The Blood of Tau

[PostWarFolk]

What color would a Fire Warriors blood be? Red like humans? Curious for painting a decapitated Tau model.

[Nabterayl]

They've got red blood in Dawn of War ... not sure about Fire Warrior.

[Andrew283]

Just paint it goblin green!

[entendre_entendre]

isn't it blue b/c they have cobalt in their blood rather than iron (humans) or chlorophyll (orks).

[Kall3m0n]

It depends on if the have red bloodclots and all that human thing PLUS the cobalt.
If that is so, then the colour should be purpleish.

Red plus blue = purple

[lobster-overlord]

Since in our culture, gore and ick! factor are associated with blood being red, if you are looking to model a figure that gives a feeling of being bloody to the casual viewer, you would want to use red (which is why many older bloody ork models from GW are always Red blooded, not green even though fluff may indicate this). If you want fluff accurate models, then I think the cobalt is the way to go (not positive since it's been a long while since I've read the Tau information).

John M>

[Rapture]

That guy is dead on, red means dead. However, I have to support the other guy and say go with purple. Just take care to very specifically show that it is coming out of a wound.

[PostWarFolk]

Thanks, I was thinking red on a modeling stand point. But want to stay accurate. Maybe a little purple with some red influence. Whatever will be more appealing to the eye.

[Kieranator K82]

You do have to remember that the colour of skin is determined by that of the blood flowing through their veins.

We have red blood, so we're pinkish.
Orks have dark green blood so they're green.
Tau have ??? blood so they're blue-grey.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Tau#Tau_Society_and_Physiology

Apparently, according to the above link, their blood is actually bluish purple. The cobalt instead of iron thing is correct.

So I'd highly recommend ditching red and replace it with blue along with the purple.

[Morgrim]

Could compromise and do a rather pinkish purple, it'll still give the 'blood' impression. Give me a few hours, I'll go look up what colour nematodes' blood goes on contact with oxygen, I know some of them have blue and some purple blood...

[tylermenz]

In the Xenology book there was a dissection of a Tau Ethereal. I can't remember what color the blood was but I am sure it said. I will try to look when I get Home.