Third Sphere Expansion Logs.

[Mr Mystery]

Morning all.

So, I've taken the plunge and given into the loveliness of the new Tau models. And I know I'm not the only one to have felt the lure.

Hope for this to be a communal thread, where we can egg each other on with our painting and modelling.

And so to business. No pics yet, as I'm at work.

I've currently procured a box of Pathfinders, a Broadside and a Stormsurge, with more to follow on payday.

I've provisionally named my Sept world as Ars'ol (nobody said we have to be mature about it). Intended colour scheme is similar to pre-Heresy Deathguard. So cream/off-white cloth, and a muted mid-green for the armour plating, set off with a vivid orange on the lenses etc.

I should be able to get some painting done this coming week, but in the meantime feel free to add your own pics and that.

[Psychosplodge]

Very much in the Red Dwarf medin ti'one? or whatever they called the killer cyborg? Very nice :D

[Mr Mystery]

Erm....yes?

[Kirsten]

sounds like a good scheme

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

My Tau are from the homeworld, but this Cadre are currently at war with the Tyranids. Commander Defiant Hunter could have been an amazing hero like Farsight or Shadowsun, but something about him has the Ethereals on edge.
He commands the utmost respect from his troops, and he is a veteran of many campaigns, you can see this from his scars and bionics.

Strike Force Hidden Blade chooses the camouflage of the swamps and jungles around this planet. Their armour is a dark green with camo patterns, and their clothing is a grey colour, guns are black, and their lenses are orange.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2009/9/17/53792_md-Artwork,%20Grassland,%20Green,%20Tau.jpg

[Mr Mystery]

Nice.

Kind of the green I'll be aiming for, but without the camo.

- - - Updated - - -

And with confirmation of my refund being processed in time for the weekend, I shall be picking up a Ghostkeel Wing. Oh yes.

[Kirsten]

pow

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd380/KirstenIGMB/20150404_221501_zps5grzi1of.jpg (http://s1216.photobucket.com/user/KirstenIGMB/media/20150404_221501_zps5grzi1of.jpg.html)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Refund?

- - - Updated - - -

They look ace!

[Mr Mystery]

Payday loans....I was in genuine need, then it all got a bit out of hand. All sorted now though!

Also, unrelated, I'll be nipping down DFS to order me a spanky new Sofabed for the new flat. Oh yes.

But mostly three Ghostkeel, because the models are ace and my army is going to be largely comprised of all new models.

[Kirsten]

well currently I have a stormsurge, three riptides, a hammerhead, a sunshark, four broadsides, ten pathfinders, six stealth suits, a commander, and probably ten crisis suits. I will be getting three fire warrior squads, another ten-ish crisis suits, maybe a couple of commanders, and have two ghostkeels already ordered.

[Mr Mystery]

Very nice!

And I'm Defo getting that defence line thing. Seems the very dab for Breacher Teams...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Mine are going in Devilfishes. Time for Angry Fish Technique.

[Psychosplodge]

off the top of my head my existing tau consist of

12x original battlesuits
3x original broadsides
48x original firewarriors
48x original kroot (I think)
one kroot shaper
2x hammerhead
1x dvilfish
original pathfinders (blister packs)
Rail rifle pathfinders (one blister so 2 or 3)
6x XV15s original stealth suits

plus acquired later
a pair of FW burst cannon gun drones
the commander battlesuit they released the first time they redid tau
a skyray i think it is with the missile rack?
and the pathfinder box with the drones and the weird targeting thing.


about half of it's painted, which as a percentage of army owned to painting makes it probably my most complete army not including my SOB as while they're painted, I've never fielded those.

[Kirsten]

I sold my original white tau army. Never really seen the point of the skyray, I want to like it, but firing six krakk missiles just isn't very good. I do love the forge world burst cannon drones

[Psychosplodge]

I didn't either, but I got it bnib from a shop selling all its GW stuff off over 50% off (I think I paid about £10 for it, bought loads of tyranids at about £5 a box as well) and Intended to use it as either a hammerhead or devilfish depending on what was in the box combined with leftovers from my other hammerheads.

[Kirsten]

fair enough

[CoffeeGrunt]

Payday loans....I was in genuine need, then it all got a bit out of hand. All sorted now though!

