Black Templars Sword Brethren squad for Warhammer 40k painted to Level 1: matte black armour, crimson trim, white pauldrons and arid tabletop bases.
Private commission · Level 1 · Delivered July 2026. Elite Black Templars Sword Brethren squad for Warhammer 40,000, painted with clean matte black armour, striking crimson weapon casings and trim, crusader-white pauldrons and parchment-toned tabards. A Level 1 paint job optimised for maximum clarity and tabletop impact on textured arid terrain bases.
The project
This Warhammer 40,000 commission features a full squad of Black Templars Sword Brethren, the Chapter's close-combat elite. The project was executed to our Level 1 standard, prioritising an ultra-clean finish, tabletop legibility and chromatic consistency without unnecessary clutter that would compromise the grim, relentless look of the army.
The main armour is a deep satin matte black, selectively edge-defined on the upper armour volumes to sharpen each Space Marine silhouette. To reinforce the veteran status of the unit, a powerful crimson red was used on pauldron trim, heavy bolt pistol and chainsword casings, purity seals and cloth details. That red contrasts aggressively with the white pauldrons and crisp Templar crosses, respecting traditional Sword Brethren heraldry.
Crusader tabards and cloaks were resolved with a parchment/bone base darkened in the recesses and lifted with soft ivory gradients on the upper folds, bringing light into the centre of each model. Metallic accents, relics and chest crosses shine in a warm, tightly controlled bronze gold.
To bind the force together, the models sit on arid packed-earth and gravel bases in ochre brown tones with a rough texture. This warm ground temperature separates each miniature from the background and makes the black armour and red details pop instantly during games.
Techniques used
- Clean basecoating & contrast: smooth, high-coverage coats on the black armour and white pauldrons to avoid any chalky finish.
- Red accent framing: saturated red trim on pauldrons and weapons as a focal element that ranks this squad above standard Chapter troops.
- Tabard shading & highlighting: fluid shading and clean highlights on the ceremonial cloth and cloaks in bone/parchment tones.
- Textured tabletop basing: coarse sand, rock and earth pigment for a warm contrast against the dark scheme.
Miniatures included
- 1x Sword Brother Castellan / leader with relic helm, power fist and heavy bolt pistol.
- 1x Sword Brother with power sword and veteran cloak.
- 1x Sword Brother with assault chainsword and heavy bolt pistol.
- 1x Sword Brother aiming a heavy bolt pistol with sheathed power sword.
- 1x Sword Brother with heavy flame weapon / pyreblaster.
- 1x Sword Brother with bolt pistol chained to the wrist.
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