I am keeping this entry as part of an ongoing record: lived experience, spiritual inquiry, and the patient work of finding language for what moves between the visible and the unseen.

Welcome back to the painting desk!

It’s 2026, and like every hobbyist at the start of a new year, I’m staring down a mountain of grey shame. But this year, instead of hobby-butterfly-ing my way through ten different skirmish teams, I’m committing to the big one. The long haul.

I’m finally tackling my massive StationForge GrimGuard collection.

We’re talking 192+ models. Infantry, Ogryns, tanks, artillery—the works. To get through this without losing my mind (and finished before 2027), I needed a rock-solid plan, a compelling narrative to keep me motivated, and, most importantly, a painting recipe that doesn’t take ten hours per model.

Here is the battle plan for my 2026 campaign: The Stalemate.

The Lore: A Gritty Civil War

I didn’t want just another generic “Death Korps proxy” army. I wanted a story on the tabletop.

My concept is a brutal, grinding civil war between two hardened veteran factions of the same world. The conflict has raged for so long that the initial reasons for the war—a class struggle between the wealthy elite and the working class—have mostly dissolved into the mud.

Now, it’s just a stalemate. Both sides are equally equipped, heavily armored, and equally miserable in the trenches.

The Factions:

  • Faction A: The York Loyalists (The Red Army): These are the remnants of the “royal” military. They still cling to hierarchy and tradition. Their gear was once pristine, and their officers still wear the badges of high rank.
  • Faction B: The Continental Resistance (The Blue Army): The uprising. These are industrial workers, drafted veterans, and resistance fighters. They are practical, scrappy, and utilitarian.

The Painting Philosophy: The “Grimdark Assembly Line”

Let’s be real: painting nearly 200 models to a competition standard isn’t happening. The goal here is a high-standard “Battle Ready.” I want them to look awesome from three feet away on a gaming table, and I want to get them done fast.

My methodology for 2026 is the “Speed-Paint” method. I’m leaning heavily on colored rattle-can sprays for the basecoats and massive amounts of washes to do the heavy lifting.

The Unifier: The Mud Before I get into the colors, the most important part of this project is the basing. To sell the idea that these two armies are fighting on the same miserable battlefield, everyone gets the same treatment.

Every single model gets a heavy application of texture paste (like Stirland Mud), slathered all over the base and pushed up onto their boots, greaves, and coat hems. A quick drybrush of khaki over the dried mud ties everything together.

The Recipes

Here is the breakdown of how I’m distinguishing the two forces on the tabletop. It’s all about strong primary color contrast and specific metallic rules.

🔴 The Red Army (York Loyalists)

The vibe here is “faded glory.” They use brass and gold to denote rank, trying to maintain standards in the muck.

  • The Speed Step: Prime the whole model with a Dragon Red spray.
  • The Magic: An all-over wash of Agrax Earthshade. This is crucial. It turns that bright red spray into a dirty, deep crimson and shades all the recesses in one go.
  • The Metals: Iron and steel for the basic gear, but Brass for emblems.
  • The Rank Indicators: Basic troops get steel helmets with small brass badges. Officers and Elites get full, shiny Brass Helmets so they stand out immediately.

🔵 The Blue Army (Continental Resistance)

The vibe here is industrial and practical. Absolutely ZERO gold or brass allowed.

  • The Speed Step: Prime the whole model with a Crystal Blue (or similar deep blue) spray.
  • The Identifier: To stop them from just looking like blue blobs, every model gets their cuffs and collars painted a contrasting Khaki/Tan.
  • The Magic: Hit the whole thing with the Agrax Earthshade (or a dark Strong Tone) wash.
  • The Metals: Dark, oily Iron only. Gunmetal mixed with a little black, washed heavily with Nuln Oil. Their gear should look scavenged and used.

Applying the Theme Across the Army

It’s been fun seeing how this strict “Red/Brass vs. Blue/Iron” rule applies to different unit types as I plan the builds.

  • Command Squads: The Red Officer looks like a muddy aristocrat with a fancy sword and brass helmet. The Blue Officer looks like a field commander in a simple peaked cap with practical gear.
  • Ogryns (Heavy Support):
    • Red Army: They get the “Armored” look. Big slabs of brass plate over clean red coats. They look like sanctioned riot police.
    • Blue Army: They get the “rag-tag” look. Tattered blue coats, exposed pale skin, and scavenged scrap-iron plates bolted together.
  • Tanks & Artillery: Even the big guns follow the rules.
    • Red: Deep Red hulls with polished brass engine exhausts and turret rings.
    • Blue: Dark Blue hulls covered in practical stowage and piles of tan sandbags for extra armor.

It’s going to be a long road, but having this structure down on “paper” makes the mountain feel climbable. I’m excited to get the first batches primed and muddy.

Keep your brushes wet, and I’ll catch you in the next update!