Ooh, I hear they were looking at legislation to clamp down on those kinds of companies. Hope they didn't screw you over too much! :S

My Tau were getting slowly repainted to a new scheme. Now that I've gotten myself an airbrush and learned how to use it, I'll be steadily recycling my old models over to the new scheme. There's a local second-hand minis store in town that I can probably fob off the less-successful minis onto. I won't get into how much Tau I own. Too much, so I'm gunna be downsizing my Tau to accommodate getting new models.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s36/coffeegrunt/WP_20150812_22_56_06_Pro.jpg (http://s148.photobucket.com/user/coffeegrunt/media/WP_20150812_22_56_06_Pro.jpg.html)
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s36/coffeegrunt/WP_20150812_22_50_59_Pro.jpg (http://s148.photobucket.com/user/coffeegrunt/media/WP_20150812_22_50_59_Pro.jpg.html)
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s36/coffeegrunt/WP_20150812_22_56_40_Pro.jpg (http://s148.photobucket.com/user/coffeegrunt/media/WP_20150812_22_56_40_Pro.jpg.html)

[Psychosplodge]

See I never added much from that release, as I didn't like the XV25 or the new Broadside.

[Mr Mystery]

Don't worry - I work for the Ombudsman, so it was very much me getting the last laugh....

Hence being able to fund a 'whatever I want' army.

[Kirsten]

whaaaat?

[Psychosplodge]

?

[Kirsten]

how could you not like them?

[Psychosplodge]

Because broadsides went from looking as they were described, to looking like they were waving their wang about, they went a bit too phallic for my taste :D

[Kirsten]

ok...

[Psychosplodge]

Ok so they're not quite dickjetbikes but not a million miles away either

[Kirsten]

just you on that one I think...

[Psychosplodge]

:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I don't even.

I do like the old Stealth Suits though.

[Psychosplodge]

I regret only having six

[Kirsten]

I can't imagine anybody preferring the old stealth suits to the new ones, madness :p

[Psychosplodge]

Then you have a very limited imagination :D

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I like the Dawn of War approach. XV15 scrubs, XV25 Shas'ui.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I debated doing that approach, but tbh the XV15s just don't do it for me.

Also, as much as I liked the shoulder-mounted approach of the old Broadsides, or even the underslung arm approach for the Forge World ones, I still think the new one looks best. It also makes far more sense for recoil management as well.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I don't like how mono-pose the new Broadside is though.

[Psychosplodge]

It's a railgun, how much recoil should there be?

[CoffeeGrunt]

Incredible amounts. Recoil is the reaction to the round's action, and with the muzzle energy a railgun has, it's pretty massive. Just because there's no exploding in the chamber doesn't mean recoil won't happen.

Check out the images of the test-firing of the US Navy's Railgun. Despite how heavy it is and the compensators built into it, the recoil still pushes it back a couple of feet upon firing.

[Psychosplodge]

Yeah but the tau are more advanced than that :p

Fair enough I suppose toppling over isn't idle everytime they fire.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Yeah, the Tau design for function more than anything else. I'll forever love my stompy Broadsides digging themselves into the dirt and arming up their huge cannons in Dark Crusade.

[Mr Mystery]

Next? I shall procure the paints for my scheme... And some new brushes

[Mr Mystery]

Shop was shut yesterday....shall procure them today. Huzzah!

And a can of Black Spray of course.

[Mr Mystery]

Tau army currently stands at....

1 Stormsurge
2 Broadsides
2 Ghostkeels

All luvverly kits, especially the Ghostkeel. Next up? Probably three boxes of the new Firewarriors, then a box of Crisis suits (maybe two) and a Commander.

[Kirsten]

seems like a good force

[Mr Mystery]

Just random pickings :)

Kind of tempted to add a Razorshark, because I really like the model.

Oh, and I've got a box of Pathfinders as well.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I got myself a Ghostkeel last night after selling off a bunch of old models. Really lovely kit, just started painting it. I can see many more of them in my future!

[Kirsten]

yeah the razorshark is cool

waiting for my two ghostkeels to arrive tomorrow.

[Mr Mystery]

Still a bit bummed I missed out on the Shieldwall, but I may be able to nab one if my local store gets one in stock.

[Kirsten]

it will probably come back

[Mr Mystery]

I hope so.

If not, I'll just buy the kits as they come out.

[Mr Mystery]

Oh noes!

Paid a quick visit to GW on my way back...and before I knew it, I'd bought a Riptide, a third Ghostkeel and a third Broadside....

Brings the total warriors of Ars'Ol Sept toooooooo....

1 X Stormsurge
1 X Riptide
3 X Ghostkeel
3 X Broadside
1 X Squad of Pathfinders.

Next intended purchase, on they're back in stock? 3 squads of Breachers, replete with Missile Pod Drone Things. For added Dakkas.

[Kirsten]

missile turrets are lost if you move basically, so not ideal for breachers

[Mr Mystery]

Way I read it, they respawn?


