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When the tau do the extra jump in the assault phase with their jumppacks, are they affected by difficult terrain? i cant find a definitive answer in the book. The rule book states that they suffer from difficult terrain if assaulting, but it says nothing about if they are just moving.....

Tau jetpacks take dangerous terrain tests when landing in terrain just like other jump infantry. They don't take difficult terrain tests as they have to use their jetpack in the assault phase.

You may chose to walk in the movement phase, thus take a difficult terrain test when walking through terrain rather than using the jetpack and taking dangerous terrain tests.

Posted By onlainari on 11/11/2006 8:39 PM
They don't take difficult terrain tests as they have to use their jetpack in the assault phase.

This confuses me a bit because if they were assaulting another squad, they do in fact have to take a difficult terrain test as per the rulebook under jump infantry. My question is, if they are NOT assaulting a squad but are using the move to jump back, do they take a difficult terrain test?

if a tau unit makes an assault move that does not involve a charge into terrain they must make a Dangerous terrain check due to them HAVING to use thier jet packs to make that move, with the charge I think it depends on if they "used" thier jet packs for thier normal move, if they didn't  and the walked they can roll rough terrain check to charge, but why would you charge with a crisis suit/stealth suit

Ok, it sees as though everybody is missing the question entirely....

A squad of suits jumps forward on their move over a piece of terrain that has been classified as difficult terrain. They shoot their guns at the enemy, then in the assault phase(or whenever it is when they get the extra jump) they want to jump backwards through the difficult terrain(THEY ARE NOT ASSAULTING, but are using the move to get away).

the rulebook states that if the tau use this jump to get into an assualt, that they are INDEED affected by difficult terrain. It DOES NOT however give any mention of what happens if they are using that move to get away from the enemy and are not using it to get into h-t-h.

What i am asking is.....

Do the tau get affected by the difficult terrain as well if they use that second jump to get away from the enemy?

No.  If they land in difficult terrain, they must make a Dangerous Terrain Test, but are otherwise unaffected.  Imagine it as them flying over the terrain completely.

The answer is no.

For all models using the 'Jump Infantry' section of the rulebook their movement is handled in the same way even if their distances vary.

They may choose to jump or walk in the movement phase.

They MUST walk during the assault phase.

The book makes no distinction between Jump or Jet packs on this matter. It only tells us that jet pack equiped models may make the move wether they are actually assaulting anything or not. Does it make sense fluffwise, no. Does that surprise us, no.

Actually, the Tau Empire codex says that they have to use the jump move during their assault move, but they can choose to walk during the movement phase.

Oops! Sorry for the misinformation. I'm still not as familiar with the new dex as I should be. Can you give me a page number lord sutekh?

I could have sworn I saw it, but I may be wrong. I'll keep looking, but I'll go ahead and issue a mea culpa until I can find it.

*edit* I was wrong, and right at the same time.  The caveat isn't in the Tau 'dex, it's in the Jump Infantry rules.  The "Assault Phase" talks about assaults being slowed, but the non-assault movement in the Assault phase is detailed in the "Jet Packs" section.  If the 'suit is assaulting someone, then yes, it takes a Difficult Terrain test; otherwise, it's a Jump Infantry move, which ignores terrain.

Hmm... seems to me that Glaive CO's first post was correct.  The only rule in the BGB differentiating Jet Packs from Jump Packs is:

"In the movement phase, they only move 6" when using their packs, but are allowed to move 6" in the assault phase even if they don't assault" (p. 55).

It would seem that Jet Packs are still bound by the rule that states that they walk in the assault phase, meaning they take Difficult Terrain tests (not Dangerous) in the assault regardless of whether or not they are actually assaulting.

As Glaive suggested, this makes little sense, as it is the Jet Packs that gives them this move.  I assume this is just poor wording, and I have no problem with my Tau opponents popping back behind high walls after they shoot.  But it seems that according to RAW, this would not be so easily permitted.

No, they walk when MAKING ASSAULTS; that's the only thing it specificly says.

I agree with Lord Sutekh.

They only move as infantry when actually assualting an enemy unit. When they are using their Jetpacks to move around in the Assualt phase (without charging) they are moving using their jetpacks and would therefore have to take dangerous terrain tests if they end their move in terrain.

Well, based on the RAW I don't quite agree, and think it's murky at best... but I play the same way as you so we don't need to argue..

I agree. If an opponent didn't want to allow me to jump over a wall, fire, then jump back over I don't think I could argue against him. There's a pretty good intent argument, but the RAW would be hard to prove. I have always played it as jump over wall, fire, then walk away as far as I can. With the rules being this ambigous I think it's easiest to use the method that's least beneficial.

As yak hinted to; I think we can all agree that the RAW is crystal clear on the fact that if the model actually is making a charge move (as in BTB with an enemy) it MUST be done on foot.