Title said it all.

All the rumors say they're getting the Demurig and they already have the Kroot and Vespids. I think the human guardsmen with similar stats to a guardsmen can be a 2nd or 3rd troop choice to be an alternative Fire Warrior.

It would pretty cool to run a Tau Army with few Tau and many aliens.

They should have customizable auxillaries that can represent a wide variety of races similiar to the 3rd ed. Tyranid biomorph table.

Then I can finally make an army of Tarellian Dog fighters!

No. Whilst they might be fun at annoying Imperial players, it is really difficult to comprehend what sort of role they could play in Tau army. As I understand it, Gue'vesa are equivalent of Imperial PDF's. Tau army with a Conscript blob? No thank you...

Trash the vespid, give them Human auxiliaries with the option of pulse rifles at + 5 points each. Then allow them to have Fusion blasters(up to 2) and special weapons teams(burst cannon, missile pods).

I suppose they left them out of the last one because they figured people would proxy if they wanted to field auxiliaries.

They could have human heavy weapon teams or a blob squad.

I'm just really not a fan of Tau fire warriors.

DorianGray wrote: or a blob squad.

Im cool not giving a devastating gun line a cover save or supporting close combat potential !

I voted no, what role would they play - IN GAME AT THE VERY LEAST - that couldn't be filled by fire warriors?

I think it would be cool to have humans in the Tau army. They could fill any role - they wouldn't have to be IG-alikes. They could even be human/vespid cross breeds or anything from some isolated planet that the imperium forgot about with it's own culture and technology.

Just because humans are represented in the IOM by IG doesn't mean that human auxiliaries in the Tau army would have to be blob squads or heavy weapons squads or anything that currently exists in the IG codex for that matter.

Well according to the fluff Gue'vesa (human auxiliaries) are former PDF or Imperial Guard regiments on imperial worlds that joined the Tau Empire for better quality of life, etc

They would be similar to the IG no?

Which have similar stats to the Tau, are only marginally better in close combat and it wouldn't make sense for them to have superior numbers as they are auxiliaries. I really don't see how they'd fit-in in the Codex?

What would be the point? All the current (and presumably the future) auxiliaries theoretically have a purpose, they fill a whole in Tau tactics. Sure Vespid are worthless right now, but in theory they have a job. Do Tau really need human aux that are very similar to firewarriors but with less armor and slightly better in CC? Nah, I don't think so. Let players sub in some human 'firewarrior' units (using Firewarrior entries) as just a model swap. Fluffwise I wouldn't think the Tau Empire would allow the human aux to pack around heavy weapons anyway, it's contrary to Tau infantry combat doctrine.

Besides, if I wanted to play Guard I'd... well then I'd play Guard.

DorianGray wrote:It would pretty cool to run a Tau Army with few Tau and many aliens.

This is the problem I have. Its a TAU and friends army. Not a tau AND FRIENDS army. Auxilary are there to help out, not take the army over. Plus, as others have said, guardsmen and firewarriors have almost the same stat line. Whats the purpose of bringing them if they don't bring anything to the table?

DorianGray wrote:Well according to the fluff Gue'vesa (human auxiliaries) are former PDF or Imperial Guard regiments on imperial worlds that joined the Tau Empire for better quality of life, etc

They would be similar to the IG no?

But don't we already HAVE Imperial Guard? Do we really need more Meltavets? Well, I guess they'd be riding Devilfishes...

If you want Imperial Guard, play Imperial Guard.

They could be a 0 - 1 of a ten man squad that could upgrade the sarge with a rifle or carbine for say 10pts? They are there to help so taking one squad would be fine. Conversions would be cool to build.

I would be cool if Tau got human servants, I could finally use my IG army.

Yes they should get Human troops that would use a mixture of IG and Tau equiptment!

((More traitors to burn))

FOR THE EMPEROR!

IMO to diversify the next codex, it would better to have Kroot with different bio-upgrades reflecting on their innate ability to absorb characteristics from enemy races they consume. They could be psykers like Eldar, sadistic like Dark Eldar, tougher and stronger like Orks, or daemonic like chaos.

The rumored Deimurg hopefully tougher than T4, would also fit in the Tau codex. A race that is advance as Tau in technology with exotics weapons.

