Crisis Suit - Rapid Response Team conversions

[YorkNecromancer]

In keeping with my traditions of buying leftover bits and wrecked kits, then using the one to restore the other, here's a few Tau conversions I've been working on.

I'm planning two teams; one of three anti MEQ, equipped with two plasma rifles each. The second will be three suits of anti-horde, equipped with two burst cannon and a flamer each (flamer is to dissuade potential assault).

They're for my Tau army, the E'Krati Sept ([url]http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/entry.php?8508-Warhammer-40-000-Campaign-The-Kepler-Covenant-Part-4-Tau[/url]), who represent a dishonoured, offshoot faction of the T'au who have prospered in relative isolation, but lacking the high-tech of the T'au, have adapted pre-extant designs with earlier, less advanced technology (which has been slightly influenced by the technology of the human allies in the political union they operate within, the Kepler Covenant). As a result, the suits are bigger and clunkier, consume more fuel, and have armour that is cheaper to produce, but is essentially as effective because it's just so damned rugged. The idea behind the 'striped' armour plates, is that they are essentially thin plates of reactive ablative armour - personnel-scale Chobham plates if you will, designed to defend against heavy anti-infantry rounds at close quarters, and therefore cheaply replaceable. After a battle, those plates that have been detonated are unscrewed and new ones screwed on, preserving the general integrity of the suit.

The plasma suits will have lighter armour (for speed), while the burst cannon suits will have heavier additional plating and stronger legs (to compensate) so they can survive getting in close.

Visually, of course, they're meant to evoke the lamellar armour of samurai and ashigaru, specifically the horizontal plates of the okegawa dō, because Tau.

[Kirsten]

wow, they look awesome, once again you have performed some sort of magic

[CoffeeGrunt]

As someone who has 12 Crisis Suits and not one of them is unconverted, I would love to know what parts you used here. These have a damn cool style to them!

[Cutter]

As someone who has 12 Crisis Suits and not one of them is unconverted, I would love to know what parts you used here. These have a damn cool style to them!

Looks like plasticard and foamcard custom builds.

++

And beautiful btw, I meant to say :-)

[Spy_Smasher]

I like everything about this build:
The in-game story.
The historical referencing.
The resurrection of damaged kits.
Every figure customised.

Awesome. Also, the level of detail you achieve working all in styrene is inspiring.

[YorkNecromancer]

wow, they look awesome, once again you have performed some sort of magic

*blushes*

As someone who has 12 Crisis Suits and not one of them is unconverted, I would love to know what parts you used here.

There are three sources for the bits:

1.) Tau Crisis Suit - obviously. There are a few little targetting bits taken from Riptides and the like, but every grey plastic bit is from the standard Crisis Suit kit.
2) The huge grey uber cannon on the last suit come from Mad Robot Minis (although they seem to have subsequently discontinued them, which is a real shame.) [url]http://www.madrobotminiatures.com/zencart/[/url]
3.) Everything in white is made of sheet plasticard. Everything. I used three sheets; one approximately 3mm thick, the other about 1mm thick and the last, well, as thin as A4 paper. I just cut out shapes and glued them together - 3mm sheet for structure, thin sheet for greebles.

Took approximately 10 episodes of 'Battlestar Galactica' (reimagined, obviously) to do all four. And yes, I've seen BSG before. Just rewatching it while I'm waiting for 'Person of Interest' to start back on.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Christ that's some excellent scratchbuild work there, I'm very jealous! My own scratchbuilding with plasticard is much more basic, but I'm learning. Maybe some day!

[YorkNecromancer]

You're very kind, but honestly, it's a lot easier than you think. Just practice, and always remember that the pieces need to be thinner and smaller than you think they do.

[Mud Duck]

You're very kind, but honestly, it's a lot easier than you think. Just practice, and always remember that the pieces need to be thinner and smaller than you think they do.

Ain't that the truth! Most excellence work!