D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures Lich & Mummy Lord: Painting and Assembly Guide

Quick answer

Prime both figures only if you plan to paint them, because Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures already come primed and ready to paint out of the box. Paint the mummy lord first with warm bone and linen tones, then the lich with cool bone, dark robes, and a bright gem focus. Keep your first session to base coats so you can check coverage before adding washes and highlights.

Undead spellcasters are some of the most useful miniatures in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures makes them easy to get to the table. The line includes highly detailed figures that are primed and ready to paint out of the box, with deep cuts for easier painting. That means you can skip a full priming session and go straight to color.

This guide walks through assembly and painting for a lich and mummy lord pair. The process works whether you are painting a single lich miniature for a boss fight or a mummy lord miniature for a tomb crawl. Follow the steps in order, and check each one before moving on.

Before you start: check the figure and your tools

Open the packaging and inspect the miniature in good light. Nolzur's figures are displayed in clear packaging so you know exactly what you are getting, but mold lines and small flash can still appear along robes, bone, and staff details. A hobby knife or fine file removes them quickly. If you find a bent part, warm it briefly with warm water, straighten it, and let it cool before painting.

Gather a small set of tools: a fine brush for detail, a medium brush for base coats, a wash brush, a palette, water, and paper towel. You do not need a full studio. A few colors cover both figures well: bone, off-white, dark brown, deep red or purple, gold or brass, and a cool gray. If you want to match a specific scheme, pick your colors before opening any paint pots.

• Work over a tray or cloth so small pieces do not disappear into carpet.
• Keep a damp brush handy to clean up stray paint before it dries.

Step 1: Assemble and fit the pieces

Dry-fit every part before gluing. Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures include deep cuts for easier painting, and those same cuts help you line up arms, staffs, and cloaks. If a join feels loose, test the angle without glue first. Once you are happy with the pose, apply a small amount of super glue or plastic cement and hold the part steady for a few seconds.

Common mistake: gluing a staff or arm before checking how it sits against the body. That can leave a visible gap that paint will not hide. Check the fit, then glue. If you plan to paint the figure in sub-assemblies, leave the most awkward piece off until after the base coats.

• Let glued joints cure fully before painting so the parts do not shift under your brush.
• Keep the base clear of glue so the figure sits flat on the tabletop.

Step 2: Decide whether to re-prime

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures come primed and ready to paint out of the box, so a full re-prime is optional. If you handled the figure a lot during assembly, a thin coat of primer helps paint stick evenly. Use light, short passes and keep the coat thin so you do not fill in the deep cuts that make painting easier.

Common mistake: spraying too much primer and softening the sculpted detail. If the surface looks glossy or the details blur, you have gone too far. A light dusting is enough. Once the primer is dry, you are ready for base coats.

• If you skip priming, wipe the figure gently with a dry brush to remove dust and skin oils.
• Test your primer on a spare piece of plastic if you are using a new can.

Step 3: Base coat the mummy lord first

Start with the mummy lord because its large areas of bone and linen are forgiving and help you warm up. Paint the bandages in an off-white or pale linen tone, then use a warm bone color for exposed skin and skull areas. Keep the base coats thin. Two thin coats look better than one thick coat that hides the deep cuts.

Common mistake: trying to paint every strap and fold in a different color on the first pass. Block in the main areas first. Once the base is dry, you can pick out individual bandage strips, gold amulets, and dark eye sockets. This keeps the figure readable at arm's length on the tabletop.

• Leave the deepest recesses slightly darker by not pushing paint into them.
• Use a medium brush for the body and a fine brush only for eyes and jewelry.

Step 4: Base coat the lich with cooler tones

The lich should read as colder and more magical than the mummy lord. Paint the robes in a deep purple, dark blue, or black, then use a cool gray or pale bone for the face and hands. A gold or brass staff and a bright gem color give the eye somewhere to land. If the lich has a phylactery or orb, save that for last so it stays clean.

Common mistake: using the same warm bone on both figures. That makes them blend together on the table. Keep the mummy lord warm and the lich cool. If you are painting a single lich miniature as a standalone boss, you can push the robe color even darker for contrast.

