Malifaux Classics Union Miners 3 Pack: Assembly and Painting
By Wyrd Games Official Store | Tabletop Games & Miniatures | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: How-to Guides
Get your Malifaux Classics Union Miners 3 Pack table-ready with a clean assembly order, a work-worn paint scheme, and the checks that prevent common mistakes.
Quick answer
Treat the Union Miners as three separate metal projects: clean and test-fit each miner before gluing, prime thinly, then paint from the inside out so the pick and lantern arms don't block your brush. A muted, work-worn palette suits these First Edition sculpts better than bright uniform colors.
Why metal changes your order of work
These are select metal sculpts from Malifaux's First Edition era, so the material behaves differently from plastic. Metal holds fine detail but resists flex, meaning a joint that isn't flush will show a gap rather than close under pressure. That is why test-fitting and pinning decisions come before paint, not after.
The three miners are not identical builds. Work-worn gear and solid postures mean overlapping arms and tools create tight recesses. Painting those recesses after full assembly is harder than painting them while the parts are still separate or only partially joined.
Where a simple scheme saves time
A union-miner paint scheme works best when it reads as labor, not parade. Keep the palette to three or four muted tones: a dark work cloth, a leather brown, a dull metal, and one small accent for the lamp or pick head. That limited palette hides the inevitable touch-ups on metal and keeps the group looking like a crew.
If you want the miners to match an existing Malifaux crew, decide the accent color before priming. Changing a scheme after the metal is sealed means repainting recesses that are already hard to reach.
When to stop and fix instead of paint over
Metal miniatures reward patience at the joinery stage. If a dry fit shows a visible gap at the shoulder or wrist, filling it after painting will damage the surrounding paint. Stop, clean the contact point, and refit before you prime.
The same rule applies to mold lines across faces and hands. These sculpts carry character in the posture and gear, so a mold line left on a cheek or knuckle will draw the eye more than any highlight you add later.
Assembly and painting steps for the Union Miners
- Wash and dry-fit each miner: Remove mold lines with a hobby knife and test-fit every joint before glue. Do not assume the three miners assemble the same way; check each one against its own parts. If a joint rocks or shows a gap, clean the contact point again before gluing.
- Decide on pinning before you glue: For small contact points such as wrists and tool handles, drill and pin with a hand pin vise if the joint feels weak. Skip pinning only where the contact area is broad and flush. A joint that flexes under light pressure will fail on the table; pin it now.
- Assemble in sub-assemblies: Glue the torso and legs first, then leave arms, pick, and any lantern separate if they cross the chest or face. Use a small amount of cyanoacrylate and hold until set. Test whether your brush can reach the chest and inner arms before you commit to full assembly.
- Prime thinly and check the recesses: Spray or brush-prime in thin coats, rotating the model so primer reaches under the arms and behind the tools. Stop before detail disappears. If primer pools in a recess, wick it out with a clean brush while wet rather than scraping it later.
- Block in the work-worn base colors: Paint cloth, leather, and metal as separate zones using muted tones. Keep the accent color for one small area per miner so the crew reads as a unit. Leave the accent until last; it is the easiest place to overdo the scheme.
- Shade and highlight the recesses: Apply a dark wash into the folds and under the gear, then bring back the base color on raised areas. On metal parts, use a drybrush of a lighter metallic rather than a bright silver. Check the model under the same light you paint in; metal highlights can look harsher under a desk lamp.
- Seal and attach unfinished parts: Varnish the painted sub-assemblies, then glue the remaining arms or tools into place. Touch up any exposed glue points with base color. Seal before final assembly so handling during glue-up does not rub paint off edges.
Product facts
- Malifaux Classics: Union Miners (3 Pack): Malifaux Classics: Union Miners (3 Pack) contains three metal sculpts from Malifaux's First Edition era, preserved for collectors, painters, and longtime players. Knowing the material and vintage up front tells you to plan for pinning, gap-filling, and a paint order that suits metal rather than snap-fit plastic.
Malifaux Classics: Union Miners (3 Pack)
