How to Paint Emperor's Children

The Third Legion are the hardest thing on this list to paint badly and get away with. Every other Chaos force can hide behind rust and grime; a legion built on the idea of perfection cannot. The armour needs to be smooth, the gold needs to be bright, and the edges need to be clean. Budget more time per model than you would for any other Chaos Space Marine.

The compensation is that a finished squad looks like nothing else on the table, and the palette does most of the heavy lifting for you.

The signature look

Rich purple plate with an enormous amount of gold trim, gloss where everyone else is matt, and pale, almost porcelain skin on any exposed face. As the legion falls further, the purples get pinker and the ornament gets more excessive - but the finish stays immaculate.

The purple armour

Purple is a difficult colour over black, so undercoat Grey Seer or Wraithbone.

Base Naggaroth Night, shade the recesses with Druchii Violet, then layer Xereus Purple over the panel, leaving the shade in the joins. Highlight Genestealer Purple on the raised areas and edge with Dechala Lilac on the sharpest lines only. For the last catch on helmet crests and knee edges, a touch of Slaanesh Grey reads as light rather than as pink.

The fast route is genuinely good here: Luxion Purple contrast over Grey Seer gives a deep, glossy purple with the recesses shaded in a single coat, and edging it with Genestealer Purple afterwards gets you most of the way to the layered result.

For a more decadent, post-Heresy warband, swap to Emperor's Children as the mid-tone with Fulgrim Pink highlights, or run Volupus Pink contrast for a hot magenta plate.

Gold trim

The gold is not an accent on these models - it is half the surface. Base Retributor Armour, shade Agrax Earthshade kept to the recesses, layer Auric Armour Gold and edge Liberator Gold. A final pinpoint of Stormhost Silver on the highest corner of each shoulder rim sells the polish.

Keep the gold consistent across the squad. Nothing exposes a rushed batch faster than one marine's trim being browner than his neighbour's.

Sonic weapons, skin and gloss

Sonic weaponry takes Leadbelcher shaded Nuln Oil with Runefang Steel edges, and the amplifier cones look best given a bronze interior - Warplock Bronze into Brass Scorpion. Cabling in Abaddon Black edged Eshin Grey keeps it from competing.

Exposed skin should be pale and cold: Rakarth Flesh, glazed Druchii Violet in the shadows, layered Pallid Wych Flesh and highlighted Praxeti White. Hair in Abaddon Black or a bleached Screaming Skull for a Noise Marine.

Finish with 'Ardcoat on the purple plates only. Gloss armour against matt cloth and metal is the single cheapest way to make the legion look excessive.

Variations

• Pre-Heresy parade scheme - purple with white shoulder rims and far more gold, immaculate and unweathered.
• Palatine Blades - the same purple with bare Runefang Steel plate on the arms and legs.
• Flawless Host - a warmer magenta plate with heavy gold, deliberately gaudy.
• Blissful Excess - pale pink over bone, with purple only in the recesses.

Tips and common mistakes

• Thin the purple. Two or three thin coats. Purple pigment is weak and one thick coat will look chalky.
• Do not weather them. Chipping and rust undercut the entire concept.
• Batch the gold. It is the slowest step, so do all the trim on all the models in one sitting.
• Gloss selectively. Everything glossed reads as unfinished; armour glossed reads as deliberate.