10. Completing my Tactical Squad (Recess Shading & Highlighting)

When I took up this hobby nearly two years ago, the first full set I bought was the Space Marine Tactical Squad. Since then, my building and painting of the miniatures has been somewhat piecemeal.

While I immediately built and painted all ten at the time, the paint scheme I used was a little more original as I had planned to create my own custom chapter. However, plans changed and now all of my painted models are Ultramarines, it became a thing that the previously painted needed to be amended, a job that took time as I focused on newer models.


Well, eventually, the paint scheme was amended on my Tactical Marines but one thing I had never done to them was either shade or highlight. Again, this became something of a piecemeal effort, leading to only three of the ten being completed by the end of 2023.

But now 2024 was here, I decided to make a concerted effort to get this long gestating miniatures finished completely, planning to get the entire unit finished.

First up was the power armour, which I decided to recess shade with Drakenhof Nightshade. A different method compared to my standard of all over washing, but given that the models were fully painted, I wanted to avoid getting the wash on any of the other colours.

Anyway, next came the remaining shades over ever colour that wasn't Macragge Blue. These shades; Agrax Earthshade, Nuln Oil and Reikland Fleshshade, were washed over their respective colours as I feel they just pop better this way (particularly Liberator Armour).

With that all done came the Highlights, which were broken down as follows:-
  • Gold - Auric Armour Gold, Liberator Gold
  • Balthasar Gold - Liberator Gold, Runefang Steel
  • Belts and Pouches/Gun Grips - Deathclaw Brown
  • Purity Seals - Wazdakka Red, Cadian Fleshtone
  • Parchment - Pallid Wych Flesh, White Scar
  • Brass - Sycorax Bronze, Runefang Steel
  • Metal/Gunmetal/Grenades - Ironbreaker, Runefang Steel
  • Black/Joints - Eshin Grey, Dawnstone
  • Smoke Grenades (Celestra Grey) - Ulthuan Grey, White Scar
  • Flesh - Cadian Fleshtone, Kislev Flesh
  • Laurel wreaths - Warpstone Glow
  • Yellow - Yriel Yellow, Screaming Skull
  • Red - Evil Sunz Scarlet, Wild Rider Red
To finish off, I then reapplied Clagar Blue and Fenrisian Grey to the power armour. Now this probably seemed a little superfluous but I wanted to make sure that the highlights did indeed come through as well as fix any which had been paint over.

So, with everything done (well, except for the base, which was easily fixed with a base of Steel Legion Drab, a technical of Armageddon Dust, a top wash of Seraphim Sepia (which worked better than the Nuln Oil I'd use on the first three) and a drybrush of Screaming Skull), my Tactical Squad was final finished (well, once I applied the remaining transfers).

Now, everything that was 'in progress' is done. So, going forward I can start my projects from scratch.

(Well, unless you count priming. I still have a few that are done in that respects.)

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