Finally, another feature would be expanding on the gun drone's role. Kamikaze drones acting like spore mines, sniper drones, marker drones, gun drones, shield drones, detection drones, and repair drones would add a lot of flavor to the next Tau codex.

Imperial Guard however wouldn't add anything useful. The only use I see in them through the old pdf written long time ago is cheap access to markerlights.

I'm hoping they don't add them too, I've modeled mine as counts-as firewarriors!

Really wouldn't contribute anything. They're worse at firing than fire warriors according to fluff, they're not fast like vespid, and they're not good at combat.

Best to just convert Cadian guardsmen if you really want them.

Just give better Kroot options.

Human auxillaries would have be heavy weapon teams. Humans are larger than Tau and have a larger tendency for big guns, so fluff wise they could lug around slightly larger guns. On the board, tehy could get teams to carry around a weapon only the battlesuits could carry before.

Mr Nobody wrote:Human auxillaries would have be heavy weapon teams. Humans are larger than Tau and have a larger tendency for big guns, so fluff wise they could lug around slightly larger guns. On the board, tehy could get teams to carry around a weapon only the battlesuits could carry before.

great, now I've started thinking of HWTs with Railguns

As a flavorful option, they're cool. I'm not sure exactly what purpose they'd serve in the army, but more choice is always a good thing.

I would handle auxiliaries like the new Inq Henchmen. The unit is just "Auxiliairies" but there's enough options to have all sorts of aliens (or humans) in a squad.

Personally as a Tau player I do not want any more auxiliaries. I prefer to run mostly a pure tau army, but reserve my kroot for big games. I think the kroot have potential as well as the tau. They need to expand with the army and not just use band aid auxiliaries to excel them in close combat. If your a tau player and want humans just use the taros campaign from forgeworld. I personally want kroot to gain access to some close combat weapons and expand their options of upgrades, also i would like a kroot shaman who makes the unit he joins stubborn and gets a witchblade. I also would rather not try and remember a whole new stat line of auxiliaries.

See I'm the total opposite to the above poster.

I want to play Tau and run a mostly non-Tau army of alien allies.

Imagine the lawls.

Death to the alien and the heretic. Buts seriously no I would find humans in a tau army rather sad seeing as humanity is already well represented in the imperium I mean the IG are nothing to scoff at.

solles wrote:

Mr Nobody wrote:Human auxillaries would have be heavy weapon teams. Humans are larger than Tau and have a larger tendency for big guns, so fluff wise they could lug around slightly larger guns. On the board, tehy could get teams to carry around a weapon only the battlesuits could carry before.

great, now I've started thinking of HWTs with Railguns

Rail rifles maybe but not a Railgun. The gun need to much power to use which is why it is on a suit. I could see HWT's with a larger fusion/plasma gun, or just let them us their IG weapons.

How about just model some of your firewarriors to be humans. Or demiurg or whatever.

My vote was yes. If only to make the Tau more 'Fluffy'.
You cant put the Human's in the history of the Tau, and then not be able to field them...On the other hand this is GW we are talking about.

They still havnt got round to making the Wrack's yet, one of the most popular choices in the DE book......Typical.....

It's all good and fluffy, but they should add some new tactical option rather then being fire warrior repaints.

DorianGray wrote:See I'm the total opposite to the above poster.

I want to play Tau and run a mostly non-Tau army of alien allies.

Imagine the lawls.

So your saying you want Tau wargear with different models? or a TAU ARMY with no TAU units? There are 1+ units because the focus is on the tau themselves. They might as well just start a new army and new codex. Personally I would like the Tau to develop an identity. This is why i prefer Farsight Enclaves because the are pure Tau and don't reason with any other army, just kill them. Perhaps they should just release a Farsight Enclave codex since they already have 5 separate marines codexs.

If you want humans play out the forgeworld IA3 and kroot mercs out of white dwarf. I dont mind out side of the codex for white dwarf or a IA to do a Tau Auxiliaries army, but for the codex I'm hoping on more Tau and less new Auxiliaries .

The details I have of the human auxilliaries allow for one pulse rifle for the leader of the squad the rest armed with lasguns. Personal armor is a mix of Tau firewarrior and guard pieces. Heavy equipment is strictly Imperial Guard.

Now, this is only true of auxilliaries who have proven their loyalty and worth!

The rest have no Tau or heavy equipment at all.

This is forge world fluff, however, what GW will do is hard to say. The human aux are an extremely popular type though.

