the Howling Griffons Space Marine Chapter. It's named after the god who is actually a pinkish purple, whereas the Howling Griffons look like Partick Thistle Supporters
• Blue Horror: Have you killed a Pink Horror? Congratulations, you now have two Blue Horrors. If you kill a Blue Horror it will split into two Brimstone Horrors which is the Horror's final form
• Hoeth Blue: Hoeth was the Elven God of Knowledge in The Old World.
• Lothern Blue: Lothern is the capital city of the Elven kingdom of Eataine
• Calgar Blue: Named for the Ultramarines Chapter Master Papa Smurf Marneus Calgar
• Teclis Blue: High Loremaster and master Elven mage
• Alaitoc Blue: Rangers of Craftworld Alaitoc like wearing blue, much like the Rangers of New York, Texas, and Glasgow
• Altdorf Guard Blue: Altdorf is the Imperial Capital City in TOW, or at least it is under the reigh of Karl Franz
• Baharroth Blue: Named for the Phoenix Lord of the Swooping Hawks, his armour is a dark Teal if you ask me
• Temple Guard Blue: Named for those that guard Temples
• Ahriman Blue: Ahzek Ahriman is the Herald of Tzeentch and one of the Thousand Sons' most powerful sorcerers.
• Sotek Green: Sotek is the Lizardmen God of the Skinks
• Gauss Blaster Green: The Necrons have a weapon, guess hwat colour it is?
• Sybarite Green: Sybarites are squad leaders in Drukhari factions
• Kabalite Green: Kabalites are among the footsoldiers of the Drukhari, not usually known for their love of green.
• Nurgling Green: Everyone loves the Nurglings; they're cute, funny, and sometimes sassy.
• Elysian Green: Feet first into Hell! Named for the Elysian Drop Troops
• Ogryn Camo: Ogryns aren't one for camouflage given their armour is usually taken from a Chimera or other tank found in the scrap yard.
• Straken Green: You would think a colour named after Iron Hand Straken would be a grey colour given his bionic half?
• Loren Forest: Loren Forest is the home of the Wood Elves in TOW and home to Athel Loren Football Club
• Sons of Horus Green: When Horus decided to rebrand the Luna Wolves into the Sons of Horus he changed the colour scheme from white to a seafoam green.
• Vulkan Green: Vulkan and his Salamanders love their green, it helps them cosplay as dragons.
• Skarsnik Green: A goblin that goes by the name of King of the Eight Peaks
• Moot Green: The name is a bit of a moot point
• Warboss Green: Green iz da bestest, da Boss sez so
• Warpstone Glow: Warpstone is the magical and probably radioactive substance in Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar, the Skaven love it

