This army won Best Overall at the Big Waaagh 2008 (or Best Warboss) and multiple other awards. While in hindsight I believe I can improve the painting, that is a problem for later. I'm sure I will be updating them to the new Tau Codex when it is released but at the moment I am still plugging away to paint and play less used units, like vespid.
TAU EMPIRE
FI'RIOS SEPT
De'Vrie Cadre
Unit Photos
Shas'O Tol'ku De'vrie
I played tau when they were released and played Tol'ku sept. With the release of the 2005 codex I had already sold the army, and decided to repaint them in a new scheme. I wanted my commander to be the centerpiece of the army, and loved the new Shadowsun model, without loving her rules. At the time of beginning the army GW also released the Cityfight army expansion so I decided to paint the army as if they were in the midst of storming an Imperial City. De'vrie was my Shas'vre under 3.0 that was eventually promoted to 'El and O status later by his Ethereal, who was subsequently killed (because I hate their rules). For Shas'O I did a head swap, added some modifications to look like bionics and added magnets under the arms. If you aren't using magnets, stop modeling now and learn how, it's amazing. Every crisis suit is magnetized with three hardpoints on each, as are two of the stealths, and pretty much every possible option that the tau can have. Without further ado, Shas'O Tol'ku De'vrie
Crisis Suits
I love crisis suits, however I was never impressed with the heads, and I thought that in general they did not look strong enough to me. However the Forgeworld models were excellent. Don't look for this exact crisis suit on the Forgeworld site, you won't find it. They all have head and shoulder pad swaps with the broadsides, as I thought those were the best ones. As earlier stated the Crisis suits have magnets in three hard points on each model, allowing me to change the formation as the rules change or as I wish to play test. I also started repositioning some and this is the first place that I started trying to model some battle damage. While the crisis suits have have a slight amount of it, it's continued through some of the other aspects of the army. The main thing I wanted to do with this army was have some interesting bases. Every base is painted almost as well as the models themselves.
Stealth Suits
The Stealth Suits are something I have never had a lot of success with, so they were not painted for the Big Waaagh, but were painted late in 2008. All in all I am very happy with them. As earlier stated they have two models that have magnets in their arms to switch out for Fusion Blasters when necessary. I've had much more success with them in 5th edition then I did in 4th.
Fire Warriors
The Firewarriors were one of the first units that I painted, and one that determined the color scheme for the rest of the army. I wanted a solid cityfight scheme. In the end I used some Vallejo paints on them. Dark Grey and Basalt Grey. These correspond to Games Workshop Adeptus Grey (Dark Grey) and Codex Grey (Basalt Grey), although the foundation paints were not out when I started working on them. The cloth is done in browns shaded up to Commando Khaki. These models were probably painted in 2006, but thanks to varnish have not been heavily damaged, thank god for that stuff.
Devilfish
I painted all of the devilfish and the Hammerheads at the same time. I read a lot about using an airbrush to paint tanks with so this was my first try. I wanted to have a rough and battle damaged view of the tanks. For this purpose I based black, then applied a type of liquid latex to the model liberally. I then air brushed, then came back and filled in the details. I got this idea from a Piranha Masterclass on GW's site that was very well done. I'm not sure that mine came out as well as theirs did, but I was happy with the results. I've purchased 3 more hammerhead chassis for Apocalypse but haven't had the time to paint them yet. A project for 2010 that I will try and update here.
Kroot
Krooooootific! I've always liked having my Kroot allies around, so I painted up about twenty of them. I need to paint some hounds to go with them, but haven't had the chance. The Kroot are grey like the tau, but I wanted to give their weapons a more flintlock feel since they are made by the Kroot. If you notice it's the only place that any metallic appears on any model. There is some on the ground, but I wanted to not have that much metal showing. I have tried to paint some NMM style but really can't get the technique down (yet). Their are done in similar colors with the Tau Firewarriors. My original intention was to have a part of the battleboard in the sewers where a lone commissar faced a squad that was about to eat him. Maybe next time I paint some!
