The Broken Warhost of Byland is now starting to come alive in colour.
In part one, I introduced the concept behind the force, and in part two, we examined Steve Beckett’s model builds with Wargames Atlantic plastics. Now, we can show the first painted warriors.
Steve has painted the Veteran Riders, including the Warhost leader and the mounted banner bearer.
This batch consists of two mounted groups: one with swords, one with spears. That variety makes the mounted element feel more useful and interesting on the tabletop.
For me, this is the point where the project really starts to feel real.
The kitbashed models already had the right look, but paint has brought everything together. The riders now feel like proper fighting groups from Byland. They are not clean or ceremonial, but instead appear as experienced mounted warriors who have spent too long in the saddle, fighting across broken ground and ruined borders..
That is exactly what I wanted.
The Veteran Riders
The Veteran Riders are the mounted core of the Broken Warhost.
In the background, these men were once the ridge-riders and outriders of Byland. They watched the borders, patrolled the high passes, and knew the crossings, tracks, and rough ground better than anyone.
Now they are the hard edge of what remains.
Steve painted them with practical, worn colours that suit Byland perfectly. Despite being built from mixed frames, their kit feels used, and the groups continue to be visually cohesive.
Having this balance is important as I did not want the riders to appear as a neat cavalry unit. They should look like veterans fighting with whatever they could repair or replace. The painting gives them that battle-worn feel, but they still appear as ready warriors.
Swords and Spears
This painted batch includes two separate groups of Veteran Riders, each defined by their armament: one group with spears and another with swords.
That split is useful because it gives the mounted part of the Warhost two clear battlefield roles. The spear-armed riders feel like the group you want to use for fast strikes, driving into weak points and hitting hard before the enemy has time to settle.
The sword-armed riders feel more like close-in fighters, the kind of riders who have already pushed through the first clash and are now cutting their way through the broken ground of the battle.
What I like about Steve's work is that the riders are not identical, yet they clearly belong together. Their differences actually strengthen the force’s character.
Byland is no longer mustering perfect, drilled riders. It is gathering together survivors who know how to fight.
The Leader of the Warhost
The mounted leader is armed with a battle axe, which immediately sets him apart from the other riders.
He feels dangerous and looks as though he can handle himself in a fight, which is what I wanted from the commander of this force. He does not look like a remote noble leading from behind the line. He looks like a war leader who rides with his men and expects to be in the thick of the fighting.
The full-face knight helmet was inspired by Peter Dennis’s artwork in the Warhost sourcebook, showing Human horsemen riding down a group of Orc pillagers. I really liked the feel of that image and wanted the leader of the Broken Warhost to carry a little of that same visual language.
On the tabletop, I want him to work as the anchor for the mounted groups, commanding them in the middle of the action. Leadership has to be visible. The men around him need to see that he is still there, still riding, and still willing to take the fight to the enemy.
The Byland Banner
The mounted banner bearer is one of my favourite models from this first painted batch.
He carries one of the old Byland banners, bearing the white gate, the first symbol of the kingdom.
That symbol is important within the lore.
Before the Broken Warhost became what it is now, the white gate stood for Byland. It represented the kingdom’s duty, its frontier, and its place beside the Gate.
Seeing that old banner carried by this riders is exactly what makes this force work for me.
It gives the group history.
The banner is more than a required standard-bearer; it shows the riders carry the old kingdom’s legacy even after so much has been lost.
“So long as one banner stands, Byland endures.”
That line has stayed with the project from the start, and seeing the banner painted makes it feel earned.
The Dragon Head Warmark
The riders all carry heater shields marked with the dragon head warmark.
This is one of the details that helps move the force forward visually.
The old white gate belongs to the kingdom that was. The dragon head warmark belongs to the Broken Warhost now fighting in its name. Using both gives the riders a nice link spanning past and present.
That is the sort of visual narration I want to build through this whole force, and frankly through the whole Warhost setting. It does not need a long explanation on the tabletop. You can see it in the models.
The riders carry the old banner, but their shields bear the mark of the war they are fighting now.
A Force Taking Shape
The Veteran Riders now set the standard for the Broken Warhost. Not just in painting, but in tone. The rest of the force needs to visually sit alongside them: the Broken Fyrd, the archers, the camp followers, the shepherds, the sellswords, and the Reckoner’s Guard.
Each group should have its own identity, but they all need to feel like they belong to the same war.
That is the challenge which Steve has undertaken, and also the fun of a project like this.
The Wargames Atlantic plastic sets have provided us with more than enough options to kitbash all the warriors we need, offering plenty of variety. Steve’s painting is now giving identity to what has been created, unifying it into a Warhost.
What Comes Next
These first painted groups mark a big step forward.
The sword-armed riders, spear-armed riders, leader, and banner-bearer give the Broken Warhost its speed and bite. Next, we will continue working through the character of each remaining group.
The aim remains the same: to create a force that looks like it belongs in the Age of Fractured Crowns and fits the lore when used for games of Warhost.
The Broken Warhost of Byland is no longer just a background idea or a pile of kitbashed models.
It has its first painted riders.
And they are ready to carry the old banner back into the fight.
