How I Paint: Beastmen

From the darkling woods they come, On cloven hoof and twisted claw.
The beastmen they are called, these ones; Less than human, yet also something more.

- The Strange Tale of Doctor Malfeasant

Nazrak Bladestorm - Beastlord

From the darkest depths of the forests they come. Beast and man made one under Chaos. Since February '11, the Beastmen have been my army of choice, tearing up the battlefields of the Old World and churning the hacked remains of their foes beneath their cloven feet.



After Christmas '10 finally calmed down and 2011 was beginning to finally settle into our minds, I came into work on one of my days off and decided I wanted a new Warhammer army. I had never particularly gotten far with my Skaven. A few units painted, but I wanted a full Clan Skryre list of big mechanical warpstone infused mayhem, and I was all pooped out with Skaven after painting the stores Black Box models.

The choice came down to Dark Elves and Beastmen. I quite liked some of the Dark Elf lore, I'd always been a fan of High Elves, but since failing to paint them when I was nine years old (one does not simply paint Skull White onto plastic horses without a primer...) couldn't get around to painting the loyal Asur. I'd just finished reading "Malekith" too, which put them fairly high in my mind.

Speaking with Ash, Manager of GW Kingston, and my boss at the time, he suggested I spend a few minutes looking through the Army Books and at the models. Moments later I was stood at the counter with entirely more than I had wanted to spend. The Beastmen Battalion, Army Book, an additional box of Gors, some Minotaurs, a Beastlord (who would become Nazrak) and the Doombull that would later become Krogath the Unyielding... Or rather, one of them.

Krogath the Unyielding - Doombull

I fondly remember an entire afternoon spent working on that metal Doombull, just building the damn thing flawlessly. Several evenings poring over the book writing lists. Several more evenings building the models just the way I wanted them... Then several crushing defeats at the hands of one particular PhD wielding Empire player - one of which saw his End Game Victory Points higher than the points value of the game, and with the most significant portion of damage to his army having been caused by a forest.

I was utterly distraught, but in the best way possible. My hordes had been smashed aside, and at that moment, I vowed complete and utter revenge. I would find a way for my hordes to re-emerge victorious.

It should be noted, as an aside, the next few weeks would almost put me off Warhammer in total, and I would come to loathe several people because of what was to come.

Vash'ok the Blighted - Great Bray-Shaman

In short, I started seeking advice on how I could learn to win with Beastmen. Most of the people I spoke with simply laughed at me. They told me that it simply could not be done, that the book was a travesty and utterly unusable. Why, after all, would anyone take Gors for 3 more points each than an identical statline and equipment Chaos Marauder? Then, they continued, the elite troops were just as bad. No, I was told, winning with Beastmen would be beyond my reach.

Previously, I've mentioned how well I take being told what I can and cannot do in my own hobby. I did not accept this news, and continued my quest; poring over the book, the rulebook and even borrowing several books from Kingston Library on Military History and Tactics. It was then that I met Him. For decencies sake, I won't name this person here, but he knows who he is.

He told me that I could win with Beastmen, but to do so I would have to learn to, as he put it, "truly play the game". Now, I thought he meant become a master tactician, set up careful ploys and work out how to lure my opponent into traps. In a way he did, but a better way he could have said it would have been that I "needed to find loopholes in the rules to exploit". In several of our trial/tutorial games, which I have now come to realise was more him enjoying a good seal-cub clubbing, he showed me how to trap an opponent between bits of scenery due to the "must be 1" away from scenery" rule only not applying during a charge. This left a unit literally stuck between a rock and a hard place for the entire game with a unit physically unable to manoeuvre out again. I was not best pleased.

Worst of all, the entire group of Warhammer players around at the time were just like this.

Ghorgon

Regardless, despite me taking a brief hiatus from Warhammer, partly due to the attitudes of my opponents, I would eventually return with a Vampire Counts army (just before the new book) and teach myself the ins and outs of Warhammer and become a fairly competent general.

Then December '11 came, and with it the stunning Cygor/Gorgon kit and a Finecast Doombull. I loved it, and work began in earnest again on my beloved Beastmen. I even rebuilt Krogath the Unyielding out of Finecast, the making of which was my very first proper blog entry here. Then again in August with the plastic Great-Bray Shaman.

So, without further ado, how did I paint them all?

Gor Foe-Render

Beastman Flesh:

Basecoat: Rhinox Hide - Basecoat Brush

Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush

Layer: Doombull Brown - Standard Brush

Layer: Tuskgor Fur - Detail Brush

Beastman Fur:

Basecoat: Skavenblight Dinge - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Wash: Nuln Oil - Wash Brush
Drybrush: Stormvermin Fur - Small Drybrush

Wargor with Hunting Spear

Beastman Horns:

Basecoat: Rhinox Hide - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Gorthor Brown - Standard Brush
Layer: Baneblade Brown - Detail Brush

Tarnished Metal:

Basecoat: Leadblecher - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Wash: Nuln Oil - Wash Brush
Layer: Runefang Steel - Detail Brush

Minotaur with Two Hand Weapons

Ochre Cloth:

Basecoat: XV88 - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Tau Light Ochre - Standard Brush
Layer: Ungor Flesh - Detail Brush

Teeth and Skull Trophies:

Basecoat: Zandri Dust - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Ushabti Bone - Standard Brush
Layer: Screaming Skull - Detail Brush

Minotaur Bloodkine

Gore:
Basecoat: 50/50 mix Rhinox Hide/Mephiston Red - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Agrax Earthshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Mephiston Red thinned with Lahmean Medium - Standard Brush
Glaze: 'Ardcoat - Wash Brush

Or for that really nasty gore...

Krogath the Unyielding, Covering in gore

Mix up Bloodletter and Rhinox Hide until you get a mix that looks just like blood. Add a drop of Water Effects (or 'Ardcoat if you really don't have Water Effects) and wait 5-10 minutes until the mix is half-dry. Using a medium drybrush, you can lightly (or liberally) 'flick' this mix over the model until you have the desired effect. I highly recommend practising it on a throw-away first.

Base Detail - Sand:



Basecoat: Rhinox Hide - Basecoat Brush
Drybrush: Skrag Brown - Medium Drybrush
Drybrush: Deathclaw Brown - Small Drybrush

Base Detail - Rocks:



Basecoat: Mechanicus Standard Grey - Basecoat Brush
Drybrush: Dawnstone - Medium Drybrush
Drybrush: Administratum Grey - Small Drybrush

Base Detail Scatter - Mordheim Turf

Vash'ok the Blighted - Great Bray Shaman

There are four types of flesh painted on the Great Bray-Shaman's cloak, here's how I did them:

Pale (Human) Flesh:

Basecoat: Bugmans Glow - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Reikland Fleshshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Cadian Fleshtone - Standard Brush
Layer: Kislev Flesh - Detail Brush


Tanned (Skaven) Flesh:

Basecoat: Ratskin Flesh - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Reikland Fleshshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Bestigor Flesh - Standard Brush
Layer: Ungor Flesh - Detail Brush


Pallid (Elf) Flesh:

Basecoat: Rakarth Flesh - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Reikland Fleshshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Rakarth Flesh - Standard Brush
Layer: Pallid Wych Flesh - Detail Brush


Dark (Beastman) Flesh:

Basecoat: Rhinox Hide - Basecoat Brush
Wash: Reikland Fleshshade - Wash Brush
Layer: Doombull Brown - Standard Brush
Layer: Tuskgor Fur - Detail Brush

The runes on his cloth are straight up Mephiston Red.