Customer briefing

A Crusade of Steel and Yellow in the Age of Darkness

The commission started with a very straightforward idea: to expand an existing Imperial Fists army and give it a look that was much more war-torn. The client wanted a classic scheme, recognizable at a glance, but with clear signs of combat on the armor, vehicles, and special units.
The list was huge, so from the briefing onward we placed a lot of emphasis on organization. We had to maintain the same yellow throughout the entire army, control the black areas, respect the units with inverted schemes, and add OSL to the plasma weapons without disrupting the overall sobriety. We also prepared all the magnetic bases, keeping transport and safety in mind.

General picture of the project Ornate

A Yellow Wall for the Horus Heresy

The process began with a practical decision: before painting, we attached magnets to all the bases. From there, we applied the main color with an airbrush to ensure the yellow had a uniform base across the entire set.
Then we moved on to bench work: each painter worked on specific units, following a common guide for highlights, weathering, and grime.
We made sure the inverted color schemes didn’t look out of place and that the OSL on the plasma screens added contrast without overwhelming the miniature.