EditorialWD 390 · p. 6
Andrew Kenrick introduces the Space Marine, Ork and Necron aircraft that dominate the issue, including official codex updates for the new Stormtalon and Ork Bommers. The Hobby Team paints complete White Scars and Evil Sunz forces around the aircraft, while Robin Cruddace supplies the background of their struggle on Cardrim. Kenrick also connects the Necron craft to the continuing Tanrak campaign and hints at a future recreation of the airfield battle.
Warhammer 40,000Space Marines
PaintingWD 390 · pp. 24–28
Chad Mierzwa paints the new gunship as an agile anti-infantry attacker in Ultramarines colours. Repeatedly renewed masking protects the clear canopy during primer and spray-gun stages, while the armour, pilot and metals receive their own sequences. Chipped leading edges, scorched engines and Chapter transfers finish the aircraft; the article explains how changing the armour colours would adapt the same methods to another Chapter.
Warhammer 40,000Ultramarines3 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 25
Macragge Blue and Altdorf Guard Blue are sprayed for even coverage before Drakenhof Nightshade defines the panel lines. Calgar Blue and Teclis Blue then provide progressively sharper highlights, with Guilliman Blue glazing the layers together. The extra pale edge stage appears in the illustrated steps even though the later checklist compresses the sequence.
Warhammer 40,000Ultramarines6 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 25
The pilot’s red armour begins with Mephiston Red and a Carroburg Crimson wash before Evil Sunz Scarlet and Wild Rider Red restore the exposed forms. The warm colour distinguishes the Techmarine inside the blue aircraft, giving the cockpit a focal point of its own. Painting the small figure separately also keeps it accessible before the finished canopy is in place.
Warhammer 40,000Ultramarines4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 26
Leadbelcher and Nuln Oil establish the engines’ shaded metal, followed by Ironbreaker and fine Runefang Steel highlights. A Necron Compound drybrush catches additional texture on the broad mechanical areas. The method provides both depth in the turbine recesses and sharp reflected edges, and the same colours can be reused for chips in the painted hull.
Warhammer 40,000Ultramarines5 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 26
The gold starts with Balthasar Gold, receives Agrax Earthshade and is then raised through Gehenna’s Gold to Auric Armour Gold. Golden Griffon drybrushing finishes the sculpted decoration. This warm metallic sequence sets the winged Chapter ornament apart from the cool blue hull and silver mechanical parts without requiring the entire aircraft to be equally bright.
Warhammer 40,000Ultramarines5 paint colours
LoreWD 390 · pp. 29–45
Robin Cruddace follows Joghaten Khan’s White Scars into a struggle against Skullkrumpa’s Evil Sunz, only for Tarekh’s hidden Nihilakh legions to rise beneath both armies. An aerial ambush and the Bluegard massacre leave the Marines isolated, forcing a guerrilla war and a desperate assault on Fellstorm Airfield to restore communications. Joghaten kills Skullkrumpa, survives the Necron advance and evacuates after drawing the machines into an orbital bombardment. Named squadrons and characters give all three armies personal histories, from the unpredictable Spear of Chogoris to the boastful Krimson Barun and Tarekh’s distrusted Cryptek.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars
LoreWD 390 · pp. 40–41
The White Scars force is introduced through the histories of its officers and machines. Joghaten’s youth drives him to prove himself, Kortal’s dependable service supports the Khan and Ghenghal tests aspiring bikers through ritual jousts. Temajin accepts Dreadnought confinement to pursue revenge, while the Spear of Chogoris and Moghitai’s Terminators show two very different traditions of hard-won martial reputation.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars
LoreWD 390 · pp. 42–43
Skullkrumpa’s force revolves around ambitious, violent personalities rather than a tidy chain of command. The Warboss carries a trophy taken from a slain Chapter Master, his Fighta Ace claims more kills than his plane could display and rival bikers and Deffkopta crews obsess over speed. Nagrut’s Nobz enforce obedience through brutality, while lesser Orks dream of greater status or simply a bigger gun.
Warhammer 40,000Orks
LoreWD 390 · pp. 44–45
Tarekh’s army reflects an Overlord consumed by the shame of defeat and the fear that his plans will be discovered. Favoured Warriors, the vigilant Storm Herald and the five Doom Scythes of the Hand of Tarekh serve beside his silent personal protectors. Ethermancer Drizyan is indispensable to the buried superweapon but increasingly demanding, leaving Tarekh searching for a more compliant replacement even as he wages war.
