So with my original ARC project complete, it’s time to expand my beloved cadre! There are a lot of options in the codex that I would love to add and a few Forgeworld projects as well. So instead of cluttering up my original thread by adding another 30 pages, I felt I should start fresh.

I learned a TON over the course of my last project and I know that I can improve those skills the further I push myself. So here are the goals of my new cadre:

1.) Improve my Painting Speed – I find that it takes me a VERY long time to get a model done. I know that it has a lot to do with some sloppy brush work that I have to always go back and redo, so I hope to eliminate this extra step by being more careful with my brush strokes. A simple goal, but something I hope to improve on.

a. So to accomplish this, I will be recording the amount of time I spend painting a model. Hopefully I can then see what gives me trouble and work to improve that.

2.) Paint Camo Patterns and Stealth Effects – This is something I’ve always envied in other painters armies, so I will be attempting to do these effects on my Stealth’s and quite possibly my XV9’s.

a. Using the tutorial found here, I should be able to get the effect I want. Of course, practice makes perfect.

3.) Battle Damage – Again, this is something that I have always admired and I want to apply it on many of my models.

4.) Sculpting – I have been using green stuff extensively on many of my models. But this has mainly been in a gap filling role. I would like to try my hand at sculpting a few things like helmets or shoulder pads to get some really unique looking models in my cadre.

That’s about it for now. These are just things I’d like to focus on so that I can have direction which will help me improve my skills.

Now, let’s get down to business. I have tried painting and modelling things at random, but soon discovered that I need focus. So here is the army list I am currently working up to. I must state that this list is highly illegal and is pretty much just units I want to add to my existing cadre.

ARC Reinforcements:

++++ [HQ] ++++

Ethereal
--- []
FW Honour G. 'ui
--- [Pulse rifle, Markerlight]
5x FW Honour Guard
--- [Pulse rifle]

Shadow Sun
--- [2x Fusion Blasters, Shield generator, HW MT Adv TL, HW Drone controller, Command Link Drone, 2x Shield Drones]

Shas'o R'myr
--- [R 'myr Shield Gen, Flechette disch., Double-barreled PR, Ejection sys., HW Drone controller, HW Target lock]
--- []
XV81 Shas'vre BG
--- [SMS, AFP, Targeting array, HW Multi-tracker]
--- []
XV89 Shas'vre BG
--- [CIB, Plasma rifle, Targeting array, Iridium Arm.]

DX-7 Disengagement Drone
--- [Flamer, Missile pod, Failsafe det.]

XV9 Shas'O R’alai /b]
--- [Pulse Submunitions Rifle, ‘Eclipse’ Shield Generator, Vectored Retro-Thrusters, Blacksun Filter, Drone Controller, 2x (BSF) Marker Drone]

[b]++++ [Elites] ++++

Stealthsuit 'vre
--- [Burst cannon, Markerlight]
3x Stealthsuit 'ui
--- [Burst cannon]

Stealthsuit 'vre
--- [Burst cannon, Markerlight HW Drone Controller, Marker Drone]
2x Stealthsuit 'ui
--- [Burst cannon]

Stealthsuit 'vre
--- [Burst cannon, Markerlight, HW Drone Controller, Marker Drone]
2x Stealthsuit 'ui
--- [Burst cannon]

++++ [Troops] ++++

Fire Warrior 'ui
--- [Pulse rifle, Markerlight]
11x Fire Warrior 'la
--- [Pulse rifle]

3x Fire Warrior 'la
--- [Pulse rifle]

10x Saro Mercs (Firewarrior Count-as)
--- [Pulse rifle]

++++ [Fast Attack] ++++

XV9 Shas'Vre
--- [Fusion Cascade, Fusion Cascade, Drone controller, Gun Drone]
XV9 Shas'Vre
--- [Phased Ion Guns, Phased Ion Guns, Drone controller, Shield Drone]

3x Pathfinder 'la
--- [Rail R./Target lock]

Pathfinder 'la
--- [Pulse C./ Marker]

++++ [Heavy Support] ++++

XV88 'ui
--- [TL Railgun, SMS, Targeting array]
-----------------------
Total model count: 59
-----------------------

From a fluff perspective, I will continue to update my Collective Background thread with stories of the cadre as a whole and some individual models. However, there will be some units that I will write background for as a whole, since doing them as individuals would be too lengthy. I am very, very pleased with the background I have made so far, so I hope to keep it going and finally answer some of the nagging questions that there have been about the ARC-16’s motivation.