• Screaming Skull: The Screaming Skulls were once loyal Space Marines, until they decided that flies were lucky and stopped washing their jock straps
• Ushabti Bone: Ushabtis are giant carved statues that guard the pyramids of the Tomb Kings.
• Krieg Khaki: Under the grey trenchcoats, spiked helms and gas masks, the Krieg are bedecked in khaki, it helps them blend in to their surroundings.
• Karak Stone: A Karak is the dwarven name for their underground fortresses
• Baneblade Brown: Not all Baneblades are brown, just ask Yarrick
• Gorthor Brown: Beast Lord and self-appointed prophet of the Chaos Gods.
• Zamesi Desert: Zamesi is one of those names that get banded around but no one can agree on what or where it is.
• Tallarn Sand: The world of Tallarn is known for it's beaches deserts.
• Deathclaw Brown: Not the reptilian monsters of the Fallout universe, but the name of Karl Franz's personal Griffon
• Balor Brown: A Class-N Planet in the Charadon Sector
• Tau Light Ochre: From a time when the T'au liked the colour beige
• Skrag Brown: Skrag is either Skrag the Unclean, a legendary Skaven Blood Bowl player or Skrag the Slaughterer, the prophet of the Great Maw
• Tuskgor Fur: Tuskgors are a bit like mutated warthogs
• Doombull Brown: Doombulls are the bosses of the Minotaur tribes in TOW
• Pallid Wych Flesh: The Wyches of Commoragh are known for their pale skin.
• Deepkin Flesh: The Deepkin are the AoS Sea Elves
• Flayed One Flesh: Flayed ones are those Necrons that enjoy "eating" flesh
• Ungor Flesh: Ungors are the runts of the Gor Tribes. They are small and look most humanoid
• Kislev Flesh: Kislev is one of the most northern parts of the Empire in The Old World
• Bestigor Flesh: The strongest of all Beastmen
• Cadian Fleshtone: Cadians are apparently famous for their tans.
• Knight-Questor Flesh: Knight-Questors are the Stormcast Eternals' version of a lone wolf. They are given a perilous quest by Sigmar himself.
• Bloodreaver Flesh: Khornate cultists, nuff said
• Fenrisian Grey: The frozen world of Fenris love the colour grey, apparently
• Russ Grey: In a similar vein to Fenrisian Grey, Russ apparently likes grey
• Thunderhawk Blue: Not all Thunderhawks are blue
• Dark Reaper: Reapers are sort of skiff shaped transports used by the Drukhari, usually painted black or a really, really, really, really, really, dark green
• Administratum Grey: You would think that the Administratum were fans of red given the amount of red tape
• Dawnstone: An effective weapon in TOW that repels Daemons, Elementals and the Undead
• Stormvermin Fur: Stormvermin are the elite warriors of the Skaven
• Eshin Grey: Named for the Skaven Clan of the same name
• Skavenblight Dinge: More of a way to describe the city of Skavenblight
• Stormhost Silver: Stormhosts are the Stormcast equivalent of a Space Marine Chapter, or maybe a company? It's a team of Stormcast that's all you need to know
• Runefang Steel: One of twelve magic swords forged by a mad dwarf
• Ironbreaker: Ironbreakers are heavily armed dwarves, as if dwarves needed any more reasons to be slow in battle
• Liberator Gold: Liberators are the backbone of the Stormcast Eternals, armed with a shield and a hammer.
• Auric Armour Gold: Auric Runefathers are the lords of the Fyreslayers, AoS' wannabe Trollslayers
• Gehenna's Gold: Gehenna is a planetary system of 17 planets
• Fulgurite Copper: Fulgurite in 40K is like it's IRL counterpart, formed when lightning hits sand. Fulgurite in 40K is powerful enough to kill a perpetual
• Hashut Copper: Hashut is the father of Darkness and the patron deity of the Helsmiths of Hashut AKA Chaos Dwarves
• Skullcrusher Brass: Skullcrushers are giant frikkin beasts of Khorne, doesn't matter if it's Fantasy, AoS, or 40K. It's a daemonic rhino with a bloodletter of Khorne Champion
• Brass Scorpion: Brass Scorpions are huge big beasties that Chaos players love bringing to the table. It looks like a giant brass scorpion funnily enough
• Sycorax Bronze: Sycorax is an Imperial Death World where the Astra Telepathica like to train psykers.
• Castellax Bronze: An Imperial mining world currently under Ork Management
• Canoptek Alloy: Named after the Canoptek Necron Units

Technical

Technical Paints are not the average base or layer paints, they are used to add special effects to your models such as a textured base or blood effects.

