Getting Organized
Well, I've had my Tau for a little while now, and while I've gotten a bunch of different things done, I haven't really finished them. I've assembled a number of different units and partially assembled several more. I've done a test paint scheme on one model and I've done preparations on several more. I realized that I lost focus. I realized that I needed to do one thing at a time so that I could get that one thing done and then move on to something else. To do that, I needed something to focus on, some way of determining what I should do first. I decided to look to the list.

Minimizing
The smallest games of 40k that most people play are 400 point games using the Combat Patrol rules. Under that ruleset, you must have at least 1 Troop and there are limitations on vehicles and characters with more than 2 Wounds. So, if I was going to plan on playing soon, I'd want to come up with a 400pt list that would adhere to those restrictions, but wouldn't completely revise my plan for going on up to the 1850 range that I'd originally planned.

Considerations
I knew I'd want to use several Crisis Suits, as they are the mainstay of my planned list. I'd also have to include a unit of FireWarriors, as they are required to fill a Troop slot. In addition, the maneuverability of a Pirahna would be a great asset as well. While I considered _not_ giving the FireWarriors a Markerlight, I realized that it would leave my FireWarriors without a major role in the list, and including it would also give me practice at using it for later. I also considered adding in a second Pirahna, but I'd have to take out Crisis Suits to do that, and that would definitely change the balance and flavor of my list. Finally, I considered running my Crisis suits in teams, much like I will as the list gets bigger, but I realized that I'd get more tactical flexibility and effectiveness out of running individual suits, and simply letting them support each other if necessary. I also considered dropping my Commander in favor of more Elite Crisis suits, but I decided he'd be more effective than the (almost) two Crisis suits that would replace him. Finally, I had a few points left over, but not enough for another Crisis suit. After much juggling of points, I finally decided to make both of my Elite Crisis Monats (Tau parlance for Crisis suits that operate by themselves as opposed to with a team) into Team Leaders so they could Hardwire their Multitrackers and get Targeting Arrays. That will allow them to hit more often, and thus be more effective on their own. It's funny, but the point efficiency is very close between a BS3 Crisis Suit and a BS4 Crisis Team leader.

The List!
100pts Commander Shas 'El Crisis Suit: Cyclic Ion Blaster, Plasma Rifle, Hardwired Multitracker, Targeting Array.

73pts Shas 'Ui Team Leader Crisis Suit: Burst Cannon, Plasma Rifle, Hardwired Multi-tracker, Targeting Array.
73pts Shas 'Ui Team Leader Crisis Suit: Burst Cannon, Plasma Rifle, Hardwired Multi-tracker, Targeting Array.

80pts 5x Shas 'La FireWarriors: Pulse Rifles. Shas 'Ui Team Leader with Markerlight and Pulse Rifle.

70pts Pirahna: Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array

396pts.

Getting Started
With the list chosen, I could now focus on assembling and painting only the units in that list: 3 Crisis Suits (one being a commander) and 6 FireWarriors and a Pirahna. Most of those models are assembled, though the FireWarriors still need to have their shoulder pads painted and put on, and the FireWarrior Shas 'Ui needs to get a Markerlight added on to him. In addition, one Crisis Suit and the Commander have to be assembled and converted a bit. Above is a picture of the mini-cadre.

Begin in the Beginning
Since I'd need to get the FireWarriors done and I wasn't quite ready to start on the Commander conversion, I decided to start with them. While I have previously detailed a potential way of painting them, I decided to experiment with priming with a White spray primer. This would require fewer steps to get true white on the armor. Note: you must be very careful when using a spray paint or primer on miniatures. If you spray normally, the paint will build up quickly and obliterate all the minute details on the model. Instead, spray a single miniature at a time. Hold the can about a foot away from the model and make little puffs of paint at the model. Each puff should be just a tiny amount of paint. As you do this, you will see little flecks of paint on the model. If you keep at it like this, those flecks will build up and eventually touch each other, forming a solid but very thin covering of paint. This may sound time-consuming, but it actually goes rather quickly. It also dries more quickly, since you are using such a small amount of paint at a time.

A Silver Lining?
Next up was to put Lightning Blue in the crevices of the armor and a bit around the armor as well. (I also experimented with using watered-down blue ink, but it didn't give the color I was looking for.) It was at this stage that I also caught some mold lines here I'd missed in assembly. (It's always much easier to see them once they are painted -doh!) I took a hobby knife and filed them down. I then touched them up with Skull White in my next step.

Whiter Whites
After that, it was time for the Skull White touch-up. I needed to touch up both the areas now bare where the mold lines had been and around the crevices where the blue had gotten out onto the armor. I also put the Skull White generally around the armor to avoid any differences in tone between the White primer and the Skull White. I had thought this step would be easier, since a lot of GW models have fairly deep crevices, so you can (carefully) run your brush along the high points to either side of the crevice without dipping down into the crevice itself. No such luck here, however. Most of the lines on the Fire Warrior models are so shallow that it's nearly impossible to do that, so I had to settle for painting as close as I could to the line on either side.

Grey Uniforms
The final step I accomplished this week, before life caught up with me, was to paint 3 of the FireWarriors with Grey uniforms. I expect that I will add a step later and put a very light Black Ink wash over these areas, as it would be a shame to not bring out the cool wrinkling of the fabric that is sculpted onto these models. So, here's where my progress ends this week. Later to come will be the snow bases, the Grey uniforms for the rest of the team, the Chaos Black, Shining Gold and Blood Red details. Plus of course the Pirahna and the Crisis Suits.

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