grand cathay Archives - Felix's Gaming Pages

Constructing the Jade Lancers

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 Jade Lancers.

The Jade Lancers represent the elite heavy cavalry of Grand Cathay’s armies, formidable shock troops drawn from the very best of the disciplined Jade Warriors. Clad in ornate, heavy cataphract armour that gleams like polished jade and mounted on barded warhorses, they are a sight to behold on the battlefield. Wielding long Cathayan lances, they are trained not only for devastating charges across open plains but also for intricate manoeuvres through the narrower confines of city streets and fortified breaches, making them exceptionally versatile. Their thunderous arrival shatters enemy lines, embodying the implacable might of the Celestial Dragon Emperor’s domain.

I do think the construction of the Jade Lancers is quite complicated, the horses are made up of quite a few components. Most of the horses have only one hoof on the ground, something that you couldn’t do with metal models, but can with plastic.

Still a fair few to construct.

Terracotta Cathayan Grand Cannons

I started constructing the Jade Warriors. After finishing some of those models I started on the Grand Cannon.

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.

First models to be made were the crew. I constructed two of the crew first. The third crew member was built, as was the Ogre loader.

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 think I will landscape the base before affixing the cannon.

I have also gone down the cannon route rather than the Fire Rain Rocket Battery option.

Terracotta Cathayan Grand Cannons

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.

First models to be made were the crew.

These were a lot easier to construct than the warriors.

Next step will be to make some more models.

Grand Cathay Peasant Levy

Peasant Levies form the numerical heart of Grand Cathay’s defensive strategy. Recruited from the sprawling villages, townships, and rural settlements that dot the landscape beyond the empire’s massive walled metropolises, these soldiers represent the common folk answering the call to arms.

Grand Cathay Crane Gun Teams

Crane Gun Teams are the premier long-range marksmen of Grand Cathay. These specialised units utilise exceptionally long-barrelled firearms, typically operated by two-man teams from the industrial city of Nan-Gau. To ensure pinpoint accuracy and stability, the weapon is often mounted directly onto a heavy tower shield, allowing the crew to remain protected while picking off high-value targets. When deployed in massed ranks, the sheer volume of high-velocity fire is nothing short of devastating to enemy formations.

Miao Ying, the Storm Dragon

From the high seat of Nan-Gau, Miao Ying commands the armies of the Great Bastion, serving as the iron-willed protector of Northern Cathay.

Miao Ying in her human form.

Even among the divine lineage of Dragons, she is known for a temperament that is exceptionally cold and aloof—a byproduct of the centuries she has spent fulfilling the solemn charge granted to her by the Celestial Dragon.

While her siblings often eye her position with a mix of envy and resentment, viewing her as their father’s clear favourite, the Storm Dragon does little to bridge the gap. Instead, she wears the immense weight of her duty as a badge of superiority, frequently distancing herself from her kin and lording her authority over them whenever they convene.

Sky Lantern

Soaring high above the battlefield, Sky Lanterns represent the pinnacle of Cathayan ingenuity.

These remarkable machines allow the Celestial Dragon’s armies to maintain a watchful eye over their foes and orchestrate their forces with precision. Encased in an armoured gondola suspended beneath, a Cathayan Magistrate expertly signals troops and directs the devastating fire of war machines using an array of fans and banners.

Should airborne threats or missile attacks draw near, dedicated Crane Gunners are on hand, unleashing pinpoint volleys from their elevated perch.

Shugengan Lord on Great Spirit Longma

This model was on display at Warhammer World.

The armies of Grand Cathay are led by Shugengan Lords, individuals whose very lineage connects them to the divine power of the Celestial Dragon. Often descendants of the Dragon’s own offspring, they are natural sorcerers, mastering the Elemental Winds with the same innate skill they demonstrate with a blade. The Celestial Court holds the most formidable of these Dragon-blooded in deep reverence, for they lead the charge in battle, their powerful presence in the thick of the fray inspiring the armies of the Dragon Emperor to victory.

Gate Masters of the Celestial Cities

The Gate Masters of the Celestial Cities command the Jade Warriors, Grand Cathay’s elite professional soldiers.

Their training focuses intensely on defending their city’s walls, a skill they share with every soldier under their command.

They serve as a critical conduit for the will of their Lord Magistrate, who grants them unparalleled trust among all their military officers.

Jade Warriors

The Jade Warriors form the steadfast, professional core of Grand Cathay’s disciplined armies. Named for the sacred stone of the Dragon Emperor, which symbolises the unyielding nature of his vast empire, these infantrymen are renowned throughout the Old World for their exceptional training and exquisite equipment.

Each city-state within Cathay fields its own regiments, arming them with finely crafted hand weapons and shields, or elegant halberds with crescent blades. In battle, they stand as an implacable, emerald wall, against which the chaotic hordes and barbarian incursions from beyond the Great Bastion are destined to break, embodying the unwavering resolve of the Celestial Dragon’s domain.