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So, I just purchased my first Tau Crisis suit, and before I begin modeling, I can't help but notice the thing is looking a little stiff. My main gripe is the lack of a bendable knee. Since it's going to be my only suit for a while, I want it to look exciting and dynamic. Are their any tips or tutorials out there that help with making a crisis suit look more interesting?

Also, I want to see if I can model it so the crysis suit actually holds the plasma rifle with a single hand. Are there any bits that are particularly helpful? I was thinking a powerfist may due the trick.

you can cut the joint from the bottom and replace it, or do some other ways with the arms. As for the one handed plasma rifle, try cutting off a bit of the top part of where the "hand" is, and try fitting the plasma rifle untill it fits.... There's my two cents

The basic suits are a bit static, but they are also quite easy to modify with a couple of small, easily concealed cuts.



I also found that if you carefully cut off the shin part of the leg and turn it round you can more easily get more acute angles, hence the kneeling suit.

This might help out...

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m490154a_UK_WD317_ConvertingTauBattlesuits.pdf

CrimsonFilth wrote:
This might help out...

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m490154a_UK_WD317_ConvertingTauBattlesuits.pdf

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!

Just thought I'd throw an update. Thanks everyone for replying, it's helped a ton in modeling this thing. Anyways, I thought I'd throw you guys a treat by doing something I don't normally do: Upload Pictures of Course! Click the spoiler tags for some pictures. Be warned! They are a bit grainy, but I think they'll do alright to convey the pose of the model. Hopefully by the time it's finished I'll have learnt to take decent pictures XD.





Here is some heresy with the unfinished plasma gun stuck on the magnetized wrist as the battlesuit poses with a guardsman.



So, there you have it. The pictures came out a bit grainy, as I'm completely new to taking pictures of miniatures. Nevertheless, the battlesuit's paint scheme is based of of a recognizable anime mech. Whomever can guess where the paintjob came from it first gets exalted


That said, I've still got some work to do. I've got to finish painting the plasma gun, touch up the crisis suit and magnetize another hardpoint. Thanks for all your suggestions! I really think the pose came out great!

very nice, you need lots of light and a camera with macro to take decent pics of minis.

as for paint, looks like macross/robotech skull squadron. I really think you need to green stuff Roy Fokker hair on a tau firewarrior now.

Mecha_buddha wrote:
very nice, you need lots of light and a camera with macro to take decent pics of minis.

as for paint, looks like macross/robotech skull squadron. I really think you need to green stuff Roy Fokker hair on a tau firewarrior now.

Yep that's it. Skull squadron. Just obscure enough not to be recognized as "another gundam tau" but not too unknown so the occasional opponent will go "hey, isn't that. . ."

And that's a hilarious idea. Don't tempt me.

I made all my xv8's have dynamic poses. Have a couple kneeling, 2 on the right knee, 2 on the left. The arms can be cut above and or below the elbow. Making the arms straight or slightly bent. Mounting your various weapons on either the arms or the shoulder can help the look. I've modified some arms before where they were butchered up at the shoulder mount and covered it with child press on nails. Threw on soem paint and a sept marking on it and you have yourself a team leader or bodyguard. Also you can modify weapons. I like drilling out 1 or 2 missiles out of the missile pods. I made some my plasma rifles have more of a carbine flavor by cutting down the barrel. Finally, I have purchased a lot of mech weaponry from Paulson Games. He makes a lot of custom parts that fit the xv8 line pretty well. Heads, weapons, banners, etc. Here's a video I made a few month back showing some of his stuff and some poses if you feel like watching it. Best of luck!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hY_Rj08p4o&feature=g-upl