Wargames Wasteland: Tau (Warhammer 40,000)

Dust scattered as a pale blue blur crested the top of the scraggy dune with a whine of impellers and a roar of displaced air. Another followed, and another. They were small craft, scarcely larger than a jetbike,

As quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, just the dust hanging in the thick air and the roiling clouds of pollution to briefly mark their passing.

Nothing was detected by the Imperial auspex passive scanners. They had no idea that anything was amiss.

As dusk started to descend, the Imperial patrol ground its way along the dirt track, Chimera tracks churning up the dust. Foot troops slogging alongside the APC choking in the dust, forced to use their rebreathers even in the just-about-breathable atmosphere of the planet.

"Does any one know why we're even on this rock?" asked Trooper Godfrey. "It's a dump. There's nothing here!"

"Stow it, Godfrey." muttered Mitchell, the squad sergeant. "Enough complaining. We've been listening to this all day."

"Sorry, Sarge. I just don't get why we're here. We've been here for a week and seen nothing. Does anyone even know the name of this dive?"

"It was in the briefing, Godfrey. It's called Ao. And like always, information is 'Need to know.'" muttered Trooper King, swinging his grenade launcher onto his shoulder.

As the sun continued to set, the evening display of fireflies started to emerge.

"Pass the bug-repellent, Sarge," called King. "The fireflies are coming out."

The fireflies on this world were not benign - they carried a nasty sting and tended to get aggressive in total darkness, something that Troopers Blundell and Edwards could testify to, if they weren't on stretchers in the back of the Chimera incapacitated by bites from aggravated fireflies which had got stuck under their flak armour.

The nightly show of flickering yellow dots started hovering in the air, with the Chimera silhouetted behind them.

The patrol ground on, the dust in the air mixing with the exhaust fumes from the Chimera's petrochem engines and causing each of the fireflies to dance in a halo of its own light.

"Hey," called King. "Look at that - a red one. I've never seen a red one before." He was indicating a small red glow flickering around the turret of the Chimera.

"Yeah, that is weird." Agreed Mitchell.

Another red firefly appeared near the first. Followed by another.

"Um, I don't think they're bugs," muttered Godfrey. "Down!"

The turret of the Chimera vanished in a bright green explosion, centered on the three red lights.

Burning shrapnel rained down around the Chimera, pattering off the helmets and armour of the footsloggers.

"What the hell?" Screamed Mitchell.

"I've seen this before!" Shouted Godfrey. "It's a Tau homing system. Missiles home in on the lights! Brace for attack."

Xeno helmets crested the dune and Godfrey was hurled backwards as a pulse of energy hit him in the chest with enough force to throw his body backwards, slamming into the rear door of the Chimera.

The xeno attackers crested the dune in a tight formation, their pulse carbines spitting white flashes of lethal energy. The Astra Militarum troopers were decimated within seconds by sustained fire from the xenos and the strange, hovering weapon drones that accompanied them.

The alien squad leader removed his helmet exposing his grey-blue skin and deep red eyes. A lock of hair hung limply down the side of his otherwise bald head.

"Sector seven secured, for 'The Greater Good'. Pathfinder squad 4-7 returning to base."

Here you will find my record of my growing Tau army.

I had two major aims in mind when I started this project:

Every model would heavily feature airbrushing work,
I would not use any metallic paint on any model.

Both aims were a real departure from my usual mode of work but I'm very happy with how it's turning out.

Commander O'Shova (Farsight)

My first Fire Warrior Squad...

My first Fire Warrior Squad (different angle)...

Piranhas - drones will be added later

Another angle on the Piranhas

As promised, some drones to go with the Piranhas (or whatever - squadron 2 of 3)

Riptide with Ion Cannon

Same Riptide, but with the Ion Cannon swapped out (I love magnets!)

Same Riptide, different angle

Some XV-8 Battlesuits (unit 1 of 2)

Some Tetras

Same Tetras, different angle

More Drones (squadron 2 of 3)

My Barracuda's base

Barracuda

Barracuda - another angle

Pathfinders. Mostly actually Fire Warriors with grenades in place of backpacks and no shoulder pads. The squad leader is a tank commander model from the Devilfish kit. The binoculars seemed appropriate for the squad.