I know I'm ineligible for Tael's contest, but still wanted to harness some of the great motivation that's being thrown around


Shield Generator / Energy Generator

Usable as a variety of Strategems in CoD or Assets in Apoc, this mobile, low-yield generator can be configured before deployment to recharge ammunition power packs, emit jamming and disruption frequencies, generate a powerful Null Field, or project a protective energy shield. All the bits should be readily apparent; the vertical struts were sculpted by hand from Milliput. I was worried about their symmetry, but they seem to have come out pretty well. The vents are simply slits cut in with a hobby knife; still haven't come across a really good way of making these sorts of slits/panel lines







Communications Relay Node

This is used for boosting and relaying high-bandwidth communications between forward scout teams and a primary operations center. It lacks the target acquisition and identification sensors of it's larger cousin the Sentry Tower, but is much smaller and therefore easier and less resource-intensive to deploy. It can also provide a communications link with an Aerial Drone Network if one is available. Again, relatively basic use of bits; the main base is a brass slug which I found in some quantity in the scrap bit at work ... no idea what it was used for it its past life, but it looks wonderfully Tau-ish!







I'm working on a few others as well, but doubt those will be finished by the April 20th deadline. Will post them up when they're complete. C&C welcome!

I like the shield/ energy generator it just looks right, tight, compact and solid. The Communications Relay Node... hmm... I don't know it just doesn't look right to me, I think the disc is too small for the size of aerial, which throws the scale out.

That generator is the bomb. Seriously, it reminds me of that one broadside that was in the 4th ed rulebook, I think...it was so cool.

The relay is cool too, but nowhere near as awesome as the generator.

I must agree that the generator is better. Objective Markers seem to look better when you keep them simple. With that in mind, I would recommend taking the antenna and jutting out base piece off of the Sensor Drone. If you did this, it would maintain a sense of balance that would (IMO) make the model look even better.

The sheild generator looks awesome. I like the mini sept symbols on the equipment, are they just done in greenstuff or didd you cut them off bits? Nice simple designs that work well.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I agree, the Generator is my favorite too. I can't quite figure how to improve the Comm Node though. One thing I thought of last night was to drill out a larger hole where the stem goes down inside the base, so that there is a ring of empty space around the stem. That's going to require some serious disassembly though ... dunno if I'm up for it

Shas'O T'Ar'Cha, I went back and forth on the aerial and disk sizes for a good half hour while I was designing it! There were so many options! I wanted the disk to be in proportion to the body at approximately the same scale as the disk and body of the Forgeworld Drone Sentry Turrets. I think I achieved that ratio pretty well. The aerial is indeed a bit oversized when compared to a Gun Drone for example, but I was actually shooting for that appearance since communications is the primary purpose of this structure after all. I wanted the aerial to be sized in approximately the same proportion as the one on my Drone Hangar.

Leatherback, can you describe a bit better your suggestion? I'm having trouble understanding what you're getting at.

Paulson Games, the sept symbols were shaved of a Firewarrior shoulder pad. I've never gotten around to putting the shoulder armor on most of my Firewarriors, so I've got a lot of them lying around

Really nice piece's that you've created there, so simple yet so effective and that would look good as scenery piece's aswell. As for the Drone Hanger, really good concept and really well executed in it's construction.

Yeah, I was a bit unclear. I think that the second one lacks the simplicity and balance of the first. If you were to take off the Drone Antenna and the Slanted Bit attached to the cylindrical base the model would be more balanced.
Diagram explaining what should be taken off.

Personally I think I'd advocate going the other way: adding a second support to one of the other sides, such as at a 90º angle to the first one and at a proportionate point on the node. My understanding of Tau styles for this sort of thing is that they use a lot of modular buildings, especially those that can be pushed out of an aircraft, land and deploy themselves without additional help. Comm relays or nodes (which I see as being something akin to telephone poles in terms of distribution) would be about perfect for this sort of deployment: fly from one base camp to another, shoving nodes out the back of the Orca as you go. That would make having more than one extendable support rather useful.

Dependent upon how much you intend to do with the base, I'd say it should otherwise be fine as-is. If you're intending to keep your basing to something very simple, such as flock or sand, you might want to try and add some panel lines to the bottom part of the node, just so it doesn't look too plain.

i really like them both, the generator is awesome! great job.

-pulse-

I have to agree with the others, the Generator is Ingenious.

With so many spare drone parts lying about, I have to admit, I will most definetly be creating a similar objective marker for myself.

Tonka, now there are several things I would like to see next time we meet. You do such an amazing modeling job.

As for the smooth vent lines, have you tried cutting the preliminary lines with the hobby knife blade and using a small piece of plasticard, or the back of the hobby knife blade to square them off? That seems to work with me and greenstuff.



edit: This obviously has to be done while wet

Without meaning to be a parrot, that generator is great ("squawk!"). It's compact, looks functional and fits in with the Tau aesthetic. I like the idea of the comm node too, maybe it'd benefit from a cluster of aerials. Might look good combined with the smooth lines of the base. Great job all round though.

Mind if I steal these ideas for my Tau city of death?

Not at all. Also, I've updated the links in the original post so you can actually see the pictures now

Inspired by your work I've knocked up some objectives of my own:

Mobile Generator:

Comms Relay:


Rus'El

Those are excellent! I think that the power generator with Stealth suit bits looks actually better than the sculpted!

It's probably too late to make a suggestion for Tonka's Communication Relay Node, however I would suggest lining up the antenna and bulwark with each other, the problem people could be having with it here is perceiving it as skewed. Personally I think they are all nice pieces, though Rus'el your Generator doesn't look as elevated as Tonka's does to me.

What is the main body of the Comms unit made from? I can't quite work it out (maybe I'm just plain dumb).

E.