Warhammer 40,000Necrons
RulesWD 390 · pp. 46–48
Scramble! gives the defender three grounded aircraft that must survive while they are fuelled, rearmed and progressively launched. The attacking army arrives from uncertain table edges and its destroyed Fast Skimmers can return, maintaining pressure on the airfield. Ordinary kills still score, but aircraft losses and successfully launched survivors carry extra rewards, making the timing of takeoff and the protection of vulnerable hulls the heart of the mission.
Warhammer 40,000
PaintingWD 390 · pp. 52–62
Steve Bowerman and Duncan Rhodes turn their aircraft painting projects into opposing armies using Assault on Black Reach as a shared foundation. The box supplies each side with a commander and varied units, while a Stormtalon and Dakkajet become the new centrepieces. Their approaches differ deliberately: crisp near-white armour for the Marines contrasts with red panels, worn metal and individual variations across the Orks’ scavenged machines.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars
PaintingWD 390 · pp. 54–57
Steve Bowerman experiments with white by using Ulthuan Grey as the main armour colour and reserving White Scar for the final edge. A white primer and sprayed grey give that Layer paint a smooth foundation, while red details, gold and neutral Crux Terminatus decoration add controlled contrast. The same scheme carries from Black Reach infantry and Dreadnought to the Stormtalon inspired by Cardrim’s Spear of Chogoris.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars3 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 56
Ulthuan Grey provides the main armour colour over the white undercoat, leaving room for brighter definition. Agrax Earthshade is placed in the joints, the grey is restored on the plates and White Scar finishes their edges. The method relies on preserving a distinction between the pale main surface and the pure-white highlight, solving the problem of shading a model already painted as bright as possible.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars3 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 56
Mephiston Red and Carroburg Crimson establish the coloured panels and markings against the white armour. Evil Sunz Scarlet restores the raised colour and Squig Orange picks out the last edges. This warmer, slightly muted final highlight gives the red a different character from the Stormtalon pilot’s brighter orange-red sequence.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 56
The Crux Terminatus uses a subdued neutral progression from Skavenblight Dinge through a Nuln Oil wash to Stormvermin Fur and Administratum Grey. The dark starting point keeps the badge distinct from the surrounding white armour, while light edges reveal its sculpted skull and cross. The treatment reads as a separate stone-like ornament rather than another white armour plate.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 57
Leadbelcher is shaded with Nuln Oil before Runefang Steel marks the weapon edges and raised mechanical detail. The short metallic sequence is deliberately darker than the armour around it, maintaining clear separation on a mostly pale model. It can be repeated on guns and other shared equipment throughout the collection.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars3 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 57
Balthasar Gold and Gehenna’s Gold create warm decoration, with Agrax Earthshade deepening the relief before Runefang Steel catches its exposed edges. The gold gives characters and Chapter symbols a richer focal point without changing the army’s dominant white-and-red palette. Narrow silver highlights describe wear and reflected light on the ornament.
Warhammer 40,000White Scars4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · pp. 58–61
Duncan Rhodes chooses Evil Sunz for an army built around a Dakkajet and Deffkoptas, borrowing the Krimson Barun’s character from the Cardrim story. Spare pilot heads on infantry and vehicle crews reinforce the air-force theme, while several red tones suggest parts of different ages salvaged into one machine. Chips, weathered decals and yellow dags finish the aircraft, extending the theme across both models and paintwork.
Warhammer 40,000Orks2 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 59
Rhodes paints neighbouring panels in two reds to suggest the mismatched history of an Ork aircraft. Mephiston Red and Evil Sunz Scarlet form the lighter version; Khorne Red, Mephiston Red and Wazdakka Red produce a darker variant, both shaded with Agrax Earthshade. Repeating both across the fuselage adds variety without losing the clan’s overwhelmingly red identity.
Warhammer 40,000Orks5 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 59
Warplock Bronze, black and brown washes and a Necron Compound drybrush build dirty metal before Runefang Steel restores bright edges. Bronze details instead begin with Balthasar Gold, receive black shading and the same pale metallic finish. The shared highlights let different starting metals coexist on one ramshackle aircraft, and the sequence also supplies the colours for exposed chips.
