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Hi Folks,
This plog is about my adventures in painting my Tau Empire force. I've been painting them for something like 4 years now, since the 2012 codex.
I want this opening post to be a bit of a trailer for what's to come so I won't bore you with too much in the way of details now except to say that this is a Vior'la sept force fighting on a desert world.
I'll be gradually showing off some of the models I've painted so far and new additions as I get to them but I'm not a fast painter so don't expect that much new stuff at least to start with.

So far the force consists of some footsloggers:


some suits:


some stealth:


a commander or two:


And some special guests:

Nice paintjobs. The commander looks great, pose and all.

Very nice work indeed!
I love the contrast between the stealth colours and the desert-y other units.

@Scrazza - Thanks. That photo of the commander is definitely the best angle - from other angles he seems to be leaning back too much. I may at some point try to fix that. Also he is on a 40mm base and now the battlesuit commanders come with 60mm so I could tackle both issues at the same time.

@Buttery - Thanks. I wanted to emphasis the irony of the stealth units standing out the most so I went for a dark colour scheme to show up against the light desert bases.

____________________________

To start showing off my models in a bit more detail I thought I'd start with the leaders of the Tau; the Ethereals.

I have two so far. The first was a conversion based on the Empire wizard. All he needed was a spare head from the Pathfinders box and a couple of other tweaks -



This shows off my drone hover system. I use thin wire from twist ties and grass that I got from a local train model shop. With the drones being very light the wire is strong enough to hold them up but thin enough that it can be hidden by the grass.

My second Ethereal is the new one from the Burning Dawn box. He is pretty much straight from the box, but I did rotate the point where the hover drone connects with the flag. This shifted him to be leaning forward a bit, which I think gives a slightly more aggressive feel. I did some drones for him as well but I haven't got any pics of them all together.

I thought I would continue my showcase of previous modelling work with a bit about my 2 battlesuit commanders.

First the one from my opening post:


He is one of the Finecast versions that came out in 2012 at the same time as the previous codex. I wasn't that taken with the 'sideways-backwards' stance but I eventually came up with a 'leaning back-landing' pose that seemed to work. This was quite an easy mod - a bit of trimming on the left foot to remove the ork icon and a bit of repositioning on the sash of the bonding knife as it was getting in the way of the jetpack. As mentioned in a previous post he is leaning backwards quite a bit and he is on a 40mm base (which was what he came with but the new plastic versions have 60mm bases), so if I get around to tackling one I'll do the other at the same time.

Next is my original commander:



This guy was quite an involved conversion of one of the old crisis suits so I thought I'd show photos of before and after painting. Just about every bit has been chopped about in some way. The main changes were to give him a waist and alter the front armour to include a Tau symbol from a XV25 Stealth suit shoulder pad. The legs and arms were also lengthend - the shins are from flamers and target locks.

As always let me know what you think.

That's a pretty kick ass conversion. I really like the scheme too and the way it ties into the base theme.

EDC

 evildrcheese wrote:
That's a pretty kick ass conversion. I really like the scheme too and the way it ties into the base theme.

EDC

Thanks very much evildrcheese. I'm really pleased with how it all works together.

I'm making slow but steady progress on Shadowsun. I'm not far off finishing her jetpack and I'm about a third of the way through the command drone (so many drones).

Cheers
D

Nice to see a Warseer log revived over here. Great Tau man, really like the desert/scrub scheme, it keeps a feel of the classic bright ochre scheme. without being so garish.

Cheers.

 TheEldanariPrince wrote:
Nice to see a Warseer log revived over here. Great Tau man, really like the desert/scrub scheme, it keeps a feel of the classic bright ochre scheme. without being so garish.

Cheers.

Thanks mate. I wanted to do a battle worn colour scheme and came up with this after a fair bit of testing. The main basecoat colours are white for the armour, Stormvermin Fur for the under armour parts, Baneblade Brown for the cloth parts and Fenris Grey for skin. I spent a good while at the start of the project designing my own transfers, which I apply over the basecoat. I then use a sponge to go over the armour with the Stormvermin Fur for the worst of the wear and tear. After that its quick all over washes with Seraphim Sepia and Agrax Earthshade. The washes turn the white into the sandy coloured 'sort of' camo and ties everything together nicely. The last details are lenses, gun barrel ends, Tau symbols etc. The bases are Dessert Yellow drybrushed with Bleached Bone and Steel Legion Drab around the edges. The paint colours are a huge mix of GW colours from their current and previous ranges - I'm gradually moving on to the current set but until the old pots run dry I still keep using them.

