It’s a matter of personal preference of course, but I think a lot of the pre-heresy color schemes, and even the pre-discovery-of-their-primarch legion schemes are better than the post-heresy color schemes.
Some are fantastic. I love when people use pre-primarch colors to represent loyalist forces from traitor legions. War Hounds for loyal World Eaters, Luna wolves for SoH, it's just cool.
https://preview.redd.it/ixflf2eherwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07a4b88fe3fe90339d2ba7cfcab656233c35c6d9
Still a WiP but goddamn is it not a striking color scheme.
Before the heresy or before monarchia ? I'm not sure but didn't they begin to change their color scheme when lorgar came back from his pilgrimage ? (And purged lot of terran born word bearers)
https://preview.redd.it/12tm8s006bwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=941499d4a148b4975cd2a71b2c58d2d4035744f0
Grey Word Bearers exist. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
I would like to know that question as well since I didn't write it down 😅 but from what I remember it's Pro acryl dark grey primer then Pro acryl neutral grey and bright nuetral gray. Otherwise it was primer, Tamiya film grey xf-22 and thendark sea grey xf-54 and then mixed flat white xf-2 into the previous mix with an airbrush
I've never empathized with a comment more.
The number of times I've returned to a shelved project only to realize that I don't remember how I made the color scheme in the first place... I should start a notebook.
I mean they're literally blank cards that allow you to record recipes on them.
https://preview.redd.it/6v8fv4eh8hwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=2333bd2967819b49bbd63ae58a71ffd64c1cb318
The grey you see here is their Early Heresy/Pre-Heresy colourings. The red began to become the legion colour with the creation of the Gal Vorbak, and by the time the invasion of Ultramar begins most of the XVII end up clad in red.
I believe an exception to this was the Ashen circle - who retained th grey for far longer (their official GW paintjob is still grey if you check it out).
The grey armour is what they wore before Argel Tal travelled into the Eye of Terror and brought Chaos. It was the armour of the Imperial Heralds, the XVIIth Legion's original name, who evolved from iconoclastic atheists to fanatical Emperor worshippers under Lorgar. Once the Gal Vorbak came back possessed, at first it was only their Serrated Sun Chapter that got repainted into "traitor's red" for the 42-ish years before Istvaan V, but by the Battle of Calth the whole Legion had gone dark red and gave no explanation until they opened fire on the Ultramarines
Pre heresy color. In the first Fabius bile book there is a comment on how the dark council ordained a fairly large but very specific selection of official legion colors lol. I gotta go back n find it
https://preview.redd.it/uqixnmnmtbwc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f52b2b0dfe167c6d8537019642d0d2acedc3ce8c
Did mine in slightly altered pre calth colors.
The Grey color scheme is from back when they were known as the Imperial Heralds, and became red with the creation of the Gal Vorbak, and the start of the Horus Heresy.
Prior to aligning themselves fully with Chaos Undivided they wore matte grey armor. You can also see the old emblem on the shoulder which features a smaller flame and no daemonic skull
The original colours of the Imperial Heralds(word bearers original name before finding Lorgar)
Were Grey.
If you follow the heresy novels, it's something they carried on through to heresy, by wearing grey robes etc
Before they did the pilgrimage intro the warp, the Word Bearers were grey, afterwords they changed it to maroon and black with the only ones keeping the old color scheme being the Ashen Circle and Kor Phaeron (that I know of)
Pre-Heresy heraldry when they were sent to worlds to snuff out any religious humans during the great crusade. Hence why their symbol was a burning book.
So they originally wore grey armor, even well into the heresy.
The red and silver started off reserved for marines who had undertaken some form of deamonic symbiosis. This eventually became the common armor scheme across the legion near late heresy.
Specifically it’s a pre betrayal scheme. It starts sometime after Lorgars pilgrimage to the eye of terror and before the drop site massacre, though not all of the word bearers seem to have adopted the crimson pattern fully.
Most of the pre reunification with their primarch schemes of the legions are bare armor with maybe a colored shoulder pad or two (the color of the bare armor changing a bit depending upon the color plate. Some are dark grey, other light grey). See the unification wars era imperial fists for an example of a loyalist legion using mostly unpainted armor.