Warhammer 40,000Orks6 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 60
The Ork pilot’s skin is built from Waaagh! Flesh and Warboss Green before a Biel-Tan Green wash restores deep definition. Further Warboss Green and Skarsnik Green highlights shape the face and hands. The repeated middle colour keeps the flesh saturated rather than making every raised area prematurely pale.
Warhammer 40,000Orks4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 60
Dark leather uses Rhinox Hide, Nuln Oil and Tuskgor Fur, while the fur trim starts from Zandri Dust and a brown wash before a pale stone highlight. The teeth share that sandy foundation but finish with Ushabti Bone and Screaming Skull. Separate warm neutrals distinguish the pilot’s clothing and mouth from his bright green skin without introducing distracting new colours.
Warhammer 40,000Orks8 paint colours
EditorialWD 390 · pp. 64–65
Watching club outings, enormous multiplayer games and a tournament at Warhammer World prompts Jervis Johnson to compare them with his quiet monthly campaigns with Mark Farr. He concludes that their apparently different demands conceal similar commitment and that no one mode deserves to define the hobby for everyone. For a designer, recognising that variety means giving different interests equal attention and remaining willing to try parts of the hobby previously left unexplored.
RulesWD 390 · pp. 66–69
The Stormtalon update supplies the aircraft’s background, profile, points and weapon options under the existing Fast Skimmer rules. It can accompany a reserve unit onto the board, fire all weapons while moving at cruising speed or exchange mobility for a more accurate, pinning Hover Strike. Different Chapters use it as close escort or the leading element of a fast strike force, linking its flexible rules to several styles of Marine warfare.
Warhammer 40,000Space Marines
RulesWD 390 · pp. 70–77
The official Ork update introduces three different aircraft roles with profiles, points and equipment: the gun-heavy Dakkajet, incendiary Burna-bommer and dive-bombing Blitza-bommer. Shared rules allow high speed, moving fire and extra shooting during a Waaagh!, while individual weapons and upgrades distinguish the planes. Background and annotated models emphasise the pilots’ reckless enthusiasm and the Grots’ much less willing participation.
Warhammer 40,000Orks
RulesWD 390 · pp. 70–73
The Dakkajet relies on repeated supa-shoota fire rather than the precision of a conventional fighter. Strafing Run improves its shooting against suitable ground targets, while the Fighta Ace upgrade extends better accuracy to fast aerial opponents; the Waaagh!plane rule can briefly double its Assault-weapon output. The army-list entry lets the collector add a third twin-linked gun and a red paint job to refine that straightforward role.
Warhammer 40,000Orks
RulesWD 390 · pp. 71–73
The Burna-bommer drops large incendiary blasts over models it passes and can carry further cover-ignoring skorcha missiles. Bombing is resolved during movement and limits the remaining shooting allowance, but other weapons can select different targets afterwards. The background presents low-altitude runs and indiscriminate flame as a source of equal danger to enemies and nearby Ork Boyz, making the plane’s battlefield purpose unmistakable.
Warhammer 40,000Orks
RulesWD 390 · pp. 72–73
The Blitza-bommer aims by diving towards its target, using the Skreamin’ Descent table to determine whether the attack succeeds, clips the victim or destroys the plane in a spectacular crash. A particularly successful dive also allows an immediate shooting attack, while the boom bomb’s extra armour penetration makes it different from the Burna-bommer’s anti-infantry payload. Its remaining guns keep the pilot occupied after the bombs are gone.
Warhammer 40,000Orks
ShowcaseWD 390 · pp. 80–81
Dawn of War rekindles Paul Norton’s childhood interest in Blood Angels and leads to the army that wins Swansea’s local parade title. He deliberately chooses clean, lustrous armour so broad vehicle surfaces can become canvases for freehand, symbols and decorative patterns. Converted Death Company Dreadnoughts with Sanguinary Guard wings and a wrist-mounted biker meltagun extend that attention to embellishment into modelling.