For my next showcase I thought I'd move on to special characters. To wrap up the HQ section I first have Darkstrider



There's the pic from the opening post and then this one from a different angle. This second pic shows of his structural analyser and his shoulder pad. I used just the same method as for all the other models, although I was sure to take my time on the details such as the viewfinder/ eyepiece. The basing is worth mention as I had to cut down the base piece that he comes with quite a bit so that I could integrate it with my desert theme. Over all I'm very pleased with him.

Continuing with special characters but moving elsewhere in the FOC, next up is Longstrike:



I originally tried to convert Longstrike but unfortunately the extra arm bits that I got ended up not being quite right so I caved and bought the GW version. I may at some point finish the conversion and just use it as a tank commander. I painted up a cupola for him, as much as anything so that I didn't have to finish his lower legs. To stand out from the tank I thought he needed to be in another colour and so went with my stealth grey scheme, taking extra care with the highlights. I have painted a skyray but not the hammerhead bits as yet - I've had a long term project of adding LEDs to the weapons which I've so far not managed to finish.

Progress on Shadowsun is (still) slow but steady. I've got the basecoat done on all drones and other bits and have finally moved onto the main body.

Great stuff give_me_a_d, very dusty Tau that look just great.

Cheers,

CB

Captain Brown wrote:
Great stuff give_me_a_d, very dusty Tau that look just great.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks very much Captain Brown.

I mentioned the Skyray I've painted in my last post so I thought I'd showcase that next.




This was the first big model that I painted for my Tau force and presented a different challenge to the infantry that I'd painted up to that point. Doing the washes over such a large area meant that I had to get the big brushes out - I think it was a size 8 that I used! It was a bit daunting but once I was into it I really enjoyed it. As with all the models it has loads of my custom transfers on it. All the bits are magnetised (including all the seeker missiles) or loose so I can swap bits to make a devilfish:



I also did an extra bit of customisation and gave it underlighting. This wasn't that difficult as it turned out and so I have decided to do more lighting on the Hammerhead I have planned. If I ever get around to it it will have lights in the main weapons for which I have just about completed the Ion cannon but I'm a bit stuck on how to do the rail gun. Anyway here is the Skyray in low light with the underlighting on:

It's been a while since my last post but as Shadowsun is still not finished yet I thought I'd continue to show off the stuff I have finished.

This time I thought I'd stay with Heavy Support and move on to the XV88 Broadsides. From the initial post you can see that I have 3 of them but I didn't do them all at once. The first one I painted I went for an action pose:





I see him stepping up onto the rock to get a better firing position. To achieve this I had to do a tiny bit of conversion work to swap the hydraulics from one leg to the other. This one has magnetised support weapons (both SMS and plasma rifles), support systems (not pictured) and seeker missile.

The next one I did I wanted to try having changeable main weapons:





This was probably the most challenging bit of magnetisation that I've done; the weapons are all quite heavy so needed quite large magnets but also the rail rifle needed a magnet where the left arm joins the weapon.

I then had quite a gap before doing the last on for the team, hence the somewhat different hue to the photos.



Although I did magnetise the missile pods (I also added little pins to help prevent the pods sagging) I didn't get around to painting the rail rifle.

give_me_a_d,

Great Skyray and Broadside Team (so nice to see one with the Railgun). So two of the Broadsides are magnetized for alternate weaponry?

I have only tried that on tanks and the Riptide. I have also tried doubling up magnets in the torsos for more strength on one side, a real challenge is keeping weapons up if they are long or heavy...for that I sometimes have added a little pin out of sight.

Cheers,

CB

Captain Brown wrote:
give_me_a_d,

Great Skyray and Broadside Team (so nice to see one with the Railgun). So two of the Broadsides are magnetized for alternate weaponry?

I have only tried that on tanks and the Riptide. I have also tried doubling up magnets in the torsos for more strength on one side, a real challenge is keeping weapons up if they are long or heavy...for that I sometimes have added a little pin out of sight.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks Capt' Brown

Yeah 2 of the broadsides are magnetised. I learnt quite a bit from the first one so the second (last one with his foot on a rock) got little pins and corresponding holes as well as magnets and consequently can maintain a 'aiming at something some distance away and not on the ground right in front of him' type pose. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the magnets/ pins but I might get around to taking some at some point.

