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Hey, I've decided to start collecting tau however I have not been happy with the amount of modelling flexability the tau army offers - so I've decided to start converting, starting with a weapons platform!

Originally I was just going to give a tau a different gun, yet some weapons are larger then the warriors! so instead I decided that the upgraded tau should have a small, hovering weapon.

Also, This is my first time ever using greenstuff [besides gap filling] and I will make the hand look better, I will also get rid of all mold lines and make it all come together properly, this is to just show my concept.

Critisims welcome

cool, keep going it looks awesome!

Me like.

What's below the hovering gun to give the illusion of weightlessness? Are those rocks?

I don't know much about the Tau, but how does he control the gun? Is it psych-power? If not, perhaps he need some sort of "remote" in his hand.

Looks cool. Nice idea, I think it's better on separate bases as you could (depending on the rules for hovering weaponry) put the weapon at whatever distance you'd like.

robrov21 wrote:What's below the hovering gun to give the illusion of weightlessness? Are those rocks?

Its bluetack by the looks of it

I like the idea, and the use of the SM backpack to make it hover. But I don't like the seperate bases thing personally
How about making the gun hover with the operator holding onto handle bar so that he can swing it about to face the enemy and still keep the weapon in check?

Other than that, nice idea. Keep us informed and with pics

Haha, yea it's blue tac - I use it to see what the model will look like without doing anything permenant.

I used the back pack because I didn't want it to look like battlsuit parts chucked together, rather something different, also I need alot of them, and I have alot of backpacks.

Once I remodel the hand I'll find something that looks like a cool targeting system to chuck in the other hand.

The tau being fairly robot-dependent, I'm going to say when the tau spots the enemy with his targetting system, the data is instantly uploaded to the weapons system, on the battlefield theres no time to fiddle with buttons so the weapon system uses it's AI to recgonise the taus command.

Hence when he spots the enemy and screams "FIRE!" the weapon also fires - however I might see what it looks like if he's actually controlling the weapon.

thanks for the tips.

So what would that count as in the game?

vodski wrote:So what would that count as in the game?

Well I normal fire warrior is 10 points, and I fusion blaster is 12 points. However fire warriors don't exactly get withing 6" of tanks much, so that reduces it's effectiviness, AND the fire warrior loses the ability to fire a pulse rifle. So I'm going to say at +8 points, so the model will be 18 points.

It means I get 1 less pulse carbine shot per shooting phase, however the opponent will think twice about charging in with his rhino or chimera. He also gets the BS 3 not the drones lousy BS 2.

If i remember correctly, Tau firewarriors doesnt have access to heavy weapons. Only those that "deserve it" like Crisis pilots and such gets to wear them.

Great conversion anyway

You are very correct Fabbes, I thought this was just going to be a model for the sake of modelling, one way round it would be to have it as a markerlight instead

hellsguardian316 wrote:You are very correct Fabbes, I thought this was just going to be a model for the sake of modelling, one way round it would be to have it as a markerlight instead

Yes, however I don't take the rule book to be my bible. I don't play serious competitions I just play locally, and if all the players agree with the point cost well I doubt any of them would mind me having this little upgrade.

It's pretty easy to make a story that incorparates the weapon upgrade.

story: Because my Tau army is a third phase sept world they can be considered a fairly advanced sept. Tau technology develops so quickly that secial issue weapons are beiginning to become more common, and the older battlesuit weapons are starting to become mass produced - so they are more readily available. Although, to obtain such a weapon is still an honour and only the finest warriors may aquire one. As such only fire warriors who have the knife bonding ceremony and who have proven their worth on the battlefield may be able to request such a weapon.

Few updated pics

oops double post.

Fair enough, if you local players are happy then thats all that matters. Good stuff btw