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Deep black armour is framed by ivory heraldry, warm cloth and ceremonial red accents. Cool blade edges, gold relics and selective grey armour highlights give the Black Templars a disciplined crusading finish.
The Emperor's Champion→
Stage 1 of 6
Carefully remove seams and dust, especially beside the sword letters. Wash off grease, rinse and dry fully. Brush on thin Black Surface Primer, reaching under the raised arm without clogging the rosary.
The primer is dry and even; letters, chain gaps and helmet vents remain crisp.
Do not sand away the sword inscription.
Where to paint: Whole model
Carefully remove seams and dust, especially beside the sword letters. Wash off grease, rinse and dry fully. Brush on thin Black Surface Primer, reaching under the raised arm without clogging the rosary.
The primer is dry and even; letters, chain gaps and helmet vents remain crisp.
Do not sand away the sword inscription.
Where to paint: Black armour
Cover the armour with thin Abaddon Black, working around the chest cloth and white shoulder. Use the tip between the gauntlet plates so both hands receive a solid black coat.
The armour is uniformly black without thick edges around the fingers.
Do not paint over the ivory belly cloth.
Where to paint: White shoulder and heraldry
Build Celestra Grey over the pale fields with thin coats. Work from the centre towards the border, stopping at the black cross, shoulder trim and shield outline.
The pale fields cover the black primer without softening their boundaries.
Keep the raised cross and trim black.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Apply Zandri Dust along the folds, including the hanging ends beside the thighs. Keep the leather belt and black thigh plates separate, and avoid a thick deposit in the narrow folds.
The cloth has a solid warm base from the belly to its lower ends.
Do not miss the small cloth section above the buckle.
Where to paint: Red ribbons and grip
Paint the ribbons, grip wrap and small rosary beads Khorne Red. Keep the black fingers and metal links clean. Fill only the red part of the shield design, stopping at the ivory border.
The reds are continuous and cleanly separated from neighbouring materials.
Do not turn the entire shield red.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Pick out the laurel leaves and relic fittings with Retributor Armour. Turn the figure to paint their thin sidewalls, leaving the grip, rosary beads and blade black or red as appropriate.
The gold covers the relics without joining neighbouring details together.
Do not coat the blade face in gold.
Where to paint: Steel fittings
Use Leadbelcher on the buckle frame, chain links and exposed vent metal. Paint the outward faces of the links first, then their sides, without filling the gaps.
Steel fittings remain sharply separated from leather and gold.
Do not paint the red rosary beads silver.
Where to paint: The Black Sword
Draw thin Abaddon Black strokes along the blade's length. Work around the sculpted inscription rather than building paint over it; keep the cutting edges and gold guard distinct.
The blade face is deep black and its lettering remains sharp.
Do not fill the spaces within the letters.
Where to paint: Belt and pouches
Run Rhinox Hide along the belt and straps, using the point beside the metal buckle. Cover the pouch flaps and their edges without staining the ivory cloth beneath.
The leather is a solid dark brown, distinct from black armour.
Keep the buckle frame metallic.
Where to paint: Black armour
Place Nuln Oil below the shoulder rims, around knee plates and between the fingers. Keep it confined to the joins instead of coating the broad black panels again.
The armour joints are distinct and free of dried wash rings.
Do not let wash pool beneath the chin.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Guide Seraphim Sepia into the folds beneath the belt and between the hanging cloth sections. Lift it off the raised crests so the later ivory stays clean.
Warm shadows separate the folds without brown stains on the ridges.
Do not soak the entire tabard.
Where to paint: Red ribbons and grip
Touch Agrax Earthshade into the ribbon creases and grip grooves. Work from the deepest bend outward, removing any brown wash that spreads over the red flat sections.
The ribbons bend through dark creases and the grip ridges remain distinct.
Keep the flat shield field free of brown tide marks.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Place Reikland Fleshshade between the laurel leaves and below the guard and relic relief. Leave the broad gold faces clean and remove drops from the hanging aquila.
The gold relief is warm and well separated.
Do not glue the laurel leaves together with wash.
Where to paint: Steel fittings
Feed Nuln Oil into the chain gaps, buckle corners and vent slits. Lift excess from the outer chain faces so the steel remains brighter than the surrounding black armour.
Recesses are black while the exposed steel still reflects light.
Do not let black wash stain the nearby tabard.
