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I decided after playing Marines for so many years that I want to play a completely different style, so I got myself some Tau. They're currently sitting unpainted and partially unassembled while i decide on a paint scheme for them.

The fluff behind my cadre is that they're fleet force recon and specialize in rapid stealth insertion strikes, and as they lie on the frontier of the Third Sphere, face a lot of action in Imperial colonies and outposts. Their working uniform reflects this fact in how it's colored, as it uses colors likely to be found in which the urban environments the cadre most often finds itself.

The problem is I really like the first of these two schemes, but I don't know what to do for my stealth team if I choose that one. The second one works too, but I think it doesn't fit quite as well fluff-wise for nighttime stealth ops.

I'm just looking for feedback on these schemes and any ideas for schemes if anyone has them. I'm open for any other suggestions as well. Thanks.

Hmm. I say darker scheme (given the fluff), and for the Stealth Suits, try a rudimentary camo pattern--a combination of black, dark gray, and dark blue in a mottled pattern. Applying the paint with a sponge may do the job.

I think aesthetically the lighter armour looks better, but it does conflict with the fluff. Maybe if you chose a different colour for the soft armour then it might work better.

If you do decide to go for the former, then you could either try painting your stealth teams with something a lot less conventional for the soft armour like a red or blue, to indicate how little the colour of the armour matters.

I agree with you, Kryppers, after seeing the two side-by side. I'll be sticking with these colors, so I guess i just have to paint up a test mini for each one.

The lighter colour works best IMO. It will certainly look better on the tabletop if you paint them the lighter colour.

I'm liking the lighter scheme a lot. Since they're such a mobile force they'll be using lots of vehicles. Do you think the dark scheme with a subtle geometric camouflage would fit with light models, or would I be kind-of tied to the light scheme for vehicles as well?

I like the darker imho, it makes them more militaristic and organized.

The main thing I'm worried about with choosing the darker scheme is them looking like dark grey blobs, since light colors in recessed areas tend to flatten the the surface against dark colors on higher areas.

The darker scheme looks good for the fluff but the lighter scheme looks a better colour scheme. But i prefer the darker

Well I've finally decided on the color scheme. While I was playing around with editing the stealth suit in the picture for my avatar to suit my cadre's uniform, I decided how to paint them. What I'm going to do is paint my fire warriors in the muted tan and then my stealth suits in the grey primary color, with tan armor bits and dark red soft armor. My vehicles would have the grey as the main color with a subtle camouflage pattern in a lighter grey, similar to Sam Fisher's trousers in the first Splinter Cell, but with not as much of the light grey. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread. Now I have to get pictures up of my work in progress sometime...