Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Hat Guy on 02 March 2014, 11:38:57 PM
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I decided to convert up some Tau for an allied unit for my Orks and as a bit of a fun project. Looking at the Tau fluff, I've always wanted to do a unit composed of different species, this is what I have so far:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F8k_czWMfkA/UxO9iqTOOQI/AAAAAAAABwo/4LTpHK7EfpY/w958-h539-no/DSC01030.JPG)
Kroot, Human, Ork and Skrull fire warriors. (Hard to see with the undercoat sorry)
The squad will have, in total, 12 members and I want to continue the alien species theme. I have enough pulse rifles to kit them out and I have a wotc Wookiee coming in the post, leaving 7 aliens yet to find.
My ideas so far are; robot, Squat/demiurg/Forge Father and Grey.
Anything else that people can think of?
I should mention a couple of requirements I have:
- No more 40K stuff (except maybe squats) not fond of Eldar and 'Nids and Necrons don't make sense
- Plastic minis. It's hard enough getting minis to hold the [frankly stupid] pulse rifles when I can carve and reposition the plastic. Metal will be too much of a hassle.
- 28mm[ish] Sadly big guys would stick out a bit much.
Thanks in advance.
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Space Skaven from GW plastics.
Lots of humanoid aliens in the AE Bounty range (but metal).
Dark Eldar Sslyth link (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440231a&prodId=prod1340010a) in finecast.
Concept pictures for Tau auxiliaries appeared at a Games Day. Some are shown atlink (http://www.frontlinegaming.org/2011/11/25/40k-rumors-tau-coming-soon/) for some including centaurs and old dominator style four armed jobs. More here (http://www.advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=18189&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=c87f7ac207a900028c0e2e313b5821e5&view=print).
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Second space skaven or mantic veer-myn.Also GW lizardmen/skinks,beastmen/ungors maybe do some kitbashing with demons?
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I have some Hello Kitty beads, I'll be green stuffing the back of heads on, to add to some Fire Warrior bodies, inspired by Toy Mallet 40 Cents.
Granddaughter came out of a simplified 40K game at a near-local con hving had a good time, and I figured she might like the army.
Doug
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Skink heads work well on Tau bodies, and so should skaven.
I'd fit the Ork with a heavy weapon, because, frankly, what should be his purpose otherwise.
The human/Tau combination works well too.
In 40K terms, Eldar would work best as mercenaries, honestly, I would reconsider.
but let me get this right: The multispecies mercenary unit is for the Ork army, not for the Tau?
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I second the Skink idea.
For a nice little distractional side project, I once took WHFB Skinks and combined them with Tau Fire Warrior torsos and Pathfinder lower arms and carbines. It works really well. I finished two of the planned ten before I got bird brained into the next project, but I do plan on finishing them eventually, since I'm pleased with the results so far.
Honesty compells me to admit though, that this was not originally my idea; I nicked it from some poor sod who did the same thing on his blog. Seeing them there was what triggered me to give it a shot myself...
(http://www.fierylions.nl/Pictures/ForumPictures/BakersDozen/TauAuxSkinksWIP1.jpg)
Also, I did these Space Skaven. Not specifically as Tau allies (the Skinks weren't either, but I used the Tau high tech look), but based on the old 2nd ed. Gretchin bodies and even older WHFB Skaven heads (from the Fantasy Warriors (?) set, which included extra warriors form several races). I did some additional converting on the leader (2nd ed. plastic CCW pistol and AHQ Skaven left arm with blade) and a special weapon (which comes from the RTB01 Beakies box). Tails are nicked from later Skaven models.
Again, inspiration was not mine, but someone here on LAF this time (I'm apparently a compulsive idea-snatcher, I know. Maybe I need help...):
(http://fierylions.nl/Pictures/ForumPictures/BakersDozen/SpaceSkavenWIP.jpg)
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I think Skaven heads on Tau bodies look good - backwards legs and eveything! Don't know what they'd be in 40k terms though.
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How about some aliens from Mantic's Deadzone - Reb faction? (Just go to their website for some pics - they also got a stuntie in the Deadzone/Mercenaries section.)
Just keep in mind the piece of advice that Argonor thankfully gave me. It's not hard plastic (like GW) but the "dreaded stuff". Use only superglue and keep that knife extremly sharp for removing flash. Otherwise you will ruin your day (and probably your mini too). :D
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Deadzone Rebs are an obvious choice. A nice mix of figures.
I use these CP Models avians as Kroot Vulture kindred (their equipment matches the Tau that I have painted). They are cool, pulpy models.
(http://sho3box.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/aviangroup.jpg?w=468&h=255)
(http://sho3box.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/taufirewarrior1a.jpg?w=318&h=302)
If you fancy going for some more far out aliens, these Tentacle brains from Ramshackle Games are cheap and hilarious:
(http://sho3box.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/brain1f.jpg?w=468&h=270)
Black Hat have some cool armed aliens in their Cobalt range, definitely worth a look.
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Skink heads on the old dark eldar bodies might work.
The skaven/gretchin conversions may have been from me, but it wasn't my idea either! :D
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Thanks for the advice guys, I'll try and get everyone;
- I'm not keen on gluing new heads onto Tau bodies, as the idea is to have (somewhat) recognisable aliens filling out the squad. But as some of these conversions look great, I'll keep it in mind.
- Yes this is "technically" a unit for my orks. We're doing an escalation league at our club and I didn't want to buy much, so I thought Tau allies would be a fun project and give me some more shooting punch.
- Yes the ork looks a little silly with the thin pulse rifle, but Tau don't really have infantry heavy weapons, so I'm stuck with it.
- I'm looking at the Deadzone Rebs, and I kind of like them, so they'll be my backup. For the moment, I'm looking at the Clix ranges at things like Greys, Halo Grunts and Badoon, so I'll see what I come up with.
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Sorry for the double-post, but I just thought of Mi-Go! Time to dig out the girlfriend's Mansions of Madness minis.
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You may want to have a look here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/alien-shocktrooper-squad
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Ages ago I used some Wargods of Aegyptus to make some not Kroot - If your converting don't forget to look at Fantasy lines.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/dropzonetoe/Vultar/DSCI0044.jpg) (http://s30.photobucket.com/user/dropzonetoe/media/Vultar/DSCI0044.jpg.html)
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+1 Skinks.
I added (rather poorly) some belts and Tau weapons and called them done. I made three squads of them. One with sniper rifles, one with carbines and one with "tech" equipment.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KtqMHOcoW6c/R5px-zHEPmI/AAAAAAAAATU/Op0qaU6nhZs/s640/Gamma%2520-%2520Sniper%25202.jpg)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FcQj2QVqwOY/R5pyBzHEPoI/AAAAAAAAATk/O-KMNUqtRPM/s640/Gamma%2520-%2520Sniper%25201.jpg)
And a WIP one that has a cutting torch.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uezrDbNfvRQ/R0T0bO7tP1I/AAAAAAAAANw/epeTGesQYUA/s640/WIP-Skinks2.jpg)
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One man's poorly done is another's 'I wish I could do that...' :-[
;)
Doug
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Pretty cool looking.
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How about some invertebrates? I feel like, with the options listed so far, you've got bipedal tetrapods pretty well covered. I personally like the idea of an insectoid (or at least arthropod) alien in the mix, and a gastropod would be pretty entertaining as well, plus either would definitely stand out as pretty alien next to the various other more-or-less humanoids in the squad.
From plastics, an arthropod could be made using tyranid bits, but that might be a little too recognizable, so I might instead suggest Mantic again. The Z'zor or Nameless from Dreadball would be a good starting point.