Finished Tau Ghostkeel

Tau XV95 Ghostkeel "Midnight Blues"

*Warning - Lots of Pictures ahead!*

I finished this model today - at least to tabletop quality! It was a bit of an adventure as I made several bad judgement calls that required going back (more on that later).

Since my previous WIP post for this model I added:

• Washes (Nuln Oil)
• Highlights
• Weathering (one layer of Leadbelcher using the foam method, drybrushing feet to match soil)
• Basing details (tank traps and plants/ scrub)
• Reworked main lens (on head)
• Lenses on Electrowarfare suite (right arm)

Looking at the pictures, to take this to another level I would do the following:

• Add more weathering to the tank traps.
• Add more details to base (graffiti? discarded enemy weapons? Tau infantry?)
• Bore out the barrels of all the secondary weapons.
• Blacken nozzles on Flamers.
• Add more detail on Fusion Collider barrel (bright blue "Fusion" effects).

Front

Cockpit view

Side view: w/ Flamers and Cyclic Ion Raker

Rear

Top

W/ Fusion Collider + Twin Linked Burst Cannons

Head (Detail)

What mistakes did I make?

In my hurry to get on with the model so I could use it last weekend in battle, I didn't think hard enough about the base, so it looked very sparse. 

To deal with that today I located x3 pre-painted tank traps from my terrain box. As I couldn't glue them directly onto the current course surface (not enough contact, and they would have looked "floaty") I had to do some surgery! Holding the tank trap onto the base, I used a craft knife to cut around the edges of the tank trap, down to the base of the plastic. After doing this on all 4 sides of the trap, I then used the craft knife to lift off the "Soil" in a square. That gave me the perfect flat surface to superglue the trap down. To make it seamless I then filled the small gap between the trap edges and the cuts with wood glue, poured on my basing material and painted it up. It was unnecessary extra work (I should have thought of this when I did the base the first time), but I think it doesn't look too bad!

My other mistake was working at night under artificial lighting and layering up the barrel of the Cyclic Ion Blaster to a shade or Mordian Blue that was too bright. This meant it was mismatched with the rest of the model, so today I had to go over the barrel again.

What went well?

I think (you are welcome to disagree) that the overall colour scheme works, and the lenses and freehand insignia came out well (took lots of attempts to get the latter right though!). Also, the lighter weathering applied using a piece of foam was quite easy and I resisted the temptation to overdo it!

Thigh insignia detail.

With 6 Stealth suits already painted I can field this model as part of an Optimised Stealth Cadre. 

Next Project?

There are two options really.

Option 1: Tau XV9 Battlesuits (x2)

Getting back into Tau meant having a good rummage through my model box, where I was delighted to find two of these Forgeworld models. These were pretty much gifted to me by a Tau player getting out of the game some years ago (you know who you are...thank you!) and I never painted them as I moved into painting a Skaven army.

Option 2: A Frostgrave Warband.

Our gaming group discussed trying out this fantasy skirmish game at our last get together, so I downloaded the rules (12 GBP, a reasonable price!). It looks quite good, and with a unit max of 10 models per player (any 28mm models will do) and simple rules it will hopefully be quick to play. 

I thought I should be able to put together the requisite Wizard, apprentice and Men-at Arms/ mercenaries by rummaging through my bits box and Warhammer Fantasy models. Sure enough, I could do the following:

Wizard: x1 (High Elf Wizard or Skaven Plague Priest)

Apprentice: x1 (Old Citadel Witch Elf)

Mercenaries: x 8 (3-4 Empire swordsmen, x3-4 Black Orcs with bows/ choppers.)

Until next time!

:-)

Tau Ghostkeel WIP

I've been working on this Tau Ghostkeel that I got for Christmas - just an hour a night after work, but it is coming along.

I've managed to get the undercoats, base coats and some highlights done on the main model and the drones (the Fenris Grey lines you see here). I worked on the pilot before assembling the model, something I don't often do, but I wanted access to the cockpit as it is a nice feature of the model IMHO (and it would be impossible to do a decent job after assembly)

I'm happy with the Mordian Blue and Chaos Black combination. The blue fits in with my main Tau army and regular Stealth Suits, but the combination still "feels" stealthy. In my mind, I'm thinking of this as "Midnight Urban" Camo (which means I am going to have to add an urban feeling to the base later...)

Another point that I'm happy with is the freehand Tau text on the right thigh. Although not authentic Tau text I think it has the right flavour, and I HATE freehand so it felt like a small victory.

In all of these images you won't see any weapons, as I'm working on those separately.

Left

Right rear

Next step will be to figure out what to do with the black. I've highlighted the edges of the Mordian Blue with Fenris Grey, so what am I going to do with the edges of the black armour? 
More Fenris, or straight to chipping/ weathering with metallics? (Shout out to those on G.Plus for the weathering advice by the way).

Stealth Drones (top)

The suit is always accompanied by x2 Stealth Drones, which you can see here. Not weathered or finished yet, but I got a good start on the lenses.

More updates to come later this weekend! (I hope I'll make more progress). Fantasies of adding some tank traps to the base, and painting the suit parts close to the traps in the same grey to indicate stealth capability...

Stealth Drones (front)

Tau Cadre Fireblade - Finished

After picking up the new Tau books for Christmas and with a game planned in the first week of January, I thought I should dust off my Tau army and see what models I have. What formations from the new books would I be able to field with what I already have?

