Tau: It begins - what's on the plan to build/paint

So here I am right at the top of a new project.

This Tau army is something which my son started collecting about 7 years ago when the original Codex was still the book to use. He was still purchasing models as the 2nd edition of the Codex was published, but other than building many of the models and getting me to brush-paint a devilfish for him he didn't do anything with it.

It sat in boxes for a long time. I added a few models to the boxes about 3 years ago, but it still stayed as a collection of cast-off junk.

I got inspired recently and am now in Tau-full-flow.

All my models are sorted and grouped and assembly (and in some-cases dis-assembly) is underway.

One challenge I'm facing is that most of the Battlesuit models are first-edition sculpts and therefore not very dynamically posed. I'm a miser so don't want to replace them. I'll have to see what I can do to give them a bit of "animus". I have a few parts missing too as most of this is built from ebay junk lots so I'll need to hit the bitz stores and see what I can find from the current bitz offerings that will fit these older models.

Anyway, here's a quick run-down on what's on the programme:

Battlesuits, including 2 x Broadsides and O'Shovah

Aun'Va and his entourage

20 x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles

Another 20 x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles

Fire Warriors with Pulse Carbines

Pathfinders (actually Fire Warriors with Pulse Carbines, but missing shoulder-pads)

Stealth Suits. I'll actually be fielding a slightly different set than shown here - I have some of the old XV15 models in metal being stripped. I think I'm going to use four XV15 and two XV22.

Pirhana sqadron - one is missing its pilots. I'll hack some spare Fire warriors to fit.

One of my three Tetras - I get to play with Resin for the first time on this project!

Tanks - three Devilfish, a Skyray and a Hammerhead. To begin with. I'm doing some cutting and chopping so that this can be flexed a bit.

Riptide!!

And some more Resin - a Barracuda aircraft...

...and more Barracuda bits.

The alien auxiliaries might get left for another phase: I tend to build my armies after the following fashion:

1. Obsessive collecting of way too much stuff,
2. Get distracted by another project or two,
3. Come back to it and build enough for a fieldable force (2000 - 2500 points),
4. Get distracted by another project or two,
5. Add a bit more to it for the next time I'm going to field it,
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 ad nausem.

So on the alien list is:

Vespid Stingwings.

Kroot and Krootoxes.

So there we are. Sorted, organised and ready to go.

I committed to one post per week and this will probably be the only post this week. As things currently stand I'm busily assembling models to what I consider to be a stage ready for painting; I'm going to be airbrushing these guys so I'm not planning to fully assemble anything so I can paint things partwise. Photos of partially assembled models are not too interesting so I'll try and keep that sort of thing to a minimum.

Other Tau-related stuff: