Citadel Spray Paint: Mechanicus Standard Grey 400ml

The Foundation Every Miniature Needs

A strong paint job starts before a brush ever touches a model. Mechanicus Standard Grey is a Citadel spray primer designed to give bare plastic, resin, and metal miniatures a smooth, consistent undercoat that paint adheres to cleanly. This mid-toned grey is one of the most versatile primer colours in the hobby — light enough to let darker paints read true, and dark enough to anchor shadows without fighting your base coat. It applies in seconds, dries quickly, and prepares entire squads or armies for painting in a single session.

How It Works

Primer is not optional — it is the step that makes every hour of brushwork afterwards count. Unpainted plastic and metal repel paint, cause streaking, and chip badly during handling. A primed surface gives paint something to grip. Mechanicus Standard Grey is a surface primer and undercoat in one: it bonds to the model, seals the material, and provides a neutral grey tone to build colour over. The grey base is particularly effective under dark colour schemes, armour tones, stone effects, and contrast paints — it gives depth to recesses without requiring a separate wash step. The 400ml aerosol can covers a large number of models and delivers an even coat when applied at the correct distance (roughly 25–30cm) in short, controlled passes.

Who It's For

New hobbyists finishing their first kit will find Mechanicus Standard Grey an accessible starting point — grey is the most forgiving primer tone, working well under almost any colour scheme. Experienced painters building batches of infantry or working on armies that feature power armour, stone, metal, or any darker palette will reach for this can regularly. It pairs naturally with Citadel's range of base, layer, shade, and contrast paints, but works equally well as a foundation for any miniature paint brand. If you are painting a model, you need a primer — this is a reliable one.