7. Captain Vitrian Messinius


For the past month, I've been working on Captain Vitrian Messinius, the model released earlier this year as the 2023 Black Library celebration.

Since working on my Librarian, I've been burning through my Ultramarines Infiltrator Squad. Using the technique I'd practiced on the Librarian again on the Infiltrators, I'd managed to complete seven of the ten-man squad back-to-back (interspersed with the painting of my Sororitas Rhino).

Now, I had planned to finish the unit in the lead up to Christmas but, with the realisation that I had a lot of presents to wrap for my kids, as well as a desire to paint something different, I decided to paint the last remaining non-Ultramarine miniature I had: Messinius (although, I do have a bunch of random models in various places, but I fancied started someth9ng from scratch).

So, with the model having been previously undercoated with White Scar, and the paint list supplied by Citadel Colour's app, I got work.

First up, following the route I've been doing of late, I started by painting two thin basecoats of Celestra Grey on the what parts should be white (so, the armour) before coating the grey with a coat of Nuln oil washed all over the Celestra Grey.

This left the model looking a lot greyer than I was expecting and worried that the app was taking me for a joke. Fortunately a drybrush layer of Ulthuan Grey followed by a drybrush of White Scar, brought it back to a much whiter model.

So, with the main colour done soon enough, i moved onto the other base paints, starting with Abaddon Black before applying Khorne Red, Zandri Dust and Retributor Armour.



I then continued with Caledar Sky and Thousand Sons Blue on the Cape and various chapter symbols (with the latter) followed by Leadbelcher and Steel Legion Drab before diverging from the paint list with Mechanicus Standard Grey for the rubble, Dryad Bark for the belt, Aethermatic Blue for the Plasma on both the gun and Power Fist, Warpstone Glow for the Laurels and, finally, Rakarth Flesh for the parchment on the Fist and the flesh on his face.


Next up came the shades, where i returned to the directions of the app with Drakenhof Nightshade, Agrax Earthshade, Seraphim Sepia, Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil. Of course, I did go my own way on occasion, using Agrax Earthshade across much of the base's dirt and rubble as well as the rope for the hanging medallion and, finally, Reikland Fleshshade on the parchment and the face.


Then, after applying Armageddon Dust to the uncovered areas of the base and wash that in Nuln Oil, I got to work applying the layers as edge highlights. The colours I used were:
  • Eshin Grey
  • Ushbati Bone
  • Karak Stone
  • Runefang Steel
  • Pallid Wych Flesh
  • Wazdakka Red
  • Warpstone Glow
  • Moot Green
  • Screaming Skull
  • Calgar Blue
  • The Fang
  • Fenrisian Grey
  • Auric Armour Gold
  • Liberator Gold
  • Gorthor Brown
  • Cadian Fleshtone
  • White Scar
Now, the majority of these, again, followed the directions on the app. However, some colours I did not have and so I had to substitute. For instance, I watered down the Fang and Calgar Blue to highlight the Cape and anything Thousand Sun Blue. I also used the Eshin Grey as a replacement for Dark Reaper and Runefang Steel in place of Stormhost Silver.

Also, layers like Pallid Wych Flesh (the parchment), Moot Green (the laurels), Gorthor Brown (the belt), and Cadian Fleshtone (the face) were added for where I went off the list.
Finally, White Scar was used to clean the model up.


And with the Captain Messinius was done!

To be honest, while it took a while, mainly due to other commitments, painting this model was actually an easy, chilled experience. The only thing that actually was difficult was the face and, specifically, the application of the highlight. This ended up having to be redone and, as a result, the face doesn't look as good as I'd hoped.

Still, something to learn going forward (I have plenty of spare heads to practice on) and, otherwise, I do have a helmet to use in its stead which makes the whole miniature look awesome.

A nice end to 2023.

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