How to Paint Rohan for Middle Earth SBG

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The Riders of Rohan are some of the most popular miniatures in the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game, and some of the most satisfying to paint. Green cloaks, worn leather, mail and lots of horses. This guide gives you a simple recipe that works on Warriors, Riders and heroes alike, with a faster option if you have a big force to finish.

Paint names below are from the Warhammer Colour range (formerly called Citadel). The names and formulas are unchanged, so older pots work just the same.

Before You Start

• Prime in a light colour such as Wraithbone if you want to use Contrast paints, or black for the classic method. See our priming guide.
• Paint horses and riders separately before gluing them together if you can. It makes the legs and saddle much easier to reach.
• Keep the palette earthy: greens, browns, bone and dull metal. Rohan looks best when nothing is too bright.

The Classic Method

1. Cloak: Castellan Green, shaded with Agrax Earthshade, then a light highlight of Loren Forest on the folds.
2. Tunic and trousers: Steel Legion Drab or a second green, shaded with Agrax Earthshade.
3. Mail and helmets: Leadbelcher, shaded with Nuln Oil, then a light drybrush of Stormhost Silver to pick out the mail.
4. Gold trim on helmets and shields: Retributor Armour, shaded with Reikland Fleshshade.
5. Leather such as belts, boots and bracers: Rhinox Hide, then Mournfang Brown on the raised edges.
6. Skin: Bugman’s Glow, shaded with Reikland Fleshshade, then Kislev Flesh on the nose, cheeks and knuckles.
7. Fair hair: Zamesi Desert, shaded with Seraphim Sepia, then a light drybrush of Ushabti Bone.
8. Wooden shields and spear shafts: Dryad Bark with a drybrush of Gorthor Brown.

The Fast Method

Over a Wraithbone primer, use Militarum Green Contrast on the cloaks, Snakebite Leather on the leather and wood, and Skeleton Horde on the hair. Then add the metal and skin as above. This is the way to go for a whole éored of Riders.

Painting the Horses

Horses take the most paint, so batch them. Mix the colours across your force; a real cavalry unit never matches perfectly.

• Chestnut: Mournfang Brown, shaded with Agrax Earthshade, then drybrush Skrag Brown.
• Dark bay: Rhinox Hide with a drybrush of Mournfang Brown, and Abaddon Black on the mane, tail and lower legs.
• Grey or white: a light grey base, shaded with Nuln Oil, then drybrush white. Good for heroes.
• Tack: saddle and bridle in a leather brown, buckles in Leadbelcher, saddle cloth in the same green as the cloaks.

Our drybrushing guide explains the technique used on the coats and manes.

Bases

Rohan fights on open grassland, so a brown texture, a light drybrush and a few grass tufts suit them well. Our basing guide has the full method, and the terrain building guide covers boards to match.

Paints and Tools That Help

• The Army Painter Masterclass Drybrush Set
• The Army Painter Hobby Starter Brush Set
• The Army Painter Wet Palette
• The Army Painter Battlefields Basing Set

Want a table to match? Build a Rohan cottage and some wooden fences. Share your Riders with us on Instagram.