---

So with all these things is place, what should be my opening model to showcase? Well why not let it be my model that recently won the ATT Combo Challenge! Let’s break this guy down, shall we?













First off, let me explain what my goal was with this build. I love the look of the Sanguinary Guard models and this is in my interpretation of the Tau version. I wanted to make something that resembled an actual Tau, but just anthropomorphized into suit form. I also felt this was the only way to make a swift looking Farsight conversion. The Plasma Carbine is my imitation of the wrist mounted weapons the Sangy Guards use and the Fusion Cutter is my version of a power sword. Oh and the best thing about this is that the entire suit is made from spare parts that I had lying around (believe it or not!)

So let’s break this sucker down:



The head was sculpted by Warhound and was something I had lying around. The small antenna is the same one from the XV8 kit, but is trimmed down to fit onto the round ear piece the helm already had.

Onto the torso. The torso had its bottom half (with the hip sections) cut off. Then, I took an old XV8 backpack engine, cut the thrusters off and attached the power core part to the bottom the torso. This allowed me to not only seal up the hole at the bottom, but allow a perfect join for the waist. The front top of the chest then was cut out a bit and had part of the Stealth Suit shoulder pad attached. Near the suits collar, I attached two Koto vents to tie the suit in with the rest of my suits that have the same vents.



Onto the backpack. This was pretty fun, since I got to use bitz I’ve had sitting around for years! I took the XV8 thrusters, attached them together and greenstuffed then seam. Then I took two rounded Koto vents and attached them on the intakes/outtakes on the top of the thrusters. This helped to not only cover up some mistakes, but made the whole backpack flow together. The sides of the backpack are from the back half of an Ion Cannon. They are trimmed and grenstuffed to fit and connect the whole backpack to the suits body. Two Koto panels are then attached near the thrusters for decoration.



Right arm, go! Now this is interesting. The two arm sections are actually both made from the same type of bit: an XV8 forearm. Warhound came up the design of the upper arm and it work perfectly as a bicep. The bottom of the forearm then got some fingers taken from a Space Marine power fist. The Plasma Carbine is really one of my favorite conversions. I felt like a long, giant plasma rifle on a close combat suit would be silly and get in the way. So, taking the idea from the Sangy Guards, I took a Space Marine Landspeeder light, filed down the lens, the attached the front half of a Plasma Rifle to it. Then I took the roundy little nubs on the back of the Plasma Rifle and attached them to the gun to complete the plasma look. Then a hole was drilled in the gun to give it some realism. The shoulder pads are made from Space Marine Dreadnought leg armor with Koto bits at the corners.

The other arm contains the experimental Fusion Cutter, as weapon that was adapted from a Fio work tool used to cut through massive derelicts floating in space. The arm is made the same way as the other. The Fusion Cutter is made from 5 parts.





1.) Farsight’s Shield- This had the Enclave symbol shaved off and the Sa’cea symbol greenstuffed on top of it.
2.) 2x Tau Flammer Bitz- Pretty self explanatory.
3.) Space Marine Landspeeder Bit – That is underneath everything and can’t be seen, but it almost looks like a wall mount for a TV screen.
4.) Gundam Energy Weapon!? – Yes, I used a Gundam bit. It is from an OLD Gundam model that carried an energy trident and had dragon arms. The blade is trimmed down and stuck underneath the shield.

My first attempt at the Fusion Cutter can be seen here.




While not terrible, it just didn’t give the power sword look I wanted. So maybe I will use it for something else…

Paint wise, the used Vollero Fluorescent Green paint as a base coat, then washed it with Thrakka Green wash. I then drybrushed Goblin Green to give it an OSL look around the glow of the blade.





Now onto the bottom half! The hips are taken from the XV9 kit. Yes, I actually had some extra XV9 bitz lying around! Anyway, I love hips and am going to make this conversion on all of my future suits because it brings joy to my heart. The legs are from the XV89 kit and have some Dreadnought engine panels attached to them. Those thigh plates then have Koto bitz attached to the corners to tie them in with the suit. The knee pads are XV8 shoulders hollowed out.

