Best Washes for Miniatures: Shades and Panel Liners Compared
Updated How we research
The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo: 10 washes in 18ml bottles plus a basecoating brush, ready to use straight from the bottle over a primed and basecoated miniature.
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash - Dark Tone 18ml
Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Wash Dark Tone in 18ml, the updated formula of their classic black-brown shade.
A wash is a thin, heavily diluted paint that flows into the recesses of a miniature, instantly adding shadow, depth, and definition to armor plates, cloth folds, and faces. For tabletop miniature painters, washes are the single fastest way to make a flat base coat look finished, which is why a bottle of dark brown or black shade sits on almost every hobby desk. When picking washes, look at how cleanly they settle into recesses without staining flat surfaces, whether the finish dries matte or glossy, pigment intensity, and the range of tones offered, from neutral sepias and blacks to colored shades for reds, greens, and blues. Surface tension and drying time matter more than price here.
The short version
We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.0 to 8.4 out of 10.
- Best overall:The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml. Highest overall score in this guide at 8.4/10.
- Also great value:The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash - Dark Tone 18ml. Value score of 8/10, overall 7.9/10.
- Solid build:Games Workshop Citadel Colour Shade: Agrax Earthshade (18ml). Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 7.7/10.
- Feature-rich:Games Workshop - Citadel Paint - Shade: Reikland Fleshshade (18ml). Features score of 6/10, overall 7.3/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash - Dark Tone 18ml7.9/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.Games Workshop Citadel Colour Shade: Agrax Earthshade (18ml)7.7/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.Citadel Shade Paint: Nuln Oil (18ml)7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.Games Workshop - Citadel Paint - Shade: Reikland Fleshshade (18ml)7.3/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.The Army Painter Warpaint Fanatics Strong Tone Washes Miniature Hobby Painting with Fanatics Warpaint, Quality Paint for Miniature Wargaming7.1/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.Games Workshop Citadel Shade Drakenhof Nightshade7.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo: 10 washes in 18ml bottles plus a basecoating brush, ready to use straight from the bottle over a primed and basecoated miniature.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Ten wash tones in one box, and the listing states they are fully mixable for custom shades
- + Used directly from the bottle, with no thinning or preparation needed
- + A basecoating brush is included for applying the washes
- - A ten-bottle set costs far more up front than buying one or two single washes
- - Listing does not name the ten colors, so check the box photo for the tones you need
#2Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Wash Dark Tone in 18ml, the updated formula of their classic black-brown shade.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Fanatic formula dries more matte and even than older Quickshade
- + Dropper bottle makes it simple to glaze or mix custom shades
- + Dark tone adds heavy shadow to armor, metal and cloth
- - Strong wash can overpower light colors if applied everywhere
- - Single wash only, so varied schemes need a few more tones
#3Citadel Colour Shade Agrax Earthshade in the newer 18ml pot, the go-to all-purpose brown wash.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + All-purpose brown wash works on gold, flesh, leather and bone
- + Newer 18ml pot matches current Citadel paint range packaging
- + Thin flowing formula settles into detail with little brush work
- - Smaller volume than older pots, so heavy users may run out fast
- - Pot lids can dry out if not closed tightly between sessions
#4Citadel Shade Nuln Oil in an 18ml pot, an acrylic shade paint from the Citadel range for adding shadow and depth over basecoated miniatures.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 5/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + Shade paint from the Citadel range, so it sits alongside the other Citadel shades in this guide
- + Acrylic formula fits in with standard water-based miniature paints
- + 18ml pot is a small outlay for painters who want to try a single shade first
- - Listing has only two short bullets and no guidance on finish or how to apply it
- - A single 18ml color, so other tones need separate pots or a full wash set
#5Citadel Shade Reikland Fleshshade in an 18ml pot, a flesh-tone shade formulated to flow over other layers into the recesses. A natural pick for skin and faces where a black wash would look too harsh.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Formulated to flow over other layers and settle into recesses, which defines detail in a single pass
- + Flesh-tone shade adds a second wash color to this guide for skin, faces and other warm areas
- + Designed and manufactured by Games Workshop, so it matches the rest of the Citadel Colour range
- - A single 18ml pot of one color, so a full range of washes costs more this way than a boxed set
- - Sold as a pot, not a dropper bottle, and the listing does not state whether the finish is matte or gloss
#6The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Strong Tone is a single brown wash in a dropper bottle with a mixing ball inside. It is the Fanatic-range companion to the Dark Tone wash already in this guide.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 7/10
- + Dropper bottle doses the wash drop by drop onto a palette, which limits spills and waste
- + Mixing ball inside the bottle helps the pigment blend back together when you shake it
- + Twist cap is described as keeping the paint fresh and ready between painting sessions
- - A single bottle of one tone, so buying several washes one by one costs more than the Fanatic wash set
- - The listing bullets are generic to the Fanatic range and say little about this specific wash
#7Citadel Shade Drakenhof Nightshade, a dark blue shade developed to flow over other paints into the recesses of a miniature. A cool-toned alternative to black washes for blue armor, cloaks and night schemes.
Fit for the job 7/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Developed to flow over other paints and into cavities, defining details and recesses as it dries
- + Blue shade gives cooler shadows than a black or brown wash on blue, grey and silver areas
- + Listing states a 0.8 fl oz (24 ml) pot, a little more than the 18ml of other single shades here
- - One color in one pot, so it is a specialist addition after you already own a black and a brown wash
- - The listing text is short and does not say whether the finish dries matte or gloss
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- A ten-bottle set costs far more up front than buying one or two single washes (The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes...)
- Strong wash can overpower light colors if applied everywhere (The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash -...)
- Smaller volume than older pots, so heavy users may run out fast (Games Workshop Citadel Colour Shade: Agrax...)
- Listing has only two short bullets and no guidance on finish or how to apply it (Citadel Shade Paint: Nuln Oil (18ml))
- A single 18ml pot of one color, so a full range of washes costs more this way than a boxed set (Games Workshop - Citadel Paint - Shade:...)
- A single bottle of one tone, so buying several washes one by one costs more than the Fanatic wash set (The Army Painter Warpaint Fanatics Strong...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among washes for miniatures: shades and panel liners compared?
The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml is our top overall pick. The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo: 10 washes in 18ml bottles plus a basecoating brush, ready to use straight from the bottle over a primed and basecoated miniature. It earns our score of 8.4/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash - Dark Tone 18ml is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Wash Dark Tone in 18ml, the updated formula of their classic black-brown shade.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Mini Paint Lab independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
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