Where to paint: Belt and pouches
Run Agrax Earthshade beneath the pouch flaps and strap overlaps. Keep the centre of the belt brown and draw excess out of the buckle opening.
The belt and pouch layers are separated by narrow dark shadows.
Do not darken the entire belt to armour black.
Where to paint: Black armour
Restore Abaddon Black over any wash marks on the broad armour. Work away from the seams and keep the white shoulder and ivory cloth borders sharp.
The broad black areas are clean and the shaded joins stay visible.
Do not bridge the narrow gap beneath the chest plate.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Return Retributor Armour to the outward faces of the gold details after the shade is dry. Leave the warm shadow between leaves and beneath the guard relief.
Gold shines on the raised faces without losing the recessed warm shade.
Do not repaint the recesses between laurel leaves.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Layer Ushabti Bone along the raised cloth folds. Use broader strokes on the belly and narrower ones towards the hanging tips, leaving Zandri Dust and sepia visible inside the folds.
The cloth is ivory with warm, clearly defined recesses.
Do not flatten the folds into a single cream block.
Where to paint: Black armour
Thin Dark Reaper with Lahmian Medium until translucent. Build soft light towards the brow, upper chest and forward knee, following the upper-front illumination; leave the plate undersides black.
The armour curves through a subtle blue-grey transition into black.
Do not make every plate equally bright.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Make Ushabti Bone translucent with Lahmian Medium. Draw short glazes from the shaded edge towards the light fold crest, leaving the deepest sepia line untouched.
The warm shadows soften gradually into ivory rather than ending abruptly.
Do not let a milky glaze pool at the tabard tips.
Where to paint: Red ribbons and grip
Use a translucent Khorne Red and Lahmian Medium glaze to soften the brown shade on the ribbon bends. Pull towards the red flat, stopping before the deepest crease.
The ribbon colour moves smoothly from the dark bend to the red flat.
Keep the thin white symbols clear of the glaze.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Dilute Reikland Fleshshade with Lahmian Medium until it barely tints a test patch. Glaze the lower gold faces, fading towards the clean upper metal; keep the highlight areas uncovered.
The gold shifts warmly into shadow without losing its metal reflection.
Do not stain the ivory cloth beside the relic.
Where to paint: Black armour
Run Dark Reaper along the light-facing armour edges with the side of the tip. Give the raised sword hand and helmet clearer lines than the lower boot rims.
The black armour reads clearly while broad panels remain dark.
Do not outline every recess with blue-grey.
Where to paint: Black armour
Draw short Thunderhawk Blue accents inside the Dark Reaper lines on the brow, sword-hand knuckles and front knee. Leave the lower and rearward edges at the previous darker highlight.
A narrow second highlight focuses attention on the upper body.
Do not extend the bright line around the whole kneepad.
Where to paint: White shoulder and heraldry
Layer Ulthuan Grey over the shoulder centre and upper curve, leaving Celestra Grey near the lower trim and black cross. Keep the white shield field flat and clean rather than heavily shaded.
The shoulder looks white with a subtle lower shadow.
Do not paint white over the cross or its dark border.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Add Screaming Skull along the upper folds and outward-facing cloth edges. On the belly, use short soft strokes; on the hanging points, keep a narrow edge rather than a white stripe.
The cloth has brighter crests above its ivory midtone.
Leave the deepest folds warm and dark.
Where to paint: Red ribbons and grip
Layer Mephiston Red onto the light-facing ribbon folds and upper grip ridges. Touch the top of each rosary bead with the same colour. Leave Khorne Red visible in the shaded areas.
The red folds have a bright side and a darker turn.
Do not brighten the ribbon undersides equally.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Catch the laurel tips, guard upper edges and aquila feathers with Liberator Gold. Use short strokes across the relief, leaving the recessed warm gold below them.
The gold details have bright ridges and dark warm gaps.
Do not coat every leaf edge at equal brightness.
Where to paint: Steel fittings
Add Ironbreaker to the top of the buckle and the outward chain faces. Touch only the upper vent lips, preserving black between them and inside the links.
A few clean steel reflections separate the fittings from the dark suit.
Do not fill the small holes with silver.
Where to paint: The Black Sword
Rest your brush hand on a stable support and paint along the blade bevels with Ironbreaker. Keep the long central face black and follow the existing tip exactly.
