Citadel Astrogranite Review and Basing Tutorial

Last updated July 25, 2026. By Andrew M. Tan.

The US Moon landing in 1969 first gave us a real view of what Warhammer 40k xenomorphs may have seen as they prepared for the invasion of Terra. Whether by human eye or bio-electrical organs, the visible otherworldly landscape is often where battles wage for many tabletop wargames. How do you create this “look” in your miniature painting and modeling work? Basing miniatures with effects that recreate these unearthly landscapes is easier than you think!

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In this article, I share my love for the Astrogranite Debris Citadel Technical Paint which I use to base and texturize models, and all without a lot of effort. While there are cheaper texture mediums available, Astrogranite and other Citadel Technical Paints are highly useful due to their user-friendliness, great results, and wide application in my miniature work.

Vertical feature graphic for the Citadel Astrogranite review and basing tutorial

What Is a Citadel Technical Paint?

Citadel Technical Paints are a range of paints from Games Workshop, the makers of the popular miniature wargaming hobby. They are designed to give your miniatures a unique look and texture, with a wide variety of colors and textures available.

Selection of Citadel texture paints used for miniature basing — Popular Citadel texture paints for basing miniatures.

The most popular Citadel Technical Paints are their texture paints, which are used for basing your miniatures or adding special effects to them. These paints can be mixed with regular paint to create interesting textures such as mud, sand, stone, or even snow.

Open 24 ml pot of Citadel Agrellan Badland texture paint — Agrellan Badland is another popular citadel technical paint. Adding textured surfaces to your painted miniatures creates atmosphere and context, which helps immerse your viewer.

Another option comes from the Vallejo Texture Gel range which also offers an array of textured mediums to add context and thematic interest to your miniatures and models. Take a closer look at Vallejo, if you’re looking to expand beyond Games Workshop offerings.

Are Citadel Technical Paints Worth It?

For individual miniatures and small projects, I think Citadel Technical Paints are worth the price. They come premixed, clean up with water, and create dependable texture without loose sand or a separate adhesive.

The 24 ml pots cost more than generic texture media and disappear quickly across an army or terrain board. I use them when convenience and predictable color matter. Sanded tile grout or a larger artist texture paste makes more sense when I need volume.

Sanded tile grout used as an inexpensive miniature-basing texture — Sanded tile grout is an affordable (and somewhat messy) alternative to hobby branded texture mediums, like Citadel Texture Paints.

Painted Operative Umbral-Six miniature standing on an Astrogranite base — I painted this model using simple techniques, and based it using Citadel Astrogranite Debris.

Open pot of Citadel Agrellan Badland on the hobby desk — I have many pots and bottles of art media. But, Citadel tends to make stuff that is super easy to use.

Citadel Technical Paints (Pros and Cons)

Here’s a quick list of the pros and cons of using Citadel Technical Paints:

Pros

Easy to apply with either a brush or texture tool
Water-based formula is easy to clean up
24 ml pot size is convenient for smaller projects
Can create realistic effects such as churned earth, grisly gore, rust and corrosion or spectral glows

Cons

Not suitable for large projects due to the small pot size
Can be difficult to work with if you don’t have the right tools

Why I Use Astrogranite Debris

Astrogranite Debris creates a coarse gray surface that works especially well for rocky ground, ruined streets, and alien landscapes. I can use the original color, drybrush the raised grit, darken it with a wash, or repaint the entire surface. That flexibility is why I return to it.

Close view of the gritty gray Astrogranite Debris texture inside the pot — Instant landscape in a bottle. Scoop some out and apply. No need to thin your Citadel Texture paints. You can apply any technical paint without thinning it, actually.

Here are the key reasons why I often choose Astrogranite Debris for basing and texturizing my miniatures.

Fast to apply
Versatile application
Neutral gray color
Basic texture to recreate many environments

Hand holding a 24 ml pot of Citadel Astrogranite Debris — A single 24 ml pot of Citadel Texture paint will cover many small sized bases for your miniature collection.

