Better late than never, I finally got my eyes on the WD pictures that were taken with the new Tau in them. See what happens when I leave for Vegas for a work trip and lose touch with the hobby news world? I pulled these from the Advanced Tau Tactica forum, so all credit goes to whomever should get it.

I've been dying to get my hands on a new Tau codex for such a long time. Why you ask? Because in my humble opinion, Tau are God's Gift to hobbyists like myself.

Yes, yes…I'll explain.

I started the hobby with Orks, back in the beginning of Second Edition. After selling my investment for cash while in college, I didn't get back into it until the end of Third Edition, and I latched onto Tau. Unfortunately, I sold them as well once the Black Templars Codex came out and I really wanted to do my Penitent Crusade. I never lost my love for them though, I just have never had the time to get back into them since with all the various projects that have come up since then. With the advent of Sixth Edition and the Allies Matrix though, my love for the Tau has reached new heights and I have been biding my time for over a year now, waiting for a new codex.

"…you still haven't explained why the Tau are God's Gift to hobbyists…"

I'm getting to that, sheesh!

Take a look at the Allies Matrix:

The only codex the Tau can't ally with are the Tyranids!!! They are even Battle Brothers with Eldar and Space Marines, and the sheer possibilities for converting allies for them are endless. I love the idea that I can mix up my molding and painting regimens with random, though planned, ally contingents for the Tau, varying my work table's contents and hobbyist ADD, all the while working on ONE army. So many concepts are bouncing around in my head, my problem won't be what to do, but what to do first!

I'm also very happy that it appears in the pictures the standard Crisis Suit hasn't been remolded. Why? Because I have 28 of them, that's why. I will be working on some nice custom parts for them and making them truly my own, including lengthening the legs, sculpting and casting hands that are extended and sculpting and casting under-slung weapon mounts for their arms.

I haven't been this excited for a full-on army project in years, not since I spent 14 months on my Centurions.

Expect the blog to explode with two main projects this year, Tau and their Allies, and my Heresy-Era Salamanders. Expect major articles on the conversions and sculpts, as well as fresh new tutorials and an editorial related to tying allies into your forces from an aesthetic stand-point!

Guess what I'll be spending money on Forge World this year at Adepticon…

- Tim