• Armageddon Dust: Straight from the bookshelves of Armageddon's libraries
• Armageddon Dunes: Can you guess what land feature this basing paint is named after?
• Agrellan Earth: Named for the former Hive World of Agrellan
• Agrellan Badland: Where the cool kids live
• Martian Ironearth: A reddish colour for the red sands of Mars (Krusty sold seperately)
• Martian Ironcrust: One of the few texture paints that gives you a cracked earth effect
• Stirland Mud: Mud in a pot
• Stirland Battlemire: A similar technical paint like Agrellan Earth or Armageddon Dust
• Astrogranite: If you want that concrete look on your models, then look no further
• Astrogranite Debris: What's left after the Astrogranite Pitch when the Trolls play
• Mordant Earth: A nocturnal mining world that is the home of the Mordant Acid Dogs, now that's how you name an Imperial Guard regiment
• Valhallan Blizzard: Named after the snow capped Ice World of Valhalla, apparently they make good tea
• Blood For The Blood God: What else would you call a blood effect paint?
• Lahmian Medium: The Lahmians are a predominantly female race of Vampires. I can only assume the white of this medium represents the white of their skin?
• Contrast Medium: Like Ronseal, it does what it says on the tin.
• Stormshield: A varnish named for the Storm Shield used by Space Marines
• Ardcoat: It's what an Ork wears when it rains
• Nurgles Rot: A nice putrid technical paint
• Spiritstone Red: Spiritstones are the gems that contain the souls of dead Aeldari. Often plugged into a construct and used to power the vehicle
• Soulstone Blue: Named for the method in which the Aeldari cheat death in the bowels of Slaanesh
• Waystone Green: Like Spiritstones except used for machinery and computers on Aeldari craftworlds.
• Nihilakh Oxide: Named for the Nihilakh Necron Dynasty which is funny as you wouldn't think Necrodermis oxidised?
• Typhus Corrosion: Nice gritty paint to give your models that corroded look, partners well with Ryza Rust
• Tesseract Glow: Tesseracts are the means by which the Necrons imprison the shards of the C'tan

Dry

Dry Brush paints are near useless a lot of the time. They are designed to make drybrushing easier but half the time you need to chisel the paint out of the pot before you use it.

• Praxeti White: Currently this colour has no inspiration
• Wrack White: Wracks are used as assistants or bodyguards by Haemonculii
• Hexos Palesun: Hexos is a world in the Ultima Segmentum, I assume it has a pale yellow sun.
• Ryza Rust: Great with Typhus Corrosion but I don't think the AdMech are fans of rust
• Astorath Red: Astorath the Grim is a named Blood Angel (the most Dracula looking Blood Angel)
• Lucius Lilac: Two possible names, the Forge World Lucius or, more likely, Lucius the Eternal
• Skink Blue: Skinks are blue
• Etherium Blue: Etherium is also blue
• Hoeth Blue: Hoeth is the Elven God of Magic in Warhammer Fantasy, it's not stated what his favourite colour is
• Imrik Blue: Imrik is the Lord of Dragons and last ruler of the Elven land of Ulthuan.
• Nurgling Green: These happy little chaps are green
• Niblet Green: Niblet was a Grot that served as Standard Bearer for Grom the Paunch
• Underhive Ash: Just check any imperial hive, lots of ash and crap in the underhive
• Tyrant Skull: There have been many tyrants in Warhammer, but most of them have skulls
• Terminatus Stone: The Crux Terminatus is the icon on the shoulder of a Terminator which is said to hold a miniscule piece of the Emperor's Armour.
• Golgfag Brown: Golgfag Maneater, despite sounding like an insult, is one of the biggest and ugliest Ogres in Warhammer Fantasy
• Sylvaneth Bark: The Tree Elves from Age of Sigmar
• Eldar Flesh: What Slaanesh makes sushi out of
• Stormfang: A specialist gunship used exclusively by the Space Wolves
• Longbeard Grey: Show me an old dwarf who doesn't have a grey beard?
• Dawnstone: Dawnstones are magic stones in Warhammer Fantasy
• Necron Compound: It's necron coloured
• Sigmarite: Named after the metal that the Stormcast Eternals are clad in
• Golden Griffon: Better than a Bald Griffon

Shade

Shade paints are the really watery paints that allow you to add depth by flooding the recesses and anywhere that isn't going to see light. They can be handy if you keep your painting simple.

