Templar Bikers - Mounted Sci-Fi Warriors

The Templar Riders are three heavily armoured crusader warriors mounted on massive war-bikes, a fast attack unit that combines the unstoppable momentum of mechanised assault with the absolute martial conviction of an ancient and uncompromising holy order. Each rider is clad in ornate power armour adorned with crusader crosses, aquila iconography, skull motifs and chainmail detailing across the chest and shoulder plates, their imposing silhouettes rising above wide-body war-bikes fitted with enormous studded tyres, exhaust systems and front-mounted weapon arrays. These are warriors for whom retreat is not a doctrine that exists, their charge as much an act of religious devotion as military strategy. The three Templar riders each carry distinct armour and weapon configurations drawn from a generous modular component set. Three upper body variants feature different pauldron designs including skull-adorned, cross-emblazoned and aquila-decorated shoulder plates, three chest variants with different chainmail and heraldic relief patterns, three distinct helmet options, and multiple arm configurations carrying chainswords, pistols and special weapons. The war-bike frames are shared across the squad but personalised through rider positioning and weapon loadout, with side-mounted heavy weapons, hull-mounted guns and optional cloaks adding further visual distinction between the three models. The Templar war-bikes are imposing pieces of engineering in their own right, their wide armoured frames carrying cross-embossed wheel hubs, heavy exhaust stacks, reinforced front forks and enough forward-mounted firepower to suppress enemy positions at speed. The bikes sit low and aggressive on their oval display bases, conveying the sense of barely contained kinetic energy that makes bike squads so threatening on the tabletop. Cross iconography appears throughout the vehicle design, from wheel hub decorations to hull panel reliefs, reinforcing the crusader identity of the entire unit at every scale. This kit rewards both straightforward assembly for tabletop gaming and more involved conversion and display work, with the modular rider components offering substantial pose and equipment variation across the three models. The component spread includes three full torso sets, three helmet variants, multiple arm pairs, weapon options including chainswords and special weapons, and optional cloaks that add dramatic flowing detail to the rear of the riders when assembled. Supplied as three unpainted, unassembled resin miniatures with oval display bases, the Templar Riders are an outstanding fast attack unit for any crusading warband and a centrepiece-quality painting project for display-focused hobbyists. Painting Guide: Templar Riders The Templar Riders reward a high-contrast black and white crusader scheme that makes the ornate heraldic armour detail sing under tabletop lighting, with gold and red accents providing rich spot colour throughout. 1. Prime Prime black across all three bikes and riders, as this provides the perfect foundation for the black armour scheme and means only the highlighted surfaces require additional paint rather than the entire model. 2. Armour Base Basecoat armour plates in Abaddon Black, then layer Eshin Grey and Dawnstone on raised armour edges and pauldron surfaces, building up to Administratum Grey on the sharpest highlights for a deep black armour with strong edge definition. For crusader cross and heraldic panel inserts, basecoat in Wraithbone or Screaming Skull and highlight to pure White Scar, creating stark black and white contrast that defines the Templar identity across all three models. 3. Trim and Details Paint all chainmail, aquila reliefs, cross emblems and decorative trim in Retributor Armour washed with Reikland Fleshshade, then highlighted with Liberator Gold for a rich warm gold that contrasts beautifully against the black armour. Apply Nuln Oil generously into all armour recesses, chainmail links and mechanical bike components to push shadow depth, then follow with a targeted application of Agrax Earthshade around exhaust outlets and wheel hub mechanisms. 4. Weapons Paint chainsword blades and all bike-mounted gun barrels in Leadbelcher washed with Nuln Oil, then edge highlight with Runefang Steel along blade edges and barrel rims for a cold hard contrast against the warm gold trim surrounding them. Add heat staining on exhaust pipes and gun muzzles using thinned Fuegan Orange fading to Guilliman Flesh, suggesting these war-bikes have been running hard across a long and bloody campaign. 5. Weathering Sponge chipping across black armour panels using Eshin Grey then Administratum Grey through torn blister foam, concentrating damage on leading armour edges, knee guards and bike fairings that would take the most impact during high-speed assault runs. Apply pale dust pigment to tyres, lower bike frames and boot soles across all three models consistently, and add thin mud streaks of thinned Stirland Mud running back from wheel arches to suggest recent hard riding across contested ground. 6. Bases Cracked ashen wasteland or shattered rockcrete bases suit the Templar crusader aesthetic perfectly: grey texture paste heavily cracked and drybrushed in Administratum Grey and Ulthuan Grey, with scattered broken stone fragments, optional ember glow effects using thinned Yriel Yellow in deep cracks, and sparse charred tufts completing the image of a world being purged by the riders advancing across it. We are a licensed seller and merchant tier subscriber of Atlan Forge.