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Fire Team Wind Of Autumn featuring
Commander Stormwind
If
there is one thing that improves Vas'Quez Commander WarmRain's
outlook, it would have to be Stormwinds's Wind Of Autumn Fire
Team. These are professional, decent, experienced and worthwhile
troops, and Commander Stormwind is both in his prime and sound of
mind. So what went wrong?
On
a diplomatic mission to deal with a human colony, Commander
Stormwind did not trust the human colonial governor. This proved to
be true when the Water Caste ambassador was captured for research,
and the entire situation turned out to be a trap laid by agents of
the Holy Terran Empire.
Someone
had to take the fall for the ensuing debacle, and despite the fact
that Stormwind (Shas'El Vas'Quez Sha'is'Kor) and his team rescued the
Water Caste Ambassador, somehow they were blamed for the whole mess.
Rumor is that the Water Caste fellow was the one who blamed them. But
that's all sand under the bridge now, because Fire Team Wind Of
Autumn is doing time - service - on the frontier planet of Vas'Quez.
Mission
Commander WarmRain both feels sorry for, and depends upon, this
competent fire team, and secretly hopes to impress their leader,
Commander Stormwind, who she likes.
Stormwind,
for his part is just trying to do his job, and keep his people
alive. So far, so good.
About
the Miniatures:
I wanted Commander Stormwind
(Above) to stand out, so I built him large and in charge, shouldering
his second weapon. The Markerlight on top of the heavy Pulse Carbine
resting on his shoulder was scratch-built. I didn't have the means at
the time to buy parts from Games Workshop's mail order, so I took a
bit of plastic sprue and carved the Markerlight system by hand, using
an X-Acto blade. The hardest part was carving out the two metal rods
that link the front of the unit with the back of the squarish device.
I think, overall, it looks identical to what one would get off the shelf.
I used a rock, and plenty of
green stuff, to mold the Stormwind's leg and arm positions so that it
gave him a little extra height. I think that the shoulder-mounted
Pulse Carbine acts almost like a flag, making him stand out from the
rest of the troops.
I also painted his head with
small, almost Tenctonese spots, which I imagine denote age in Tau.
Stormwind is early middle-aged in my mind, young enough to be a good
soldier, old enough to be a great soldier.
I
tried to produce a lot of character in this 12-man team, so I have
members cleaning their pulse rifles, squatting to take scanner readings...
...and
even some just looking to the sky in frustration. These are supposed
to be trained, hardworking troops put into a very unhappy situation,
yet doing the best they can.
All
the Fire Warriors share the common Vas'Quez mark, which is three
teal stripes. These are most often painted on helmets, or in the case
of the Kroot, right on their forheads as war paint. I tried to give
the effect of war paint in any case, suggesting the idea that the Tau
took their three-fingered hands, dipped them in paint, and drew them
arcross their helmets as part of a bonding ritual.
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About
the Army Card:
Fire
Warriors are the
backbone of any Tau army, and the reason is simple: from 30"
away on the table, this team of 12 warriors plus my Shas'Ui commander
can pump out 12 strength 5 shots, doubled to an impressive 24 shots
if within 12". That is a lot of firepower.
I gave
all of my Fire Warriors Photon Grenades to obviate the bonuses that
would be used against them should they be charged, which likely they
are going to be at some point if I am not careful.
I
gave Stormwind EMP grenades in hopes that he just might take out a
tank someday.
The
Bonding Knife made sense, because I want my group to hang in there
and not run away, or at least always regroup if they do; this is my
core unit, the right fist of my Tau army.
That
said, they have, in play, run away far more often than I would like.
Boy do I suck with dice.
I
am satisfied with the illustration of the helmeted warriors, but my
depiction of Stormwind himself leaves a bit to be desired, I think. |