• Casandora Yellow: The Heralds of Casandora are a Stormhost who live in an Observatory that doubles as a fortress
• Fuegan Orange: Phoenix Lord Fuegan is fan of orange. His favourite juice, colour, food, march, and mobile phone network are all orange
• Berserker Bloodshade: Berserkers do like bathing in the blood of their enemies
• Carroburg Crimson: A major city in Middenland, their soldiers like to wear red.
• Targor Rageshade: Targor is to AoS what Khârn is to 40K, or at least he'd like to be. Despite being a servant of the blood god, Targor has yet to gain the favour of Khorne. He talks a big game but at the end of the day, the only blood he spills is his own
• Druchii Violet: Druchii is another word for Dark Elves
• Tyran Blue: Tyran is the world where the Imperium first encountered the Tyranids
• Drakenhof Nightshade: Drakenhof, just incase it wasn't glaringly obvious, is the capital city of Sylvania and home to a large number of Vampires
• Athonian Camoshade: The Athonian Tunnel Rats are a guard regiment from the world of Athonos which is a bit of a sh!thole
• Biel-Tan Green: Craftword Biel-Tan love the colour green.
• Coelia Greenshade: Coelia is a world in the armpit of the galaxy
• Kroak Green: Kroak is one of the first generation Slaan in Warhammer Fantasy
• Poxwalker: A greenish shade that needs to be shaken and not stirred before use.
• Mortarion Grime: Most of the Primarchs get a flash name for paint, Russ Grey, Phonecian Purple, Guilliman Flesh. Mortarion gets stiffed with a shade called Grime.
• Seraphim Sepia: The Seraphim are the jetpack squads of the Adepta Sororitas, not known for wearing Sepia
• Reikland Fleshshade: Reikland is a big part of the Empire in TOW, especially given that is the homeland of Sigmar, as in The Sigmar.
• Agrax Earthshade: A 40K world where they discovered the STC for Substance 145XX22, yeah you heard me, Substance 145XX22.
• Soulblight Grey: Soulblight is the "technical term" for Vampire in TOW and AoS. You can get it from a bite, unprotected sex and improper use of the Tomes of Nagash.
• Nuln Oil: Nuln is a city state in The Old World, not really known for it's oil

Sprays

Rattlecan Primers, reasonably reliable for priming and zenithal highlighting. Don't listen to anyone who tells you you need an airbrush

• White Scar: Like the layer paint but only more of it
• Retributor Armour: Gold in a can, bit like C3PO
• Chaos Black: Not all Chaos wear black
• Mechanicus Standard Grey: Still haven't found an answer to why it is not Mechanicus Standard Red
• Leadbelcher: More lead for your belch
• Munitorum Varnish: Great for protecting your work, or priming those dogshit finecast models
• Mephiston Red: More red for your Blood Angels
• Macragge Blue: An Ultramarine's favourite colour
• Zandri Dust: Beige in a can
• Death Guard Green: For all your Nurgley plans
• Grey Seer: Skaven Sold Seperately
• Wraithbone: That magic material the Aeldari sing to

Contrast

Contrast paints are a bit like shade paints and layer paints mixed together. They are more fluid than layer paints but colour better than shade paints. Pretty useful truth be told

