WarpLand miniature - Skull Riders (x2)

This WarpLand miniature pack contains two Skull Riders, the feared mounted raiders who stalk the broken roads of WarpLand, hunting caravans and dragging the weak back to their encampments in chains. Sculpted by Taiga Miniatures, each model depicts a hard-bitten raider astride a feathered beast of burden, crossbow levelled or gauntlet raised to direct the kill. Details are sharp and layered throughout: tattered riding cloaks, a skull-faced helm, studded leather tack on the mounts, and heavy saddlebags bristling with bolts and loot. Two rider poses are included, one aiming a crossbow and one pointing forward in command, giving the pair a natural sense of coordinated aggression on the tabletop.

The mounts are hulking flightless birds, thick-bodied and vicious, with hooked beaks, scaled talons, and plumage pressed flat beneath armoured barding. They rear and lunge with coiled energy, front claws slashing at the air. Bridle chains and riveted saddle rigs connect rider to beast with industrial brutality. Models stand approximately 51 mm from base to top and are cast in high-resolution resin, capturing every feather barb and bolt head. Each comes in two parts for straightforward assembly and is supplied with an oval base.

Under the leadership of the warlord Manik, the Skull Riders range across Arkanar and beyond, cutting off supply lines and disappearing into the wastes before any retribution can find them. On the tabletop they function as fast harassment units, screening heavier forces or threatening exposed flanks. This pack of two lets you field a small outrider screen or form the nucleus of a larger warband. They slot naturally alongside Iron Lords infantry or ride out alone as a raiding party.

Supplied unpainted and unassembled. Resin requires standard preparation. Suitable for hobbyists aged 15 and over. Keep out of reach of children.

Painting Guide: Skull Riders (x2)

These WarpLand miniature models reward a palette of deep earth tones, cracked leather, and corroded metal, evoking long days in the saddle across a dying world.

1. Prime

• Spray with a dark grey or black primer to preserve the deep recesses of the feathers and armour straps.
• A light zenithal pass of off-white from above helps define the raised plumage and shoulders before colour is applied.

2. Armour Base

• Block in all leather straps, riding cloaks, and saddle rigs with a dark brown, then add a mid-brown highlight along raised edges.
• Paint the metal armour plates on the mounts with a deep iron or gunmetal, keeping the tone cold and industrial.

3. Trim and Details

• Pick out rivets, buckles, and chain links with a brighter silver, applying it sparingly to suggest wear rather than polish.
• The riders' skin tones work well in a sallow, sun-scoured ochre, washed with a dark flesh tone and highlighted back up on brow ridges and knuckles.

4. Weapons

• Paint crossbow stocks in a grey-brown wood tone, then drybrush lightly with a lighter tan to suggest splintered grain.
• Metal crossbow components and the pointing gauntlet can be done in the same iron palette as the armour, tied together with a thin brown wash in the recesses.

5. Weathering

• Stipple chipping on armour plates using a torn blister foam and a dark brown, then add a thin line of bright silver above each chip for a three-dimensional dent effect.
• Drag a nearly dry brush of pale dust colour across the lower legs of the mounts and the base of the saddle rigs to suggest long travel across the wasteland.

6. Bases

• This WarpLand miniature pairs well with cracked wasteland basing: texture paste, grey-brown drybrushing, a few small stones, and a streak of orange-brown wash to suggest iron-rich dust from Arkanar's ruined plains.