The feet were actually made by taking Eldar Warwalker feet, cutting them in half, and then attaching the front half of that weird bit you get with Stealth Suits to the center of the foot halves. I then greenstuffed the gaps in the middle to make it look more like Tau hoofs. Then I took some XV8 feet, but the toes off and then glued them to the hoofs. Some greenstuff was then used to create some ankles and strengthen the bond. The base is also Dragonforge and is way awesome! I attached the suit to the top of the rubble heap with a metal rod to give him the look like he was jetting sideways, firing his Plasma Carbine as he goes by. I was very happy with the model and I think it looks great.

Then I painted my ARC-16 colors, applied the Bonding Knife transfer, then I was good to go!

Now let’s take a look at the pilot.







Cadian Torso with a hole drilled in the center, filled by a Firewarrior Shoulder pad Tau symbol. I used this because I felt like it looked too much like Cadian armor without it. Also, this looked similar to the armor O’Shavah wore in an old piece of art.



On the back, the grill thing is from a Necron Gauss weapon, cut down to look like it would plug into the cockpit of the suit. Next, I took some Fire Warrior legs, shaved off the thigh pads, then used green stuff to smooth it out.

The shoulder pads are pretty simple, just using Kroot shoulder pads flipped upside down. The Pulse Pistol is made by using the Firewarrior rifle arm that is resting the gun on his shoulder. The gun then has the top part cut off at the panel line and is trimmed down near the handle. The gun butt is then cut down a bit so it doesn’t look so large. The other arm is normal, with a Cadian knife in his hand.

The head is a normal Tau bare head, with the scalp lock cut off. The left eye is then given some scars with an x-acto knife and a small koto bit is attached as the prosthetic eye. Oh and the base is from Dragonforge Mini’s.

---

As for the identity of the pilot, I used him as Shas’El Sa’cea Lynu’nan for the purposes of the competition. But in reality he is my ejected Lar’shi. Just an FYI! As for his background, you all read the shortened version I had to use for the comp. Well here is the full, double sized version for your reading pleasure!

--Por’El Interview: Shas’El Sa’cea Lynu’nan--
--LOCATION: Wer’na Yon Battle Dome, 3rd moon of Ma'juro, Tau'shan system--

--I met with Shas’El Lynu’nan during a training exercise in the Sa’cean Battle Dome. He is equipped with his new XV8 “T’pel” pattern Xar’vesa. The training exercise’s run here are controversial among the Tau’shan Shas’ar’tol as they are the only ones who use live Y’he specimens. Lynu’nan is tall and muscular, with no scalp lock. His face is heavily scarred, with a particularly deep gash extending from the right side of his mouth; giving him a permanent smirk.
He speaks to me as he equips his suit. I suggested that we conduct the interview during his rest time. He replied that this is his rest time.--

“I had everything a Shas would ever want. I served the honored Aun’El Elro’gal for seven kai’rotta, protecting him as he spread the Tau’va to countless worlds.”

[With the xar’vesa’s prep work completed, he leaps into the training area. We continue our conversation through the comm.]

“But all that changed on Tenu’ro. We were overwhelmed, y’he pouring in on all sides. Did you know that we weren’t even supposed to be there? Our ship was prepped and ready when the attack began, but Elro’gal refused to leave. He said that his people here would need motivation to combat this threat and he was not about to leave them in their time of need. If he had only listened…

[The first y’he are released from their pens. I’m told there are twenty of the Hormagaunt genus.]

“If it wasn’t for the Aun, I don’t think our people would have fought as hard as they did. We held them back for a long time and we probably could have held out longer. But after the second day of the siege, our command center was located and attacked by a large brood of Lictors.”

[Two of the beasts charge Lynu’nan as they appear around the corner, but are quickly vaporizes by his plasma carbine.]

“We must have killed at least six of those things as we fell back to the main chambers. But there were dozens of other Tau who were killed during the fighting, even some from my team. [He pauses]....I was bonded to each of those warriors, you know.”

[About ten of the y’he now charge from the dense terrain of the training field. Lynu’nan shoots two, before charging into the fray. During all this, the cold monotone of his voice never changes.]