Warhammer 40,000Blood Angels
PaintingWD 390 · pp. 88–94
Duncan Rhodes returns to his feral Orcs & Goblins after the new Savage Orc Big Boss gives him a reason to add another character. He translates the existing army’s colours into the new paint range, retaining stone weapons and a selection restricted to Savage Orcs and Forest Goblins. His practical advice allocates extra highlights to characters and the front rank, allowing less visible rear models to stop earlier without undermining the completed regiment.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins1 paint colour
PaintingWD 390 · p. 90
Waaagh! Flesh and Warboss Green establish the skin before Biel-Tan Green shading, followed by renewed green layers and Skarsnik Green. Screaming Skull is reserved for the Big Boss’s finest highlights. Rhodes explains that ordinary troops can stop at earlier stages, giving the visible leader more definition without making an entire regiment equally time-consuming.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins5 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 90
The Big Boss’s trophies begin with Zandri Dust and an Agrax Earthshade wash, then Ushabti Bone and Screaming Skull restore the raised surfaces. The darker cavities and pale tips make small teeth and skull shapes clear against the bright green body. Repeating that compact recipe reinforces the tribe’s preference for natural ornaments over metal decoration.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins4 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 91
Mournfang Brown, Agrax Earthshade and Skrag Brown create warm leather straps across the Orc’s green skin. The top knot uses Mephiston Red with the same brown shading and an Evil Sunz Scarlet highlight, producing a separate vivid accent. The two treatments distinguish hair and harness while keeping the dark recesses consistent across the character.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins5 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 91
The flint-like weapon begins with Mechanicus Standard Grey and Agrax Earthshade, followed by a Longbeard Grey drybrush. Dawnstone and fine White Scar marks pick out the sharp broken edges and surface facets. The combination makes the axe read as chipped stone rather than painted metal, supporting the army’s deliberately primitive theme.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins5 paint colours
PaintingWD 390 · p. 93
Blue warpaint divides the large areas of green skin and gives the Savage Orcs an identity distinct from other greenskins. Caledor Sky, Drakenhof Nightshade, Teclis Blue and Lothern Blue provide the illustrated progression, which can also colour feathers across the army. Individual faces and boars receive varied designs, while the Shaman is singled out with red markings using the hair recipe.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrcs & Goblins7 paint colours
ShowcaseWD 390 · pp. 98–99
The Empire gallery collects recent prize-winning characters, regiments and a duel, showing how varied subjects from one faction have succeeded at Games Day. Ben Komets, James Travers, Angelo Di Chello, Steve Buddle, Ben Jarvis and David Rodriguez are credited with the displayed work. The introduction places their achievements within a competition where even reaching the final cut is significant, and links renewed interest in the faction to its latest model releases.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesThe Empire
ModellingWD 390 · pp. 100–103
Chris Peach builds a Reiksguard outpost around a mausoleum combining Garden of Morr and Witchfate Tor, imagining successive generations of construction and greater honour for knights buried higher in the tower. Outbuildings, a converted Empire General statue and painted paper banners extend the location beyond one centrepiece. Red, white and black details unify the buildings, while verdigris and bird droppings give the military shrine an accumulated sense of age.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesThe Empire
CommunityWD 390 · p. 105
The news page reminds collectors that Armies on Parade begins with a single local voting day and presents participation as representing a hobby community as well as displaying an army. Licensed updates describe The Accursed Dead for Warhammer: Invasion and the elaborate collector’s edition of Black Crusade. The mix connects miniature projects with broader fantasy and 40K hobby releases.
Warhammer: InvasionBlack Crusade
CommunityWD 390 · pp. 106–107
The Black Library preview lists early releases, signings, seminars and an event anthology planned for Games Day. Pariah returns to Eisenhorn and Ravenor, while other titles cover Salamanders, Tyrion and Teclis, the Elf–Dwarf war and Garro; the anthology adds stories related to several ongoing series. The feature describes the appeal of meeting writers and seeing forthcoming work as part of the larger event rather than treating the stand solely as a bookshop.
Warhammer 40,000Warhammer Fantasy Battles
CommunityWD 390 · p. 115
Northampton’s spacious store is characterised by a strong painting community, including Golden Demon winner Martin Waller sharing his methods with regulars. Customer displays range from single models to complete armies, while planned campaigns and large Storm of Magic and Apocalypse games broaden the activity beyond painting. The profile shows experienced members contributing both inspiration and practical advice.
CommunityWD 390 · p. 117
Leicester’s large store leads visitors from introductory tables through a dedicated building and painting area to bookable full-sized battlefields. Its established community draws newcomers into games while regular events give experienced players continuing projects and opponents. The profile emphasises that physical space and a welcoming group work together to make a beginner’s first visit part of a longer hobby relationship.