• Bad Moon Yellow: I see a bad moon rising, I see a green tide on it's way. The Bad Moons, if you haven't read Part 3 of my 40K According to Al series, are an Ork Clan that have all the best gear because their teeth grow inexplicably fast. Teeth, or Teef, is the Orks' currency.
• Imperial Fist: Insert fisting joke here. A yellow colour for a yellow chapter.
• Ironjawz Yellow: The Ironjawz are the Orruks in AoS that love to fight the most.
• Iyanden Yellow: Craftworld Iyanden love yellow almost as much as they love summoning Wraith-Constructs
• Nazdreg Yellow: Nazdreg Ug Urdgrub was a Bad Moons Warboss
• Magmadroth Flame: In AoS, Magmadroths are giant fire-lizards. Their not dragons as they don't have wings. Only the best of the best of the best Dwarves Duardin get to ride atop a Magmadroth
• Gryph-Hound Orange: Gryph-Hounds are some hybrid between a German Shepherd and an Eagle. Think Gryphon but without wings and shaped like a dog.
• Baal Red: The radioactive home of the Blood Angels, who by the way are really big fans of Imagine Dragons.
• Blood Angels Red: Does this really need an explanation?
• Flesh Tearers Red: The Flesh Tearers are a loyalist successor of the Blood Angels
• Doomfire Magenta: Doomfire Warlocks are Dark Elf sorcerers in TOW and AoS
• Volupus Pink: Volupus was a chaos lord and infamous Noise Marine in the Emperor's Children warband The Flickering Blades.
• Sigvald Burgundy: Sigvald the Magnificent was a Slaaneshi Chaos Lord
• Magos Purple: Magos is one rank in the Tech-Priest Hierarchy, I figured they'd prefer red.
• Luxion Purple: Luxion was a herald of Slaanesh during the siege of Excelcis
• Leviathan Purple: Hive Fleet Leviathan's signature colour, next to the baby blue and neon green
• Shyish Purple: Nagash loves purple
• Pylar Glacier: Pylar is a frozen world and popular ski resort in the Calixis Sector
• Frostheart: What happens when a Flamespyre Phoenix of Ulthuan loses all it's heat
• Talassar Blue: Imperial Ocean World
• Asurmen Blue: The first Phoenix Lord and president of the Eiffel 65 fan club.
• Celestium Blue: The Realmstone of Azyr
• Ultramarines Blue: Named after 40K's iconic posterboys, the Imperial Guard
• Leviadon Blue: Leviadons are great beasts that feed on seaweed on the ocean floor, the Idoneth use them as siege beasts
• Stormfiend: Rat Ogres given the Bane Treatment
• Karandras Green: Phoenix Lord of the Striking Scorpions
• Striking Scorpion Green: Aeldari Aspect Warriors who love wearing green
• Mantis Warriors Green: The Mantis Warriors are on/off rebel space marines from the White Scars line of successors.
• Plaguebearer Flesh: Plaguebearers are exactly that, bearers of plague.
• Gutrippa Flesh: Gutrippaz are Orruks who make up the vast majority of the Badstabbaz Kruleboyz tribe
• Militarum Greeen: Nice standard colour for the military
• Creed Camo: Ursarker Creed wasn't a man who wore camo
• Dark Angels Green: 40K Dark Angels like green
• Hexwraith Flame: Hexwraiths are the spirits of Knights that forgot to pay the proper respect to Nagash and now they are cursed to ride atop spectral steeds whilst swinging huge scythes in Nagash's name
• Briar Queen Chill: One of the Commanders of the Nighthaunt army
• Nighthaunt Gloom: Nagash's army of ghosts that got it's own army in AoS
• Gryph-Charger Grey: Gryph-Chargers are basically Griffons in AoS
• Space Wolves Grey: A contrast to go along with Russ Grey, Fenrisian Grey, Stormfang Grey,and The Fang. You'd think the Space Wolves liked grey.
• Skeleton Horde: A contrast that in no way resembles any skeleton unless it's been in the ground a million
• Aggaros Dunes: A feral world in the grip of the Thousand Sons
• Garaghak's Sewer: Warboss and scourge of the Forsarr Sector, fan of sanitation engineering
• Snakebite Leather: Snakebites are the Amish Orks, they prefer tradition over technology
• Gore-Grunta Fur: Orruk cavalry in AoS. Think of an Orruk in armour riding atop an angry rhino
• Aethermatic Blue: There are many Aethermatic, stuffed powered by the Aether, devices across the Mortal Realms
• Kroxigor Scales: Big and dangerous lizardmen of both TOW and AoS
• Akhelian Green: One of the ruling Castes of the Idoneth
• Terradon Turquoise: Pteranodons of AoS
• Aeldari Emerald: Aeldari or Eldar are the elves of 40K
• Ork Flesh: Green coz dat iz da best
• Warp Lightning: Because lightning in the Warp is apparently green
• Ratling Grime: Ratlings are the hobbits of 40K, great snipers but they do get dirty easy
• Wyldwood: Trees that grow in the realms where Sylvaneth live
• Cygor Brown: Like Bullgors but bigger and more mutated
• Guilliman Flesh: For giving your minis the same kind of tanned skin tone of Roboute Guilliman
• Fyreslayer Flesh: You too can look like a budget Trollslayer
• Darkoath Flesh: The Darkoath are tribes of Chaos Worshippers who make oaths upon things called oathstones.
• Dreadful Visage: Well you know there comes a time in every young boy's life when his body begins to change and he starts to notice girls
• Apothecary White: Apothecaries wear white, just like real doctors
• Basilicanum Grey: One of several official buildings in the Sector Imperialis
• Black Templar: Helbrecht's favourite colour
• Black Legion: For when Abaddon Black and Chaos Black isn't enough

There you have it good people; the weird and wonderful way Warhammer names the paint they sell.

Would you like to know more?