How to Paint Blades of Khorne - Complete Guide
How to Paint Blades of Khorne (Complete Guide)
I have loved playing Chaos forces ever since I first entered the hobby over 35 years ago. When it comes to painting Chaos armies, I always return to the classic colour schemes, the ones covered in the original Realms of Chaos Books from the late 1980s and early 1990s. For Khorne, that means deep red armour, dark brass metals, bone, and fire.
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In this guide, I’ve brought together all of my Blades of Khorne painting methods in one place. Whether you are painting armies of daemons, mortals, or warbands for Warhammer Underworlds or Warcry, this hub links out to the individual techniques I use to keep a Khorne force cohesive and unmistakably brutal.
I intend to continue adding material to this guide as time passes.
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| My Fangs of Khorne |
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Planning a Blades of Khorne Colour Scheme
Painting any group of miniatures works best when there is a theme running through the force. Blades of Khorne armies work best when they are focus on a few bold and consistent colours.
- Armour: deep red, kept rich rather than bright to represent murder and blood.
- Metals: brass and dark bronze tones to represent the weapons of war.
- Bone: skulls, trophies, and weapons.
- Fire: flames and glowing weapons for contrast to add focal points.
Core Painting Techniques
These guides form the foundation of a Blades of Khorne army. They are the key materials and effects that appear across most models.
How to Paint the Red Armour of Khorne
The red armour is the defining feature of any Khorne force. My approach focuses on rich reds with controlled highlights to avoid the colour becoming too bright or pink.
Full guide:
How to Paint the Red Armour of Khorne (currently a work in progress)
- Deep red base tones
- Baroque brass edging indicative of Chaos forces.
- Light, medium and flesh tones that work well with reds and metallics
Skeletons, Skulls, and Bone
Bone details are everywhere in a Khorne army, from trophies to weapons and bases.
Full guide:
How to Paint Skeletons, Skulls, and Bone
- Warm bone tones work best alongside red
- Avoid going too pale
- Consistent bone across the army helps tie everything together
Flaming Weapons and Swords
Flaming swords and weapons add a dramatic focal point to Khorne models.
Full guide:
- Bright highlights add variety to the army without disrupting the overall theme.
- Ideal for champions and characters
Whole Miniatures - Mortals and Daemons
How to Paint Bloodletters of Khorne
Bloodletters are iconic Khorne daemons and form the core of many armies.
Full guide:
How to Paint Bloodletters of Khorne
How to Paint Flesh Hounds of Khorne
Flesh Hounds add speed and aggression to a Khorne force, and their flesh tones benefit from a slightly darker, more brutal approach.
Full guide:
How to Paint Fleshhounds of Khorne
How to Paint Juggernauts of Khorne -Bloodcrushers and Skullcrushers of Khorne
Juggernauts combine heavy armour with daemonic flesh and metal.
Full guide:
How to Paint Juggernauts of Khorne
Claws of Karanak
The Claws of Karanak are an excellent example of how these techniques work on miniatures with a range of different textures.
Full guide:
How to Paint Claws of Karanak
Kamandora's Blades
Kamandora's Blades, from Warhammer Underworlds, provide a small group of warriors which lack armour but still can be made to fit the themes of the army with careful use of the key colours.
Full guide:
How to Paint Kamandora's Blades
Bringing a Blades of Khorne Army Together
The key to a successful Blades of Khorne army is consistency.
- Use the same red armour recipe across all units
- Repeat brass and bone tones everywhere
- Reserve the brightest effects for focal points
This approach allows even very different units to feel like part of the same force.
Blades of Khorne in Warhammer Underworlds
I’ve also applied these techniques to smaller warbands in Warhammer Underworlds:
Final Thoughts
Blades of Khorne are at satisfying Chaos forces to paint. The classic red and brass scheme has endured for decades for a reason, it is bold, recognisable, and perfectly suited to the army’s character.
By sticking to a consistent palette and focusing on strong contrasts, you can build a Blades of Khorne force that looks brutal and cohesive on the tabletop but still include the variety to distinguish your individual champions. After all, they need to attract the gaze of Khorne through their bloody deeds.
Are there any guides you would like me to add to this hub?
Let me know in the comments, I’d be interested to hear what’s worked for you.
Happy hobbying!
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