“Eventually we reached the center but found that the Lictors had gotten their first. We fought hard, but we were simply out maneuvered.”

[As he nears the swarm he activates the fusion cutter.]

“I was the last Firewarrior to survive. But just when I thought I had killed the last one, I got to watch my beloved Ethereal get a cluster of flesh hooks through his chest. It was one of the Lictors I had wounded and thought dead. I was a fool for not checking.”

[The Hormagaunts reach him, the energy blade immediately cutting several of the beasts in half. Slashing and biting, the others swarm over Lynu’nan, but he continues talking as if nothing were happening.]

“I was in shock for decs afterward. But eventually I snapped out of it. Being the most senior Tau there I led the remaining defenders in holding the y’he off till reinforcements could arrive. Thankfully we were able to keep our world. But all I was left with was my failure.”

[Bursting from the writhing mass, Lynu’nan shoots with one arm, while the other continues hacking at those near him. Several other beasts join the fray, but are quickly cut down.]

“After spending some time recovering I wanted to get back into the field. The Por psychologists said that I was suicidal, that I had begun to lose focus on the Tau’va and instead I fought for vengeance.”

“They were right. I wanted nothing more than to see every single Y’he dead. They had taken my Aun and robbed our people of his guidance. It was the ultimate insult to the Tau’va.”

[Only two of the creatures remain. One is killed by a plasma bolt, but the other dodges it and lunges for Lynu’nan. He ducks, catching it by the tail.]

“Thankfully I was allowed to operate as a monat and volunteered for every single suicide mission I could find.”

[Swinging the gaunt by the tail, Lynu’nan begins slamming it against the nearby rocks.]

“But the only problem is, I survived each time. No matter how dangerous the missions got, I somehow made it back.”

[“Is that why you volunteered for the ARC initiatives special weapons division?”]

“Yes. I figured that there was no better way to serve the Tau’va than to test weapons which would give our people a better chance against our enemies. The latest being this gem.”

[By now the gaunt is a pulped and tattered mess. Lynu’nan drops the carcass on the ground.]

“I was told that I was the only one who volunteered to operate this suit. I honestly can’t blame them; it is a barbaric design. But we needed to test a suit that could operate in close quarters; something that could be dropped in enemies lines and disrupt even their assault elements.”

[“But wouldn’t that put the pilot directly in harm’s way?”]

“Of course it would. Why do you think I accepted it?”

[Just then the last surviving Hormagaunt lunges at him from behind a pile of rubble. Lynu’nan quickly turns, activating his blade and slices the beasts head off in one swift motion.]

“Only a matter of time before these things get me. [Laughs] But before I go, I am going to take down as many with me as I can.”

[Lynu’nan walks over to the severed head and smashes it with his foot.]

---

There ya have it, the extended directors cut!

So it begins. Expect to see some Stealth’s and XV9’s down the pipeline soon. Thanks for looking!

Hazzah! More excellent work!

Not quite what I would expect for the Tau, but after the Y'he came around, you have to adapt or die.

I personally love the suit, especially how it looks like it's glowing and that the hand is catching some of the glow.

As for the plasma carbine, it looks like you used some eldar bits for the main body of the weapon. Unless I'm mistaken.

P.S. Congrats on the win, you deserve it!

I really appreciated your story, it was imho the clear winner (yes I voted for you )
I didn't vote your model, but I must say: these pictures do it much more honour. Very nice modelling going on there.
The combo was rightfully yours. Congrats on the win, man!

Interesting story and exceptional model. I love the micro-plasma cannon (carbine?) and how you took the time to paint some of the glow effect from the cutter on his hand.
There was one spot in the story that I thought could have used work, and that was when Lynu'nan casually remarks "I was bonded with every one of them, you know." It seems like he would be a little more emotional about something like that.
I was confused about the pilot; I thought it looked like Lar'shi! You sneaky person.

Anyways - we're waiting for more! You should try your hand at a piranha...

Simply executed with perfection. I am gobsmacked.

Sinc.
Wodai

You mean some people didn't vote for me!? Shame on you! Seriously though, I'm glad everyone likes the suit and/or background. I was quite proud of both!

