The Salamanders are the fire-wielding guardians of humanity in Warhammer 40k, renowned for their mastery of flame and their unyielding sense of duty. Known for their resilience and terrifying pyrotechnics, they forge the battlefield with molten fury, burning their enemies to ash.
First-time players will find their army’s durability and deadly close-range firepower irresistible. Painting them requires deep greens, fiery accents, and techniques to bring out their volcanic theme.
Who Are The Salamanders?
The Salamanders are a Space Marine Chapter unlike any other. Descended from the noble and fierce Primarch Vulkan, they are renowned for their mastery over flame and their unbreakable bond to humanity. Hailing from the volcanic world of Nocturne, they are shaped by its molten furnaces, their armor bearing the deep green hues of their home, their weapons glowing with the heat of the forge.
Unlike other Astartes, the Salamanders hold a deep respect for the lives of the Imperium’s citizens. They are protectors first and warriors second, ever willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. But when they fight, they fight with the fury of an erupting volcano.
Wielding flamers, meltas, and thunder hammers, the Salamanders stride into the heat of battle like living firestorms, reducing their enemies to molten slag. Their endurance is legendary, their hearts as tough as the anvil from which they were forged.
What Are The Salamanders Army Strengths?
The Salamanders are an army forged in flame and tempered by battle. Their strengths lie in their ability to withstand punishment while delivering fiery death to their enemies.
Here’s what makes them a fearsome force on the battlefield:
- Unmatched Close-Range Firepower: Salamanders excel at close combat and close-range shooting. Their flamers and meltas hit harder than other chapters, and their ability to re-roll wound rolls for these weapons makes them even deadlier at point-blank range.
- Incredible Resilience: The Salamanders are tough as ceramite. Their innate ability to shrug off damage makes them incredibly durable, with increased protection against high-damage attacks. Combined with strong armor saves, they are hard to put down.
- Master Crafters: Weapons in the hands of a Salamander are more than just tools of war—they are sacred artifacts. This chapter’s affinity for craftsmanship allows their warriors to re-roll failed hit or wound rolls for their most prized weapons, making them brutally efficient in combat.
- Pyromaniac Tactics: The Salamanders are masters of flame weapons, and their battlefield tactics revolve around using fire to cleanse the enemy. Flamers, heavy flamers, and meltas are their tools of choice, delivering overwhelming damage in close-quarter firefights.
- Fearless Warriors: Salamanders are renowned for their unbreakable will and determination. They do not falter under fire, and their presence on the battlefield is an unshakable bulwark, inspiring those around them to press on through the flames of war.
Where Should Beginners Start?
Building a Salamanders army is about combining durability with firepower, and the following models are essential for new players to ignite their journey:
- Primaris Aggressors: These walking tanks are armed with flamestorm gauntlets, making them ideal for the Salamanders. They unleash devastating close-range firepower while being durable enough to soak up enemy fire.
- Tactical Squads: Standard Tactical Marines are versatile and perfect for holding objectives or deploying with flamers and meltas, fitting the Salamanders’ close-combat style of warfare.
- Salamanders Primaris Captain: The backbone of any Salamanders force, a Primaris Captain enhances your army’s durability while offering strategic flexibility. His presence allows you to re-roll hits, a key strength for the chapter.
- Vulkan He’stan: No Salamanders army is complete without their Chapter Master, Vulkan He’stan. His aura makes nearby flame and melta weapons even deadlier, turning a squad into a fiery nightmare for the enemy.
- Land Raider Redeemer: The Land Raider Redeemer is armed with flame projectors that devastate infantry and elite troops alike. It fits perfectly with the Salamanders’ theme of close-range destruction.
- Eradicators: These heavy infantry units are equipped with melta rifles, making them ideal for cracking enemy armor. They provide lethal anti-tank firepower at close range.
How to Paint Salamanders
Painting the Salamanders is about capturing the fiery essence of their volcanic home. Their armor is a rich, deep green, representing their roots on Nocturne, while fiery accents highlight their role as masters of flame. Bright, glowing eyes, and orange flames will bring your Salamanders to life, as will intricate details like their dragon-scale cloaks and carefully crafted wargear.
Color Scheme Ideas
Dragonfire Vanguard
- Base Color: Caliban Green. For the primary armor color, giving the Salamanders a rich, dark green that evokes the scales of a dragon.
- Shading: Nuln Oil. In the recesses and panel lines to create deep shadows, adding definition and depth to the dark green armor.
- Highlights: Warpstone Glow. For crisp edge highlights, making the armor stand out with a brighter green to accentuate raised areas.
- Accent Colors: Mephiston Red. On eye lenses, purity seals, and small details like insignia, adding a fiery, contrasting color that complements the Salamanders’ flame affinity.
- Additional Accent: Leadbelcher. For weapons, mechanical parts, and metallic armor details, giving a cool contrast against the green armor.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver. To edge highlight metallic parts, adding a sharp, reflective finish to weapons and bionics.
