The Warmaster ascended. Witness the culmination of countless hours of labour as I unveil my meticulously painted Horus Ascended. The Primarch of the fallen Luna Wolves Legion is a testament to the tragic beauty of betrayal, and in this post, I will show you my interpretation of the most pivotal character of the Warhammer 40.000 universe.
Horus is the second Primarch model I’ve painted from Forge World, after Magnus the Red. Magnus was a bit of a rush job for the Horus Heresy Open Day in 2022, but Horus has been a real passion project. I really wanted to take my time with him because the sculpt is so intricate. I started in mid-2024 and got halfway through, but then I got caught up in the Skaventide and had to put him on the backburner. It wasn’t until winter that I could get back to him, and I finally finished this spectacular centrepiece model just before the end of the year.


When painting a character model as iconic in the Warhammer lore as Horus, I always aim to stay faithful to his character. Therefore, my version largely adheres to the well-known colour scheme: the black armour, the golden decorations, and the eerie red glow surrounding his head. However, I also took some liberties compared to the art and the studio paint job. The wolf fur of my Horus Ascended is white, a nod to the white armour of the Luna Wolves. Yet, the mouth and paws are stained with blood, a sign that Horus has soiled his hands with betrayal. Instead of a regal gold, the Eye of Horus on his cloak is black, a reference to the Black Legion that is to come. I also made some aesthetic changes, such as adding a splash of green to his kneepad to connect the model with my other Sons of Horus models. For the pteruges, I chose a dark burgundy, and the red glow continues onto the tips of Horus’ power claw.








The painting process
My Sons of Horus colour scheme is designed for quick and effective techniques, with heavy use of drybrushing. When building armies, I want to paint all models to a consistent standard, regardless of whether it’s basic infantry or a character model, to create a cohesive look. You can find my free Sons of Horus tutorial here:
However, with a sculpt as impressive as Horus Ascended, I felt compelled to give him special attention. I spent more time on areas like the face, while the golden trim on the armour and cloak were just drybrushed. I have to come to terms that there are many fantastic paint jobs of Horus Ascended out there by painters far more skilled than I am. Comparing yourself to those while searching for reference material can be a little frustrating. Annoyingly, a couple of parts broke during the painting process and had to be repaired, which is noticeable upon closer inspection. Nevertheless, I’m proud to have finished him. At arm’s length and surrounded by my other Sons of Horus, the model looks great. Sometimes, you have to let go of your unhealthy perfectionism and call it a day. After all, I spent nearly three months working on Horus Ascended.


What’s next? Definitely the display base. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake I made with Magnus and postpone the display base until I never get around to it. Watch this space. And then I need more infantry – so far I’ve mostly painted tanks, Dreadnoughts, and characters. Please follow me here on Tale of Painters to see how my XVI Legion continues to grow.
Feel free to leave a reaction, or drop a comment below, I’m also happy to answer any questions on our friendly hobby Discord server. Thanks a lot, and happy hobbying!
Stahly
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