I edit because I can't spell...

I like human aux, but I would like to see them different than IG. First, ws2 and bs2, like conscripts, as IG are supposed to be the top 10% of the PDF. I would have the sarge be ws3/bs3, and have the tau pulserifle/carbine option--no power weapons or anything like that.

Lasguns as standard weapons, and heavy stubbers as heavy weapons, grenade launchers as special weapons.

Armor save of 6+, since they dont have the full IG ballistic plate.

This makes them different than firewarriors, different from kroot, worse than firewarriors shooting, worse than kroot in cc, but cheap as dirt and in no way identical to IG squads. The human aux would be completely different, yet still recognizable as humans.

Also, this human aux can make a good proxy for tau ninjas!

According to the fluff I have read, aren't Gue'Vesa supposed to fill the gap between Fire Warriors and Kroot? I think a close-ranged special weapon platform similar to IG Veterans would be good. This would take some of the special weapon pressure off the Crisis Suits. Perhaps give them some sort of restriction so people don't copy IG Veteran melta-spam.

make them like local PDF troopers. a squad of 10 (sgt and one special weapon/ grenade launcher or flamer) however, make them weaker than the normal guardsmand.

ws 2
bs 2
strength 2
toughness 5
wounds 1
initative 3
save 5
attacks 1/2(sgt)
leadership 6/7 (sgt)

at same points as IG, so, 50 to 55 points with no other upgrades. just a cheap troop choice. they are from PDF so they dont have the training, drills, or skills as a normal soldier.

SabrX wrote:
IMO to diversify the next codex, it would better to have Kroot with different bio-upgrades reflecting on their innate ability to absorb characteristics from enemy races they consume. They could be psykers like Eldar, sadistic like Dark Eldar, tougher and stronger like Orks, or daemonic like chaos.

Kroot consuming Chaos did not work out well for the Tau last time around, but the rest of the bio-upgrades sound plausible.

Lame idea.

DevianID wrote:I like human aux, but I would like to see them different than IG. First, ws2 and bs2, like conscripts, as IG are supposed to be the top 10% of the PDF. I would have the sarge be ws3/bs3, and have the tau pulserifle/carbine option--no power weapons or anything like that.

Lasguns as standard weapons, and heavy stubbers as heavy weapons, grenade launchers as special weapons.

Armor save of 6+, since they dont have the full IG ballistic plate.

This makes them different than firewarriors, different from kroot, worse than firewarriors shooting, worse than kroot in cc, but cheap as dirt and in no way identical to IG squads. The human aux would be completely different, yet still recognizable as humans.

Also, this human aux can make a good proxy for tau ninjas!

It would be extremely cool if the old guardsmen could actually make a jump up the assault food chain. THE HARDENED GUARDSMEN HIT ON 3S.

martin74 wrote:make them like local PDF troopers. a squad of 10 (sgt and one special weapon/ grenade launcher or flamer) however, make them weaker than the normal guardsmand.

ws 2
bs 2
strength 2
toughness 5
wounds 1
initative 3
save 5
attacks 1/2(sgt)
leadership 6/7 (sgt)

at same points as IG, so, 50 to 55 points with no other upgrades. just a cheap troop choice. they are from PDF so they dont have the training, drills, or skills as a normal soldier.

Bolded part. What.

I would like to know why Human Auxiliaries are supposed to be PDF troops. I always thought that they were survivors left behind by the Imperium after they pulled out of the fighting, thus the Veteran Guardsman parallel.

The humas can have worse shots but they can be cheaper in points and in be great in numbers!

bob the heretic wrote:The humas can have worse shots but they can be cheaper in points and in be great in numbers!

Worse shots makes them ineffective and throw-away, something the Tau don't believe in.

Great in numbers means that your auxiliary could out-number your main army, which shouldn't be the case.


I really am yet to see a convincing reason why Human Auxiliaries should be included as a choice in the army list...

Brother SRM wrote:

martin74 wrote:make them like local PDF troopers. a squad of 10 (sgt and one special weapon/ grenade launcher or flamer) however, make them weaker than the normal guardsmand.

ws 2
bs 2
strength 2
toughness 5
wounds 1
initative 3
save 5
attacks 1/2(sgt)
leadership 6/7 (sgt)

at same points as IG, so, 50 to 55 points with no other upgrades. just a cheap troop choice. they are from PDF so they dont have the training, drills, or skills as a normal soldier.

