Horus Heresy (30K) · Traitor Legions
Word Bearers (XVII) (Traitor Legions) Paint List for Horus Heresy (30K)
Deep blood-red armour with black sections and ritual gold. The Serrated Sun chapter imposed this scheme on the whole XVII Legion: a dark red that speaks of devotion to Chaos.
Prime black. Word Bearers red is Khorne Red, darker and more desaturated than Blood Angels red. This is the red of fanaticism, not of glory.
Recommended undercoat
black
— Several priority paints in this army converge on black.
Paint list
Sorted by priority🔴 Must-Have
Bases — the fundamental colours without which the scheme is impossible
- Khorne Red (Citadel) — Armour · Base
- Sotek Green (Citadel) — Helmet lenses · Base
- Leadbelcher (Citadel) — Metal · Base
- Retributor Armour (Citadel) — Gold / Trim · Base
- Abaddon Black (Citadel) — Black armour / black undersuit, weapon casing (base) / main armour (deep shade) · Base / Deep shade
🟠 Core
Main shades and highlights — the official Simplified Scheme
- Wazdakka Red (Citadel) — Armour · Chunky highlight
- Squig Orange (Citadel) — Armour · Highlight
- Sybarite Green (Citadel) — Helmet lenses · Highlight
- Corvus Black (Citadel) — Black armour · Chunky highlight
- Dawnstone (Citadel) — Black armour / black undersuit, weapon casing · Highlight
- Nuln Oil (Citadel) — Metal · Shade
- Stormhost Silver (Citadel) — Metal / gold · Highlight
- Gore-Grunta Fur (Citadel) — Gold / Trim · Shade
🟡 Recommended
Soft shading and extra highlights
- Incubi Darkness (Citadel) — Helmet lenses · Shade
- Gauss Blaster Green (Citadel) — Helmet lenses · Secondary highlight
- Eshin Grey (Citadel) — Black armour (highlight) / black undersuit, weapon casing (chunky highlight) · Highlight / Chunky highlight
🟢 Optional
Dot highlights for a result showcase
- Ungor Flesh (Citadel) — Armour · Dot highlights
- White Scar (Citadel) — Helmet lenses · Dot highlights
- Administratum Grey (Citadel) — Black armour · Dot highlights
Painting order
Recommended steps
1
Prime black
2
Basecoat the whole armour with Khorne Red
3
Deep shade Abaddon Black into deep recesses
4
Chunky highlight the broad edges with Wazdakka Red
5
Highlight the fine edges with Squig Orange
6
Dot highlights of Ungor Flesh on the highest points
7
Black armour: base Abaddon Black, chunky highlight Corvus Black, highlight Eshin Grey, highlight Dawnstone
8
Undersuit: base Abaddon Black, chunky highlight Eshin Grey, highlight Dawnstone
9
Lenses: base Sotek Green, shade Incubi Darkness, highlight Sybarite Green, highlight Gauss Blaster Green, dot White Scar
10
Base Retributor Armour, shade Gore-Grunta Fur, highlight Stormhost Silver
11
Base Leadbelcher, shade Nuln Oil, highlight Stormhost Silver
12
Dot highlights of Administratum Grey on the black armour
Tips
Hints for this army
1
Khorne Red is darker and less saturated than Mephiston Red, and that is deliberate: the Word Bearers wear a red of grim devotion.
2
Wazdakka Red rising to Squig Orange gives a bright edge that contrasts hard with the Abaddon Black deep shade sitting in the recesses.
3
Green lenses (Sotek Green) are an unusual choice next to the red lenses of the other Legions, and they cut well against the dark red.
4
Inscriptions and sacred texts are often painted white or cream on the knees and shoulder pads, so thin your Corax White for the hieroglyphs.
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