Nuln Oil is the single most recommended Citadel Shade to buy first: a near-black brown wash that shades almost any base color without turning it muddy or fully black. It is the one wash in the eighteen-color Citadel Shade range that shows up in nearly every painting tutorial regardless of army or faction, which makes it the correct starting point if you are only buying one.
Games Workshop sells Nuln Oil in two forms worth knowing apart before you buy: the standard matte finish and a Nuln Oil Gloss version. The gloss variant dries shiny rather than matte, which matters for two things: painting eyes and gems where you want the wet look, and pre-shading before a technical paint or ink that needs a glossy surface to sit on correctly. If you paint mostly infantry and vehicles, the standard matte bottle is the one to buy. Gloss is a specialty add-on, not a replacement.
What else is in the Citadel Shade range beyond Nuln Oil?
The full Citadel Shade lineup runs to nineteen colors, and after Nuln Oil the next three worth owning cover the situations Nuln Oil handles poorly:
Agrax Earthshade is a warmer brown for skin, wood, and weathered surfaces where Nuln Oil's near-black result reads too heavy.
Reikland Fleshshade is purpose-built for skin tones, leaving a warmer cast than either Nuln Oil or Agrax.
Drakenhof Nightshade is a deep blue-black wash for blues and purples, a better match than Nuln Oil when you want the shadow to keep a cool tint instead of going brown-black.
Seraphim Sepia rounds this starting set out for pale colors: bone, parchment, and tan, where a darker wash would flatten the highlight.
Is there a Nuln Oil alternative from another brand?
Yes. Army Painter's dip-style washes and Vallejo's wash range both target the same job, a fluid that pools in recesses and darkens them, though the formulas and pigment loads differ from Citadel's. If you already own Army Painter or Vallejo paints and want to see how their nearest shade colors compare on the color wheel rather than switching brands outright, the site's conversion charts lay the closest matches side by side.
What to buy first
| Priority | Product | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuln Oil (standard) | Universal shade, works on most base colors |
| 2 | Agrax Earthshade | Warm brown for skin, wood, weathered gear |
| 3 | Reikland Fleshshade | Purpose-built for skin tones |
| 4 | Nuln Oil Gloss | Eyes, gems, pre-shade for technical paints |
| Optional | Citadel Shade paint set | Bundles the core washes at once for a new painter |
A Citadel Shade paint set(affiliate link) is a reasonable way to pick up several of these at once if you are starting from zero rather than buying one bottle at a time.
Is Nuln Oil safe over any base color?
Mostly, but not universally. Over pale colors like bone or white it can look muddy or grey rather than crisp, which is exactly the situation Seraphim Sepia or Agrax Earthshade solve better. Over mid-tone and dark colors it is close to foolproof.
FAQ
What is the difference between Nuln Oil and Nuln Oil Gloss?
Nuln Oil dries matte and is the general-purpose shading wash. Nuln Oil Gloss dries shiny and is used mainly on eyes, gems, and as a glossy base for technical effects paints.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Nuln Oil?
Generic craft-paint washes exist, but they are not formulated with the same flow control, so pooling and drying behavior varies bottle to bottle. Most painters find the consistency of a dedicated hobby wash worth the difference once they have wasted a model on an unpredictable substitute.
Do I need Drakenhof Nightshade if I already own Nuln Oil?
Only if you paint a lot of blue or purple. Nuln Oil will darken those colors too but pulls them toward a brown-black rather than keeping the cool tone, which some painters do not mind and others actively avoid.
Can Citadel Shade paints be used with an airbrush?
They can be thinned and airbrushed by more advanced painters, but they are formulated and marketed as brush-applied washes, and the pigment load can clog a fine nozzle if not thinned carefully. A brush is the reliable default.
How many Citadel Shade colors are there in total?
Nineteen, spanning warm and cool washes for skin, metal, cloth, and every major base hue in the wider Citadel range.