TAU-RA Taruk Rider

Last night I painted and then dipped the first mini for my upcoming Tau-Ra FUBAR Force. A Taruk Rider. Added the base and flocking today. He wears white carapace armor and carries a Gauss Lance weapon. The Taruk Riders are brave and tough opponents upon their mighty Taruk. The Gauss Lance is essentially an anti-tank weapon, it can cut a whole through most armor. It would vaporize a single soldier. The Riders charge into battle with the primary goal of taking out enemy vehicles but can lend firepower support to Tau-Ra infantry squads.

In my particular mod of FUBAR (Bush War FUBAR) I think I'll start the Taruk Riders out as a 8" movement rate, d10 experience level unit, light cannon firepower with gauss (which reduces target armor save by 1 or 2) with +2 Carapace Armor for the rider.

Journey to the Moon!

Finished up my 2x2 moon board for FUBAR battles. I placed some different scale minis in a crater for size comparison. Craters are from GW. Rocks and crap are a combination of Woodland Scenics, Pet Store Lizard Sand, Rocks my wife found in a bag of beans and some rocks from the front driveway. I washed the craters with a watered down black ink.

The Tau-Ra Collective

The Collective is made up of numerous planetary systems in the Andromeda Galaxy and at the time of this writing is comprised of two races. The Humaniti, and the Tau.

The first race we shall highlight here are the Humaniti, or as they are sometimes referred to, the Ratians (RA-shuns). They are the descendants of the first humans from the Sol System to arrive and colonize planets in the Andromeda Galaxy. They were freedom loving folk, inspired by nature, art and inward reflection. They were what the ancient folk on Earth would call pagans for they saw the divine in most everything natural. The first colonists landed on a small Class M planet which they named Ra in honor of an ancient Earth deity. Later as more colonists arrived, the Ratians expanded and founded many settlements on Ra. Later they formed what was once known as the Ra Confederation. Banding together for protection from persecution by the Malvernis Church and it's inquisition. However, within 10 years the Confederation was falling apart, people were starving and dying. That's when the Tau came, they made peaceful contact and saved the colonists. Trade was established and indeed flourished, ideas were exchanged and today the two species stand side by side. The home planet has since been renamed Tau-Ra as the 2 races have joined together into one.

Now let's examine the indigenous Tau. The Tau are an xenos humanoid species. To most humans they appear almost lizardlike. While they have a myriad of skin tones most are either red, blue or green. They are larger than most humans. They are a unified caste society but one that is set up for the greater good of all Tau. Their warrior caste is relentless and have an almost chivalric code that they strictly adhere too. They have been known to ride great beasts into battle against tanks and machines. Like the Ratians they are nature worshipers but have learned to integrate technology into a balanced existence. The Tau are great workers of art and woodcraft. A favorite Tau pastime is the writing and recital of poetry. The average Tau lives to an age of 200 years but it is not unheard of to find Tau 300+ years old.

The Tau homeworld is heavily forested with great trees that are larger than some mountains on Earth. Every Tau-Ra spacecraft contains an atrium, some large, some very small, which house botanic life from the Tau-Ra Homeworld. Today, the Tau-Ra Collective stands as a strong economic power in the two galaxies and have settled several other planets. The Collective holds stock in several of the largest interstellar corporations like the Pan Galactic Company. Militarily, however, they are not as strong as the some of the other factions. Military spending only comprises 4% of the Collective budget. This has led to a few occasions of checkbook diplomacy and the hiring of mercenaries to do dirty work outside Collective territory.

Interstellar Defense Solutions

Pictured below is a heavy cargo truck used in Class M Planetside Mining Operations by Interstellar Defense Solutions, stock ticker: IDS. As you can see from the rust and wear this truck has hauled a lot of ore over the course of it's career.

Switch to 6mm

With all the various models available and the low low price, I've decided to switch this campaign to 6mm.

Galactic Corporations - Interstellar Defense Solutions

There are many corporations within the Milky Way & Andromeda Galaxies. Ranging from the giant and bloated Pan Galactic Corporation that has it's fingers in almost everything to the small trinket vendors on space stations.

One corporation I shall highlight upon from time to time will be Interstellar Defense Solutions. IDS is a small company, with less than 45 full time employees. It's joint-chaired by Jaap von Huack & Gallo Forchella. IDS has both industrial and military divisions. IDS Industrial Division focuses on planet and asteroid mining, interstellar transportation services as well as ship, ship equipment, military arms and mining equipment manufacturing. IDS Military Division provides custom contractual armed security, intelligence gathering & other services rendered by most private military companies. IDS like most companies takes advantage of the for hire manufacturing lines available throughout the galaxy. However boardroom talk of late has been on the acquisition of a space station, expansion of military operatives and investment in manufacturing equipment.

GPT, The Ceti Accords & Clone Technology

GATE PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY

The UEF was the first faction to develop Gate Projection Technology and reach out into deep space. Now every faction has developed their own gates to jump ships from sector to sector. All gates are heavily defended and protected. However with the signing of the Treaty of Cet most faction gates are open to civilian and commercial travel and serve as communication relays.

THE CETI ACCORDS

The Treaty of Cet mentioned above took it's name from the planet of it's signing. The four major factions have always had strained relations but a fear of the Comet Empire and others along with a desire to expand commerce and cooperation brought about the Ceti Accords. The treaty established the planet of Cet as an interstellar free, neutral diplomatic planet dedicated to maintaining dialogue, trade and peace throughout the galaxy. Cet maintains it's own defense and police forces. The Ceti Accords also provided for the assignment of all beings and sectors of space into the Ceti Registry which details the trustworthiness or lack thereof for any given person as well as the safety and security of a certain space sector. All four factions have adopted the Ceti Registry for their own uses as well, therefore one might have a 2.0 rating with their own faction but a negative rating with another. The Registry identifies persons as either 10.0 Most Trusted, to -10 Interstellar Enemy. All people are born and or entered into the registry with a 0.0 rating. Those with ratings below -4 are heinous villains and it is the duty of all to cause them harm. Space Sectors with positive ratings are generally considered safe for travel and offer some protection. One would be wise to avoid sectors with a negative rating.

Cet (pronounced SET) is a lush vibrant planet and was thought to have had no native inhabitants. However archaeologists uncovered remains of a once great civilization that was highly advanced. Many have come to Cet in the hope of a fresh start. Some are drawn to the elite Ceti Foreign Legion. The Legion is open to neutral and trusted candidates throughout the two galaxies, however the onus is upon the candidate to find transport to Cet. Since it's founding, the population of Cet has grown steadily and it's citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the galaxy.

CLONE TECHNOLOGY

While humans were developing clone tech prior to the Comet Empire's invasion of Earth and today it is common for factions to use clone troops and workers. A recent innovation has progressed clone tech to the next level. Federation scientists have developed instant transfer capabilities from person to clone. The cost of the technology is steep but if one has the right connections or money a clone will be produced and kept animated in a suspense vat hard wired into new clone tech super computers. Every day one can download a copy of one's memory onto your clone's databank. In the event of death those equipped with special neuron transmitter gear can have a quick copy uploaded and inserted into their clone which results in the clone awaking within a few seconds after death. The "new you" that awakes in the vat will have no deformities or disease, (unless requested) and you will remember everything as if you had just awoke from a long slumber.