15mm Sci Fi - Khurasan Soriog / GZG Kra'Vak Battle Mecha (aka 40K Tau Battlesuit)

This will be a short one today.  I finally got around to finishing one of my six Tau Crisis Suits.  My wife got these for me for Christmas years ago.  Time to paint them up.

For years I could not decide on a scheme.  However, the Vallejo Shifters finally decided this for me.  This baby was done in an identical scheme to my Khurasan Soriog (basically Halo Elite with tails): Vallejo Shifters Electric Blue/Intense Violet.  These models are perfect for 15mm games such as Tomorrow's War, Gruntz or Alien Squad Leader.  The Tau are the only GW models that I would consider using in 15mm games.  I will admit these are nice sculpts (mine are from 2000....ancient).

Alien mecha stalks prey on Glory during the Soriog/Human Conflict of 2321.

Size Comparison: Khurasan Soriog GZG Kra'Vak, GW 40K Tau Crisis Suit

Since I don't play 40K I added items to the suit that interested me, equipment limits be damned:  Dual Heavy Fusion Cannons, Rapid Fire Plasma Gun and AI Guided Micro Fusion Missiles with Multi-Spectral Shielding and Energy Absorbing Self-Regenerating Duralloy Armor.  Definitely Tech Level 3 in Tomorrow’s War terms. 

These models are also perfect in size for the Khurasan Soriog (since they are almost 25mm themselves).  Being highly prone to dual-use, these models will also be featured in my Kra'Vak force (which will be featured soon).

The color ranges from Brilliant Electric Blue to a Deep Violet, depending on how the light it’s the surface.  Pictures really do not capture the incredible color hues which are present on the actual model.  Vallejo metallics go on super smooth via an airbrush.  Sadly you will not get the same results on large flat areas with a brush (although it will still look nice...vaporized paint simply works differently than when in liquid form).  If you want to paint metallics on a large scale get an airbrush.  Simple as that.   

There are a few flaws which cropped up after painting.  These will not occur on the next models (its been years since I dealt with plastic kits, ugh).  Other than fiddly filing off mold lines there were no real issues with assembly.

I dispensed with the weathering.  The self repair nanomachines keep the machine in top condition at all times.  Any such detailing would be done with Tamiya Weathering Pigments in any case.

Five more to go along with their associated Gun Drones.  I might at some point put on the Tau decals.  Maybe.