True metallic metal paints are a gamechanger for Stormcast, so in this TMM episode I paint Astral Templars with a grimdark, cold-magenta armor scheme. I start from a Rusty Metal base (airbrush), then I build a subtle “zenithal” tint by spraying a 50/50 mix of Rusty Metal + Amethyst Purple, keeping the lower-facing areas a bit more rusty and shaded. At this stage the armor can look too pink, so I push it into the right crimson-magenta with Ruby Red Shade—mixed with Express Medium to knock back the shine and keep the finish controlled. Once the overall tone is set, I go back in with targeted shading: apply the same shade mix, clean the brush, and feather it out until the contrast feels right. Highlights are layered in three steps: first the desaturated magenta mix (Rusty Metal + Amethyst Purple), then a sparing brighter highlight (Ruby Red Light + Amethyst Purple Light), and finally a near-white pop by adding Sterling Silver Light. Because I wanted more grimdark, I add chipping and scratches using the base mix and then the highlight mix—small chips help the model feel larger, and honestly, there is no crime that can be hidden using some weathering. For the rest, I base the steel in Obsidian Black and the gold in a 50/50 Rusty Metal + Aged Metal. I experiment “in real time”: I highlight gold with Greenish Gold Light, push final edges with Sterling Silver Base, shade both metals with Arcane Gold Shade + Express Medium, and finish with a touch of green rust/verdigris around rivets for that used, grimy look.