Dark Eldar Kabalite Warrior Test Model

After the work on the Aegis Defense Line inspired me to start painting again I've spent the afternoon working on a Kabalite Warrior to test out the colour scheme I'll use on the rest of my army. I'm thrilled with how he's come out. I've been torn between a metallic scheme and a purple one. The armour was either going to be a mix of silver and bronze like the Nick Bayton army or a variation on the standard line highlighted armour from the GW boxes. In the end I went for a purple version of the line highlighted scheme but with metallic weaponry in a nod to my original plan.

So here he is:

After a Chaos Black undercoat the armour plates are painted in Naggaroth Night and then line highlighted with Genestealer Purple. The gun is Boltgun Metal (Leadbelcher) and Shining Gold (Gehenna's Gold). I think it's important to contrast the weaponry heavily with the rest of the figure as it stops it all blurring into a non-descript blob of colour. These colours were also used to pick things out on the "tool belt" such as the dagger, chain-hook and ammo magazines.

Detail-wise the flayed skin is painted with Tallan Flesh (Cadian Fleshtone) and then washed with Ogryn Flesh (Reikland Fleshshade). There's a couple of little pennants that are Hawk Turquoise but I've not found a suitable colour to highlight this with yet.

Onto the face and the basecoat here was Dheneb Stone (Rakarth Flesh). This was then lightly washed with Ogryn Flesh (Reikland Fleshshade) before I painted the eyes back in black and then added some tattoos with Evil Sunz Scarlet. The hair is an Enchanted Blue (Caledor Sky) base followed by Ice Blue (Lothern Blue) highlights.

The base was covered in sand and then painted with Charadon Granite (Stormvermin Fur) followed by a drybrush of Ceramite White. I've said this time and time again but I really wish I could motivate to spend more time on basing things! Ah well maybe on my CSM army if their codex comes soon!

Don't get me wrong I know it's not award winning but I want something I can apply quickly to the rest of the warriors in my army. I could spend hours blending the armour panels but frankly it takes far too long and I'd probably cock it up! I'm particularly pleased with the face as I think the tattoos really lift the detail. The line highlighting is a bit messy up close but the effect from distance is good.

Let me know what you think. I'm going to start working on the rest of the squad with this model as a reference so I'll post more pictures up once they're done.