How to Paint Blades of Khorne (Complete Guide)

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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.

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.

My Fangs of Khorne

Brushes and tools used

• Raphael Brush Series 8404 Size 1 (Amazon Associate link)
• Winsor & Newton Sable Series 7 Brush No 0 (Amazon Associate link)
• Citadel Medium Layer Brush - Synthetic
• Citadel Small Layer Brush - Synthetic
• Citadel Small Drybrush - Synthetic (Amazon Associate link)

The Citadel (synthetic) brushes are good relatively inexpensive brushes that I use for most of my basecoat and shading work. When I move onto highlights and detail and then switch to the more expensive Raphael and Windsor & Newton brushes. 

Brush care:

• Masters Brush Cleaner (Amazon affiliate link)

Once I’ve finished painting, I always clean my brushes with this to keep them in good condition.

Priming Sprays:

• Matt Black Spray (Amazon Affiliate link)

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.

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.

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:

How to Paint Flaming Swords

• Bright highlights add variety to the army without disrupting the overall theme.
• Ideal for champions and characters

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

• Bright red daemon flesh tones
• Simple, repeatable techniques for larger units

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

• Provides a different red tone for the army, introducing variety whilst maintaining the theme

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

• The armour provides variety of tones and textures from the rider
• Remains consistent with the colour palette of the army

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.

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.

Related Guides

• How to Paint Nighthaunts
• How to Paint Gloomspite Gitz
• How to Paint Skaven
  
  

Discussion

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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