ShadowSword:
I agree that Tau making a close combat suit is ridiculous, but I needed to try something that would sound somewhat plausible since I needed a Farsight count-as. So basically it is just a one off that probably will not be used again. As for the Plasma Carbine, it was made from a Plasma Rifle and a Space Marine Landspeeder light.

Militant.Jester:
Your suggestion on the story change is a good one and I have made it. Thanks for the advice! I'm also glad you liked the suit. As for the Piranha, well....I have some ideas, but they may not be what you would think....

Very simple change, but it makes it work perfectly. Nice.
So there is a piranha coming? See my excellent interrogation skills! Glad to hear it - we need more vehicles for the modeling showcase. Those battlesuits are taking all the glory!

I absolutely LOVE the suit conversion.... there are many aspects of this that may (ok will) be stolen, including the Sangy Guard reference!! Once a year a player in my town hosts a huge apoc. game, and I'm thinking I may bring 10 O'Shovah conversions as a Tau Sangy guard!!!

I was very sad to see the ARC-16 post end.... but this makes me happy again. I can't wait to see what new tau loveliness you come up with!

Wolfs, your suit was a very close toss up for me and another one.. I am glad you won.
I have always been a fan of your work, and I hope some day to be able to match your skill and ability... (well, yours and Patchoro's)

abraxus:
If you do those Farsight/Sangy Guard models, you MUST take pictures! That would be awesome!

Crunchy_Monk:
Thanks for the kind words Mr. Monk. Just remember to not be afraid to try. You'd be amazed at what you can do!

Okay, now that I had a little break it’s time to get back into things.

---

So let me first start off with my Stealth Suits. My XV25 Shas’Vre has a little stealth effect done on the bottom of his legs. I like it, but maybe it should be a bit wider. What do you guys think?




Some XV15’s waiting to be detailed:

As for his actual paint scheme, I wanted to use Chardon Granite since I think it is an awesome camo color. But I can’t think of a way to highlight it. I actually washed the Chardon Granite in Devlan Mud and like the way it looks, but I still need some bright highlight color. Or maybe I don’t… I’m just having a hard time thinking of how I want to paint this. Any suggestions would be helpful.

And here is a brief little picture of my Ehtereal. Yes, it looks goofy but it’s not done!

I want his cloth to be darker, so I want to try using a lot of washes on him. I think a few Badab Black washes will give it a nice look, but I just wanted to show him from the start. I plan on making this model an “art project” in the cadre since he will be one of only a few un-converted models. Look for more progress on him soon!

---

First up is a shot of my WIP XV9 (no, it’s not my contest winner). I tried using sticky tac since he isn’t painted and I want to have an easier time getting at the details, but it kept falling apart, so here is where we’re at right now. He will have a Fusion Cascade held sideways across his chest and another weapon held down at his side in the direction of his left leg. I want him to look like he is jumping forward.

That base of his is made from an extra Battle for Macragge Scenery kit I had. Here’s a closer shot:

Now here is the rteal question for you folks. I want my XV9’s to have options with their armaments. Now with the current arm configuration that is impossible since only the standard XV9 has removable Burst Cannons. So does anyone have any ideas on how to magnetize the Fusion Cascade or the PIG? I have no idea but would like to try.

Speaking of magnets, here is the work I did on my Shas’Vre’s Burst Cannon:


He has a Markerlight made from an XV8 antenna and Burst Cannon little box thing. Oh and the front of the Burst Cannon has been replaced with a gattling bit from a Koto sprue I have.



And here is the magnetized Fusion Blaster:


Probably would never use this, but I think it’s way cool looking!

Okay now let’s get down to some serious business: Shadowsun and Piranha.

Personally, I hate the stiff, straight armed pose of the original Shadowsun model. But I think the model itself has a lot fo potential. So after seeing this awesome conversion from Old Shatter Hands, I knew I had to try the same thing. I plan on copying the arms and the jetpack, but the head needs some work. A user made a comment that it looks to blocky to be on the curvy Shadowsun armor, and I totally agree. So a helmet that is more domed shaped or at least curvier is better.

So I figure I might as well start with a Firewarrior helmet and go from there.


So where should I take this design? Well I need to fill out the indented side where the antenna usually goes and I have a few Koto bits that would work great as optics. So what about something that looks like the Elite soldier guys from Half Life 2?




What do you guys think? Would this type of helmet look good on the Shadowsun model?

