I particularly like the idea of a high tech force supported by robot drones that tries to minimize casualties and operate at a distance from the enemy. Years ago I remember a set of 40K rules for robots where you designed “computer programs” that governed the actions of the models during a game. I’d come up with a combination of forward observers and emplaced missile fire-bases that sounds remarkably like the Tau markerlight and guided missile combination. So here we go for a project for ToEG 2013.

Any self respecting Tau force will need a decent number of gun drones, an iconic model if ever there was one. So I set about building some with plastic card, a couple of staples and an old leather hole punch that was once my grandfathers. And here are the results.


Having started off on the home built DIY drones it seemed a “minor” step to attempt the whole army with spare models I had lying around, mostly surplus Eldar I accumulated with Ebay and Trademe purchases. So the Fire Warriors are Eldar infantry with their pointy helmets trimmed back.

Obviously I needed to produce some shield drones and they have evolved to a mass production system as well. The next iconic Tau unit struck me as a Crisis suit so that got built up from some plastic Ork Dreadnaughts that had accumulated in the spares pile. The rest is plastic card and brass rod.





Next up came a swarm of other Drone options.

Markerlight Drones along with their Pathfinder buddies.



Heavy Gun Drones some with dual burst cannons and others with a markerlight instead of the second cannon.





Sniper Drones. I still need to build up a Drone controller for these sneaky beasts.




Inspired by the gorgeous 40K Drone Army at URL Address

and to an extent at Some blue Crisis Drones

I thought there needed to be some properly heavy drone support. These could proxy up as Crisis Suits and Broadsides, or perhaps as Hammerheads with fusion guns or rail guns. Actually my preference would be to come up with some slightly less powerful stats of their own to use for them.




There has been another round of construction and painting but that will have to await the next photo session. Hopefully I will be able to get the picture size under better control next time as well.

Great builds, fun project

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AFK with real life, still checking PMs

Nice! I like the basing n the first pics.

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Nitpicks Knapsack (Scratchbuilding and 3D designing and printing and painting)

looking good Andrew.
and we should have a game some time soon too. I need my ass kicked again ha ha

They'd do good as the drone fighter (Remora I think) from AI. Brilliant work with the Crisis suits as well the Ork dreads look surprisingly Tauish now I think about it.

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Rightyus Indergestyun I
Stabb-Blasta II

Verum Irae II

Continuing to have fun . . . on the Colonial build. Grateful for the comments, thanks.

I'm fairly happy with the basing so will aim to bring them all up to that standard over the ToEG period. Do plan to NOT use green static grass though - a definite change of pace from my usual approach.

I have had another go with the actual Crisis Suits. I was pretty happy with the Jet Packs but rather less keen on the weapons load out. And also the paint job on the weapons; which is slowly resolving itself. So here are a few alternative weapons load outs on the next Cadre.





Various conversions for my Eldar forces have left lots of support skimmer hulls free which I think will make OK proxies for Tau vehicles. These views are of some of my early thinking: 2 Devilfish, a Skyray and a Hammerhead. Things have moved on a little since then but that will have to await my next photo session. Weird how those hulls are so asymmetric.



Use of the night spinner guns for a couple of Void Spinner conversions has also left some other hulls for conversion. These two will hopefully turn into adequate Barracudas and Tiger Sharks, eventually.



A general overview of the project so far.



More Soon.

Looking good who makes the support hulls by the way?

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Rightyus Indergestyun I
Stabb-Blasta II

Verum Irae II

Nice work Andrew, keep it coming!

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http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

very clever wee drones. I like them.

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My shifting projects

Awesome DIY work. I really like the results. Only a minor things that could be altered are the basing and painting. The bases are covered with too big sand imo, and maybe too long static grass. Tufts are fine. Those colors are a pain to paint but with spray, spraygun or/and thin layers / washes you could get even smoother finish.

Keep up the fantastic work

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Shapeways store: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/tinywares

Blogging about 6-15mm wargaming: http://www.lead-space.net

Thanks for the comments, . . . A few replies:

Llamahead - My plan for Remora Drones is basically the same as the current Crisis Drones but with some flight surfaces (wings). The support hulls are the base part of the old GW Eldar Fire Prisim, Night Spinner and Fire Storm models.

Lead-Space - The first few bases were some tests where I tried to extend me previously limited range of ideas. Yes I have definitely decided no more green static grass. Tufts, Dark and Light green 'bushes' and some fine green ground cover.

Otherwise things have continued to move forward with arming the Tau Colony. In the end I decided that old Eldar support vehicle jet engines were too small and too round for a decent Tau proxy. So they got cut off and replaced by some more blocky versions crafted from styrene rod. And some extra surface detail got added to make them rather more symmetrical.



I’d always intended to paint the vehicles with a camouflage pattern. And this is what transpired. They probably need some extra shading and so forth but they are fairly striking at arm’s length; ie out on the table.


And a rear view in a slightly warmer light


Some slight variation with the weapons load-out give some creditable Drone Harbingers; to go with the more Drone heavy Tau Colony List I am working on. They could easily substitute as Devilfish on a more conventional list.



Some work in progress with a Hammerhead tank, armed with Rail Guns. This first version includes magnets to allow swapping the turrets (and pointing the guns during a game) but I am having problems keeping the magnets glued in place; they are very impressively powerful magnets. Could not quite bring myself to produce an offset main armament but might try that with a drone controller dome to see how it looks next time. Also a Skyray.



A fair surplus of Eldar Heavy Support Weapons grav-platforms suggested them as the basis for the Piranha and Tetra light recon vehicles. Again some blocky engine mountings gave them a more Tau-like look; although I’ll happily acknowledge that they remain moderately far from a direct lookalike to the FW vehicles. They were significantly cheaper to acquire/construct.



Actually looking at them again I think I’ll try and put the gun drone in a lower position. Maybe even just have a drone flying with the vehicle. Could also replace it with a drone controller disk in a lower profile position.

The Tetra is similar but with a Viper Gunner on the back and no attached guided missiles.

Love the tetras and piranas, very inventive.

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AFK with real life, still checking PMs

Nice work

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http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

Well the camouflage pattern on the vehicles made my first version of the Crisis Suit units look a little . . . dull. So here is a fresh try at those.



And with his buddy. Also showing off my new look shield drones with lower profile fittings below the main lifting disk - for that invaluable invulnerable save!



Also the Crisis Drones and Broadside Drones have undergone a little more evolutionary development. Instead of trying to paint on the drone controller node I’ve added it in relief and repainted the main body to match the vehicles camouflage pattern; . . . and . . . am rather happier with the result. New builds rather than retro-fit at this stage.



I’m still interested in coming up with new stats for the Crisis Drones (and Broadside Drones) but I’m increasingly thinking of just using them as a proxy for Crisis Suits. This needs at least 3 models on the base since they are infantry, so here is one option for getting the count up.



And teaming up as proxies for a four strong Crisis Suit formation.


Finally a group shot of progress with ToEG 2013.



Next up some more painting at the back of the horde, need to complete some more bases [time to switch to mass production – or growth hormones for the botanical component of the Colonial terra-forming project] and retro-fit the Crisis Drones and the Broadside Drones.