This conversion was assembled to look like a Tau Battlesuit being ripped open from the inside by the possessed pilot. This model would make a great addition to your Tau army when fighting a Daemonhunters force (used as a Greater Daemon) and will add some much needed assault ability to the melee-challenged Tau forces. Personally, I think I'll use the conversion (and a few more like it) as Chaos Spawn in a Chaos Space Marine army that employs Kroot Mercenaries. Turned by the warping influence of Chaos, the twisted Tau warriors will now fight among my ranks of the lost and the damned!

Begin by taking the Tau Battlesuit torso and gluing the front half to the back and the jet thrusters to the back piece. Now the fun begins. Haphazardly cut into the torso with a pair of clippers and a hobby knife. Try to leave the arm ball joints and the pelvis intact, as these parts will be attached to the arms and legs later. Cutting a gash around the collar plate will enable you to attach the head of the battle suit and reinforce the fact that this malign creation was once a benevolent Tau design. You should also cut a large gash behind the Battlesuits right arm joint, as there will be a tentacled arm attached there later.

Take your components (I used four of the back spines from the Chaos Spawn and the lower body of a Tzeentch Flamer) and test fit them into the Battlesuit torso piece. Try to make it look like the back spines are arms prying open the chest of the Battlesuit. I cut some additional notches where the talon ends of the backspines would fit to make it look like the talons are cutting into the metal.

When you're satisfied with the fit, remove the daemonic components and take a chunk of modeling putty about 1/2" around and push it into the hole you've created in the suit. Now take your daemonic components and push them into the predetermined position. When you like the position of the components, go back in with your hobby knife and texturize any visible sections of putty with a repetitive stippling motion. This technique should make the transition between fleshy components a bit smoother. When you're satisfied with the torso, set it aside at least 4-5 hours to let the putty set up properly.

While your torso dries, take the legs and drill into them with the tip of your hobby knife. When you have a hole about 1/8" wide and about that deep, take some of Galrauch's Spines and test fit them into the hole. If they fit, cut a few notches around the hole so it looks like the spine has burst through the Battlesuit's armour. Glue the spines into place but keep in mind the final positioning of your model's limbs.

For the arms, take the right Battlesuit arm and cut it slightly above the rounded elbow joint. Trim the elbow section so it is completely round, glue the forearm to the elbow so the arm is straight and glue any desired weaponry to the forearm. The overall effect should be an arm hanging limply at the models side. Add a spine (just as you did to the legs) to the shoulder section of the arm. Try to vary the length of your spines for variety's sake.

For the models left arm, take the Tau left arm and cut off the shoulder section. Use your hobby knife, cut out the bottom of the shoulder section, and add some notches into the sides. Next, take Galrauch's tail and test fit the blunt end inside the shoulder section. You may need to trim the tail with some clippers to get it to fit properly. When you get the proper fit, glue the pieces together.

By now, your torso should have dried. Glue your legs to the pelvis of the Battlesuit. I glued the right leg back a bit so it appears that the model is lurching forward and supporting its weight with the tentacle arm you are about to glue into place. It's also a good idea to attach the feet to the legs without gluing them, because you will invariably have to reposition them in relation to the other components for a proper fit. Take the tentacle from the Inquisitor Mutant and test fit it into the gash you cut into the Battlesuit's right arm. Position the arm so that it is approximately the same length as the Battlesuit's left leg (you will probably have to trim the shoulder end of the tentacle to make it the proper length). Pin that sucker into place so it rests about halfway between the Battlesuit arm and leg on the right side. I also cleaned up the join with some putty and sunk another spine into the join. Smooth out any discrepancies with your hobby knife.

When that is done, glue the model to a 40-mm base so that the tentacle and left leg rest flush on the base. A little dab of glue on the underside of the feet will lock them into place. Finally, take your tentacled arm (made from Galrauch's tail and the Battlesuit shoulder) and pin it into place after you have cut off the ball section from the left battlesuit shoulder. All that being done, your diabolic creation may be painted as desired (pick the colours of your own force or a most hated Tau adversary), and it will be ready to fight for the greater evil of Chaos!