Now let’s move on to Piranha. I like the model, but I have a bunch of models that I should use instead of buying new stuff. So I had an idea. What if I tried a combination of these two ideas:

(To see more pictures, look here.)

And Turbo_MMX’s here:

(To see more pictures, look here.)

I think Turbo’s idea is really cool, but I like the way the Nob Biker army uses them as bikes instead of Kopters. So I think I will try and combination of the two and try to crank out three of these bad boys. Any suggestions on how I can achieve this are welcome.

But here's the thing. My commander makes extensive use of mercenaries. And it has been shown that some Tau commanders (Brightsword) use Blood Axe Orks as mercenaries in their forces. So maybe I could just leave the Ork pilots, but make a few conversions to make it look a bit more Tau like. What do you guys think?

You may have some trouble convincing someone that orks would fight alongside a Tau force. Regardless of any sourced fluff it might be hard for a non-fluff junky to feel good about it.

You have some great conversions and talent for spicing up existing ranges so I'm sure you can do something great with these. The kroot aspect is great. The nob-bikers also fit well with the fatter heads I can make out in the image. The body isn't a big deal - as it could be a morphology resulting from too much ork meat; it at least looks more fitting than orks with glued on tau bits. I'm not certain the Tau Empire would be keen on sharing technology with orks voluntarily.

I think the bikes need a bit more work though to look like they would have an armour value instead of just toughness 5 bikes as is the universal norm. Sorry I can't suggest anything, just point out things that don't jive well.

Again, great idea and I've seen some excellent kroot spin-off. One promising thing is that you've never jumped into something without waiting or making subsequent changes which really pay off.

Also, really nice effect on the glow. Not over done and simple. I'll be trying this out on my next power weapon. Was it just drybrushing over existing highlights?

I am so in love with that suit seriously, once I get the parts I will make one!

I must say that the amount of work and brainstorming going into this so far is already impressive. Completely blows my mind how you do it...

Concerning the Piranha, ork pilots seem like too much of a stretch for what you'd expect from a Shas'O's list of candidates to give technology to... though it would be a sight to behold. I'd recommend hiring some humans, or perhaps experimenting with an AI piranha equivalent? (Remora drones come to mind on this train of thought...) kroots could possibly get away with it, but the only way I'd let someone get away with it is if they had a krootox hanging off the side to represent the equivalent of a flechette discharger upgrade.

as for what to make the vehicle itself out of... what exactly do you have at your disposal? I would assume you have a lot of hammerhead bits lying around that you could use (ion cannons could be repurposed as engines and whatnot), and maybe even pieces of vehicle hulls that were sliced off of earlier conversions.

For the shadowsun helmet issue. The smoother, the better IMO. The current fire warrior helmet is great, maybe just remove the lens bits in the front and make the face entirely smooth, then add extras from there. The mouthpiece on the HL2 figures doesnt jive with me for the Tau look, but I think the rest of the headgear will work well.

THIS. May I please have some close-ups of the winglets?

Hey Wolfs16
Do you have your heart set on using Orks *shudder* as mercenaries for your army? Or are you looking for a way to add more Kroot? Because if you are looking to add more Kroot, I would definitely suggest modeling some type of smaller Kroot Knarloc riders to represent piranhas.........maybe ?

On the other hand, if you are dead-set on using up your bitz then why not try your hand at modeling some Tarellians or maybe some Jokaero (anything but orks please!!!!! )

As always, I'm sure you'll make it work!

- null

The basic stealth effect you have going on is great. I would only suggest some more 'feathering' like you can see on the left leg in the second picture.
Now bear with me but -- the devlan mud wash is the lower legs? Kind of a rusty brown? Assuming yes, I Quite like it the way it is. If you think it needs more detail I would suggest adding some stealth 'flickers.'

The Ethereal is looking good. No suggestions (ok fine, you had a typo ).

The pose looks sweet so far, if you could take some snapshots of the arms in question I think we could help you more with your magnetizing question.

Personally, Shadowsun's helmet is one of my favorite parts of the model. But if you want to change it well this sounds like a perfect excuse to use my kicken' tablet! I'll get back to you on that.