Simple is better

In my miniature painting approach, I have a philosophy that leans toward simplification. The less complexity in my workflow, the better I am as an artist, a creator, and a hobbyist. Astrogranite fits this philosophy because it is straightforward and requires minimal preparation. When I shape the wet paste around a model’s feet, I begin to see the miniature as part of a place with its own history.

How to Apply Citadel Astrogranite

Here’s an example of how I use any Citadel Technical Paint. I’ll show you my method for applying Astrogranite Debris using the Warhammer 40k miniature, Operative Umbral-Six.

Operative Umbral-Six miniature box beside painting supplies — Let’s get started. This was a fun model to start working on. I began this work in a hotel room during a convention. Check out the earlier work.

1. Apply a Primer

To apply Astrogranite or any other Citadel Technical Paint, I first prime my model’s base (or whatever surface I want to use this technical paint on). I often do this with a regular brush-on primer like Vallejo Surface Primer.

Bottle of Vallejo Panzer Grey Surface Primer used before basing — Vallejo Surface Primer is my go-to primer for miniatures. If you have an airbrush, it works even better!

For the most part, I will also start with a dark primer, e.g., black or dark gray. A dark primer gives me cleaner results with less work.

Darkly primed miniature base ready for Astrogranite — A primed base starts the journey.

2. Load Up a Texture Tool

I take a texture brush, load it with a dollop of the technical paint, and slap on a good amount on my working surface. It’s a thick paste and feels like toothpaste.

Texture tool loaded with a dollop of Citadel Astrogranite Debris — Don’t be shy. Apply a good amount of the texture paint using your applicator tool.

Yes, I lean toward using the Citadel Texture tool. Any dental instrument or the sculpting tools from other brands like Army Painter work fine, too, and may be more affordable.

Close view of gritty Astrogranite paste on the end of a texture tool — I use the Citadel Texture tool because of its flexibility. There are two tips, a thin and wide end, that help you spread textured paste wherever you need it to go.

Applying a dollop of Astrogranite to a miniature base — The nice thing about Citadel Textured mediums is that it sticks very well. Spread it on your working surface as you would butter on toast.

Of course, there’s a trick I use with the Citadel texture tool. Because it’s flexible, you’ll have a much easier time working the technical paint into hard-to-reach areas. The plastic tool will flex when you apply pressure which also makes it easier to flatten bumps in the paste and create a smooth, even surface.

Spreading Astrogranite around the miniature’s feet with a texture tool — Sticky, but spreadable. Citadel technical paint stays where you want it.

3. Spread and Shape the Texture

For best results, I apply a thin layer of the technical paint—about 2mm thick. For reference, your fingernail is about 0.5mm thick.

Shaping wet Astrogranite texture across the miniature base — Spread and sculpt your technical paint.

Make sure to “sculpt” or shape the texture paste in a way that looks organic. Make it look natural, as though the ground itself experienced the ages and eons of whatever atmosphere you’re envisioning.

Wet Astrogranite covering the top of a round miniature base — Once you’re happy with the application, allow the layer to completely dry. You can add more on top of this base layer if you like, or leave as is. It’ll look great either way!

Approximately 1–2 mm layer of wet Astrogranite on a miniature base — I prefer to keep my base layer about 1-2mm thick. This allows the texture to dry in a predictable fashion.

Dried gray Astrogranite texture on the miniature base — It’ll take up to 30 minutes for a layer of Citadel Technical Paint to dry. Then, you’re free to work on it some more, or call it done. 😀

Allow the textured paint to dry completely. It can take between 10–30 minutes for a layer of technical paint to dry depending on the ambient humidity and temperature of your room.

4. Drybrush and Highlight (Optional)

Pot of Citadel Tyrant Skull dry paint used to highlight the texture — I like using Citadel dry paint medium, like Tyrant Skull or Longbeard Grey (a cooler tone).

Drybrush prepared for highlighting the Astrogranite base — Make sure the bristles of your drybrush are “dry”. To learn more about drybrushing, see this tutorial.

