[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-/guides/horus-heresy-painting":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":121,"date":122,"description":123,"extension":124,"heroImage":125,"intro":126,"lastUpdated":122,"meta":127,"navigation":128,"path":129,"related":130,"seo":133,"shopSearch":134,"stem":135,"tags":134,"__hash__":136},"guides/guides/horus-heresy-painting.md","How to Paint Horus Heresy Legions",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":113},"minimark",[9,13,18,21,25,39,74,78,89,93],[10,11,12],"p",{},"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.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"how-it-differs-from-40k","How it differs from 40k",[10,19,20],{},"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.",[14,22,24],{"id":23},"painting-a-legion","Painting a Legion",[10,26,27,28,33,34,38],{},"The method is the same core process as any ",[29,30,32],"a",{"href":31},"/factions/space-marines","Space Marine",": basecoat the armour, shade the recesses, edge highlight. Use the ",[29,35,37],{"href":36},"/tools/scheme-generator","scheme generator"," to pull an exact recipe for your Legion's colour. Several Legions share a base colour with their 40k chapter:",[40,41,42],"ul",{},[43,44,45,49,50,53,54,57,58,61,62,65,66,69,70,73],"li",{},[46,47,48],"strong",{},"Sons of Horus"," - sea-green; ",[46,51,52],{},"Death Guard"," - pre-Heresy white and green (see ",[29,55,52],{"href":56},"/factions/death-guard","); ",[46,59,60],{},"Emperor's Children"," - purple; ",[46,63,64],{},"Iron Warriors"," - bare metal and hazard stripes; ",[46,67,68],{},"World Eaters"," - white and blue, pre-rage (see ",[29,71,68],{"href":72},"/factions/world-eaters",").",[14,75,77],{"id":76},"weathering-and-uniformity","Weathering and uniformity",[10,79,80,81,84,85,88],{},"Heresy armies reward two things: ",[46,82,83],{},"uniformity"," (Legions are disciplined - keep the scheme consistent across the unit) and ",[46,86,87],{},"weathering"," (these are war-weary soldiers - chipping, dust and battle damage suit them). Transfers and Legion iconography tie a force together.",[14,90,92],{"id":91},"tips","Tips",[40,94,95,101,107],{},[43,96,97,100],{},[46,98,99],{},"Batch paint."," Legion armies are large and uniform - paint each step across the whole unit.",[43,102,103,106],{},[46,104,105],{},"Weather them."," Sponge chipping and grime fit the gritty Heresy tone.",[43,108,109,112],{},[46,110,111],{},"Keep it consistent."," Discipline in the scheme is what makes a Legion read as a Legion.",{"title":114,"searchDepth":115,"depth":115,"links":116},"",2,[117,118,119,120],{"id":16,"depth":115,"text":17},{"id":23,"depth":115,"text":24},{"id":76,"depth":115,"text":77},{"id":91,"depth":115,"text":92},"Getting Started","2026-06-28","A guide to painting Horus Heresy (30k) Space Marine Legions - the pre-Heresy and Heresy-era schemes, weathering, and how they differ from their 40k descendants.","md","/images/guides/horus-heresy-painting.webp","Painting the 18 Legions of the Horus Heresy",{},true,"/guides/horus-heresy-painting",[131,132],"space-marines","warhammer-40k-for-beginners",{"title":5,"description":123},null,"guides/horus-heresy-painting","4CA01ycnes5bHHGzEV3zAUU5AZhwibD5vXnM__RFB4o"]