Shas’nel D’yni looked around the hull of the Devilfish lander with quiet pride. The craft was destined for the heart of the ruined gue’la Sector and around her sat a handpicked team of her Infiltration Cadre’s bravest warriors.
Some hung their heads in silent contemplation of the mission ahead. Others ran their hands instinctively through well rehearsed weapon drills. None spoke, for it was not the T’au way. Each knew the specific role they would play in the conflict ahead and all would give their lives a hundred times over for the Greater Good. Although what lay ahead was unclear, all felt their Fireblade’s conviction and their united sense of purpose blazed before them, like a shining path.
This post features my yellow T’au Kill Team, drawn together from Infiltration Cadre Shining Path. Since the last post, Fireblade Commander D’yini has assembled her best T’au for a mission to explore the derelict laboratorium complex deep in the rust-choked Mechanicus world of Xerica.
First up a 360° team shot, made on my Foldio360.
I started collecting T’au back in 2015 but Kill Team was the catalyst for finishing up these miniatures. I wanted to represent the naively hopeful ideology of the T’au by painting them bright yellow, but applied plenty of weathering to their battle gear to represent the attrition that the 41st Millenium has had upon their race.
The team is led by their Commander, Shas’nel D’yini who featured in the last post. She’s a stoic leader, cool-headed in combat and a paragon of the Fire Warrior martial code.
D’yini’s trusted second in command is the Fire Warrior Shas’ui M’dura. A traditionalist and scholar of warfare, he inspires his comrades with tales of legendary T’au heroes, stirring rhetoric and tactical acumen.
Shas’ui K’tano is a broad, taciturn Fire Warrior and veteran of many frontline missions. As a Breacher, he specialises in aggressive, close quarter combat. I converted him to appear a little bigger than his squad mates, by using an fist generation Fire Warrior torso (they are broader) and elevating him on a terrain element. Breachers have a backwards facing camera in their helmets, so I converted a HUD visor and back mounted scanner array so he could go into battle bareheaded!
The team’s Comms Specialist is Fire Warrior Kou’tan. Equipped with a scanner and comms-antenna, he’s calling in urgent back up for his team. I denoted his specialist rank with an honourific shoulder badge.
Kou’tan is accompanied by a DS8 Tactical Support Turret to help defend objectives and provide fire support. I used a transfer as a hazard symbol.
The imperturbable Fire Warrior O’res is a bulwark for his lighter armoured Pathfinder comrades, laying down covering fire so they can advance. This guy reminds me of Kais from the classic Firewarrior video game.
Pathfinder N’ea cautiously stalks through the ruins, her pulse carbine holstered and side arm drawn. The pulse pistol is from the Fire Warrior kit and her head from a Ghostkeel pilot.
Stealthsuit Shas’vre Eduma is known to be quiet and precise, often ranging ahead of the kill team. He prefers his own company, and doesn’t seem to mind having been seconded away from his Stealthsuit team. As a Heavy Specialist he is capable of laying down a devastating fusillade of firepower from his burst cannon, before melting away into the shadows.
Eduma is accompanied by a Shield Drone, making him practically unkillable.
Breacher Shu’to is unflinching in the heat of battle. She’s a callous and deadly soldier and the other T’au find her morbid sense of humour a little unsettling.
Firewarrior U’vasha is devoted to his battle comrades; big hearted and humorous. He advances into battle, often never far from Shas’nel D’yini
Pathfinder Tu’jaa is a bold scout on his first tour of duty. Naturally strong, he’s uncompromising and direct, if a little too rash.
Pathfinder Tan’saro is the team’s Sniper Specialist. A talented marksman and patient hunter, he utilises his railrifle to deadly effect, earning him the honorific ‘morning arrow’. I used a Fire Warrior head and modelled him to be taking careful aim down the barrel of his weapon.
R’kasha is the kill team’s secondary sharpshooter and a promising understudy to the master Tan’saro.R’kasha is adept at frontline fire support, eliminating principal threats and advancing upon the target.
The Pathfinders have deployed the MB3 Recon Drone Eio’vesa (tall helper) for their mission. Carrying supplies and armed with a powerful burst cannon, Eio’vesa enhances the accuracy of nearby T’au marksmen with its recon suite.
A MV31 Pulse Accelerator Drone accompanies Kill Team Shining Path, increasing the range of their pulse weapons with it’s induction field.
On arrival, the T’au Kill Team have deployed a Remote Sensor Tower to scan the environment and relay useful telemetric and geodetic data. I picked up this nice Forge World piece just before it went out of production and use it as an Objective in Kill Team games.
Let me know what you think of my Kill Team!
Technasma 