Bolded part. What.

strenght 2 toughnes 3. my bad. late at night when i did that. i dont expect them to be as strong as normal guardsman, as, they are sort of like national guard in the PDF.

well they are part of the empire

There did used to be a data sheet kicking around. i think it was on the old GW website. i think i have a print out of it glued into my old Tau codex atchaly. was near enough to gaudsmen but you could equip like half of them with pules guns and they had Tau granades. Also i think Tau amour would be better aswell. mabey they could have like a random race back with vareying races in one squad.

why not? thiwer fluff says they have taken human worlds into the greater good and some have joined without a shot fired

Given that humans are stronger than tau (its in the codex) I could them as a general purpose troop in between fire warriors and the crisis suits.

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:My vote was yes. If only to make the Tau more 'Fluffy'.
You cant put the Human's in the history of the Tau, and then not be able to field them...On the other hand this is GW we are talking about.

Considering the "history" of humans in the Tau is as police/defense forces on human held worlds, it's completely understandable that they're not fielded.

They still haven't got round to making the Wrack's yet, one of the most popular choices in the DE book......Typical.....

June by all accounts is the Haemonculi Coven and their related stuff. They staggered the releases.

Tehy should but they won't.

Current GW thinking is they should have a model you can use out of the box for any unit in the codex and other than a few missing nid units they've held to it.

They won't make an expensive new box of humans just for a minor Tau unit nor will they tell people to use IG.
I wish they would but I know in my heart they won't.

Sounds fun - why not

All for more alt models

Easy solution.

Gue'vasa:
1-10 models that grant Scout to a unit they join. Can be distributed amongst Fire Warrior Teams.

Come in a box of 5 metal models, are simply a Guardsman wearing Fire Warrior armor over Guard fatigues with a Pulse Rifle or Carbine.

I think it is an horrible idea, i mean, the whole reason to have different codex is to have options to choice, so if i want to play humans i choose from one of the many imperial or chaos options (who by now are the most among the existing ones). I know the fluff allows humans as auxiliary troops but what we dont need its yet another "imperium of the man just with another colors but all the cool choises from the other armys" if you want to play IG then play IG and leave the other races be.

About the kroot i agree they should have more options, recently i read the official Kroot Merc (kind of) codex and fell in love. But its true that the codex is "TAU empire so i say the 1+ Shas'el and 1+ Fire warriors must remain or chance to 1+ TAU HQ and 1+ TAU troop (i didnt say firewarriors just in case they add some new kind of Tau troop choice).

And totally agreed with the Farsight Codex or at least better options to allow play a decent O'Shava army.

Yes, Auxilaries are what make the Tau Army interesting.

TMonkeyGuru wrote:I think it is an horrible idea, i mean, the whole reason to have different codex is to have options to choice, so if i want to play humans i choose from one of the many imperial or chaos options (who by now are the most among the existing ones).

Um you do know there is exactly 1 human codex right?

Just 1.

Not many.

1.



(OK 2 if you count Witchhunters, but there's in power armor so I don't)

Well 3 if you count the Inquistors with human henchmen from Grey Knights

Yes but ther's like 5 humans in an army, the rest are super human. so you dont.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:(OK 2 if you count Witchhunters, but there's in power armor so I don't)

Sisters are still just highly trained humans, power armour doesn't automatically make you superhuman. They simply have access to a much higher grade of equipment than a guard regiment would.

They are nulls tho, still human, but abhumman.

I voted yes. Dont need anymore silly aliens to paint

Then go do airfix.

Absolutely not imho.

Voted no. What I want to see is tougher and more varied kroots, and the demiurgs should also give plenty of defensive/close combat roles (since they're supposed to be space dwarfs, I don't see them being mobile troops, and Taus already have plenty of long range specialised units).

There's neither place nor need for humans in that.

I think it could be cool if only for fluff purposes.

The Dark Eldar got harliquins in their new coded and no one really seemed up in arms over that even though wytches essentially filler their roll.

It's Tau Empire. Not just the blue hooved creatures.

The Dark Eldar already had Harlequins. And if we're splitting hairs, the role that Harlequins fill is as 'elite assault infantry' and that role is filled by the Bloodbrides or Mandrakes, not the basic Wych unit.

