# Best Washes for Miniatures: Shades and Panel Liners Compared Source: https://minipaintlab.com/best/best-washes-for-miniatures Updated: 2026-10-06 Publisher: Mini Paint Lab. Our score is an editorial rating out of 10 (fit 35%, features 25%, build 20%, value 20%), not a customer rating. Method: https://minipaintlab.com/how-we-research#our-score 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. ## Picks ### 1. The Army Painter, Warpaints Fanatic Washes Set Combo, 10 x 18 ml Our score: 8.4/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) 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. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0CVH82F6T ### 2. The Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: Wash - Dark Tone 18ml Our score: 7.9/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic Wash Dark Tone in 18ml, the updated formula of their classic black-brown shade. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Strong wash can overpower light colors if applied everywhere - Single wash only, so varied schemes need a few more tones Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0D1GZ3RH3 ### 3. Games Workshop Citadel Colour Shade: Agrax Earthshade (18ml) Our score: 7.7/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Citadel Colour Shade Agrax Earthshade in the newer 18ml pot, the go-to all-purpose brown wash. Pros: - 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 Cons: - Smaller volume than older pots, so heavy users may run out fast - Pot lids can dry out if not closed tightly between sessions Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0B6CK8PD5 ### 4. Citadel Shade Paint: Nuln Oil (18ml) Our score: 7.6/10 (Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 5/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10) Citadel Shade Nuln Oil in an 18ml pot, an acrylic shade paint from the Citadel range for adding shadow and depth over basecoated miniatures. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0B6CL1FS3 ### 5. Games Workshop - Citadel Paint - Shade: Reikland Fleshshade (18ml) Our score: 7.3/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Citadel 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. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0B6CJWLFJ ### 6. The Army Painter Warpaint Fanatics Strong Tone Washes Miniature Hobby Painting with Fanatics Warpaint, Quality Paint for Miniature Wargaming Our score: 7.1/10 (Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 7/10 · Value 7/10) The 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. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B0CZPRH89B ### 7. Games Workshop Citadel Shade Drakenhof Nightshade Our score: 7.0/10 (Fit for the job 7/10 · Features and specs 6/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10) Citadel 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. Pros: - 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 Cons: - 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 Details: https://minipaintlab.com/product/B007RROGV8 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.