Pathfinders
I've always loved Pathfinders. They are sometimes problematic in a game, but in the end I've had a hard time being to critical of this unit. If your reading this and you play against Tau, here is a hint. If you see these guys, shoot them first. I find that if I can present my opponent with to many targets, they are to busy to start trying to sink these guys. I also decided that I didn't like GW's metal Pathfinders, so I simply used a few models and parts from here and there and made my own plastics.
Gun Drones
These guys are great. They actually ended up winning the Big Waaagh for me against another fellow named Shawn that played Angels of Absolution out of Atlanta I believe. (Great player, amazing army, puts mine to shame). Anyway they deepstriked, blew up a whirlwind, then managed to position themselves to get rear shots on a Dreadnought, blow it up, and then harryed a scoring unit below half. I also happen to love the effect of the battle damage on them. This was the first placed I used a new weathering technique that I have come to use a lot, especially on my new marines I'm painting. I purchased some oil paint, Burnt Umber colored and used to it to show the grime streaking on the model. On marines I use it to show where the dirt and water has poured on the model, staining it.
Piranha
Love the model... not that fond of the rules. This was another model that I painted up later. I think that so far they are the best looking of the skimmers that I have painted. Again the front noze cone is modular with a magnet inset into it, and there are locations under the hood to place Seeker Missiles, although I rarely use them.
Broadsides
I used broadsides all of the time in 3rd, but not to much in 4th edition. In 4th edition I think I would like to get one more as the Railgun is now the King of armor destruction. These used the XV 88-2 chassis from Forgeworld. They have magnets in the shoulders. These models are perfect examples of what is great, and horrible about Forgeworld. The ankles on these have break all the time. They now have pins running all the way up the legs and down under the model itself. Irritating, but necessary if you actually want to use the models. Looking at them now, I think they need some additional work on the painting level.
Hammerheads
My babies. IMHO the best mainline battle tank in the game. Better armored then the predator, more maneuverable then the Leman Russ, better gun then the falcon or fire prison. It's the King of the battlefield. I almost never leave home without all three, they are that good. Like the rest of the army, all of the weapons are modular. Sadly I realized that my burst cannons are not painted, and I should have slotted the smart missiles in since they are, but cest le vie. I have Ion Cannons in my box but I almost always fall back on the railguns.
Army List
I don't have a list right now that I am firm on. I'm in the midst of painting marines, but that doesn't mean that I don't think abou Tau. I always think about Tau. My codex is a dog-eared mess. At the moment I think that 6 man firewarriors in Warfish with decoy launchers and flechette dischargers are the way to go for scoring units. I've had some bad results with Kroot in the new edition. If they get assaulted, tehy always run... I hate that. If you are determined to use them leave them in outflank all the time and use 10 hounds.
Hammerheads all the way. Tau have the best, most surviveable skimmers in the game, use them.
I've heard a lot of bad results regarding crisis suits in the new edition, but I haven't found this to be true. Now, saying that I'm not a big fan of Fireknife or Fireknife II to be very good anymore. I've been equiping mine with twinlinked flamers and missile pods. Have you seen the damage that 3 sets of twinlinked flamers will do on a unit? It's also an amazingly cheap unit. Or suicide crisis suits with fusion guns tied to the Pathfinder's fish (re-roll deepstrike).
Lastly there is a great article on the use of a Ninja'O technique using the Positional Relay. This tactic is fun and can win games for you, try it out. I never leave home without one now.
Below however is my list that I used at the Big Waaagh in 2008, I'm not advising it's use now, but think that for nostalgie sake I would add it. It also has some funny comments in the units that I always liked
Headquarters
Unit Name Number of Models Cost
Shas’O Tol'ku Ba’ha De’vrie 1 130
Equipment: Bad Ass XV 22x Crisis Suit, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, Positional Relay, Hard-Wired Multi-tracker, Hard Wired Black Sun Filter
Quote: “There is the way of the Ethereals, and there is the way that leads to Death. Choose, but choose quickly, I must take this choice to your children after you decide...”
Shas’el Fiorios Sca’nar Boi
Equipment: Scanner Suit of XV 25 Crisis Armor, Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod, 99
Fusion Blaster, Hard-Wired Multi-Tracker
Troops
Unit Name Number of Models Cost
First Fire Warrior Team - Grey Ghosts 15 230
12 Fire Warriors
Equipment: Tau Fire Armor, Pulse Rifle, (1) Stolen Las Gun
Quote: “Attend! Ready! Aim! Fire!”