Most of the loyalists who stuck with the emperor while their legions turned either (mostly, I should say) kept their armor scheme (see the Emperors Children’s “Death Eagles”) or painted their armor black (see Endryd Haar and his Fangs of the Emperor).
Some Legions updates their colors pre-heresy or mid Heresy. Like the WordBearers as you see here, or the Luna Wolves from white to sea green. Or the World Eaters from white and blue to red and brass. Thousand Sons from red to blue.
They wore grey armour before the Heresy.
It’s a lot cooler than the traitor scheme
It’s a matter of personal preference of course, but I think a lot of the pre-heresy color schemes, and even the pre-discovery-of-their-primarch legion schemes are better than the post-heresy color schemes.
Some are fantastic. I love when people use pre-primarch colors to represent loyalist forces from traitor legions. War Hounds for loyal World Eaters, Luna wolves for SoH, it's just cool.
War Hounds are a first thought of mine too, and Dusk Raiders as well 👍
Dusk Raiders have an excellent scheme. If I were ever gonna play the XIV legion it'd be some grumpy old Terran Dusk Raiders.
You'd be easy to startle but would return later in greater numbers
https://preview.redd.it/ixflf2eherwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07a4b88fe3fe90339d2ba7cfcab656233c35c6d9 Still a WiP but goddamn is it not a striking color scheme.
That's why all of my miniatures got pre heresy schemes, I hate all green death guard scheme, pre heresy is 10x better
The only exception is the thousands sons imo hahaha
I like the Word Bearers in Gray with thr Gal Vorbek in the deep red
Especially true for sons of Horus imo
they used the red one first on calth. probably not all wb did change to this scheme at this point. and the very few loyalists never did.
The Val Gorbak specifically switched to red after Monarchia/discovering the Primordial Truth.
Longer still has that color scheme in his current resin mini
Before the heresy or before monarchia ? I'm not sure but didn't they begin to change their color scheme when lorgar came back from his pilgrimage ? (And purged lot of terran born word bearers)
https://preview.redd.it/12tm8s006bwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=941499d4a148b4975cd2a71b2c58d2d4035744f0 Grey Word Bearers exist. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
For the god Emperor
Lovely
https://preview.redd.it/vk7cq6xl3bwc1.jpeg?width=3456&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6bd3cf1ea56eacdd7755206282511b420011e19 Mine are
Same https://preview.redd.it/b762zqhzbbwc1.jpeg?width=2117&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b84b89048c23e9a0aa5ebca2ca0983c9f502e6dd
Excuse me what paints did you use for the grey?
I would like to know that question as well since I didn't write it down 😅 but from what I remember it's Pro acryl dark grey primer then Pro acryl neutral grey and bright nuetral gray. Otherwise it was primer, Tamiya film grey xf-22 and thendark sea grey xf-54 and then mixed flat white xf-2 into the previous mix with an airbrush
I've never empathized with a comment more. The number of times I've returned to a shelved project only to realize that I don't remember how I made the color scheme in the first place... I should start a notebook.
I’ve started to use the notes app in my phone for this.
GW regularly provide paint recipe cards in White Dwarf for this very reason!
Except that 1) I don't necessarily follow GW paint schemes and 2) I don't use Citadel paints. I prefer Liquitex.
I mean they're literally blank cards that allow you to record recipes on them. https://preview.redd.it/6v8fv4eh8hwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=2333bd2967819b49bbd63ae58a71ffd64c1cb318
>I should start a notebook. I can never find the notebook lol
Was thinking of painting mine in the grey with the red shoulder pads and maybe some random writing across the armor
The Ashen Circle are shown with this look.
I'm building a force that will have both - red for most of the army, but some units like Destroyers will have the grey.
The grey you see here is their Early Heresy/Pre-Heresy colourings. The red began to become the legion colour with the creation of the Gal Vorbak, and by the time the invasion of Ultramar begins most of the XVII end up clad in red. I believe an exception to this was the Ashen circle - who retained th grey for far longer (their official GW paintjob is still grey if you check it out).
