How to Paint Disciples of Tzeentch

Tzeentch is the one Chaos army where a garish palette is correct. Blue and pink sit opposite each other on the wheel and the range leans into it: mortal cultists in blue robes, daemons in screaming pink, gold everywhere, and fire that burns the wrong colours. If you have been waiting for an excuse to paint something loud, this is it.

The signature look

Rich blue armour and robes on the Arcanites, hot pink daemon flesh, warm gold masks and trim, and blue-green or purple flame. Feathers, beaks and scrolls break up the surfaces. The scheme should look like it is about to change into a different scheme.

Painting the Arcanites

Kairic Acolytes and Tzaangors are the bulk of a mortal force and both take the same blue.

1. Basecoat robes and plate Thousand Sons Blue.
2. Shade with Drakenhof Nightshade, letting it pool in the folds.
3. Layer Ahriman Blue on the raised cloth and panels.
4. Edge highlight Teclis Blue, and stop there - a lighter blue than that turns chalky.

Talassar Blue contrast over Grey Seer is the fast equivalent and suits Tzaangor feathers particularly well, because it shades the barbs for you. Tzaangor fur takes Zandri Dust and Agrax Earthshade with Ushabti Bone on the shaggy tips; beaks and horns go Rhinox Hide into Karak Stone.

Gold masks and icons are the unifying element: Balthasar Gold, Agrax Earthshade, then Retributor Armour on the raised work and Runefang Steel on the very edge of a beaked helm.

The changehost

Horrors are the joy of this army because the models tell you the recipe. Pink Horrors split into Blues, and Blues into Brimstones, so the colours are a ladder rather than three unrelated schemes.

• Pink Horrors - Screamer Pink basecoat, Druchii Violet shade, Pink Horror layer, Fulgrim Pink on the raised flesh. Volupus Pink contrast over white gets you most of the way in one coat.
• Blue Horrors - Thousand Sons Blue shaded Drakenhof Nightshade and layered up through Blue Horror.
• Brimstone Horrors - Averland Sunset basecoat, Casandora Yellow shade, Flash Gitz Yellow highlight, with Troll Slayer Orange in the deepest recesses so they read as small flames.

Horrors are gleefully quick. There is almost no armour, the sculpts are all raised muscle, and washes do the shading for you - a unit of ten is an evening's work.

Warpfire and eyes

Tzeentchian fire should not be orange. Build it from Caliban Green or Kantor Blue at the base, through Warpstone Glow or Teclis Blue, to Moot Green and a near-white Ulthuan Grey core, then glaze the surrounding surfaces with a thinned coat of the mid colour so the light appears to spill. The same treatment on eyes and gemstones ties casters to daemons.

Tips and common mistakes

• Commit to the clash. Muted Tzeentch looks like a mistake; blue against pink is the whole idea.
• One flame colour per army. Choose green or blue warpfire and stick with it, or the force loses its thread.
• Feathers reward contrast paints. They are recessed and repetitive - exactly the case those paints solve.
• Glaze the glow. Light spilling onto nearby armour is what makes fire look lit rather than painted on.

Try the palette both ways round in the scheme generator before you commit a whole changehost.