Sawfish Conversion: Wing Decision

So I have started work on my own version of the fan-invented 'Sawfish'. Based on a Piranha, I am just making up how to make it as I go along. But now I have become stuck on a vital decision; the wings.

I am split between mounting the wings on the front of the vehicle where they are out of the way of the passengers, provide protection towards the passengers also, means the Gun Drones are further forward,breaks up the front section and keeps with the original idea and Piranha more.

However, the disadvantages are that it would block the passengers LoS from within (for a fluff point) and it also the wings would have to be very angled which looks rather odd, but not too odd so as to completely throw the idea.

Vleast Campaign Work

Hey everyone,

It is the summer holidays an I have been spending lots of time writing more on my Vleast Campaign. So here is my current, unfinished or even polished workings.

Fluff Friday: Vleast Campaign

The Vleast Campaign started of for me as just some cool background for my Tau army but has quickly become a full-fledged story. And after having just finished the very amazing Taros Campaign (which is very enjoyable and well explained) I feel compelled to finish and expand the Vleast Campaign.

My friends agree with me and we have all been thinking up the stories for our own armies. Awesomely, this has now become a group activity where everyone has their say which I really like as I couldn't have thought of half the things my friends have. We have so far only thought of our armies motives which are also only in their initial stages of development but with some effort I believe we can create a great story.

It is amazing how this has developed as the overall goal has now become to make a full Campaign book (or PDF) which involves all of our armies, battles and possibly own units just like Taros. We also though that eventually we could publish this and make it downloadable for anyone.

I think this an absolutely epic idea but one which would require an extraordinary amount of effort but I feel it will be worth it. I think that if we are going to make this campaign then why not share it? And if we are going to share it why not make it worth sharing?

What do you think? I could really do with some support.

Fluff Friday: More Vleast

I had posted this in my Vleast Campaign Page but thought it deserved a post as it is the basics behind the entire campaign. Enjoy.........

Summarised Story:

Vleast is a planet full of life and rich in minerals. The Imperium wants these minerals so first developed an outpost there in 910.M41. Before long most of the inhabitants had decided to move off-world and go elsewhere for minerals with only a few million staying. A few years later in 975.M41 the Tau expended their borders and began 'diplomatic negotiations' with the now almost tribal population. The humans did not accept the Tau initially but after years of living abandoned by the Imperium they eventually gave in and surrendered to the Greater Good.

The Tau quickly began colonising the world and used their advanced technology to keep the native animals,which plagued the Imperial forces, at bay. However, a Splinter Fleet from Hive Fleet Leviathan had set its eyes on the bio-rich planet also and in 978.M41 the invasion of Splinter Fleet Perses began. The Tau quickly evacuated under the invasion as there was not a sizeable enough military force nearby to effectively defend the planet. Perses was free to feed and rejuvenate itself on the bio-rich world.

 The Tau soon realised their mistake, if Perses gained Vleast and was allowed to digest all of its biomass then the Tau Empire were doomed to be devoured by the newly created Hive Fleet. As such time was of the essence and within 6 months the Vleast Command had been created and was en-route to Vleast. This Coalition was mainly comprised of warriors from Fal'shia as it was the closet of the Tau Sept worlds.

 When the Tau arrived in the system they found that Imperial forces had already arrived, an unexpected enemy. However, the Imperial forces had not expected the Tyranids and had only arrived to repel the Tau (This was part of the Imperium's plan to stop the 3rd Sphere Expansion). The Imperium forces contained many Imperial Guard veterans skilled at jungle combat and also a company of the Salamanders who were to spearhead the assault. The Imperial Navy had only a few small ships after having destroyed the Tyranid space fleet and so did not attack the much more powerful Tau force. The Tau kindly ignored the Imperial ships and quickly deployed its troops to join the now planet-bound war. 

The Imperial forces on Vleast had secured a strong base of operations which the Tyranids sent wave after wave of troops upon to no avail. The Tyranids cared not for the losses as they continued to devour the rest of the planet and gain ever more biomass. The Tau aimed to stop the Tyranids from devouring the planet and began a separate mobile war against the Tyranids leaving the Imperials alone. Much of the jungles had been devoured and only black rock and infested, ruined outposts remained. 

The Tau were very successful in their initial attacks as their fast moving forces could easily outmanoeuvre the slow Tyranids who did not have many large creatures due to the speed at which they needed to replenish troops. The Tau used their knowledge gained from Hive Fleet Gorgon to eliminate the few synapse creatures so as to break the synaptic web and hence the Tyranids strength. 