The reason people are more vocal about "human auxiliaries" is because they're, without a doubt, going to be basically be "Guard squads in the Tau army".

My reason for not wanting them is simply because the Gue'vasa don't tend to travel in huge numbers with the Tau fleets. They'll have maybe a platoon's worth, which would be used as infiltrators and insurgents to communicate with and confuse the Guard/PDF that the Tau are facing.

Marines have scouts, even though they don't tend to take a big role in battle

Don't really care, but human auxiliaries kinda suck.

I would like it if they were added, but it won't bother me if they didn't

I was planning on converting some anyways

spookman wrote:Marines have scouts, even though they don't tend to take a big role in battle

The difference is that every Marine force will include at least a squad of Scouts.

Every Tau force won't include Human Auxiliaries.

Kanluwen wrote:

spookman wrote:Marines have scouts, even though they don't tend to take a big role in battle

The difference is that every Marine force will include at least a squad of Scouts.

Every Tau force won't include Human Auxiliaries.

Agreed.

Tau use on Pathfinders as their scouts. I could see having one squad of IG as reserves only, but that's it.

Well, I wouldn't really see the humans being used as the same role as Pathfinders.

Think of them as being advisors. Pathfinders, translators, etc.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
By the way: "Pathfinders" in this sense means "scouts intimately familiar with the terrain, showing secret ways of travel".

Kanluwen wrote:Well, I wouldn't really see the humans being used as the same role as Pathfinders.

Think of them as being advisors. Pathfinders, translators, etc.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
By the way: "Pathfinders" in this sense means "scouts intimately familiar with the terrain, showing secret ways of travel".

Ah, miscommunication. I agree, I don't see them being Pathfinders.

I can see them as scouts, translators, and spies since their title in the Tau Empire is "Human Helpers"...but like I said before, in terms of the game, I can see them as a single reserve squad.

What about them having a Chimera if they're used as a combat unit? Possible?...you know that there would have been some left behind after the IG pulled out

Great, so now Tau get mech vets?

That won't end badly at all

No vehicles, they get spiked before crews ditch them.

I vote Yes. The Tau Empire accepts and absorbs all races willing to submit to the Greater Good. If a few Human worlds have gone over to the TE then so be it. Here is the PDF link by Andy Hoare. http://www.theblackship.org/downloads/rules/Tau_human_auxileries.pdf
THey are not OP in anyway and have a very limited tactical use.....namely filling a spot between Kroot and FW. I have a squad of 12 that come to 84pts. they are usually stuck behind some cover and are waiting for a last couple of turn rush or i just park them around a objective and leave them as a roadblock.

Kroothawk wrote:If you want Imperial Guard, play Imperial Guard.

I concure. While it is fluffy, it's also boring. I'd let a Tau player borrow some guard in a friendly game anyway.

I would still like to see a suitable reason why they should be a choice in the Codex.

If they have heavy weapons, then they are stationary units (something Tau military doctrine doesn't endorse) and would be competing with Tau's already formidable firepower options.

If they are cheaper, then they are competing with Kroot who have better weapons (than lasguns) and are better in close combat. The basic Guardsmen needs to be fielded in quantity; as an auxiliary unit this is a difficulty as they should be the minority.

Their basic stats are only slightly different to that of an ordinary firewarrior, begging the question why they should be included and not counts-as.

I know they're there in the fluff and I'm all for fluffy, additional options.

But can someone please provide a suitable reason (considering the above points) why they should be included in the Codex and how?!

Dave, "they're there in the fluff" isn't even a good reason.

They're not fielded in any real numbers or taken on campaigns to justify their use.

It would be like if a Baneblade were in the standard Imperial Guard Codex and you could field platoons of them.

I insist that the tau codex must remain at its current "Ice cream" pattern, you have the "Tau icecream" and if want you can add some "kroot chips" and kind of like the "possible demiurg cover" (vespids not my taste but its nice to know they are a possible choice). I mean a main solid Tau core and AUXILIARS not viceversa.

And for the humans i dont like it like i said before because all of the humans already fighting in the 41 millenium (and yes there's a lot, dont try to say space marines are not hyper esteroid treated humans).

XV9's, more drone options, Farsight special troops (xv8's ready for close combat maybe?), new kroot options (knarloc riders, great knarloc) and another castes (water caste envoy, a sweet home rule for 1 game, age of empires monks rules, lol'ed all night) is what i think the next codex should be.

