Inspired Soul Wars: Lord-Arcanum on Dracoline

After glueing most of the models from the Stormcast Battleforce set, I went ahead and started painting my Lord-Arcanum. However there was only one problem.

I didn’t have any matt black spray paint…..

Fortunately I had a can of spare matt white spray paint, and decided I would spray my Dracoline. The plan was to go completely out of my comfort zone and paint a bright and lighter colour scheme to contrast the dark pallet of the Lord-Arcanum.

I tend to paint the darker aspect in models as it I prefer to present my miniatures in grim, brutal and less high colourful fantasy choice of paints. I think it’s down to the fact that black is a great undercoat to build up layers of lighter colour, as recesses are already covered when drybrushing.

However, I needed to start trying out new and risky attempts at panting stand out models such as my general. The higher the risk, the better it looks (for painting before anyone decides to misinterpret what I’ve said).

Here’s what you’ll need to paint a Dracoline.

• Citadel Contrast Nazdreg Yellow
• Citadel Corax White
• Model colour White
• Citadel Shade Druchii Violet
• Citadel Macragg Blue
• Citadel Aliatoc Blue
• Citadel Hoeth Blue

• First, undercoat the Dracoline in Humbrol matt White spray.
• Then shade the recess areas in Citadel Contrast Nazdreg Yellow, use minimal amount of contrast so it doesn’t pool on the model as well as areas you don’t want painted.
• Next, drybrush the whole model in Corax White as you smooth out the dry edges of the contrast paint. This will give you a smooth transition of white to cream recess. Corax White for me was off white when applied so if you want the same lighter tone as the spray undercoat, I’d suggest using Model Colour White to drybrush instead.
• Next, mix a small amount of Model Colour White and Citadel Corax White and drybrush that over the raised areas.
• After that use Druchii Violet over the spine, claws, mouth and scales. Like contrast it will pool if not controlled, so use it sparingly to endure its even when dry.
• For the scales I used Citadel Macragg Blue as a basecoat, followed by a small highlight of Citadel Aliatoc Blue (dotted at the top right of each scale) and finally a smaller dot of Citadel Hoeth Blue.
• Finally, drybrush lightly over the scales and spines in Citadel Corax White, Make sure not to apply too much pressure as you drybrush the model. An even feathering will lighten the raised areas but retain the colours you’ve painted.

With that you’ll have something like this.

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This took me a day to paint, isolation offers a greater deal of time for me to paint. But rather than playing safe, I risked this model by doing something new. The lesson I’ve learned is that it’s worth now and again to go further, painting a colour your not used to and taking that to the next level.

My Lord-Arcanum on a Dracoline will be Balthas Arum (main protagonist of the Soul Wars novel) as he rides to war on his steed. whilst I’m slightly breaking cannon as he rides a Gryph-charger, I’d like to think he has a range of mounts he can chose from depending on the mission he’s tasked to accomplish. Besides, Dracolines are badass models!

My only criticism for the kit is that the rider and mount cannot be separated when constructing. As both are segmented parts that have rider and mount together casted, so painting them separately is difficult. The Cold One Knights kit would let you separate the mount and rider, making it easier to paint them individually.

But apart from that, the kit is a fantastically detailed miniature that offers a great range of parts to customise your Evocators or Lord-Arcanum.

With that painted, I have only three more units left to paint including a Lord-Exorcist, three Evocators on Dracolines and three more Evocators.

I’ll be posting my unit of Evocators on Dracolines in the near future, where I’ll explain more of my thoughts on the kit.

Until next time Stormlings,

-Bjorn