Today the new “Armageddon” box for Warhammer 40,000 is released, costing a whopping 240 euros. It makes sense to want to avoid ruining the miniatures inside immediately. MyMMO editor Caro has some tips on how to be satisfied with your minis – even as a complete beginner.
Today is the day: The 11th edition of Warhammer 40,000 starts along with the new Armageddon box. It includes, among other things, a basic rule book, a lore book, a mission and campaign deck, and a total of 61 miniatures, including 23 Space Marines and 38 Orks.
These 61 miniatures are literally screaming to leave their gray existence behind and finally enjoy a painted visage. And you don’t want to deny those little guys that, do you?
However, before you dive straight into painting, we want to give you a few tips along the way so you don’t regret this eagerness after the first miniature. Especially for newcomers, for whom the box for Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon represents the first experience with the game and painting miniatures, there’s a much better time and a nicer result to achieve if they pay attention to a few things.
So, I want to share a few personal tips with you so you don’t regret ruining the fairly expensive contents of the box too quickly.
Invest in a decent side cutter
If you think, “Oh, I still have a cutter or a sharp kitchen knife” – just don’t. If you work with a tool that is not a decent precision side cutter, you will regret down the line that you didn’t buy a cutter that costs only a fraction of your 240-euro set.
If you don’t cut the miniatures properly from the sprue, your painting skill can be top-notch. You will have many imperfections that either stick out or were simply hollowed out of the miniature.
For even finer work, a deburring tool is an excellent choice. It’s basically just a shaped piece of metal with sharp edges on a handle. You can find suitable deburring tools directly in the Warhammer store, sometimes included in a set with a side cutter.
Imperfections are definitely allowed with battle-tested warriors, but it’s still a shame when they stick out non-scaled from your minis.
Prime all minis together and use the right primer
After you have carefully cut and glued all the minis from the sprue, this is the first (and only) step that all miniatures can – and should – experience together!
Instead of priming each miniature individually, you can send them together into the primer shower. This not only saves time but also comes with significantly less effort and waste.
You don’t have to individually place each miniature on different cardboard bases, spray them, and then wait until they are dry for days. It’s best to take a day when you can really place all the minis on a large area (laid out with paper or cardboard) and spray them from a distance with several short sprays.
Attention: It is best to use such a spray primer outdoors and at a distance from other people, furniture, and cars. And pay attention to the wind direction. Really.
Use a black spray primer, as it often happens that some areas of your miniatures are hard to reach with the brush. If the paint there is white or gray, it will be quite visible. However, if you prime with black, the unreachable areas will simply look like shadows. If you also aim for the classic color scheme of the Blood Angels, a dark undercoat is better anyway.
Another tip: Secure them with a little masking tape to your surface. The wind may not knock down the minis, but it can quickly send newspapers flying. I’m speaking from personal experience.
When painting, pay attention that metal and skin have two fundamentally different surfaces
When looking at the Armageddon box, particularly the following textures stand out: metal, fabric, and skin. And these are all different surfaces that get dirty, reflect, and show wear differently.
When painting your Orks and Space Marines, you should be aware that the workflow for armor will be different than that for a banner. Yes, there are processes that occur in painting, but you don’t want to see a cloth armor and no metallic heads. (Don’t get me wrong, that sounds exciting, but only if that’s what you really want.)
Therefore, check out various tutorials. Not just the thirtieth painting tutorial, but something more specific. On YouTube, you will find plenty of help from talented miniature artists focusing explicitly on tanks, armor, weapons, banners, and faces. My personal recommendation is Zumiko Miniatures on YouTube.
Definitely devote some time to them to get the most out of your skills and thus your miniatures.
Finally: Take your time and give your minis enough love and patience
You are painting not just one miniature, but a total of 61 pieces if you complete the whole process. This not only takes time, but it also deserves it.
If you have painted even just one miniature before, you already know roughly how much time that takes. Now calculate that for all the minis, among which there are some real detailed stunners.
Of course, you can decide the order in which you proceed. I personally understand very well that you want to address the little gems like the Land Speeder of the Space Marines or the Mekboss Dakkastappa of the Orks right away.
However, I recommend starting with the slightly generic and “less spectacular” models for both armies. This applies especially to those who do not have much experience with painting minis.
quick and dirtyis
Slapchop. With this, colleague Benedict managed to produce a presentable figure even after 16 years without a brush. The technique is excellent for beginners and advanced painters.
Over time, with each miniature, you will understand the colors better, become more confident in handling the brush, and your understanding of Orks and Space Marines will grow. If you start right away with the flagship models of the Armageddon box, you will regret it later when a simple Orkboy has better painting than the Ketta assault vehicle.
If you want to be absolutely sure, get the free miniature of the month beforehand and practice on it. Practice, experiment, find a workflow and techniques that work for you. And when you feel confident enough, you can tackle the breakers of the set.
Did you pre-order the Armageddon box? Do you want to buy it still? Or are you skipping this set? Let us know in the comments!
On the day when the box for Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon was made available for pre-order, I was also in the store where many fans were already lined up. However, I wasn’t there for the new set but for a dino. And thanks to that, I learned a lot about Warhammer: I thought Warhammer fans were absolute gatekeepers – now I was in the store and feel ashamed of my prejudices
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