For a more realistic effect, I may dry brush a highlight color over the dried texture.

Lightly drybrushing the raised grit on an Astrogranite base — Use a light touch when dry brushing texture. It doesn’t take much effort to get pigment to stick well.

Close view of the drybrushed highlight over the gray texture — When you’re done, your base may appear like this. I often end my work here.

If you’re like me, and want to add a bit more interest, sometimes I’ll apply a wash or shade to darken the recesses. This adds contrast.

Hand holding a pot of Citadel Agrax Earthshade — To add contrast and a warm filter, I’ll apply a shade like Agrax Earthshade (one of my favorite washes).

Applying Agrax Earthshade over the textured and highlighted base — For best results, I recommend applying any Citadel wash liberally without thinning.

I know there are other Citadel Technical Paints available in different colors, textured formats, and even special effects, like Nihilakh Oxide.

Pot of Citadel Nihilakh Oxide technical paint — Nihilakh Oxide

Astrogranite remains my go-to for its wide range of applications and ease of use. This is because you can paint over Astrogranite and make this texture any color you want.

Wet brown shade pooling in the recesses of the textured base — Notice how the shade medium pools in the deeper recesses of the textured base.

Finished Astrogranite base after the highlight and shade have dried — When dry, the wash blends into the texture, adding depth and a warm hue. This is a wonderful effect.

The Many Faces of Astrogranite

The base texture provides the perfect foundation for recreating dirt, earth, or desert sand-like effects. How you approach finishing your textured base with Astrogranite Technical Paint is up to you.

Painted Operative Umbral-Six miniature on the completed textured base — When you’re done, take a step back and assess your handiwork

You can paint it with a single color, or you can layer different colors and even paints like Citadel Contrast Paints over top of the Astrogranite texture for more dynamic effects. In the latter, of course, you’ll want to prime in a brighter color, e.g., white, light gray, or an eggshell tone.

Studio portrait of the painted Operative Umbral-Six miniature — Remember to capture photos of your hard work!

Other Citadel Texture Paints I Use

Astrogranite: This thick grey paint is full of bits of debris—apply it straight onto the base of your miniature and then drybrush it to bring out the texture. It’s meant to look like rough, unpaved stone, and it’s perfect for urban rubble or rocky outcrops.
Stirland Mud: A thick, brown paint that comes loaded with texture, it can be used to give the effect of mud, soil, or dirt.
Agrellan Earth: This paint cracks as it dries, which creates a cool effect of parched, cracked earth.
Valhallan Blizzard: This is a paste that replicates a cold, wintery scene with packed snow and crushed ice.
Armageddon Dunes: It provides the texture of sandy and rocky desert-like bases.

Citadel texture tool standing inside an open pot of Astrogranite Debris — Reach deep for ideas.

Remember to use these paints straight from the pot, without watering them down, to get the best texture effect.

Final Verdict

Astrogranite remains one of my favorite Citadel Technical Paints because it fits the way I like to work. I can open the pot, shape the ground, and get a dependable surface without mixing several materials. A drybrush and wash are usually enough to finish it.

Close view of the painted Operative Umbral-Six and its finished base — Not bad for a smartphone photo.

The small pot makes the most sense for individual miniatures and short projects. For an army or terrain board, I would use a larger texture medium.

Wide studio photograph of Operative Umbral-Six against a black background — If you’re wondering how I capture photos with black backgrounds, check out this photo tutorial.

Shaping the paste around a model’s feet changes how I see the finished miniature. The figure begins to occupy a place with its own ground, atmosphere, and history. That small patch of texture completes the world around it.

Good luck and happy painting!

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By Andrew M. Tan
Andrew is a commissioned miniature painter with more than 20 years of hands-on experience painting tabletop miniatures, photographing models, and testing hobby tools in real-world use. Read his full bio.

My Favorite Citadel Technical Paint and How to Use Astrogranite Debris (Review)