How to Paint an Old Dominion Xhiliarch (Layering Tutorial)

The Old Dominion range from Conquest has a distinct character – aged armor, rich fabrics, and a sense of worn grandeur. For this Xhiliarch, I focused on a traditional layer painting approach, translated from a tutorial by Duncan Rhodes.

Rather than relying on drybrushing or contrast paints, this method builds depth through controlled layering, allowing for stronger contrast and a more deliberate finish.

Preparing the Model

Before painting, I spent some time studying the sculpt and identifying where contrast would matter most—between armor, cloth, and fur. With a model like this, a little planning upfront makes the later stages much easier and more intentional.

Base Coats

I began by blocking in all major colors:

• Armor (Base): Balthasar Gold
• Sword Blade: Iron Hands Steel
• Armor Trim: Retributor Armor
• Cloak (Inner & Outer): Gal Vorbak Red
• Skirt & Plume: Mephiston Red
• Inner Fur: Doombull Brown
• Outer Fur & Stitching: Zandri Dust
• Skin: Warpfiend Grey
• Sandals: Rhinox Hide, Doombull Brown

At this stage, the focus is on clean coverage and clearly separating each material. Something to note is I made a slight wet-blend between the Gal Vorbak Red and Doombull Brown on the Inner Cloak where the two materials converge. This will unlikely be seen unless the model is very closely inspected, so this detail is completely optional.

Shading the Model

The entire model was shaded with Agrax Earthshade.

This step immediately establishes depth by darkening recesses and toning down the base colors. It also unifies the palette, giving everything a more grounded and weathered look.

Not pictured here is the cloak, but both the inner and outer sections of the cloak should also be shaded with Agrax Earthshade.

Layering and Building Contrast

Once the shade was dry, I began re-establishing color and pushing contrast in light passes of thinned paint, layering and highlighting.

• Base colors were reapplied to raised areas
• Cloak: Word Bearers Red, then Wazdakka Red for highlights
• Plume & Skirt: Evil Sunz Scarlet, followed by Wild Rider Red
• Inner Fur: Tuskgor Fur
• Outer Fur & Stitching: Ushabti Bone, with Screaming Skull highlights
• Blade: Stormhost Silver
• Gold Trim: Liberator Gold
• Skin: Warpfiend Grey mixed with Screaming Skull for highlights

Pushing the Details

With the main work complete, I spent some extra time refining key areas to add visual interest.

Fur Cloak:

Additional Screaming Skull highlights were applied to the fur and stitching on the cloak to sharpen texture and make those elements stand out more clearly against the darker reds.

These small, targeted highlights don’t take long, but they noticeably elevate the finish and help guide the viewer’s eye across the model.

Eyes:

• Mephiston Red glaze
• Fire Dragon Bright (inner glow)
• Yriel Yellow for the final highlight

Creating the Armor Patina:

To achieve the aged, oxidized look on the armor:

• I applied 2–3 thin glaze coats of Lupercal Green thinned with Lahmian Medium
• Then added a small amount of Baharroth Blue to the mix for a final turquoise glaze

This step shifts the armor from a clean metallic finish to something that feels ancient and weathered, which fits the Old Dominion aesthetic perfectly.

This stage is where the model really comes together—restoring saturation while increasing contrast and definition across materials.

Basing the Model

The base was kept simple to support the miniature without competing for attention:

• Texture: Vallejo Brown Earth
• Shade: Agrax Earthshade and Fuegan Orange
• Drybrush Highlights: Vallejo Iraqi Sand and Vallejo Yellow Ochre

The warm desert tones complement the reds and golds while keeping the focus on the model itself.

Final Thoughts

This project highlights what you can achieve by committing to a full layer painting process. Each step builds on the last, giving you control over contrast, color, and finish in a way faster methods often can’t match.

Working from a structured approach inspired by Duncan Rhodes made it easier to stay consistent, while still leaving room to experiment—especially with the armor patina and final detail work.

If I were to push this further, I’d experiment with applying the patina more selectively to create additional variation across the armor panels.