Just_Me's Tau

[Just_Me]

I've recently been touching up some of my older armies, including my Tau. Thematically I want to shape the force into a light Hunter Cadre equipped for vanguard operations/heavy reconnaissance so it will include small mounted units of Fire Warriors and well equipped units of Stealth Suits and Pathfinders along with some of the more unusual stuff like Sniper Drone Teams and Remora Drone Fighters from Forge World. Along with updating the rest of the army I decided I really wanted to convert a new Commander.

Back when the new Tau codex first came out I noticed that with the "Iridium" Battlesuit and Vectored retro-thrusters one can essentially replicate a slightly improved set of rules and profile of XV9 Battlesuits. The only thing missing are the photon-casters which give XV9s defensive grenades but I figure a Repulsor Impact Field could represent a prototype variant. I gave a lot of thought to how I wanted the model to look and have been accumulating the required bits for a while, as most of them are from expensive forge world or finecast models, and the idea was relegated to the back burner for a long time. However, now that I've finally gotten everything I need for the model I decided it was time for it to take shape.

[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXV9_zpsd106c535.jpg.html][/URL]

He is a Shas'O in a prototype variant of the XV9 "Hazard" Suit, represented by the following wargear:

Signature systems
XV8-02 Iridium Battlesuit
Repulsor Impact Field

Support Systems
Vectored Retro-Thrusters
Shield Generator

Weapons
Cyclic Ion Blaster

Drones
Marker Drone x2
(drones aren't in the picture)

My one issue is deciding on what to fit in his final open hardpoint. I've narrowed it down to two options; a Drone Controller for BS5 Marklights, or a Fusion Blaster for a BS5 18" melta which matches well with the range on his other ranged weapon. The Drone Controller is easy, at most I just smack a cool little antenna bit on there somewhere, but the Fusion Blaster is a different story. If I decide to go that route it would give him more punch and make him a threat to literally anything in the game (short of Apocalypse/Escalation) but I'm not sure were I would mount it. I mocked up a few ideas with it tacked in place and I'd appreciate any thoughts or feedback, both on the various mounting options and everything else.

First is "shoulder" mounted on one of the retro-thrusters:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXV9shouldermount2_zps5871e6ea.jpg.html][/URL]

Second is essentially the same but with some sort of articulation to track where he's looking:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXV9shouldermount1_zps4ada6316.jpg.html][/URL]

And third is to mount it under the shield similar to Farsight's Plasma rifle:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXV9shieldmount_zpsec6e131c.jpg.html][/URL]

[kharne690]

I like option #2. It just seems more high tech that his shoulder mounted weapon would track with his head.

[wayne williams]

yep number 2 is my favorite as well, but they are all nice .

[Captofthe8th]

I like option 3 the best. The suit is super sleek to me and the weapon mounted up there feels really bulky and out of place to me.

Instead of a straight undertaking version like you have in option 3, I think not would look cool to shorten the fusion blaster and glue it as if it were coming out from where his hand is, under the 2 front "wings" of the shield. I think that would keep the aesthetic of the suit better.

[Captofthe8th]

I like option 3 the best. The suit is super sleek to me and the weapon mounted up there feels really bulky and out of place to me.

Instead of a straight undertaking version like you have in option 3, I think not would look cool to shorten the fusion blaster and glue it as if it were coming out from where his hand is, under the 2 front "wings" of the shield. I think that would keep the aesthetic of the suit better.

[Fizzybubela]

I prefer Option 2.

[Just_Me]

After hearing from some of you I'm beginning to lean towards version 3 (mounting the Fusion Blaster under the shield generator) for several reasons. For starters (as others have said) it doesn't detract from the overall outline and "sleekness" of the design which I'm quite pleased with. Secondly it fits with existing "precedent" for Battlesuit design (Farsight & Riptide) while there is no precedent for mounting a weapon on the retro-thrusters of an XV9. Of course, I'm still undecided if I will add a Fusion Blaster at all. I like the added offensive punch and low AP but going with a drone controller for BS5 Marklights would also be a potent and fluffy option. It's a difficult choice and I still welcome any input.

In the meantime I have continued to repaint/touch-up the rest of my army and have most recently moved on to my Stealthsuits. After seeing some really exceptional examples online I decided to try out a active-camo scheme for them. Here is the first test example:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/StealthsuitWIP_zpsd03ca572.jpg.html][/URL]

Edit: Realized the last picture was pretty grainy so I uploaded a better one.

[Just_Me]

Finished repainting the rest of my stealthsuits in the active-camouflage scheme. I think they turned out rather well:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/StleathTeam_zps10187cf9.jpg.html][/URL]
Sorry this is the best picture I could get, the dark colors make them difficult to photograph. Although somehow that seems rather fitting...

[Just_Me]

Completed a significant portion of work on the already completed portions of the army. I decided that the new commander isn't quite ready for painting (I found a set of the XV9 fin-less retro-thrusters bits on eBay that I prefer to the existing ones and I'm waiting for them to arrive). In the mean time I worked on updating my existing model in an XV84 Battlesuit:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXV8_zpsf15acdb0.jpg.html][/URL]
In some ways I think this model actually fits with the background I had in mind better, a Shas'O who rose through the Pathfinder and Stealthsuit teams to his current position. As such the XV84 retains some of the aesthetic of the Stealthsuits as well as maintaining the scout/support theme of the Cadre. With the XV84 Battlesuit, Drone Controller, and a pair of Marker Drones he can throw out 3 BS5 Markerlights a turn. The 2 Fusion Blasters mostly just look awesome...

I also toned back my Stealthsuit's active camouflage a bit. I decided that the camo effect on the legs alone were enough to give the right impression but having their weapons fade in as well was a bit distracting:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/StealthTeam_zps8484a009.jpg.html][/URL]

Finally, I have two teams of Fire Warriors in Devilfish. Each team is composed of 9 Shas'La lead by a veteran Shas'Ui with a Pulse Carbine and Markerlight/Target Lock and has a pair of Gun Drones in support. Once again, the theme I want to maintain is small, mobile, and well equipped units operating in an advanced scouting/support role.

[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/FireWarriorTeam1_zpseb9afed6.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/FireWarriorTeam2_zps6d87a71d.jpg.html][/URL]

I also have a unit of Pathfinders, a Sniper Drone & Spotter team, and a pair of Remora Drone Fighters that I want to add to the army. I also intend to add a Battlesuit team but I'm not sure how to equip them yet, I kinda like the idea of twin-linked flamers but I'm still not sure if I want to go that route.

[Just_Me]

Made a slight alteration to my Commander. I've always felt the biggest issue with the XV8 is it's lack of a waist joint so after a LOT of careful cutting this is the result:
[URL=http://s252.photobucket.com/user/Just_Me_Images/media/Tau/ShasOXv84_zps277746d0.jpg.html][/URL]