Heraldry of the Dark Mechanicum – Part One

With the release of a slew of Mechanicum models for both the Legions Imperialis and Age of Darkness games, we’ve been inundated with requests from painters for more examples of canonical colour schemes for those forces allied with the Traitors. 

We sent our best Seeker Squad behind the lines of the Warhammer Studio to gather intel. In this, the first of two articles on the subject, the Horus Heresy team presents us with a range of colour schemes and icons for use across both Legions Imperialis and Age of Darkness collections.

THH Team: While the core heraldry of the Mechanicum has long been established as predominantly red, black, white, and a range of metallics, that of the Traitor Mechanicum – and, at the far end of the Chaos-worshipping spectrum, the so-called ‘Dark Mechanicum’ – lean towards a darker, more sinister palette. Keeping colour schemes within this range maintains the familiar look and character of the faction, but of course the Imperium is a big place and there is always room for variation, which is what we aim to explore. 

As a general rule, the Mechanicum (whether Loyalist or Traitor) and true Dark Mechanicum keep within a fairly narrow range of colours, but there are avenues for exploring schemes beyond the palette mentioned above. For example, Mechanicum assets bonded directly into the forces of a Space Marine Legion, Titan Legio, Knight Household, or independent Cybernetica Cohort might bear the more striking heraldic motifs often used by such bodies. Another avenue, which we will explore a little in this article, is vehicles dedicated to the service of a specific Ruinous Power.

The Dark Mechanicum 

Like the Mechanicum from which it was born, the Dark Mechanicum was not a singular entity but a disparate collection of ideologies and petty kingdoms. For their part, the practitioners of this new order saw themselves as true heirs to the Omnissiah’s mantle, for they embraced all knowledge and sought enlightenment in all things; many titled themselves the ‘New Mechanicum’, declaring loudly their intent to install a new order. 

The myriad nature of those branded as Dark Mechanicum makes an assessment of their hosts nigh-impossible without further distinction. Most fitting of the title are those who readily lent aid to the Warmaster in exchange for knowledge the Emperor had decreed forbidden, alongside rites and rituals born of pacts with the entities that dwelled beyond the veil. Through honeyed promises of a new order, Horus offered a path of unfettered innovation to those who chafed under the restrictions of the Emperor. Sects that had laboured in the shadows for generations rose up, inciting their brethren to treachery or toppling the established order to install a new regime. 

As the maelstrom of war spread, these sects’ thirst for knowledge grew in magnitude, leading many to turn towards the occult to achieve their goals – and thus the nightmarish terrors of the Age of Strife were unleashed upon the galaxy once more. So too were new horrors given life within the forges of the Dark Mechanicum, transformed as they were into shrines to twisted innovation, where dark sciences and ancient secrets were venerated; the fruits of their labour were myriad and destructive all. 

General colour schemes 

Below are three examples of colour schemes not tied to a specific Forge World or Power (both will come later), but which are typical of those that might be seen in the service of any Dark Mechanicum Magos or Taghmata. If you wanted to invent heraldry unique to the Magos leading your own army, any of these would make a great starting point. We’ve kept the colour choices dark and sinister, as is appropriate for this faction. 

We’ve included a number of icons on these vehicles, the intention being to evoke a sense of esoteric symbolism. The combination of icons expresses the powers invested in the vehicle, and are a mix of scientific and sorcerous concepts.

If you want to use these or similar icons, you’ll need to brush up on your freehand skills, but you never know, they might make it onto a decal sheet in the future. The icons shown on the first three vehicles below can be found on the decal sheet that comes in the Legions Imperialis Stalker Constructs and Legions Imperialis Serperos ‘Overlord’ Heavy Stalker kits, and can be applied to other vehicles in the service of Dark Mechanicum, not just the Stalkers. 

Each of the examples that follow includes suggestions on which paints to use to replicate it. 

(Above) A Triaros Armoured Conveyor bearing armour of black iron and brass banding.

(Above) A Triaros Armoured Conveyor with weathered gold armour and black iron banding. 

(Above) A Triaros Armoured Conveyor with armour of steel and bronze banding, with additional rusty streaks.

Colours of the Primordial Annihilator 

Another way to determine what colour scheme a vehicle might bear is to consider if it might have been dedicated to the service of a particular Ruinous Power (i.e. the Chaos Gods Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh). This opens up the use of colours not normally seen in Mechanicum armies, such as greens and blues (appropriate to Nurgle and Tzeentch respectively). Schemes such as these are more appropriate for use towards the end of the Horus Heresy, when the individual identities of the Chaos Powers so well established by the time of the 41st Millennium are only just beginning to appear. 

Each of these power-specific schemes also includes a version of the appropriate Chaos sigil. These are rendered in a hybrid Chaos/Mechanicum style appropriate to the faction, and again, will need to be painted freehand, for now at least. 

(Above) A Triaros Armoured Conveyor dedicated to the entity known to followers as Khorne. The armour is black with brass banding, and the vehicle's flanks have been drenched with spilled blood. 

(Above) A Triaros Armoured Conveyor bearing the heraldry of Slaanesh. This vehicle’s armour is decorated with a white marble effect and its banding is gold. 

(Above) This Triaros Armoured Conveyor is dedicated to the entity known to some as Nurgle, and so its black armour and gold banding have been heavily weathered with rust, grime, and slime. 

(Above) The unusual blue and gold livery applied to this Triaros Armoured Conveyor marks it out as dedicated to the power known as Tzeentch, a schema redolent of the empyreal manifestations (aka daemons) called forth by that name. 

Thanks to the team for these schemes. In the next article they’ll take a look at the heraldry and iconography of a number of specific Dark Mechanicum Forge Worlds – Retlaxi, Sarum, Xana II, Urdesh, and Estaban III. If you’ve been inspired to try your hand at painting some traitorous Tech-Priests, the Mechanicum Combat Force is a great starting point for testing out your colour schemes.