Project Warhorse – Spring Clean 2025

A few more shortish painting sessions to finish up the models. First was the uniforms, starting with a layer of the original base colour (Vallejo Model Colour Desert Yellow), and then a final highlight of Vallejo Model Colour Buff. I also touched up the hooves with Buff whilst it was on my palette.

I remembered to pause and take a pictures between steps, but swiftly forgot that later…

All the leather horse furniture and straps were next, starting with the base colour (Vallejo Model Colour Flat Earth), and then trying for a thin edge highlight of Vallejo Model Colour Brown Sand.

I went back to the head scarves and added a further highlight of Vallejo Model Colour Ivory to make the white pop at a bit more. I did the same to the bottom of the horses’ legs.

Both the riders and horses had their eye sockets painted Vallejo Model Colour German Camo Black Brown, and then eyeballs painted with Ivory.

Google lens had a Vallejo Model Colour Flourescent Magenta mixed with a bit of Ivory painted on, with a final dot of pure Ivory.

Last bits to finish up now. Metal was highlighted with Vallejo Game Colour Silver, including the brass horse armour, albeit trying for a weathering effect on the latter than a layered highlight.

Eyes were dotted with black, and riders’ faces highlighted with Citadel Kislev Flesh. Lance hafts and grenades had a roughly 1:1 mix of German Camo Black Brown and Vallejo Game Colour Stonewall Grey as a first highlight, and then a very small final highlight with just Stonewall Grey.

I think that is everything… onto bases next.

Onto the basing. I put down a layer of AK Sandy Desert terrain paste. My tub is a couple of years old now, and starting to dry out. A few drops of water stirred into the pot loosens and softens the mix back to a paste.

Once the terrain paste is dried, the whole thing is drybrushed with Vallejo Model Colour Pale Sand.

A few tufts were added to each base. Tajima1 is my current go to place for tufts. These are their brown coloured, 6mm natural tufts, which come in a nice mix of different clump sizes in each box.

Finally, base rims were painted in black.

All in all, I’m pretty happy with how these have turned out.

These were the first siocast figures I’ve handled, and they were a bit of a pain to clean, tending to burr up a bit. The material is very flexible, and despite trying to straighten out the lances, I think they might have crept back to being a bit bent again. I always have a debate about whether to replace metal and plastic long lances/pikes with brass rod, but inevitably go for the lazy option of not bothering. I probably should have done that here.

I decided at the start to not bother with painting up parts in subassemblies. Yes, it means that the front of the riders isn’t well painted at all, but as you can barely see them, I’m happy with the decision to save a bit of time in avoiding a bit of effort on an area that essentially invisible on the table.

Whilst the figures are quite detailed, there’s not much difference compared to things like Napoleonic cavalry, which can have a lot more fine detailing like lining of cuffs/collars/turnbacks etc. (if you care about that sort of thing). But I am happy it was just a small squad of five to paint.