- Warg Riders – Rider Painting Guide
Speed & Quality Balanced Method (Tabletop+)
(Riders only — mounts painted separately)
Lore & Visual Intent
Warg Riders are hunters and raiders, bound to their mounts through cruelty, survival, and shared savagery. Their equipment is crude and worn — leather over metal, padding over comfort, and grime over polish. Many wear flayed Warg hides as trophies, reinforcing their bond with the beasts they ride.
When painting the riders, the goal is clarity without competition. The Wargs themselves are large, textured, and visually dominant; the riders must remain readable while supporting the mount. This is achieved through muted colours, disciplined contrast, and careful material separation.
This guide balances speed and quality, producing cohesive, brutal-looking riders suitable for full units.
Preparation & Priming
Clean mold lines carefully on faces, hands, armour edges, weapons, and fur capes
Prime black
Optional light grey zenithal if desired
A black undercoat supports deep shadows and prevents the wash stage from becoming overly warm.
Painting Order Overview
The guide is structured by materials, ordered so adjacent sections reuse similar paints.
Basecoats (all materials)
Global Agrax wash
Skin – re-layer & highlight
Leather – re-layer & highlight
Cloth – re-layer & highlight
Hair – re-layer & highlight
Wood – re-layer & highlight
Padded saddle – re-layer & highlight
Warg fur cape – re-layer & highlight
Metal – re-layer & highlight
Bone & teeth – re-layer & highlight
Final character touches
Core Method Philosophy
Variation is established at the basecoat stage
A single all-over Agrax Earthshade wash unifies the model
Each material is then completed in one pass: re-layer followed immediately by highlights
Highlights are restrained and desaturated, favouring realism over brightness
Step 1: Basecoats (All Materials)
At this stage the model will look flat and overly clean — this is intentional.
Skin Basecoats (Choose One per Rider)
Classic Orc green: Deathworld Forest
Dark olive / brown-green: Castellan Green
Pale, sallow: Rakarth Flesh
Ruddy / human-adjacent: Bugman’s Glow
Light brown flesh: Steel Legion Drab
Greyed green: Elysian Green + Rakarth Flesh (1:1)
Main Leather (Armour Panels)
Near-black leather: Abaddon Black
Dark brown leather: Rhinox Hide
Weathered mid brown: Doombull Brown
Warg Fur Capes (Basecoats Only)
Standard / dark fur: Rhinox Hide
Lighter, mangy fur: Mournfang Brown
Optional ridge / mane: Steel Legion Drab (feather gently)
Secondary Leather (Straps, Belts, Boots)
Dryad Bark or Doombull Brown
Cloth (Choose 1–2 per Unit)
Dirty red: Khorne Red
Faded brown: Steel Legion Drab
Dirty grey: Mechanicus Standard Grey
Black cloth: Corvus Black
Dark green: Castellan Green
Faded tan / canvas: Karak Stone
Hair
Abaddon Black or Dryad Bark
Wooden Elements (Bows, Shafts, Shields)
Dark wood: Dryad Bark
Worn brown: Gorthor Brown
Greyed wood: Stormvermin Fur
Padded Saddle & Riding Gear
Thondia Brown
Bone, Teeth, Trinkets
Zandri Dust
Metal Elements (Painted Last)
Armour, weapons, fittings: Iron Warriors
Step 2: Global Wash
Apply Agrax Earthshade as a single, controlled wash over the entire rider.
Wick excess from faces, flat armour panels, and fur tops
Allow to dry fully before continuing
This step shades recesses, dirties surfaces, and unifies all materials.
Post-Wash Finishing
(Each material completed before moving on)
Skin – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Using the original skin base colour, re-layer raised areas:
Cheeks
Brow ridge
Nose
Knuckles
Upper arms
Leave Agrax visible in recesses.
Highlight (Desaturated)
Green skin: Deathworld Forest + Rakarth Flesh (1:1)
Dark olive skin: Deathworld Forest or Castellan Green + Rakarth Flesh (2:1)
Pale skin: Rakarth Flesh + Pallid Wych Flesh (1:1)
Ruddy skin: Kislev Flesh (very restrained)
Light brown skin: Steel Legion Drab + Karak Stone (1:1)
Apply softly to the highest points only.
Leather – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Re-layer the original leather colour on raised panels and folds.
Highlight
Dark brown: Gorthor Brown
Mid brown: Tuskgor Fur
Black leather: Dryad Bark
Edge highlights only.
Cloth – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Re-layer the original cloth colour on raised folds.
Highlight
Red: Wazdakka Red
Brown: Karak Stone
Grey: Dawnstone
Black: Eshin Grey
Green: Elysian Green
Tan: Ushabti Bone (very light)
Hair – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Re-layer with the original hair colour on raised strands.
Highlight
Black hair: Eshin Grey
Brown hair: Gorthor Brown
Keep minimal — hair frames the face only.
Wood – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Re-layer original wood colour along shafts and planks.
Highlight
Dark wood: Gorthor Brown
Brown wood: Baneblade Brown
Greyed wood: Karak Stone
Use broken, irregular highlights.
Padded Saddle – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Thondia Brown on raised, compressed areas
Highlight
Karak Stone, applied softly to folds and edges
Warg Fur Capes – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Rhinox Hide fur → Rhinox Hide
Mournfang fur → Mournfang Brown
Ridge / mane → Steel Legion Drab
Highlight
Standard fur: Mournfang Brown
Dark variant: Gorthor Brown
Mangy variant: Skrag Brown
Ridge / mane: Karak Stone
Apply to upper ridges and tips only.
Metal – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Iron Warriors on raised metal surfaces
Highlight
Ironbreaker on edges
Optional Stormhost Silver on blade tips only
Bone & Teeth – Re-layer & Highlight
Re-layer
Zandri Dust on raised areas
Highlight
Ushabti Bone
Final Character Touches (Optional)
Mouths and gums: Carroburg Crimson
Extra grime: stipple Agrax Earthshade
Old scars or bruising: thin Reikland Fleshshade
Keep these subtle — they should be felt rather than clearly seen.
Final Result & Finish
Finished riders should:
Read clearly at tabletop distance
Feel grimy, aged, and savage
Complement the Warg without competing
Show variation without breaking cohesion
A matte varnish is strongly recommended to unify finishes and protect the models.
Closing Thought
This scheme succeeds through restraint and structure. By unifying the model with a single wash and completing each material in a focused pass, you achieve brutal, believable Warg Riders quickly and consistently — ideal for full units and long campaigns.
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