I'm not sure as of yet what my final piece will be. I'll try to post WIP shots, but I work fast and forget to stop until my work is done! I've cleaned up my work area ready to dig out my bitz box in the morning. I'll have a look what I can turn things into and maybe even think about getting out some green stuff. I'm using the competition as an excuse to make a marker, as I've been putting it off for ages. I'm fairly new to conversion work as I lack the confidence to break things just in case I mess up, but I'm trying to get over that, hehe. I've also only just started to use green stuff. *gulp*

Just had a look at your vivisection of the Strain Leader, Shas'O D. Not bad at all, and must have required a fair amount of patience. It certainly has put a bit of "movement" into the otherwise very static model.

E.

Thank you very much. It upset me actually to see how much nicer a bit of twisting and snipping made the model look, as my others are just stock out of the box plain. It was also my first and only attempt at making a show piece. I find it hard to slow down the painting process and take my time over it.

Ok I've decided to go for a none drone theme as it seems to be popular and I like to be different. I got my box out and looked at some bitz, I thought about an ammo dump or a seeker missile rack, even found a spare broadside I was thinking of making look like a statue. I settled on "The Survivor" and got out my tank commander/gunner guy.

I started by making a bed roll by cutting off the seat from the back of a Devilfish (the one on the inside you never get to see). I then went on from there to make an extended arm, a symbol of "peace".



I've not seen many pictures of Tau without the ponytale so I removed it from the infantry head (I'd lost the tank guys original one). then hollowed out a helm to lay by his bedroll.



As I was looking for a Tau like fire to keep him warm I kept looking at the attachment piece for the gun drone. I then glued it to the base then rolled out some green stuff to make the fire with. I think it worked out well but I've not painted it yet as I need the whole thing to dry.



I'll post better pictures later, but for now my brand new camera is playing up and won't stay switched on for long without crashing

I've yet to put sand on the base and paint it, but I should have my camera back working and the model finished by the deadline.

P.s. the last picture is not the correct viewing side I'm saving that untill last.

I like this, very much so! The fire is very well sculpted and the original idea behind this is..., well you pulled it off!

One question though, why would he be making a symbol of peace? From my understanding this is someone stranded in a battlezone waiting to be rescued...? And I'd have thought it'd be well known that whoever he needs rescuing from wouldn't be peaceful.

He is making a gesture of peace to lure the enemy closer, so he can toss the grenade he has hiding behind his back. I'll post picture off the proper angle once I've finished the piece properly. I'm glad you liked the concept, I've made a story to go with the model.



The Story of Ukos "The Survivor".

Shas'ui Ukos was due out on an area reconnaissance mission, pretty standard for his posting. His Devilfish was ready and fuelled, his crew standing by. “Waiting for final checks sir” Just before departing a communication was patched through, “Shas'ui? Have your men stand down, your needed in the briefing rooms”. Puzzled and excited, he made his way to through the complex to the commander. Once there he was asked to take a seat, “Ukos it has been requested that you take your team to Stonereach.” Ukos thought for a moment, “This would not be easy some would say suicidal, but a mission for the Tau'va is an honour even if the odds are against me”. He was tasked with retrieving a memory node from the Imperial out post. He cared not for what the node contained, only that it serves the good of the empire. Ukos set about readying a full team for this mission and within an hour he was ready to leave once more.

About 20hrs later Ukos and his men had the outpost in sight. Something was wrong! “Scan the area!” he barked. No one was to be seen on the scans, he knew this was a trap, but he needed that node. “Drop me here boys and make like your going in for the objective, draw them out, then flee. I'll handle the rest... Oh and stay in communications range”. Ukos crept silently towards the grey buildings, but still no enemy to be seen, not even for the distraction party. “This is wrong, all wrong!..... Get of out of here NOW!!” BOOOM the whole planet shook from incoming fire (at least it felt like it did!). The clouds of dust and debris settle and to his horror out of the smoke came an imperial Shadowsword. “S—sir...you ok?” Thankful to hear the voices of his men he ordered them to retreat, and headed into the bunker. Maybe he can be in and out before they reoccupy.