I like your *cough* stolen *cough* idea for the piranhas. But no orks!
A, orks are lame. B, I don't see your commander working well with them - from what I understand, he didn't like Kroot at first, but gave them a chance because they were already part of the Empire. I don't see him even letting orks speak one word before he blows them out of existence. No way he'd give them advanced tech.

Haha, okay! I see that people vehemently hate the Ork idea! So I guess we can scratch that one off. But more on that later.

Theambit:
To what glow effect are your referring? Do you mean the Farsight count-as? If so, I used Valerjo Fluorescent Green paint with a Thraka Green wash. Then to do the glow around the hand and such I drybrushed Goblin Green.

Terminatorinhell:
The suit was not to hard to make honestly. Everything just sorta fit into place! Once you try it, let me know and I'll give you any help you need.

tehlegend:
My brain is a flurry of activity, so the danger is actually that I will start too many projects and never finish them. So right now I am limiting myself to these current models before I move on. Your thoughts on the Shadowsun helmet are very similar to mine. I will fill the helmet out a bit and add some optics, but the mouth piece won't be part of it. What do you think of the sides of the helmet?

(See the Modelling section below for more on the Piranha idea.)

Orpheus Hangar:
When I was washing this XV9 model, I accidentally broke the winglets off one of the shoulder thrusters. So I thought that I would take advantage of it and try something new.



I can see that the wings are a bit warped, so I'll have to straighten them out later. I quite like the look and think the simple little conversion

Null:
I have considered using another type of alien and just equipping the vehicle with a count as weapon, so this does give me some ideas. Man, you guys really hated the Ork idea, huh?

Militant.Jester:
Glad you like the Stealth effects and I totally agree with your suggestion. And yes, the bottom half is the stealthed part. I have been thinking of the color scheme these guys had and felt that having lighter armor would be better since the bases are so dark. So I think I will be going to my standard gray scheme with a little variation. Unless anyone has any other suggestions!

With the XV9 arms, they connect to the shoulder using a little elbow bit. The position of the arms is irrelevant since the fact is that the gun and forearm are one sold piece. Maybe put a magnet in the elbow part... I mean, I guess it really doesn't matter since I won't be playing any games but I guess I'm picky.

As for the helmet, I wanted something that looked like a variation of the standard suit and gave it a bit more life. The helmet is perfectly safe and will be used on another conversion though. Curious to see what you come up!

---

Okay so we have settled on using Orks for the Piranha conversion, right? Kidding!

So I was thinking a bit more about how to make the Kopter have the right size to be a Piranha. Well suddenly something came to me:


Pod Racers! While I hate Episode 1, there definitely was some cool imagery there. So what if I tried a similar concept, using the Kopter body with some engines from an Imperial vehicle, probably the Valkryie (engines would be trimmed down though).

What do you guys think? I was also considering the use of some Gun Drone count-as models, but not sure what yet. Just curious to see if folks think this idea would have any legs.

Thanks much, Wolfy! I ran into the same problem with mine, may try that if I can find the winglets again! And why didn't ya like Episode 1? I honestly don't see why so many people hated 1-3; yeah, jar-jar was a little annoying, but that's not a good enough reason to cast down and entire movie

It is due to an age divide between the filming of the original 3 and the new ones. Most people born in the 80's and further back prefer the originals as they were from a more civilized age (Not filmed entirely in front of a green screen with poor acting; sorry couldn't resist the reference) whereas younger audiences are more accepting of the video-game type film appearance. - TheAmbit

Also, concerning your XV22, I'd honestly suggest not modding the helmet too much; rounding out the side for the antenna and perhaps replacing the current optics with a set of XV25 optics (the one with the single large lens in the middle) would work great for this situation.

EDIT: Also, let me know if you finda good color combo to highlight Charadon Granite with; I'm still stuck on that myself!

Hey Wolfs16
Awww, I guess I was a bit forceful with my rejection of your Ork idea. You know it could work, you would just have to whip up some solid background as to why the Orks are fighting with your Cadre and not with your Cadre, if that made any sense .....

YES!!! I think the kopter-pod-racer-thing could really work! It would defiantly seem kroot-tech to me. Looking forward to seeing your ideas!!!!

- null

Loving the pose of the XV9, (and thanks for the close up of the wings). They give the model a real sense of movement.

Any more suits and poses planned?