Step-By-Step Khorne Berzerker (Black Legion)

Wow, I've been gone for quite a while and haven't really made any progress in my hobby in the time gone. It's a real bummer, but life(read:work) got in the way. Sorry for that.

Anyways, Khorne Berzerkers. For those of you that know the various armies I collect, you'll know my Chaos Space Marine army of choice is Black Legion. This presents me with a bit of a conundrum when it comes to the god-specific units. I was never really satisfied with the idea presented in the codex of simply painting a shoulderpad of the originating faction's colors (i.e. a red shoulderpad for a berzerker). You can see what I've come up with for Tzeentch's Thousand Sons here: glowing blue sorcerous runes on an otherwise Black Legion scheme. While I haven't painted up Plague Marines yet, I have done a Nurgle Sorcerer where you can see how I'd go about it. Khorne presented a different kind of challenge where I couldn't quite figure out something that was fitting. Here's what I ended up with:

Step 1: Charadon Granite

As is typical with my Black Legion, the basecoat for their armour is done in Charadon Granite. 

Step 2: Fortress Grey

Edge the armour plates in this light grey.

Step 3: Boltgun Metal

All the non-gold metal bits.

Stpe 4: Badab Black

Put it on everything.  This is how I like black armour.  Having a base color that isn't quite black allows for some depth that you wouldn't get by simply edging on a straigh-black armour.

Step 5: Shining Gold

For that Black Legion flair.

Step 6: Mithril Silver

Drybrushed lightly over the gold bits, this will make the gold look a bit aged and worn.

Step 7: Vermin Brown

I used this on the tassel for the chain-axe, I would also use it for anything you want to appear as leather.

Step 8: Elf Flesh

Extremely light drybrush over anything based in Vermin Brown.

Step 9: Devlan Mud

This goes over anything gold and/or brown.  OK, the basics for our Black Legion scheme are down, now for the Khornate part.  In the end, I went with a simple option.  No runes, no markings... just blood.

Step 10: Blood Red

I got out a ratty brush and spotted blood red all over his front (very little on the back).  I focused on knees, hands, axe-head, face and shoulders.  I wanted a real visceral feel to this, as if they almost go out of their way to spray themselves with their opponent's blood, and never bother to wash it off.

Step 11: Scorpion Green

For the eyes.

I added a bloody hand print on his shoulderpad after watching Lord of the Rings.  Sauruman's Uruk-Hai did this on their faces in white paint, and it struck me as suitably barbaric that would be embraced by followers of Khorne.  Now, I chose blood rather than white, and not necessarily on his face, but the result is the same: a kind of self-applied war paint in blood is how he shows his devotion.  I'm planning on placing these hand-prints in various places on the squad members.  Can't have too much conformity ;)