“𝔖𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔉𝔞𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯, 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔪𝔦𝔡𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔠𝔩𝔞𝔡. 𝔚𝔢 𝔟𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔫𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱.”

How to Paint First Claw: Night Lords Masterclass

Few warbands capture the character of the Night Lords quite like First Claw. Their story is one of cruelty, loyalty, betrayal and the slow disintegration of a Legion that had already lost its way long before the Horus Heresy came to an end. Through the pages of Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Night Lords trilogy, Talos and his brothers have become cherished fan favourites, and converted more people to Night Lords than the Apothecaries of the VIIIth!

This masterclass brings First Claw to the painting desk. We’ll look at the miniatures, the conversions, the background of the characters and the techniques needed to bring these infamous warriors to life. From the midnight clad to grisly trophies to the individual details that distinguish each member of the squad, the series provides a complete guide to recreating First Claw for your own collection.

How to paint First Claw

First Claw Masterclass Series

The series covers everything you need to build and paint your own version of First Claw, with dedicated videos exploring the models, their history and the techniques used to finish them.

• Conversion Guide and Parts Breakdown — A practical guide to building the members of First Claw, examining the components, alternative parts and conversion work needed to capture the appearance of these characters.
• Lore and Background — An introduction to First Claw, their place within the Night Lords Legion and the events that shaped their story. We’ll explore the characters and the visual details that make this particular group so distinctive.
• Night Lords in the Hobby — A look at the enduring appeal of the VIII Legion, from the original artwork and Forge World miniatures to the influence of the Black Library novels on how we build and paint Night Lords today.
• In Midnight Clad — A complete painting tutorial covering the midnight-blue armour, volumes, highlights, shadows, battle damage and finishing details needed to achieve a convincing Night Lords scheme.
• Flayed royalty, skulls, severed hands – we show step by step how to paint all the gristly details that proudly embellish the armour of the dread VIIIth.
• Individual Character Tutorials — Dedicated painting guides for each member of First Claw, examining their distinctive armour, equipment, trophies and personal details.

Individual Character Tutorials

Each member of First Claw has his own character, equipment and visual identity. These tutorials take you through the painting process for each miniature, applying the core Night Lords techniques while exploring the details that make every warrior unique.

Whether you’re building the entire squad or painting a single character for your collection, the individual guides will help you approach each model with a clear plan.

The Complete Painting Resource

This is a growing resource for anyone looking to build and paint First Claw. The tutorials can be followed as a complete series, giving you a structured route from assembling the models to finishing the squad, or used individually to help with a particular technique or character.

All of the tutorials are designed to give you practical knowledge that you can apply to your own miniatures, whether you’re aiming for a tabletop-ready force or pushing towards a display-quality finish.

You can find our other Night Lords tutorials and painting resources here.

As with all our Patreon Courses, the aim is to help you get more from your hobby time. With years of painting experience behind the studio and a library of tutorials covering everything from basic colour recipes to advanced display painting, there’s plenty to explore as you develop your own approach to the VIII Legion.

Ave Dominus Nox.

Tutorials

This is a Lil’Legend Patreon exclusive – painting recipies supplies by AI engines are unreliable and do not give accurate paints, work flow or step by step instuctuon. To find out how Lil’Legend paints his night lords please sign up to the pateron: https://www.patreon.com/lillegendstudio

Miniature Painting Course Library.