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Has this example sept from the 3rd Edition Codex appeared in any other source?

Thank you

Just looks like the T'au Sept but a Pathfinder to me.

Thanks Gert! I'm fairly sure it is not supposed to be the the T'au Sept. While the ochre armour (and possibly cream helmet to represent a Shas'ui) hints at this, I've never seen the cloth or parts of the armour on a T'au model painted blue.

For reference it is shown on page 27 (Tau Codex 2001) as a separate colour scheme, along with seven others the 'Eavy Metal team came up with as examples. Wasn't sure if it was ever revisited and expanded upon.

I'd have identified it as T'au Sept as well, same as Gert. The striking main colour is the typical ochre, that blue is artistic license . Looking at pictures from T'au Sept there are guys with brown, dark red or black secondary colors, but it's always the ochre you see first. Honestly, if this was some striking light color I'd be more doubtful, but with something like that dark blue that might as well be black at table's length? It's T'au alright.

Thank you for your input Sgt. Cortez

Though I'd still be inclined to disagree. By this logic all blue Space Marine chapters are Ultramarines
Though I do get your point ... and I'm sure it's one I'll encounter more in the future (in fact, if this was intended to be its own sept, perhaps this is the reason it was never fleshed out further).

I'm kinda hoping they don't have existing lore, as I want to design my own Sept. Thought I best ask around before steamrolling ahead!

I agree that in the original Tau codex they were maybe setting this scheme up as a separate Sept. however, I don't think this particular scheme went anywhere (probably as it was too close to the standard Tau colours). Also a more recent codex says that its not the armour colour that sets out the Sept, but the markings. As the guy has a white helmet this would imply Tau Sept.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Although the drone has blue markings that are a different colour. The Codex I'm looking at has D'yanoi as "bright blue" markings, and Bork'An as "turquoise". The image has regal blue markings, so I don't think that colour combi has been claimed by a lore Sept.

It 100% makes sense that their colour is camouflage adapted to their environment.

Thanks for the tidbit about markings, I did not know that (I'm still in the worlds of 3rd ed). Despite the reference image I was thinking of painting red markings as they would pop nicely against the cream/ochre while providing some contrast to the blue. Though this combo could clash further with the T'au ... maybe it's the sept for me after all?

Jo’pa’kai wrote:
Thank you for your input Sgt. Cortez

Though I'd still be inclined to disagree. By this logic all blue Space Marine chapters are Ultramarines
Though I do get your point ... and I'm sure it's one I'll encounter more in the future (in fact, if this was intended to be its own sept, perhaps this is the reason it was never fleshed out further).

I'm kinda hoping they don't have existing lore, as I want to design my own Sept. Thought I best ask around before steamrolling ahead!

Marines are always tough to compare because especially for the first founding chapters everything seems to be written down, right down to squad markings of each company and stuff, whereas all other factions have much more room to do your own stuff. But following your point about Marines I'd say if someone put down a green-brown camouflage painted Scout Marine with Ultramarines Symbol on his shoulders - that would still classify as an Ultramarine.
And where chapter badges identify SM chapters and legions sometimes more than color schemes (look at different blue tones of Space wolves for example) it's the color scheme for other factions - at least for players not that familiar with the faction.
Yellow eldar are Iyanden, black eldar are ulthwe, red Eldar are Saim Hann (some eldar player will correct me and say the colors have more to do with the aspects, but oh well ), Red Tau are Viorla, Red orks are Evil Suns. Ochre Tau are T'au .

Okay this definitely gives me something to think about. Thank you for your help so far!


Since the ochre is so easily recognisable as T'au sept perhaps thats what they shall be. Albeit abandoned survivors from a T'au lead expansion

I'm sticking to the classic (pre riptide) line up of models, so say second sphere technology? Or would being separated in the warp during the fourth sphere suit the force better?