Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Retiring the Fem Fa'Tau (for now...)


I have a whole sheet of these decals, none of which have been used.
I'll remedy that...someday.

Several folks have inquired about the fate of My Beloved Wolfy's Fem Fa'Tau army. Locally her army was infamous for a time though it has been inactive since the end of 7th ed. Whether that infamy was due to it's groan inducing yet glorious name, my trash-talking beauty who was in command of said army, or simply her penchant for vaporizing enemy characters with railguns (indeed, Tyberos the 'Red Mist' and Neverness' Big Mek with the Shokk attack gun both come to mind) is a matter of debate. Likely it was a combination of all three. 

The Fem Fa'Tau's small completed menagerie. 

I can assure everyone that they'll never appear on the auction block due to sentimental reasons alone. That said, there is one oft sold/given away/recycled squad that was originally mine, went off to fight on other fronts, and was 'donated' eventually back to her that may well get sent off once more. Hoss, a mutual friend of ours and aspiring Tau commander himself would I'm sure like to have a portion of her old army (such as it is) in his new one. That and quite frankly I'm sick of seeing it. She only used them as they were fully painted, though neither to her taste, nor her army's color scheme. 

Two Fire Warriors and two breachers alongside the 'pin-up',
who was often a sniper specialist in games of Kill Team.

Speaking of paint, sadly I painted only a handful of her Fem Fa'Tau minis, and there isn't much consistency among those few that are painted. Ironically, I think her favorite amongst her painted Fem Fa'Tau was the 'pin up' Wargame Exclusive fire warrior that Neverness gifted to her at Christmas? her birthday? something like that some years back.  

She didn't dislike Smurfs anymore than any other loyalist chapter. Chaos marines however, were the only marines that she actually liked!

Her vehicle pool is almost all partially painted, perhaps if I had concentrated on just one tank rather than three... The half paints consist of a hammerhead (a 2nd is simply primed black), a devilfish and what's the small skimmer...a remora I think? (edit: Piranha). I doubt they'll ever be painted in her army's last color scheme (which is kinda guesswork for vehicles as none were complete). Though I might leave the pink engine cowls as is...who the hell knows at this point.

So unassuming, yet so deadly...

Lastly, her Tau Commander was originally my only painted Crises suit, and later her only one as well. It is painted in a color scheme that predated my meeting Wolfy altogether. Still, she insisted that it's colors never change after it was dubbed The Belial Slayer by another gamer after one particularly glorious, multi-turn, hand-to-hand slugfest vs. the aforementioned, and eventually deceased Dark Angel. Indeed, her Stealth suits always seemed to fare rather well vs. the Dark Angels in hand to hand as well. If not by winning, then at least by refusing to die! Which reminds me, I believe there are a few painted Fem Fa'Tau stealth suits now that I think about it. No idea where they might be at the moment though. 

*****

Looks like he's kneeling in my yard which is of a
similar height were I to kneel in it right now...

I do like the look of it though.

Also on the Tau front, I did a speed-paint (for me) test model the other day. I wanted to see what it would look like to have the base be entirely covered in those little adhesive tufts of grass. I like it though wouldn't likely again cover the entire base due to the cost of said tufts. but maybe half or so, more than the usual one random tuft we so often see. 

Also fear not for Oblivi'Anna. She's up to 4 colors now, just the basics but it is a start. 




4 comments:

Zzzzzz said...

What sort of case are they in ? Perhaps storing them in your most high end case might be appropriate...

Da Masta Cheef said...

It's the only clear enclosed display case I have. An Ork display piece that was previously in that location was unceremoniously booted out. My only other miniature retirement display, the 'Hall of Heroes' is a dust caked/choked nightmare and totally unsuited for her minis.

Also, I did find one stealth suit painted in Fem Fa'Tau colors (but based differently from all of the rest because me), which has since joined her compatriots in said enclosed display case.

Monkeychuka said...

I find it hard to part with any painted miniature now, especially since I threw my RTB01 Beakys in the bin all those years ago. I still have the minis that I forced my sons to paint when they were 6 or 7. Terrible paint jobs but they never fail to make me smile. You can't put a price on memories.

Da Masta Cheef said...

I really wish I'd kept some of my original guardsmen, just to see at what point I start painting from. They were absolutely horrid by my standards today.

Most of what I sell today tends to be unpainted hordes that never WILL get painted.