Why would Farsight's special troops be "XV8s ready for close combat"?

That makes absolutely no sense. The only reason Farsight wields the Sword of Dawn is because it's a relic that he 'discovered'. It's a one-off item, like the Gauntlets of Ultramar.

Kanluwen wrote:Why would Farsight's special troops be "XV8s ready for close combat"?

That makes absolutely no sense. The only reason Farsight wields the Sword of Dawn is because it's a relic that he 'discovered'. It's a one-off item, like the Gauntlets of Ultramar.

Yes the sword of dawn is a one of a kind item, but nothing stops farsight from wielding some normal swords on his battle suits. Farsight ,unlike most tau, believes in melee combat and teaches it to his troops. That is why his fire warriors get extra CC.

Actually, he doesn't "believe in melee combat".

The Fire Warriors get extra CC because they're experienced in fighting Orks. It's been explained like that since the first Tau Codex.

Most likely the only way they would get is slaves, so that might really mess them but, but i don't know, i thought most humans hated Xenos?

Kanluwen wrote:Actually, he doesn't "believe in melee combat".

The Fire Warriors get extra CC because they're experienced in fighting Orks. It's been explained like that since the first Tau Codex.

"Possibly because of his ongoing battles against Ork forces, O'Shovah believes that close combat is a vital part of warfare, unlike most other Tau" The codex says about the same thing in the section titled ork fighter. Faresight scoffs at the idea of relining only on range and makes sure his troops practice hand to hand.

Nightwalker wrote:Most likely the only way they would get is slaves, so that might really mess them but, but i don't know, i thought most humans hated Xenos?

Most do, but the tau put for a effort in seducing human words away from the IoM. Take a look at the damocles crusade. That link is a little lacking, but when the IoM withdrew, the guard units they left behind where offered the option to join the tau. Some took it (some resisted) and that is where the human auxiliaries come from.

nomotog wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Actually, he doesn't "believe in melee combat".

The Fire Warriors get extra CC because they're experienced in fighting Orks. It's been explained like that since the first Tau Codex.

"Possibly because of his ongoing battles against Ork forces, O'Shovah believes that close combat is a vital part of warfare, unlike most other Tau" The codex says about the same thing in the section titled ork fighter. Farsight scoffs at the idea of relying only on range and makes sure his troops practice hand to hand.

"Close combat" doesn't mean "melee combat is emphasized".

And by the way?

Tau Empire wrote:O'Shovah's fame was won battling against Orks and he has denounced the normal Tau philosophy of using ranged combat to the exclusion of all else. Fire Caste warriors of the Farsight Enclave train heavily in hand to hand combat and any Tau model in an army led by O'Shovah counts as having the Preferred Enemy special rule when fighting Orks.

That doesn't say he "believes in melee combat" or "specializes" in it.

The way it's been explained makes it clear that Farsight trains his troops so that they can defend themselves against foes that would close.

Nightwalker wrote:Most likely the only way they would get is slaves, so that might really mess them but, but i don't know, i thought most humans hated Xenos?

Most do, but the tau put for a effort in seducing human words away from the IoM. Take a look at the damocles crusade. That link is a little lacking, but when the IoM withdrew, the guard units they left behind where offered the option to join the tau. Some took it (some resisted) and that is where the human auxiliaries come from.

They left basically NO Guard units behind. That is a fallacy constantly repeated by Tau players.
The majority of what was absorbed into the Tau Empire was PDF.

I bet it would piss you off so bad if they reasoned thats how the Tau got human counterparts


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I bet it would piss you off so bad if they reasoned thats how the Tau got human counterparts

I think so, they kind of deserve it.

Human auxiliaries ARE a big part of their fluff.

Cynick wrote:I think so, they kind of deserve it.

Human auxiliaries ARE a big part of their fluff.

Once again:
They're really not. They're a big part of the fluff for planets that the Tau take over.

It's like if one were to field the Cadian Interior Guard...anywhere outside of Cadia.

I must remark that i never said "melee" i said close combat, tau units are not designed to stand in the middle of the fight for several turns. My idea was closer to XV8's with vectorial retro trusters included in the cost, shield generator and a)a special short range multiple hardcore assault attacks (some kind of shotgun? flamer template?) or b)Power weapon (before rage against me i know this doesnt fit tau fluff, im just giving the ideas that comes right now to my mind).

