The Horus Heresy ("30k") is Games Workshop's game of the galaxy-spanning civil war that defines the 40k setting's history. You paint the original Space Marine Legions - larger, more uniform armies than their 40k successor chapters, with a grittier, more militaristic feel.
How it differs from 40k
The 18 Legions are the ancestors of the 40k chapters, so many colours carry over - but Heresy-era schemes are often more muted, weathered and uniform, befitting a galactic war machine. Mk II-IV "beakie" power armour and massed infantry give the army a distinct, classic look.
Painting a Legion
The method is the same core process as any Space Marine: basecoat the armour, shade the recesses, edge highlight. Use the scheme generator to pull an exact recipe for your Legion's colour. Several Legions share a base colour with their 40k chapter:
- Sons of Horus - sea-green; Death Guard - pre-Heresy white and green (see Death Guard); Emperor's Children - purple; Iron Warriors - bare metal and hazard stripes; World Eaters - white and blue, pre-rage (see World Eaters).
Weathering and uniformity
Heresy armies reward two things: uniformity (Legions are disciplined - keep the scheme consistent across the unit) and weathering (these are war-weary soldiers - chipping, dust and battle damage suit them). Transfers and Legion iconography tie a force together.
Tips
- Batch paint. Legion armies are large and uniform - paint each step across the whole unit.
- Weather them. Sponge chipping and grime fit the gritty Heresy tone.
- Keep it consistent. Discipline in the scheme is what makes a Legion read as a Legion.