ETL VII - planning and preparation

[elmo]

It is as we join with others, in a way that only the Tau can, in shared engagement to the Greater Good,

that we find ourselves able to fully realize our true potential.

And that is the final source of our hopes and intentions.
Aun'el T'au Tam'ya, Ethereal caste

For those who don’t know what the ETL is, it’s an annual painting event where participants are invited to vow to paint 40k-legal units of their preferred army in a period of three months, recording their points’ values. Participants may make up to 5 such vows with a limit of 3,000 pts per vow – but no limit to the amount of units pledged. Apart from the individual challenge of completing the pledged units, each forum is competing as a team against every other forum of the B&C by adding up the points of each individual participant’s entries to work out the total score for the entire forum. The forum with the highest score wins.

But be aware: if you fail to complete your second or any subsequent vow then all previous vows are nullified and will not count towards the total of the forum! And there is another catch: the total points of each forum are modified by the completion rate i.e. the total completed points over the total points pledged. So failing to complete subsequent vows (thus nullifying all your previously completed ones) has an augmented negative effect on the completion rate and hence on the forum score. So be extra confident when you up the stakes.

This is of course a very brief description of the event. For more details you may take a look at the previous ETL here (ETL VI), but also expect some additional changes for this year’s event! The expected time to launch is in early or mid May.

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Our tanks were useless. As soon as we broke cover, their battlesuits' heavy guns were locked on to us.

I swear it was as though they had someone nearby aiming for them before they shot.

And when they did shoot...Emperor's mercy! Their guns punched through our armour like it was paper.

All I could see were trails of fire where the projectiles had ignited the air.
Guardsman Cauley, 25th Graian Rifles

This will be the second time that the might of the T'au Empire will be mobilised to enter the ETL for The Greater Good and the Ethereals expect all Shas, Por, Kor and Fio caste members to acquit themselves well in the coming storm. It is the time for our young Empire to show these upstart races the strength of our mighty Her’ex’vre - the Kor'vattra will darken their skies with Sun Sharks, Razorsharks, Barracudas and Tiger Sharks - shoals of Hammerheads, Skyrays and Piranhas will rent their puny vehicles - Devilfish will carry our brave Shas towards the foe ably supported by our Kroot and Vespid allies and the heavy footfalls of our mighty Ta'unar will turn their bones to jelly in fear.

T'au Outpost - ETL VI - (on our first time we where the best performing Xenos faction)

Participants vowing for the T'au Empire will be able to draw units from the Codex and Forge World units so let’s take this opportunity to organize ourselves, measure our strength and see what everyone plans to pledge. We have a great range of miniatures, an 8^th Edition Codex which has now had time to settle in and the flexibility of a young and vibrant race!

Remember, the miniatures may be assembled and undercoated – but not otherwise worked on at the time of vowing them!

It is but 2 Kai'rotaa in the future - be ready! When the Ethereal call... who will answer?

Those with superior reach can dictate the terms of battle and impose their will upon their foe.
Remember, the first step on the path to victory is often the most important.
Commander Puretide

The idea is to bring together the might of the T'au Empire in one thread to encourage each other in the upcoming ETL.

Here we can post questions, ideas for vows and support and motivate each other in the months ahead.

The main things to remember is, whatever your vow:

It must be at the undercoat stage - this can also be a coloured primer and not just black and there is nothing wrong with assembling and priming your vows now so you can be ready as soon as the go is given...

and it must be achievable in the time frame as any unfinished vows automatically void all your earlier work.

Plan with care

It is as we join with others, in a way that only the T'au can, in shared engagement to the Greater Good, that we find ourselves able to fully realize our true potential. And that is the final source of our hopes and intentions.

Aun'el T'au Tam'ya, Ethereal caste

Edited March 9, 2019 by elmo

[elmo]

As I have been shirking my obligation to the Greater Good over the last year since the previous ETL to concentrate on my Ravenwing I will be back with a bit of a splash :)

 

Thanks to a very kind and understanding family I have received a second KX139 Ta'unar Supremacy Armour as a Christmas present which will be my first vow and I will be planning to start the preparation next month (magnetisation/sub-assembly/priming). Depending on the speed of completion I also have a number of Devilfish chassis left over from last year which are already primed along with some Hammerhead and Skyray turrets plus some Sun/Razorsharks - also some more Battlesuits and masses of infantry - so I will not be short of models ;)

[Triszin]

I'll be vowing for wolves this year. But I'll be cheering you on elmo

[Commander Dawnstar]

I'm tentatively going to put myself down to do my T'au this year. I've very easily got something in the range of 1,500 points lying around to work on even before I start thinking about picking up anything new. Main point of concern is going to be making a definite choice of a colour scheme that I both like and can do relatively efficiently.

 

Really it all depends on when the new CSM range is released and how much of it actually interests me. That's the only thing that might pry me away.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Commander Dawnstar

[elmo]

 Main point of concern is going to be making a definite choice of a colour scheme that I both like and can do relatively efficiently.

 

Are you thinking of a specific sept colour or a homebrew one?