• Paint the deepest part of the robe first and work outward toward the edges.
• Leave the gem area unpainted until the final step so you can build it up cleanly.

Step 5: Wash, then highlight

Once the base coats are dry, apply a thin wash over the bone, cloth, and skin areas. A brown wash suits the mummy lord's bandages, while a black or dark purple wash works on the lich's robes. Let the wash settle into the deep cuts and recesses. Do not let it pool on flat areas, or it will dry with ugly rings.

After the wash is fully dry, highlight the raised areas with a lighter version of your base color. Dry brushing works well on bandages and robes. For the lich's face and hands, use a fine brush and a controlled highlight. This is the step that makes the deep cuts in the sculpt work for you, because the recesses stay dark while the raised detail catches light.

• Check the figure under the same light you use for gaming before deciding the wash is done.
• If a wash pool dries badly, paint over it with your base color and try again.

Step 6: Finish the details and seal the figure

Paint the eyes, gem, staff, and any metal trim last. For the lich, a bright gem color with a small white dot reads as magical even from across the table. For the mummy lord, gold amulets and dark eye sockets add menace. Keep these details simple. A few clean accents look better than many muddy ones.

When the paint is fully dry, seal the figure with a matte varnish. This protects the paint during transport and handling. If you want the gem or metal to shine, apply a gloss varnish only to those small areas after the matte coat dries. Then base the figure to match your collection and it is ready for play.

• Let the varnish cure completely before packing the miniature away.
• Label or store the lich and mummy lord separately so staffs and arms do not bend.

Lich and mummy lord painting steps at a glance

1. Inspect and clean the figure: Check for mold lines and flash in good light, then remove them with a hobby knife or fine file before any paint goes on. Checkpoint: the surface should feel smooth and the deep cuts should stay open.
2. Dry-fit and glue the parts: Test every arm, staff, and cloak join before gluing, then use a small amount of glue and let it cure. Checkpoint: no visible gaps at the joins and the figure sits flat.
3. Decide on re-priming: Nolzur's figures are already primed, so only add a thin primer coat if handling during assembly left shiny spots. Checkpoint: detail should stay sharp, not glossy or filled in.
4. Base coat the mummy lord: Block in warm linen bandages and bone skin with thin coats, saving straps and jewelry for later. Checkpoint: the figure reads clearly from arm's length before you add details.
5. Base coat the lich: Use cool grays, deep purple or black robes, and a bright gem color to separate the lich from the mummy lord. Checkpoint: the two figures should not share the same warm bone tone.
6. Wash and highlight: Apply a thin wash to bone, cloth, and skin, let it dry fully, then highlight raised areas with a lighter base color. Checkpoint: recesses stay dark and raised detail catches light.
7. Detail and seal: Paint eyes, gems, and metal trim last, then seal with matte varnish and add gloss only to small shiny areas. Next step: base the figure to match your collection and store it safely.

Product facts that affect your paint plan

• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Headless Monster: Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures come with highly detailed figures, primed and ready to paint out of the box, and include deep cuts for easier painting. This is the same preparation standard across the Nolzur's line, so you can treat your lich and mummy lord the same way: inspect, optionally re-prime, and go straight to base coats.
• D&D Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures: Special Edition Baldur's Gate 3 — Dame Aylin & Minthara: Each pack contains two iconic characters from Baldur's Gate 3, primed and ready with deep cuts for easier painting. If you want a second undead-adjacent project or a companion figure for your campaign, this two-pack shows how Nolzur's handles multi-figure packs with the same ready-to-paint preparation.
• Pathfinder Deep Cuts: Huge Fire Elemental Lord: Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts come with highly detailed figures, primed and ready to paint out of the box, with little to no assembly required. If you prefer a larger centerpiece monster with minimal assembly, this line is worth comparing before you commit to a full undead painting session.

A lich and mummy lord pair gives you two very different painting challenges in one project: warm, textured bandages and cold, magical robes. Work in order, keep your coats thin, and let each step dry before moving on. The result is a pair of undead miniatures that read clearly on the tabletop and hold up to regular play.