This scheme keeps with the classic Salamanders green but adds fiery red accents, reflecting the chapter’s connection to both fire and their volcanic homeworld of Nocturne.
Emberforge Legion
- Base Color: Deathworld Forest. For a more muted, earthy green armor that reflects the volcanic, ash-covered terrain of Nocturne.
- Shading: Agrax Earthshade. In recesses and panel lines, adding a warm, gritty shadow to the armor, making it look weathered and battle-worn.
- Highlights: Ogryn Camo. For subtle edge highlights, giving the armor a slightly worn and faded look, as if exposed to ash and fire.
- Accent Colors: Brass Scorpion. For shoulder pad trims, chest emblems, and weapon details, giving the army a warm, metallic contrast against the earthy green.
- Additional Accent: Troll Slayer Orange. On eye lenses, energy weapons, and flames, adding bright, glowing orange elements to reflect the chapter’s mastery over fire.
- Highlight for Accents: Runefang Steel. For metallic highlights on weapons and bionics, adding a sharp, refined look to the metal elements.
This scheme emphasizes the rugged, fire-forged aspect of the Salamanders, with earthy tones and warm metallics, evoking a more natural, elemental aesthetic.
Inferno’s Wrath
- Base Color: Warpstone Glow. For a brighter, more vibrant green armor, giving the Salamanders a more vivid and striking appearance on the battlefield.
- Shading: Biel-Tan Green. For shading in the recesses and panel lines, adding depth while keeping the armor’s bright, vibrant feel intact.
- Highlights: Moot Green. For sharp edge highlights, enhancing the brightness and giving the armor a glowing, almost flame-like intensity.
- Accent Colors: Retributor Gold. For shoulder pad trims, chest emblems, and weapon embellishments, giving a regal, radiant contrast against the bright green armor.
- Additional Accent: Troll Slayer Orange. For flames, power weapons, and energy effects, reflecting the Salamanders’ mastery of fire and their ferocity in battle.
- Highlight for Accents: Stormhost Silver. To highlight weapons and other metallic parts, giving them a clean, polished look.
This color scheme presents a more vibrant, high-contrast version of the Salamanders, with bright greens and fiery oranges reflecting their role as fierce defenders of humanity and masters of flame.
Salamanders Painting Techniques
To make your Salamanders army stand out on the battlefield, use techniques that capture their volcanic fury and the glowing heat of their weapons.
- Edge Highlighting: Use lighter green (such as Warpstone Glow) to edge highlight the armor plates. Focus on sharp edges and areas where light would catch. This helps define the curves and edges of their armor, giving a solid, battle-hardened look to their wargear.
- Layering for Depth: Start with a base coat of deep green (Caliban Green) and layer progressively lighter shades (Warpstone Glow, Moot Green) to add depth. Layering gives the armor a realistic finish, making it look like it’s forged in the volcanic forges of Nocturne, tempered by fire.
- Flame Effects: Use wet blending to create fiery transitions between bright reds, oranges, and yellows on their flamers and other fire-based weapons. Creates the appearance of burning, molten heat radiating from their weapons, enhancing their status as masters of flame.
- Object Source Lighting (OSL): Use bright orange or red to create a glow effect around plasma coils, flame weapons, and eyes. Blend outward to simulate glowing heat. This adds a dynamic, glowing effect to the Salamanders, making their weapons look as if they’re burning with intense energy.
- Weathering: Apply light weathering with a drybrush of metallics or browns around the edges of armor and weapons to simulate battle damage. Adds a gritty, battle-worn feel to the model, reflecting the Salamanders’ brutal, frontline combat.
- Dragon-Scale Cloaks: Use a base of black or dark gray and highlight with bone or gold. Paint individual scales with lighter tones for a rich, detailed texture. The cloaks of Salamander heroes should look ancient and rare, reflecting their revered status and the dangers they’ve endured.
By mastering these painting techniques, your Salamanders will stand out with their fiery green armor and molten weaponry. On the battlefield, they will look like the volcanic warriors they are, as if they’ve emerged straight from the flames of Nocturne to wage war in the Emperor’s name.
Image Attribution
Image 1 – Warhammer-40-000-vulkan-salamanders-space-marines-primarch (https://www.goodfon.com/fantasy/wallpaper-warhammer-40-000-vulkan-salamanders-space-marines-primarch.html) by Maria345 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Image 2 – Badab War Series – Salamanders (https://www.deviantart.com/daandric/art/Badab-War-Series-Salamanders-882533961) by Daandric (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/)
Image 3 – Vulcan update (https://www.deviantart.com/kathistoboubali32/art/Vulcan-update-920113287) by kathistoboubali32 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
Image 4 – Anvilbreakers – Konn (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-zulu/52932449751/in/photostream/) by Mike Zulu (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)