Once in the outpost he quickly located the memory node and retrieved it, nothing larger than a survival lighter “A lot of noise for something so small” he thought to himself. Ukos heard foot steps behind him and took aim at the door, the last thing he needed was a fire fight. Acting quickly he noticed an air duct and jumped up just closing the hatch behind him self as the gue'la returned to the console room. Slowly he made his way through the ducts, twisting and turning as he went, trying not to make a sound. Ukos was as much thankful as he was amazed that gue'la would have such a flawed feature in a secure facility. On the roof of the facility Ukos found a ladder not far from where he came out of the ventilation system.

It took Ukos about half an hour to make his way out of the compound and escape into the countryside. Again something just doesn't seem right at all. “Shas'ui, We are coming to collect you” sparked his headset. No sooner had the communication finished when Ukos spotted a large blast just over the brow of a hill not far from him, followed by the sound of a Thunderblot fighter flying over head. Ukos franticly tried to contact his team as he ran towards the wreckage.

Nobody at all was found alive. Ukos knew what was on this node had to make it back home or his entire team had died for nothing. He gathered some equipment and dumped some of his armoured suit, then ran off into the wilderness. He took only the bare minimum to keep his load light. He pulled out a cushion from the back of the broken Devilfish for a bedroll and took a grenade, just in case. He knew he'd be about a week away from home base, he'd have to stay low and survive on his wits.

It was a gruelling trek, nowhere near as flat as it looked from the seat of a Devilfish. Ukos reckoned all he needed to find was water, he could go without food. For the first two days he followed a small stream to it's source, an underground spring. From there he decided to let fate and a little luck guide him to water, after all it wasn't that far now, he had thought. Day three; he had to find some food, it was no good, the pain in his gut was too much, He rigged his rifle to overload with some helm sensors as a proximity trigger and waited. About 3 hours later it went off and killed a small half pig, half goat looking creature with long legs, a fur covered body, limbs with wide boar like snout, and a bald piggy head. It had slime all over it's face and matted in it's mane. Ukos tucked in before setting off on his travels a little fuller, but delayed.

On the morning of the fourth day Ukos awoke to the sound of radio chatter. It was a pathfinder team! This was unusual as there hadn't been pathfinder detachment here for as long as he could remember. Whilst talking to the patrol group Ukos learnt that the cadre had been scrambled and should be arriving at his location momentarily. He had no time to think about why the cadre was on it's way, when the sound of imperial troop movement caught his attention. “They are nearly on me hurry!” he hissed in a hushed tone. Ukos crouched down and fumbled for the grenade he had brought.

As soon as the communication ended the sound of war filled the air. Ukos held tight in the hope he'd be rescued before the enemy caught him. Staying in the cover of his camp he could see fighting breaking out all over the surrounding area, tanks blown apart by railgun fire and gue'la gurgling as they fell to pulse fire. What seemed like days went by before Ukos got sight of the enemy up close, but out of the fog came a group armed with primitive weapons. Ukos could hear a faint message from his head set on the floor as the gue'la neared “ETA in....shhhhhkkshhh”. Readying his grenade, he put on a harmless look and stared towards the enemy offering a hand as a gesture of peace, he'd seen the gue'la shake each others hands and often wondered what purpose it served. For now it was anything to buy him time.

Ah, makes sense Nice story too!

I look forward to seeing the model getting painted up!

Great job on the green-stuff fire!

All these modelling threads make me wish I could get my battlesuits to behave.

Thank you, I must admit I'm quite happy with the fire, I think it looks just Tau enough and the flames worked better than I'd imagined. I've got most of the base coat done on the model now, I might add the image later if I can get my camera to behave.

Yldfort, I'm glad you liked the story, I'm quite pleased with it (I'll know I'm no novelist).

It's now "later".

This of the correct viewing side just in case I don't get a replacement camera. The quality is bad but it's the only one I could get before the darn thing crashed.



I don't like the colour on the bedding, so I'll be changing that.

I have finished the model now and can't wait to enter it. I'm going to keep the final images to my self untill then. I kept the bed roll the same colour as after the final paint layers it looks quite nice. I've got a much better quality of photo as well for the presentaion.

While I'm a little unsure of how this one works as a military objective (not so sure on the whole, laying out th bedroll on the battlefield... ), it is a great diorama and a marker I'd happily fight over! Good work and I'll look forward to the final pics!

Thank you, I'll post up final pictures after the comp is finished. The story goes a little towards why he is a military objective and why he's still next to his camp. I told the story of Ukos at least a dozen times over last weekend at Conflict Scotland, he was quite a talking point.

As voting is up I'll post my final pictures here as well.