A nice surprise was finding an unpainted Cadre Fireblade - an HQ unit for the core of the Hunter contingent. Thinking that it would only take a couple of hours to do, I got to work, only to finish 2 days later! I guess it is the case that taking a break from painting for months affects your speed...

This was the first time I revisited the army following the experience I gained painting my Skaven. That meant this model got some touches that I didn't really consider when I started painting Tau all those years ago (including simple techniques like washes). I think it looks better for them! The base comes pre-moulded, and it looks nice even with a simple paint job like this. It might look better with some vegetation but I was in a hurry!

I had a go at some freehand on the back of the cloak just to break up the white. I failed miserably about 10 times before getting something I was (almost) happy with. It isn't complicated, but it still required me to try and stop my hands shaking...

Fireblade cloak with freehand hem.

Before washes...

...and after:

with highlights:

So how did he perform on the battlefield?

Not bad! 

There is a lot to be said to having x1 extra shot for every pulse weapon in your unit. That is a very significant increase in firepower from a cheap unit (as described in better detail than I could ever achieve over at the ever-excellent 3plusplus.net). Not only that, but he has his own markerlight and split fire rules (something I completely forgot - doh!)

Fireblade (at right) co-ordinates a desperate stand against a Tyranid
monstrous creature.

Having him attached to a single squad of 12 gives x24 Str5 AP5 shots out to 30 inches, letting you slather on the pain from a reasonable distance. More please!

How many can I take?

:-)

Tau Kauyon Formations: Questions!

I enjoyed taking a flick through the The Damocles Crusade: Kauyon book yesterday and a read online about the various formations being introduced.

The ones that immediately look useful are the Optimized Stealth Cadre (I'm going to have to pick up a Ghostkeel to make that work with my stealth suits (pictured above) and the Firebase Support Cadre (fortunately I have the models for that one!)

In the meantime, because I rarely play the game, I'm struggling a bit to wrap my head around the rules for Contingents, Detachments and Auxiliary choices, and how they all fit together. 

Here is a question:
Can formations in the Montka book (which I don't have) be used with the Hunter contingent in the Kauyon book? 

For example, like most Tau players, I have quite a few Drones available. Although it isn't in the Kauyon book, can I use the "Tau Drone Net VX" auxiliary choice with the Hunter Cadre contained in the Kauyon book?
I'm not interested (for fluff reasons) in running a Farsight Enclaves army!

Yes, I'd like to get the most out of these guys using the Drone Net!

Regardless, I think it is time to do an inventory of my Tau...

A Warhammer 40K Winter.

Original copyright holder unknown.
Please contact me so I can update or to request removal

Blimey, this festive season really is a dream come true for Tau fans. In this post I’ll take a quick look at the gaming goodies that Shas’o Nic’laus, The Red-hooded Victor of Yule Prime, managed to fit down my life support hab’s exhaust system.

What I got 1: New storage. Citadel Crusade Figure Case

Over the years I have used both professional options (Battle Foam, GW cases) and home-brew (lots of plastic boxes in a cheap suitcase). Both approaches have their ups and downs, so on a recent trip to my local GW I thought I would take a look at the Citadel Figure case range. Specifically the Crusade case (the largest one).

Up close, my first impression of the Crusade case was that it was much smaller than I had anticipated! How much could I get in there? If my goal was my Black Templars that was a concern (multiple predators, Rhinos, Land Raiders, Speeders, Stormtalon gunship, bikes etc.)

My second impression was cost...14,500 Yen (or just over 80 GBP).

Worth it?

In the end I decided yes. I wanted a new case, haven’t supported GW in a while, and I would like to upgrade from my 100 Yen shop boxes! The GW staff gave me a tour of the inside, taking it apart and showing me the funky foam arrangements and possibilities.

So here it is, with a Space Marine to show scale.

Citadel Crusade Figure Case

FYI, while looking at what was available online, I came across the "Munitorum Battlepack Case Harness" option. After seeing it in person I immediately put it out of my mind. I like the idea of a rucksack solution for the Crusade case that also offers additional storage for books, but at 12,500 Japanese Yen (70 GBP) it is simply too much money for what it does (for me). The case does come with a shoulder strap after all. 

I haven't had time to try and actually fit stuff in and write a review yet (even though today is "Boxing Day") but watch this space!

What I got 2: Warzone Damocles: Kauyon

NOT buying the harness meant I could invest in something else, so I went for the War Zone Damocles: Kauyon rules. At 10,500 Yen (58 GBP) this also wasn’t cheap, but it gives me the rules that I need to supplement my Tau Codex, including some of the newer units should I get some new models (Ghostkeel, you shall be mine…)

Image credit: Games Workshop website

Frankly speaking, I love the hardback Codex books. Quality feels great, nice pictures and plenty of fluff. I haven’t started reading this yet, but I’m looking forward to the rules and the story.

What I got 3: Dice.

Yes, dice.

There is a story here that I won’t go into in depth, but it involves giving a workshop in a foreign land, 200+ attendees, and my dice. Or to be specific, NOT GETTING THEM BACK! (My fault, I should have told everyone the dice weren’t a freebie!

What I got 4: Darth Vader Grissini Breadsticks (Plain)

Breadsticks - crunchy mini lightsabers in a box.

Not WH 40K, but the marketing is strong with this one...

...”Merry Sithmas”!