Silver bevels frame an uninterrupted black blade face.
Do not widen or reshape the sword point with paint.
Where to paint: Belt and pouches
Use Gorthor Brown for short worn edges on the belt and pouch corners. Keep the lines broken and softer than the nearby silver buckle, with the main leather faces still dark brown.
Leather edges show restrained wear without looking metallic.
Do not outline every strap in a continuous pale line.
Where to paint: Black armour
Place tiny Fenrisian Grey dots inside the earlier highlights at the visor corners, sword-hand knuckles and nearest knee corner. Leave broad surfaces and rear edges unchanged.
The smallest bright accents lead to the face and sword hand.
Do not scatter dots across the chest.
Where to paint: Ivory tabard
Add Pallid Wych Flesh only to the top belly crease and the outward tabard tips, inside the Screaming Skull highlight. Use small dashes rather than tracing the full folds.
A few pale accents lift the cloth without making it pure white.
Keep the warm ivory midtone visible.
Where to paint: Red ribbons and grip
Put brief Wild Rider Red touches on the highest ribbon bends and top grip ridge. Keep them within the brighter red layer, avoiding flat shield heraldry.
Small warm accents show the ribbon turns without orange outlines.
Do not edge every ribbon in orange.
Where to paint: Gold relics
Touch Stormhost Silver to only a few highest laurel tips and upper guard corners. Keep the dots smaller than the Liberator Gold accents and leave the gold colour dominant.
The relics catch tiny bright flashes without turning silver.
Do not highlight every gold edge with pure silver.
Where to paint: The Black Sword
Trace the raised letter edges with Ironbreaker, bracing your hand and turning the model for access. Follow the sculpt's IMPERATOR LUX inscription; leave the spaces within and between letters black.
The original letter shapes remain separate and legible against black.
Do not replace the relief with invented runes or thicker letters.
Where to paint: Red eye lenses
Paint Mephiston Red inside each eye lens, leaving the upper edge dark. Work from the inner corner outward with a fine point, keeping the blue-black visor frame clean.
Both lenses are red and remain within the helmet's original openings.
Do not paint red onto the cheeks or brow.
Where to paint: Red eye lenses
Place one tiny White Scar dot in the upper outer corner of each lens. Leave most of the red visible; do not paint a halo of reflected red onto the armour.
The small paired reflections make the visor the facial focus.
Keep the dots smaller than the red lens areas.
Where to paint: White shoulder and heraldry
Use Ulthuan Grey to tidy the existing pale symbols with short strokes. Follow their outlines without adding fine text or new ornament; keep each mark flat against its red field.
The small pale marks are clean and remain separate from the red borders.
Do not enlarge a tiny symbol to make it readable in a close-up.
Where to paint: Rocky ground
Brush Steel Legion Drab into the gravel, working around the boots and larger rocks. Reach the gaps beside the feet but keep the black rim clean.
The ground has an even earthy coat with no pale gaps.
Do not cover the toes with the ground colour.
Where to paint: Rocky ground
Cover the larger rocks with Eshin Grey using the brush point near the earth boundary. Carry the grey onto their visible sides, not onto the surrounding gravel.
The larger rocks are distinct grey shapes within the brown ground.
Do not paint isolated grains grey at random.
Where to paint: Rocky ground
Let Agrax Earthshade flow between the gravel and beneath the rocks. Use a damp clean tip to remove pools beside the boots and base rim.
The stones sit in dark earth gaps without glossy puddles.
Keep the suit's feet free of brown tide marks.
Where to paint: Rocky ground
Unload Ushabti Bone until the brush leaves only a faint mark, then skim the highest grains and dry tuft tips. Keep the recesses brown and avoid the armour.
Small pale grains break up the earth without a chalky blanket.
Stop before all the soil becomes cream-coloured.
Where to paint: Rocky ground
With nearly dry Dawnstone, brush across the rock ridges rather than into the cracks. Keep the upward faces lighter and the shaded rock sides dark.
The grey stones show clear ridges and dark cracks.
Keep these grey highlights off the surrounding brown soil.
Where to paint: Black armour
Neaten the base rim with Abaddon Black. Check the dry figure from every side, especially the open palm, sword inscription and backpack underside; correct missed colours by returning to their specific steps.
The rim is clean and every visible hand, relic and rear surface is finished.
Do not cover an error by changing the sculpt or adding decoration.
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