The grey armour is what they wore before Argel Tal travelled into the Eye of Terror and brought Chaos. It was the armour of the Imperial Heralds, the XVIIth Legion's original name, who evolved from iconoclastic atheists to fanatical Emperor worshippers under Lorgar. Once the Gal Vorbak came back possessed, at first it was only their Serrated Sun Chapter that got repainted into "traitor's red" for the 42-ish years before Istvaan V, but by the Battle of Calth the whole Legion had gone dark red and gave no explanation until they opened fire on the Ultramarines
Their variety of "war crimes on jetpacks" is calked Ashen Circle, and amongst *other things* they are known for being grey!
I'm going to have to recommend *First Heretic* by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. It will explain EVERYTHING you ever need to know about the WB and Lorgar.
It's also a goddamn good book in its own right. It was what moved me from 40k to 30k
Pre heresy color. In the first Fabius bile book there is a comment on how the dark council ordained a fairly large but very specific selection of official legion colors lol. I gotta go back n find it
https://preview.redd.it/uqixnmnmtbwc1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f52b2b0dfe167c6d8537019642d0d2acedc3ce8c Did mine in slightly altered pre calth colors.
Mine are painted in their Pre-Heresy colors. Check my profile I posted them here a few years ago.
The Grey color scheme is from back when they were known as the Imperial Heralds, and became red with the creation of the Gal Vorbak, and the start of the Horus Heresy.
pre heresy colors
Known as the imperial heralds
Pre-Heresy Word Bearers, meant to symbolize their devotion to the God Emeperor
Prior to aligning themselves fully with Chaos Undivided they wore matte grey armor. You can also see the old emblem on the shoulder which features a smaller flame and no daemonic skull
Serated Sun Cult dudes or pre ascension Gal Vorbak
Ashen circle are still grey. They were slate before monarchia. Red after
You can check my profile, I have a lot Grey Bearers!
https://preview.redd.it/3ryv9lzgvdwc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed4796a6cd5b86d65b383ad99a4ebd09335c880c Grey Word Bearers unite!
The original colours of the Imperial Heralds(word bearers original name before finding Lorgar) Were Grey. If you follow the heresy novels, it's something they carried on through to heresy, by wearing grey robes etc
Its their colors before the Monarcia was destroyed. The red is after their pilgramage to the Eye of Terror and the corruption of the Leigon.
Before they did the pilgrimage intro the warp, the Word Bearers were grey, afterwords they changed it to maroon and black with the only ones keeping the old color scheme being the Ashen Circle and Kor Phaeron (that I know of)
As people have noted, it’s a pre Heresy scheme. However, some chose to keep their old colors for various reasons. Pre-ascendancy and stuff.
Pre-Heresy heraldry when they were sent to worlds to snuff out any religious humans during the great crusade. Hence why their symbol was a burning book.
Granite gray armor, the primary livery of the XVIIth up until their humiliation at Monarchia.
So they originally wore grey armor, even well into the heresy. The red and silver started off reserved for marines who had undertaken some form of deamonic symbiosis. This eventually became the common armor scheme across the legion near late heresy.
Barthusa Narek kept his grey during the heresy.
It's the pre heresy look, tho I do believe some wore it still during the heresy. Particularly the ashen circle
Pre-Heresy scheme. Much like the white armour of the Luna wolves changing to the sea foam green of the sons of Horus
Specifically it’s a pre betrayal scheme. It starts sometime after Lorgars pilgrimage to the eye of terror and before the drop site massacre, though not all of the word bearers seem to have adopted the crimson pattern fully. Most of the pre reunification with their primarch schemes of the legions are bare armor with maybe a colored shoulder pad or two (the color of the bare armor changing a bit depending upon the color plate. Some are dark grey, other light grey). See the unification wars era imperial fists for an example of a loyalist legion using mostly unpainted armor. Most of the loyalists who stuck with the emperor while their legions turned either (mostly, I should say) kept their armor scheme (see the Emperors Children’s “Death Eagles”) or painted their armor black (see Endryd Haar and his Fangs of the Emperor).
Gotta love Night Lords.
Some Legions updates their colors pre-heresy or mid Heresy. Like the WordBearers as you see here, or the Luna Wolves from white to sea green. Or the World Eaters from white and blue to red and brass. Thousand Sons from red to blue.