As you mentioned your riptide I thought I show mine next. I've also magnetised it so that the main weapons can be swapped and the support weapons and systems can be swapped, although as with the last broadside I didn't actually finish the second main weapon, just the ion accelerator.







I thought I'd include several angles to help show the base off. I rather went to town on the base using the upper half of the space marine statue from the honoured imperium scenery set with a big dune built up beside it. Overall I'm very pleased with the finished model. If I had to be picky it's stance is slightly unbalanced - the body needed to lean back fractionally more or something.

I'd also like to mention my custom twin linked fusion blaster shown in the last photo. I put it together with the idea that it would count as the early warning override and velocity tracker support systems as well. I've just noticed that I took the last pic before I'd painted the edge of the base!

Finally I can tell you that I've finished the edge highlighting on two of the three drones for Shadowsun. It's slow progress but she is coming along.

Gime_me_a_d,

Fantastic Riptide.

That base will drive many players to distraction...but then so does the Riptide in most games. I have never fielded mine...but have faced it (or them) many times.

Cheers,

CB

Cool idea with the statue though i feel like it needs to be weathered harder. there doesnt seem to be enough sand around it and there is no sand settled on his head or shoulders.

imho

the riptide looks great.

Thanks Captain Brown and Desubot for your comments.

For my next showcase I thought I'd stick with the somewhat extravagant bases and move on to my Fast Attack units. This also gives me a chance to show why I haven't included any in progress pictures.

As you might have guessed this means we are talking aircraft. I have to say I'm somewhat ambivalent about the Tau plane in either form. I like the idea of the Sun Shark Bomber with its interceptor drones and I think it is the best version of the kit. For me the Razorshark should have been a separate kit that looked a lot faster and more maneuverable. As an aside I had previously planned a Piranha conversion along the lines of the Barracuda. Despite my misgivings about the kit I went ahead and got one. I decided it would be an exercise in seeing whether I could make both forms of aircraft so I could swap about if I wanted to. I really wasn't a fan of the bars that connect the wings to the tail so I knew they had to go. I also took inspiration from http://leskouzes.blogspot.co.uk/ where back in 2013 Karun had done an interchangeable aircraft and had made the main craft as a huge drone. I thought this was a great idea so copied it shamelessly. Anyway this is what I came up with:









I think this is one of my most tricky magnetising jobs to date. Being able to use the ion weapons on the drones and the turret as well was quite difficult - so many magnets, holes, pins to align and get the correct polarity on. Also I had to use much thicker wire for the stands for the drones than normal as I was going to need to be able to take them off the stands and dock with the aircraft - I think the stands still work quite well all the same.

And now for the 'why I don't show work in progress' pictures:




As you can see the main problem is that the white basecoat doesn't show up against the white background that I tend to use for my pics. I had anticipated this and swapped the backdrop for a black one but even so these pics are a bit hard on the eyes. I should have swapped the foreground colour as well.

give_me_a_d,

Very nice magnetized Tau aircraft.

Cheers,

CB

Captain Brown wrote:
give_me_a_d,

Very nice magnetized Tau aircraft.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks very much Captain.

I thought I'd carry on with the Fast Attack units and show off some of my favourite Tau models, the Pathfinders. For me the Pathfinders were what made the reboot in 2012, it is a fantastic kit with a lot of bits to make characterful models with. That said I have added a few bits and bobs to my Shas'uis - a cape for one and a sash/talisman thing for the other both from the old High Elf archers kit. I initially painted these guys up as a slightly larger unit with markerlights and a smaller unit with special weapons. I've since added to them with bits so the two units are now at max strength with a choice of weapons and a complement of drones. I should add that the transfers are unit specific, although you have to look very closely to tell - that's a benefit of designing them specifically for this force. I also have another unit to come from the Burning Dawn box.







Thanks for looking.

give_me_a_d,

Great Pathfinders, they do blend in with the terrain.

Cheers,

CB

Captain Brown wrote:
give_me_a_d,

Great Pathfinders, they do blend in with the terrain.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks once again Capt Brown.

