Yes, if you want the widest Base color spread Citadel sells in a starter box and you are willing to buy tools separately. Battle Ready sits below Parade Ready and below the Paints and Tools set on Citadel's starter ladder. It is the true entry point: colors from the Citadel Base range for your first coats plus enough Shade washes to make a tabletop model look finished, and nothing beyond that.
What is in the box
Twenty two Base colors and six confirmed Shade washes. This guide could independently confirm those twenty eight names against the current Citadel catalog. Some retail listings describe a slightly larger shade count than what could be verified by name here, so treat the number of Shade pots as approximate and check the current listing if the exact count matters to you, while the names below are confirmed.
| Color | Type | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Corax White | Base | Bright white base coat |
| Abaddon Black | Base | Deep black base coat |
| Mechanicus Standard Grey | Base | Neutral grey base |
| Retributor Armour | Metallic | Bright gold base for armor and trim |
| Leadbelcher | Metallic | Steel base for blades and gunmetal |
| Rhinox Hide | Base | Dark brown base for leather and wood |
| Mournfang Brown | Base | Mid brown base |
| Zandri Dust | Base | Sandy tan base |
| Rakarth Flesh | Base | Pale stone or bone tone |
| Wraithbone | Base | Off white base for robes and bone |
| Naggaroth Night | Base | Deep purple base |
| Macragge Blue | Base | Mid blue base |
| The Fang | Base | Bright cool blue base |
| Thousand Sons Blue | Base | Teal leaning blue base |
| Caliban Green | Base | Deep green base |
| Waaagh! Flesh | Base | Bright saturated green base |
| Death Guard Green | Base | Sickly olive green base |
| Orruk Flesh | Base | Muted green skin tone |
| Khorne Red | Base | Deep saturated red base |
| Mephiston Red | Base | Bright red base |
| Bugman's Glow | Base | Warm skin tone base |
| Averland Sunset | Base | Bright yellow base |
| Nuln Oil | Shade | General purpose dark wash for recesses |
| Agrax Earthshade | Shade | Warm brown wash for most skin and earth tones |
| Reikland Fleshshade | Shade | Orange leaning wash for skin |
| Seraphim Sepia | Shade | Light warm wash for pale colors and bone |
| Berserker Bloodshade | Shade | Red wash for deepening reds |
| Drakenhof Nightshade | Shade | Blue wash for deepening blues and purples |
Between the Base colors alone you get real coverage across the color wheel: reds, blues, greens, purples, browns, plus white, black, grey, and two metallics. The Shade washes are matched to specific families rather than being one wash for everything, which is the biggest single quality jump a beginner gets from this set over painting flat colors with no shading at all.
Coverage gaps
No tools of any kind, no brush, no primer, no clippers, and nothing to assemble a kit with. There are also no Layer highlight colors, which is exactly what the companion Parade Ready set adds. A model painted purely from Battle Ready will have solid base colors and real shading in the recesses, but it will read as flat once you look closely, because nothing here is built to sit as a highlight on top of a base coat.
Who this suits
A painter who already owns a brush, a primer, and basic tools, whether from another set or bought separately, and just wants Citadel's core Base and Shade colors in one purchase rather than assembling them pot by pot. It is also a sensible choice for anyone building a large army where base coat and shade coverage across many models matters more than fine highlighting.
Who should skip it
If you own nothing yet, not even a brush, buy the Paints and Tools Set instead, since it bundles the essentials Battle Ready assumes you already have. If you already own a Base and Shade collection and want to add highlighting, go straight to Parade Ready.
Buy it
Citadel Battle Ready Paint Set on Amazon(affiliate link)
FAQ
Does Battle Ready include tools or a brush?
No. It is paint pots only. Pair it with your own brush and primer or with a separate tools purchase.
Is Battle Ready enough on its own to finish a model?
It gets you base colors and shading, which is a complete look for tabletop standard. It will not give you the crisp highlights a Layer range like Parade Ready adds.
Should I buy Battle Ready or Parade Ready first?
Battle Ready first if you are starting from nothing, since Base colors and Shades come before highlighting in the normal painting order. Parade Ready is the upgrade once you have that foundation down.
How does Battle Ready compare to the Paints and Tools set?
Paints and Tools includes a brush, clippers, and a mouldline scraper alongside a smaller paint selection. Battle Ready skips the tools entirely in favor of a wider Base and Shade color spread.