Though it does require the unit remaining still in the movement phase.

Mind you, I intend to use my Breachers to set up 'no-go zones' for enemy troops, hoping to reduce their movement options.

[Kirsten]

they can be set up again yeah, and you can move some of the unit so long as someone remains within two inches and in coherency.

[Mr Mystery]

All about getting to those choke points, dissuade my opponent from taking certain avenues. If I can pull it off (very much depends on how the board is set up, of course) then it frees up my various Battlesuits to flit about the other sections.

[Kirsten]

and a smart missile system can threaten on the approach to a choke point without line of sight

[Mr Mystery]

True enough.

Hmm.. Perhaps more ponderings are required.

[Psychosplodge]

I picked up a couple of ghostkeels. I wonder if the margins on the new kits are lower though, as my local independent has reduced their 20% discount of GW to only 15%

[Mr Mystery]

Who knows?

Could be they've upped their wholesale prices - could be just your local.#

Really need to stop and think at this stage...I've amassed a decent sized force so far. Time to get the new rules (still torn between Kauyon and the Codex) and then see how what I've bought fits together.

[Psychosplodge]

I suppose we'll find out if a lot of others do the same.

[Mr Mystery]

True that.

[Psychosplodge]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12144818_1029773913741961_6038311547025653500_n.jp g?oh=9422bf894083eb3e47888efbd619a8e2&oe=5684857A

[CoffeeGrunt]

Looks like a vehicular Stormsurge. :P

[Psychosplodge]

I assumed it was a leaked pic... :D

[Kirsten]

it's a mess

[Psychosplodge]

Must be fast though, look how red it is.

[Mr Mystery]

It's not that red to be honest.

[Psychosplodge]

It's not standard Tau brown/white/blue is it?

[Mr Mystery]

I can't be sure. It hurts my eyes to look at it.

[Kirsten]

Not as red as my tau

[Mr Mystery]

Kind of tempted to get a Supremacy Armour this month.....

[Kirsten]

do it. I will be getting one next year. two riptides first, then supremacy armour

[Mr Mystery]

All depends entirely upon what Black Friday deals there are next week. If there's a board and scenery deal, I'd be mad not to snaffle it for the gaming room.

And again, open invitation to all to come and kick my teeth in once it's up and running. I'm even going to be procuring a sofa bed for the (massive) front room, so you'll have a place to crash.

[Kirsten]

will probably have to skip black friday regardless of what GW do, job is a little shaky at the moment and I need to be responsible.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Strike Force Hidden Blade is at nearly 2000 points. To get there I want to do the Optimised Stealth Cadre. :D

[Mr Mystery]

Can anyone confirm if Riptide's are now 1-3 per slot?

[Kirsten]

they are yeah

[Mr Mystery]

Sweet.

Guess I'll pick up the new Codex after all. I've not seen that included in Kauyon.

Oh, and finally built that third Broadside. Built with an inadvertent Gangster Lean, as I bodged the hips. Upside? Looks like it's just leant to avoid incoming firepower. Lends the model a certain 'devil may care' attitude.

[Kirsten]

is the gun held sideways? :p

[Mr Mystery]

Nope!16443

- - - Updated - - -

Tomorrow I shall crack on with the other two Ghostkeels, and those Pathfinders.

[Kirsten]

it clearly is sideways

[Mr Mystery]

That's just the photo....

Think I'll focus on getting my board up and running this month, so I've got somewhere to field the Ar'Sol sept.

[Mr Mystery]

Hmmmmmm.

Third Ghostkeel build pending.

Do I go with a third Ion Raker, or round out the squad with the massive Fusion weapon? Other two have twin-linked Fusion Blasters as their secondary weapon system?

[Kirsten]

I went with ion raker and fusion blasters. found the collider to be pretty underwhelming.

[Mr Mystery]

More or less my thinking. Given their sneaky nature, I've got little excuse not to be striking side armour at worst, making the Collider seem overkill.

[Kirsten]

plus with a single shot it could miss, whereas the ion raker could get multiple hits, and is ideal for light squadrons like war walkers and so on.

[Mr Mystery]

Indeed.

I intend to use mine as an expensive distraction, largely divorced from the synergy in the rest of my army - this means going it alone without Marker Lights etc.

So having multiple shots or twin-linked is necessary for them to get away with it.

Rock up a flank and give it a really hard time, hopefully dividing my opponent's attention. Lovely.

[Kirsten]

yeah, it will be very hard to kill

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I have two with Colliders to go and ruin tanks, a job they perform well. Then three to run in my Optimised Stealth Cadre, to ruin anything really.