Triple Riptide Hobby post...

'Sup guys,
Just a quick hobby post to keep y'all updated on where I am at with my modelling... I've been rocking my triple Riptides (whether in a balanced Tau build or TauDar or most often recently in an O'Vesa list) and they've been awesome - I just love them.. the more I use them, the better they are for me.

So I thought I'd actually do them some credit by properly doing some painting on them!

They've been rocking a very "3 colours minimum" scheme for some time now.. with two of them just having their brown base coat and a couple of panels painted in the lighter sand tone and a white Tau fire warrior sept symbol painted.. pretty piss poor of me really haha!

Now these are not gonna rock anyone's world...not by a long shot.. but at least they are coherent with the rest of the army and actually, that's been receiving a little lick of paint.

There are no highlights on any of it yet..well, if you discount the occasional airbrush "glow"... But at least they are coming on and are past the "3 colour" stage..

I fancy weathering the whole lot right back to take away from this crisp and clean look that they seem to have gathered... ice cream Tau... need some battering!

I'm particularly pleased with the pose of this chap to the right.
He was originally built to mimic the Riptide pic in the codex entry... but I've altered him to have a far more dynamic and forward facing position - trying to get in some real movement into his pose - this just required a little cork board under the new texture paint used for his basing and a couple of spare flight stands kicking about from drones - these were clipped and trimmed to the right size/angle etc and put up his rear 'floating' foot - I'd done this years ago with a Wraithlord and it takes the weight-bearing load off of the front leg and supports the whole figure.

Here, you can grab a snippet of how the 'Tides blend into the rest of the force.. I've just thrown out a few bits that are being worked on in as well..

I'm pleased with the expanded colour scheme that I am working in.. the new 'pastel mint' green is a mix of half a dozen colours to give a unique tertiary colour...pushing the white back to a quaternary colour - primarily just there for sept symbols and missile tips.

Now, like I say... this is still very much a "basic" colour scheme... I am trying to take this army slowly and do it right. I've played my Tau since early....very early.... in 5th ed. and whilst I have, of course, jumped back on the band wagon in 6th with the new book...I do feel they are an army that I will be playing for some time - the flexibility of the army is just wonderful...
Allies continue to bring new life to it.. as does just getting around to trying all the builds that are possible from it (such as my recent O'Vesa loving) - Eldar are definitely giving the Tau a run for the money, if not surpassing, as No 1 codex...demons are viable and strong...in fact there are many successful builds out there now... but the truth is... you still feel a bit dirty playing Tau..

But anyway.. the next stage - highlighting or weathering...or both.... will not be a decision taken lightly!

I will feel even worse of course if Nids drop...become the new killer codex and I look like a band wagoner AGAIN! haha... but then I think playing Nids for your country and for most of this year in the run up to that...that earns me a little slack I think.... :)