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 Chaos 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.

1- Basecoats (all materials)
2- Global Agrax wash
3- Skin – re-layer & highlight
4- Leather – re-layer & highlight
5- Cloth – re-layer & highlight
6- Hair – re-layer & highlight
7- Wood – re-layer & highlight
8- Padded saddle – re-layer & highlight
9- Warg fur cape – re-layer & highlight
10- Metal – re-layer & highlight
11- Bone & teeth – re-layer & highlight
12- 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

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

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 Earthshade visible in recesses.

Highlight (Desaturated)

Classic Orc Green skin: Deathworld Forest + Rakarth Flesh (1:1)
Dark olive/brown-green 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.

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.

Metal – Re-layer & Highlight

Re-layer

Iron Warriors on raised metal surfaces

Highlight

Ironbreaker on edges

Optional Stormhost Silver on blade tips only

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.