As way of a contrast to the pathfinders that blend in I thought I'd go for something that doesn't this time. This is my vespid unit:





These guys were a bunch of ebay bargains. I have tried to turn the 3 different models into something that looks a bit more varied and mobile, but being metal models they weren't that easy to work with. The colour scheme is pretty much stock vespid from the codex. I painted the weapons and gear first in my usual white+washes method. I then used mostly blue and a bit of purple washes over a space wolves grey basecoat for the main colour. Overall I'm quite pleased with them.

give_me_a_d,

Nice Vespids, you do not see many of them painted.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks Capt' Brown.

I forgot to say that I based these guys on the 'new' 32mm bases and I think they look much better than had I gone for the standard 25mm size.

On the subject of base sizes next up I have my stealth suits. I painted these guys quite a while ago now before the 32mm bases were a thing. I think they would definitely benefit from going on the larger size. Interestingly the unit that comes as part of the Burning Dawn box has 32mm bases supplied. When I come to do the new ones I'll see if I can update these old boys at the same time.



A couple of things to point out - the two guys with fusion blasters have target locks and the others have counterfire defense systems, which are made from part of the backpack targeter bits from Dire Avengers. Also the Shas'ui on the left has a markerlight made from part of a markerlight drone, although this is dificult to see as it is underslung on the burst cannon.

If I'm honest I'm not completely satisfied with the end result. I think I should have done the upper leg armour in grey as well as the head and shoulder pads and also the squad markings aren't the neatest.

give_me_a_d,

Quite a contrast between the Stealth Suits and the rest of your force...although the Vespids are a bit of a contrast as well. definitely makes them stand out.

Excellent subtle additions to make the Stealth Suits unique.

The camera always highlights anything we did not notice while painting, I just saw some sand messing up a base done two years ago on my own PLOG.

Cheers,

CB

Nice work on the vespids and stealth suits. Very striking looking models.

Really digging the long grass tufts.

EDC

Thanks guys, comments, of any kind, are always appreciated, but especially when they're complimentary.

Captain Brown your point about the camera highlighting things that were missed is very true. It's very easy to miss things. I think I'm going to start taking photos and then deciding whether a model is finished. That way I might pick up the base edge not being painted or the markerlight not having lenses dotted in.

Finally I'm able to show some new stuff!

Here I have photos of Shadowsun finished. First a full 360 of the lady herself:









A few points here; I based her on one of the 'new' 32mm bases with the battlefield debris remodeled as rocks. While remodeling the rocks I took the opportunity to make her lean forward a bit more, which I think gives her a slightly more dynamic pose. The colour scheme is my standard stealth dark grey. I decided not to add any transfers or markings. This was for two reasons; the markings on the stealthsuit squad didn't turn out that well but also she has loads of Tau symbols on her - 4 on her and another 2 on the command drone, so I didn't think she really needed any more. More in a moment. Blasted Photobucket is playing silly buggers


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Next we have some drones:




Not much to say on these. I did swap the resin shield drone antenna for spare plastic ones as the resin ones were a bit warped and had quite a few air holes so I figured it would be easier to go with plastic.

Now everyone together:



Finally a few with the helmeted head on:





The two heads are magnetised so they can be swapped. The helmeted head needed a bit of sprue to fill the gap.

give_me_a_d,

Very nice Shadowsun and Drones.

I notice you painted her in a similar scheme to your Stealth Suits.

Cheers,

CB

Captain Brown wrote:
give_me_a_d,

Very nice Shadowsun and Drones.

I notice you painted her in a similar scheme to your Stealth Suits.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks, I thought about going with the classic white armour but I decided to keep with my stealth scheme as she is the archetypal stealth unit. Plus I've not really been overly convinced by my white things previously as they seemed to either have almost no definition between light and shade or they turn out rather too blue. I suspect that with the current range of GW paints I could do something I'm happy with but I'm sure I made the right choice for Shadowsun.

I've decided to tackle the big daddy of suits - the Stormsurge next. As well as the usual trying to magnetise everything that I've done with other suits I hope to do some interesting stuff with the base and pose, instead of the standard 'half squat on level ground' that seems to be the norm. I also want to do something to give it 'arms' in a similar way to the Broadside heavy missile pods. Finally I plan to do a hostile terrain enclosed crew compartment conversion using leg armour that I've bitz ordered. All of which may take a while but I'm quite excited and looking forward to the challenge. I'll try to take pics as I go especially of the conversion elements.

I've discovered that Warseer is back up, with all the old content so I'll be going back to my threads there. I may still post stuff here but it is likely to be few and far between.