Kill Team · small-squad Warhammer 40,000
Kill Team paint scheme ideas worth the extra hour per model
A Kill Team squad runs 6 to 20 models, not the 60-plus of a full army. That's few enough to actually finish the techniques you'd never attempt across a whole force: non-metallic metal, object source lighting, real freehand.
No card for the first render. Credit packs start at $5.
A Kill Team paint scheme is the colour and technique plan applied consistently across one small skirmish squad, typically 6 to 20 models, in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Because the model count is low, painters use it to justify advanced techniques — NMM, OSL, freehand — that a full 2,000-point army would take months to finish.
Why Kill Team paints differently than a full army
A Space Marine chapter army might run 60, 80, 100 models. Nobody hand-paints true non-metallic metal on a hundred shoulder pads and finishes the same year. A Kill Team squad is a different proposition entirely — small enough that each model can be a showpiece rather than a unit filling a rank.
That changes what's worth attempting. Non-metallic metal reads as slow and finicky at army scale. On eight models it's a weekend project. Same for object source lighting — a glowing power weapon or a lantern-carrying operative is a genuinely reasonable ask when you're painting one squad, not thirty.
Small enough to finish
Six to twenty models is a project you complete, not one you abandon at model forty.
Advanced technique becomes practical
NMM and OSL cost real time per model. A Kill Team squad is where that time actually pays off.
Each model is individual
A skirmish operative doesn't need to match a rank-and-file squadmate exactly — scars, trophies and battle damage read as character, not inconsistency.
Picking a scheme that still reads as one squad
Individual doesn't mean random. The squads that photograph well share a small, repeated core — usually two or three colours that appear on every model, plus one signature accent (a faction marking, a specific weapon glow colour, a shared trim) that ties them together at a glance. Everything else — skin tone, base theme, scars, trophies — can vary model to model.
Where painters usually go wrong is the opposite direction: every model gets a fully custom palette with nothing repeated, and the squad reads as eight strangers on a table rather than one team.
Testing a scheme before you commit paint
The actual problem with a Kill Team scheme isn't picking colours in the abstract — it's knowing what they'll look like on your specific miniature, with its specific sculpt detail, before you've committed real paint to it. PaintMini renders a full scheme on a photo of your own primed model: pick paints from a saved collection filtered to brands you own (Citadel, Vallejo, Scale75 and more), choose Beginner, Intermediate or Expert, and get a painted preview plus a step-by-step guide and a printable PDF before you touch a brush.
| Approach | Rendered on your model? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Guess from memory or box art | No | Free, but no preview |
| Scroll forums and YouTube for inspiration | No — someone else's model | Free, unpredictable results |
| PaintMini | Yes, your actual photo | 1 credit per render, from $1.00/credit |
Who this is wrong for
PaintMini generates a scheme and a guide — it does not paint the miniature for you. If you want a fully custom design painted by a human commission painter, this isn't that. It's also a poor fit without a clear photo of a primed, unpainted model to upload; it can't work from a description alone.
How it works
-
Upload your primed squad member
A clear photo of one model, primed and unpainted.
-
Pick your paints
Filter to a saved collection of what you already own, or browse by brand.
-
Choose Beginner, Intermediate or Expert
Expert unlocks NMM, OSL, wet blending and freehand — the techniques a small squad can actually afford.
-
Get your painted preview
A rendered plate, a step-by-step guide, and a printable PDF. One credit per render.
Kill Team painting questions
How many models are in a typical Kill Team squad?
Most Kill Team rosters run 6 to 20 models, depending on the specific kill team and mission. That's the number that makes per-model advanced technique realistic in a way a 60-model army rarely is.
Is NMM worth attempting on a Kill Team squad?
For most painters, yes — that's the actual case for choosing skirmish games over army-scale ones. Non-metallic metal on eight models is a realistic weekend project; on eighty, it usually isn't.
Do all my Kill Team models need to match exactly?
No. Repeat two or three core colours and one signature accent across every model so the squad reads as a team, then let details like skin tone, scars and base theme vary model to model.
What's the difference between Beginner, Intermediate and Expert on PaintMini?
Beginner uses 3-5 colours with flat coats and one wash. Intermediate adds layering and edge highlights across 6-9 colours. Expert opens 10-15 colours plus NMM, OSL, wet blending and freehand.
How much does it cost to render a Kill Team squad?
One credit per model rendered. An 8-model squad is 8 credits — the Studio pack (20 credits for $15) covers a full squad with room to try a second scheme.
Does this work for full Warhammer 40k armies too, not just Kill Team?
Yes — see the Warhammer 40k paint scheme guide for army-scale scheme planning, where the priority is a fast, repeatable scheme rather than per-model advanced technique.
Preview your Kill Team squad before you paint it
Upload one primed model, pick your paints, and see the scheme rendered before any paint touches plastic.