However, the Tyranids had learned lessons too and quickly adjusted their plans to fight both enemies. More large creatures were produced to combat each army’s weaknesses. Shrikes fought the Tau with a speed they could only match by fleeing; Tyrannofexes shot down Tau skimmers at range with ease; Tervigons were sent to the Imperial bases to overrun their position with gaunts charged with rage and poison. 

But as soon as the Tyranids adapted so did their enemies. Back and forth the war swayed with one side gaining an advantage before losing it to the enemy’s new plans. However, this could not continue indefinitely for the Tau or the Imperium. They both needed new supplies and troops before the Tyranids eventually wore them out. Neither force could kill the Tyranids faster than they produced more. To make matters worse the Tyranids had an endless supply of biomass as when one creature fell, it was reabsorbed and used to create another.

Both sides had to accept this and in 979.M41, after months of bitter fighting they finally allied to destroy the Tyranids. In addition to this, not soon after the fragile alliance had been made, the Eldar of Saim-Hann arrived to provide aid in exterminating the Tyranids. They had predicted that if this Splinter Fleet was allowed to grow that it would eventually destroy dozens of Eldar worlds and several precious Craftworlds. 

The Vleast Campaign had begun in full. The Tyranid defeat became a possibility to all the other races, now that they had (temporarily) allied.

Fluff Friday: Vleast Planetary Analysis

Hey everyone. I have let this slip recently but not any more. I shall strive to complete a 'Fluff Friday' every week and keep myself motivated.

So here's the first in a rethought of the series where I will also include my own fluff inventions, mainly focusing on the system and war I am creating for my friends' and I's armies to play. Here is an introduction to the planet, an Imperial Analysis.

Vleast IV Planetary Survey

Date: 978.M41

Planetary/System Analysis:

Taros System: 6 planets (I – VI), 2 habitable (Vleast IV, Vleast III)

Size: Equatorial Distance: 14,000 miles

Gravity: 1.13G

Satellites: 1 Large Moon, Vleast IV.I (Local Designation – Peticrus)

Rotation Speed: 11,000 mph (1 rotation every 4 Terran hours)

Climate Classification: Extreme – Hyper Tropical

Star Orbit: 2.6 Terran years

Star Class: F (Giant Star)

Land/Ocean Ratio: 32.6% Land, 67.4% Ocean and River

Closest Astartes Homeplanet: Salamanders, Nocturne

Closest Xenos Species: Tau Empire, Fal’shia

Population Analysis:

Imperial Colonisation Status: Abandoned

Colonisation Date: 910.M41 – 972.M41

Planetary Government: Devolved, Tribal

Human Population: 4,000,000 approx.

Xenos Population: Native – *Indiscernible*, Alien – Suspected Tau Colonists

Vleast, Campaign Setting

Recently I have been creating the background story and setting to my Tau army, The Or'esha. I want to also create a background story which ties in all of my friends' and I's armies.

The Armies
I needed to include most if not all of the armies my friends play so I can make a story for each game we play. So I need; Imperial Guard, Salamanders, Space Wolves, Saim-Hann Eldar, Tau (Mine and my friend's), Tyranids and possibly Imperial Fists.

The Setting, Vleast
First I need to know where it is in the galaxy. This was fairly easy as it needed to be on the edge of Tau space  and as close to the Salamanders home planet as possible. I also placed it close to the general area where Tyranid Fleets have been spotted so that kind of ties in my Tyranids, I can say they are a splinter fleet. Lastly the Eldar and Imperial Guard are everywhere so no need for any mapping there.

Click to enlarge image. It is marked by the red circle, bottom right.

Now the planet itself. I want to have the planet reflect my board and vice versa so it needs to have been owned by the Imperium and then have Tyranids invading as my pieces are Imperial buildings with Tyranid infestations. This also helped with the story.

The Motivation
Next it needs to have a reason for the armies to be fighting over it. This was difficult but I figured that stopping a Tyranid Fleet was adequate reason for any army to be fighting. So the idea is that the planet is rich in life and the Tyranids invading want all the biomass to rebuild their dwindling fleet but the 'good' forces like the Tau, Eldar, Imperial Guard and Salamanders are trying to stop them. They don't need to work together to do so but it will work.