Every year I try to make a seasonal game. I have quite a collection of Christmas themed miniatures, ranging from Snowmen to Elves with machine guns. It all started back in 2007, with a miniatures called Satan Klaws from Heresy Miniatures. This was used for a Christmas game back then, and I guess I have just been steadily adding to the collection ever since.

The games are usually skirmishes as this suits the theme quite well. But enough about that – the point of bringing up the Christmas games, are that I have painted a Nighthaunt warband. My intention is to use these for skirmishing in anything from Warcry, Frostgrave, Mordheim or even my Christmas games.

I bought the models in 2018 as part of a starter set for the Age of Sigmar 2 game. The original idea was to paint them up and game with the kids. But I hadn’t investigated the contents of the game well enough… I thought it came with a scenario booklet and everything, but in fact it was more geared towards the battle game, and no scenarios were included. Therefore, I never really got anywhere with it.

But now, my German friend and painter, Jack Radientsky, has lured me into playing Warcry with him. At first I thought about buying the Ossiarch Bonereapers, but then I remembered that I already had the starter set. This seemed like an ideal starting point.

Paintingwise I went for a dark and gloomy approach. I had found many inspired examples of how to paint the miniatures online, but somehow most of them didn’t sit right with me. I found out that it was mainly the ‘ethereal’ part of the miniatures that didn’t work. Some of the long-time followers of this page, might be aware, but I have a strong dislike for ‘physical effects’ in miniatures. Smoke clouds and flying skulls and so on… Modern GW miniautres often have these things, which greatly detracts in my opinion. I think it is due to the fact that smoke is semi translucent… and in miniature it becomes totally opaque.

Anyway, I here is the recipe I used for these miniatures:

1) Undercoat black with artists’ gesso, following by drybrush with P3 Thornwood green, followed by light drybrush with Vallejo Model Colour (VMC) Dark Sand.

2) Blocking in colours: All metal painted in Army Painter (AP) Gun Metal. All bone/skin VMC Stone Grey. Shafts are painted in VMC Voilet Brown. Gold is VMC Old Gold.

3) Washing: Everything – the whole miniature, got a coat of Games Workshop (GW) Agrax Earthshade.

4) Dusting: An even lighter dusting with a drybrush of VMC Dark Sand.

4) Rust: P3 Bloodstone brown was stippled on, followed by Vallejo Game Colour Scrofulous Brown.

5) Skin: Highlights were made by going from VMC Stone Grey to AK47 Off White.

6) Metal: Edge highlights with AP Shining Silver.

7) Bases: VMC Dark Earth texture paint was added, following by AP Camo Green drybrush and then AP Arid Earth. After this the edges were painted in VMC Glossy Black. Then snow was added by mixing PVA glue and Woodland Scenics Snow Scatter, and smearing the pulp on the bases. After smearing the bases were dipped in Silica grit to give a bit of sparkle.

8) Specks of blood were added with GW Blood for The Blood God