When I made a trip to Warhammer World in June 2025 I was pleased to see the then new models for the Army of Grand Cathay for Warhammer Old World on display. I really liked the Cathayan Sentinel especially the paint job which made it look like it was terracotta. I also saw a posting on the Warhammer Community site about where Lewis from the Warhammer Studio had painted some Jade Warriors as terracotta warriors. I started thinking about creating and painting a whole army in this style, so I bought a Cathayan Sentinel and the Grand Cathay Battalion.
I started constructing the Jade Warriors. After finishing some of those models I started on the Grand Cannon and the crew.
Cast in the likeness of roaring dragons, the Grand Cannons of Cathay unleash torrents of flame and iron upon the foe. Whether saturating a wide front or concentrating their explosive power into a single, devastating projectile for sieges, they remain a cornerstone of Cathayan might.
I constructed the cannon and the crew, including the mercenary ogre.
I have been thinking about how I will paint the Grand Cannon. The human crew will be terracotta like the Jade Warriors. I think I will also need to reflect on how to paint the Ogre Loaders, who are mercenaries. First thoughts are to paint them as terracotta too. As for the cannon itself, that I think will be more brass than clay. I think a cannon made out of terracotta would explode upon firing.
I landscaped the bases of the models with some Citadel Sand and slate pieces.
I did not fix the cannon to the base, so that both the base will be easier to paint as well as the underside of the cannon.
I then primed the crew models with Wraithbone spray.
For the cannon I used Leadbelcher and for the base Wraithbone.
Next stage will be the base coat for the crew, whilst the cannon will be painted with some brass.