This article is part of a larger series on how to paint Battletech. To return to that series, click here.
The Star League Defense Forces were by far the biggest military of their time, often fielding companies or more of a single mech. After the fall of the Star League that transformed the setting into what we know today most of their forces went into exile and eventually became the clans. Some units did remain in the Inner Sphere, notably the Eridani Light Horse who retain the same paint scheme.
The SLDF were reformed twice, once during the late Clan Invasion to push back the clan forces (before collapsing due to infighting) and again with the creation of the ilClan.
You can see some other examples of the SLDF on Camospecs here, and read more about the first, second, and third Star Leagues on Sarna.
Painting SLDF
Step 1: Priming
Start with Proacryl Dark Camo Green Primer. Give it 24 hours to cure – I’ve found that while Proacryl primers are lovely to paint over, they’re fairly weak and really benefit from extra curing time before you start working with them.
Step 2: Broad Highlights
Airbrush Proacryl Camo Green from above. You want good coverage over around 80-90% of the ‘mech, leaving the dark green primer only on recesses and undersides.
Step 3: Shading
Gloss varnish the ‘mech, then wash Athonian Camoshade over the entire mech. Try to avoid too many pools, which the gloss varnish will help with, but you do want to get some staining on the panels. Matte varnish to knock down any shine once you’re done.
Step 4: Bright Highlights
Drybrush Proacryl Faded Green onto most of the ‘mech, concentrating on upper surfaces. This is going to look super stark, which we’ll correct in the next step.
Step 5: Toning It Down
Airbrush Athonian Camoshade lightly over the whole ‘mech. We’re applying with an airbrush this time because it works more as a tint than a wash – it doesn’t build up thick enough to actually run into recesses, just applies as a thin transparent layer that darkens the highlights.
Now that the base color is done, I can go through and paint up metal details, windows, and lenses using the techniques I describe on the main page.
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