The whole idea would be XV8's that jump in, hit hard and IF survive run like hell but only avalible to farsaight enclave and perhaps to be fair XV9's only be avalible to "loyal" taus.

By the way, im not a natural english speaker so if some one finds anything wrong in my writing, please be gentle.

Kanluwen wrote:

nomotog wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Actually, he doesn't "believe in melee combat".

The Fire Warriors get extra CC because they're experienced in fighting Orks. It's been explained like that since the first Tau Codex.

"Possibly because of his ongoing battles against Ork forces, O'Shovah believes that close combat is a vital part of warfare, unlike most other Tau" The codex says about the same thing in the section titled ork fighter. Farsight scoffs at the idea of relying only on range and makes sure his troops practice hand to hand.

"Close combat" doesn't mean "melee combat is emphasized".

And by the way?

Tau Empire wrote:O'Shovah's fame was won battling against Orks and he has denounced the normal Tau philosophy of using ranged combat to the exclusion of all else. Fire Caste warriors of the Farsight Enclave train heavily in hand to hand combat and any Tau model in an army led by O'Shovah counts as having the Preferred Enemy special rule when fighting Orks.

That doesn't say he "believes in melee combat" or "specializes" in it.

The way it's been explained makes it clear that Farsight trains his troops so that they can defend themselves against foes that would close.

Nightwalker wrote:Most likely the only way they would get is slaves, so that might really mess them but, but i don't know, i thought most humans hated Xenos?

Most do, but the tau put for a effort in seducing human words away from the IoM. Take a look at the damocles crusade. That link is a little lacking, but when the IoM withdrew, the guard units they left behind where offered the option to join the tau. Some took it (some resisted) and that is where the human auxiliaries come from.

They left basically NO Guard units behind. That is a fallacy constantly repeated by Tau players.
The majority of what was absorbed into the Tau Empire was PDF.

Ok, you are jumping through all kinds of hoops with wording and such. The original question was about melee equipped battle suits. Farsight knows how important melee combat is in the 40k world. The idea that he would have special close combat suits makes a lot of sense. I guess we can argue whether or not he "believes in melee", but that would be a point less battle of what the word believe means.

The other part. I was just going by what it said in my codex, but yes most auxiliaries would come from human planets ailed with the tau.

TMonkeyGuru wrote:I must remark that i never said "melee" i said close combat, tau units are not designed to stand in the middle of the fight for several turns. My idea was closer to XV8's with vectorial retro trusters included in the cost, shield generator and a)a special short range multiple hardcore assault attacks (some kind of shotgun? flamer template?) or b)Power weapon (before rage against me i know this doesnt fit tau fluff, im just giving the ideas that comes right now to my mind).

The whole idea would be XV8's that jump in, hit hard and IF survive run like hell but only avalible to farsaight enclave and perhaps to be fair XV9's only be avalible to "loyal" taus.

By the way, im not a natural english speaker so if some one finds anything wrong in my writing, please be gentle.

The idea of the XV8s jumping in and hitting hard isn't exclusive to Farsight.

Mounting swords on XV8 or XV9s is just silly though.

nomotog wrote:Ok, you are jumping through all kinds of hoops with wording and such. The original question was about melee equipped battle suits. Farsight knows how important melee combat is in the 40k world. The idea that he would have special close combat suits makes a lot of sense. I guess we can argue whether or not he "believes in melee", but that would be a point less battle of what the word believe means.

And again, you've clearly missed the point. This isn't a case of "he knows how important melee combat is so every Battle Suit gets a free giant sword!". This is a case of "he knows how important and inevitable melee combat is for the Fire Warriors, and has trained them appropriately".

The other part. I was just going by what it said in my codex, but yes most auxiliaries would come from human planets allied with the tau.

They wouldn't "come from" those planets. That's the only place they would be found.

Personally I would like to see some stats for some human auxiliaries. Sure they wouldn't be too different than the normal fire warrior, but they would be an appropriate representation of the Tau Empire's fluff. I wouldn't want to see models just yet, so I could convert some up. But of course some really detailed guardsmen with Tau stuff pasted all over them would be pretty cool. If they do it, I think they should go all the way and make a few of the tanks as choices too. Go ahead and make a apocalypse data sheet with a baneblade that has a few of the hammerhead's weapons strapped on as well.