[Commander Dawnstar]

This is my one more-or-less completed model for the scheme I would likely be going with (or adjusting a little):

(They'd probably end up with snow or urban bases.)

Edited March 10, 2019 by Commander Dawnstar

[elmo]

Looks good to me

[Commander Dawnstar]

It's basically the iconic Sa'cea scheme, albeit done very differently to the Warhammer TV guide.

[Focslain]

I'm going to Vow for Marines this year, but I wish all my fellow Tau brothers good luck and hope you can do well against the other xenos scum.

[Commander Dawnstar]

This is absolutely not a hard commitment as I'll be taking things month-by-month and looking to work within my limits, but purely in terms of Battlesuits I have available:

• Two Commanders
• Thirteen Crisis Suits
• Eleven Stealth Suits
• Three Broadsides
• One Ghostkeel
• Two Riptides

That's easily 2,000 points of models right there if I manage to get through it, and all without considering Drones. It probably makes 2,500 with Drones and a few extras.

Edited March 12, 2019 by Commander Dawnstar

[MithrilForge]

i have been swayed by chaos The Necrons this year..(i know, i should have listened to farsight!) good luck to all my T'au brothers this year!!!

 

Mithril

Edited June 3, 2019 by mithrilforge

[Commander Dawnstar]

Honestly I'm feeling rather glad for Shadowspear and the upcoming CSM range update at the moment. I already have everything more or less prepped for the ETL so they've given me something I desperately needed to fill that gap and help me get back into the rhythm of painting ahead of the event.

 

On another note, asking out of pure ignorance: How do people tend to equip their Crisis Suits and Commanders these days? I'd like to know if I should look into getting some CIBs off Shapeways.

[elmo]

 

On another note, asking out of pure ignorance: How do people tend to equip their Crisis Suits and Commanders these days? I'd like to know if I should look into getting some CIBs off Shapeways.

 

A bit off topic but to answer your question... I use magnets so I do not get stung by a new codex or FAQ which causes a shift in weapons values. I have bought extra CIBs from shapeways because...why not

[Panzer]

Definitely magnetize your Crisis. If there ever was one unit to magnetize it's them. ^^

[elmo]

Now back on topic... My Tuna is being washed ready for priming and more magnets are on the way :)

I have to sort out how to swap between the Pulse Ordnance Multi-Driver and the Nexus Missile System plus I have a spare arm with the Fusion Eradicator ;)

 

 

The base has been planned

[elmo]

Magnetisation of the Ta'una is complete

[Commander Dawnstar]

I've spent the last couple of days slowly working on one of my Fire Warriors just to get a feel for the scheme and process again. Here's the end result:

[Commander Dawnstar]

I decided to start going over all my Drone parts today and I've come up with 18 Drone housings and the parts to make some combination of 14 Gun Drones, 13 Shield Drones and 10 Marker Drones. At this time I seem to already have another 9 Gun Drones, 2 Shield Drones, 5 Marker Drones, and 6 Missile Drones from my Broadsides built up.

 

Any suggestions how I should build those 18 Drones?

[elmo]

I decided to start going over all my Drone parts today and I've come up with 18 Drone housings and the parts to make some combination of 14 Gun Drones, 13 Shield Drones and 10 Marker Drones.

 

Any suggestions how I should build those 18 Drones?

 

Not really - I tend to keep a balance between the drone types. Then again I have a lot of drones ;)

[Shas O R'alai]

I do apologize for my time away team! I will be here to take the banner! Sadly I do not have a second titan lurking around.... But I do have plenty of points to pledge :D

[Commander Dawnstar]

Here's the 3,000-3,500 points I have set aside for the ETL at this time. I'll be looking to get it all based in blue this week:

[elmo]

Here's the 3,000-3,500 points I have set aside for the ETL at this time. I'll be looking to get it all based in blue this week:

 

That is a mighty task you have set yourself.... good luck

 

 

I have now finished the prep work on the Tuna - pictures in my WIP thread :)

[Commander Dawnstar]

 

That is a mighty task you have set yourself.... good luck

 

Oh for sure, but I don't think it's that bad. If nothing else it's a major point of encouragement that I'm only setting out to paint 36 models this year (not including Drones) which clock in at just barely under 3,000 points when last year's event saw me painting 50 Cultists and Daemonettes to a combined value of 310 points. I've quite deliberately avoided doing any of my Strike/Breacher/Pathfinder Squads just to avoid getting bogged down in doing lots of detail-intensive work that doesn't add all that much to the tally. Even Drones are a lot less work than regular infantry.

 

We'll see how it goes anyway. It'd be great to get it all done (and maybe even some more besides) but I'm very mindful of only committing to as much as I can manage.

 

[Commander Dawnstar]

Minor update: I've basically got everything built and undercoated in preparation for the ETL and just picked another three Heavy Rail Rifle/Smart Missiles Broadsides off eBay today.

 

In the event that those Broadsides turn up before the start of the ETL then I'll probably open with six Broadsides and six Missile Drones for just a little over 800 points.

[Commander Dawnstar]

After having seen this post I'm thinking I might wait to try out the new Contrast paints before putting in my first vow. Really all depends how late in June the range drops.