The Peace, attached Devilfish Transport with Decoy Launchers, Disruption Pods, 2 Seeker Missiles.
Valmarac’s Kindred 10 70
10 Kroot Carnivores
Equipment: Some bags, legs, arms, Kroot Rifle and a mean attitude.
Quote: “Braaaaaiiinnnsss!”
Krak’s Kindred 10 70
10 Kroot Carnivores
Equipment: Whatever they could loot off Imperials and Kroot rifles.
Quote: “Kill them all, but leave the Commissar for me, they always taste the sweetest.”
Unit Name Number of Models Cost
Elites
First Crisis Battlesuit Squad, Squad Spider 2 134
2 Fireknife Crisis Suits
Equipment: (Armed Identically) Targeting Array x2, Plasma Rifle x2 , Missile Pod x2,
Quote: “Ph34r t3h 3v1L l33t” or “Ph34r t3h 3v1L l33t!!”
Third Crisis Battlsuit Squad, Squad Duo-Gun 2 134
2 Fireknife Crisis Suits
Equipment: (Armed Identically), Targeting Arrayx2, Plasma Rifle x2 , Missile Pod x2 ,
Quote “War and Peace!”
Second Crisis Battlsuit Squad, Squad Le’hcar 2 134
2 Fireknife Crisis Suits
Equipment: (Armed Identically), Targeting Arrayx2, Plasma Rifle x2 , Missile Pod x2 ,
Quote “Do we have time for a smoke break?”
Fast Attack
Pathfinder Team Harbinger 10 237
8 Pathfinders
Equipment: Tau Fire Armor, Pulse Carbines, Markerlights, Shas’ui Upgrade
The Targeter, Devilfish Troop Transport, Decoy Launchers, Disruption Pods, 2x Seeker Missiles
Quote: “This is Echo One to Echo Base...”
Drone Squad DX-34 96
8 Gun Drones
Heavy Support
The Hammer of Peace 1 140
1 Hammerhead Gunship
Equipment: Targeting Array, Ion Cannon, Burst Cannons, Multitracker, Decoy Launchers, Disruption Pods, Target Locker, a Wang complex.
Quote: “And then... And Then!... your just going to love this... no really.. really... just listen! So, I totally saw them from... gosh... I don’t know... forever away. And... well I just opened up on them, but the best part was... I went and got a sandwhich after that. I fought a battle on auto pilot! But that sandwich... man a nice ruben, with honey mustard... it was amazing, you need to try it!”
The Anvil of War 1 175
1 Hammerhead Gunship
Equipment: Targeting Array, Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multitracker, Decoy Launchers, Disruption Pods, Target Locker, a Wang complex.
Quote: “Ummmmmmm no I don’t feel I am overcompensating for anything...”
The Engines of Destruction 2 200
2 Broadside Battlesuit
Equipment: Twin-linked Railguns, Smart Missile Systems, Advanced Stabilization Systems x2,Team Leader Upgrade, Drone
Controller, 2x Shield Drones, Hard Wired-Target Locker
Quote: “How cute... they brought bolters to a Rail-Gun fight.”
Why I Started This Army
I love tau. I've had them since 3d edition when they were relased and have played them ever since. I sold my first army, and was determined to rebuild them to a higher standard, and above is what you get. I went to Adepticon 2007 with a Lysander Wing list and after I left determined to build what you see above and learn new techniques. The weathering techniques I started there I have continued on to my present space marine army that I am about 25% through with. I am presently simply waiting for the new tau codex to update the army. I doupt I ever sell them as overall I'm still pleased with the result. I do see myself painting some new units and purchasing some new things. I have vespid, more devilfish and a unit of modified Gue'vessa'la to paint. In addition I have about 20 more gun drones that need work and Snipder Drones. The list goes on. I hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as I have enjoyed posting them. Cheers!
Ohhh and if anyone knows how to get involved in Playtesting the new Codex, I'll buy you beer...
