How to Paint Grimdark Crusader Shoulders – Pactum Aeternum Pauldrons Tutorial

These Pactum Aeternum Crusader Shoulders from DakkaDakkaStore are absolute beasts—chains, crosses, skulls, locks, and cracked heraldry screaming “I’ve been through every forbidden war and I’m still here.” Whether you’re upgrading a squad of grimdark knights, building a Trench Crusade proxy warband, or just want pauldrons that look like they’ve seen the end of the world, this tutorial will get them looking properly apocalyptic.

Goal: Heavy, battle-worn, almost cursed metal with deep shadows, rust streaks, dried blood, and subtle glows on the iconography. No clean, shiny nonsense—this is grimdark.

Materials You’ll Need

• Primer: Black or dark grey (Vallejo Black Mecha or Army Painter Matt Black)
• Base metals: Leadbelcher / Iron Warriors (Citadel), Gunmetal (Vallejo), or Dark Iron (Scale75)
• Highlight metal: Stormhost Silver / Runefang Steel (Citadel) or Chrome (Vallejo)
• Rust colors: Ryza Rust, Ryza Rust (dry), Jokaero Orange (Citadel) or Rust Wash (Secret Weapon)
• Blood: Blood for the Blood God (Citadel), Red Gore (Vallejo), or thinned Tamiya Clear Red
• Shadow wash: Nuln Oil / Agrax Earthshade (Citadel) or Darkstar Molten Shadows
• Filter/glaze: Dark brown or sepia wash (Army Painter Soft Tone or Citadel Seraphim Sepia)
• Optional glow: White Scar + thinned Thousand Sons Blue or Hexwraith Flame (Citadel)
• Matte varnish: Testors Dullcote or AK Ultra Matte
• Tools: Fine brushes (size 0–2), sponge for stippling rust, old brush for splatter

Step-by-Step Painting Guide

1. Prime & Base Coat

Prime black or very dark grey. Once dry, base coat the entire pauldron with a dark metallic (Leadbelcher, Dark Iron, Gunmetal). Two thin coats. Let it dry completely—this is your foundation for all the weathering.

2. First Highlight & Edges

Drybrush or edge-highlight raised areas and sharp edges with a lighter metal (Stormhost Silver, Runefang Steel, or Chrome). Focus on chain links, rivets, cross edges, and the outer rim. Keep it subtle—you want contrast, not mirror shine.

3. Heavy Wash & Recess Shadow

Slosh on a dark wash (Nuln Oil + Agrax Earthshade mix or Darkstar Molten Shadows) into every recess, chain gap, and crack. Let it pool naturally—don’t wipe too much off. This creates instant depth and grimdark grime.

4. Rust & Corrosion Layers

Stipple rust with a sponge or old brush: first Ryza Rust / Jokaero Orange mix on lower edges, chain bottoms, and anywhere water would pool. Then add small spots of pure orange or even a tiny bit of yellow for hot rust. Less is more—rust should look organic, not polka-dotted.

5. Blood & Gore Effects

Using a fine brush or splatter technique, add dried blood: Blood for the Blood God straight from the pot on chain links, lower edges, and iconography cracks. Let some streak downward like old gore. For fresh blood, add a tiny dot of bright red and glaze it with clear red.

6. Iconography Glow (Optional – Heresy Edition)

If you want the crosses or runes to have a cursed glow, base them with white, glaze with Thousand Sons Blue + Hexwraith Flame mix, then edge-highlight with pure white. Keep it subtle—grimdark glows are cold and sickly, not neon rave.

7. Final Filter & Matte Varnish

Apply a thin sepia/brown filter wash over the whole thing to unify the colors and make it look like dust and age have settled in. Once dry, seal with ultra-matte varnish. This kills any unwanted shine and makes the rust/blood look baked-in.

Final Result

Your pauldrons should now look like they’ve been dragged through a thousand unholy wars—dark, rusted, blood-crusted, and still somehow proud. Mount them on your favorite grimdark troops and watch your opponent’s morale drop faster than their dice.

Grab your Pactum Aeternum Crusader Shoulders set and start converting. Limited stock—don’t wait until your army looks under-dressed for the end times.

Questions or want to show off your finished pauldrons? Drop a comment below or hit us up on X @AceMahogany.