Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, after doing a trade here on Dakka, I got my paws on an Ethreal and some Karskin. My was thinking about joining my ethreal with a Karskin group within the battle making them Gue'versa. My thought was, seeing that the humans have taken the greater good into their hands and minds, would they benefit from having the 10LD at line of sight, and would they become fearless if an Ethreal joined their squad?

Give me some thoughts here guys.

I'm pretty sure gue'vesa are not considered a "tau unit" so I don't think they would benefit.

Its an interesting/problematic question. It falls into the what counts as a Tau model argument that has been covered many times before.

I personally feel that there will be no answer until the next codex.

I wish I could be of more help. I will chime in once the debate kicks in, but only until it devolves into the round robin circular argument that it has turned into in the past. Once that happens I'll be outta here.

Still, a different idea. Don't really see any tactical benefit, but I could be missing something.


What is the reason your wanting to combine the Ethereal and the Gue'versa?
What are you trying to do with them?

Well Karskin would be great assaulting units, with a higher WS skill than regular Tau or Kroot, and the ability to use grenades, they could benefit greatly for being fearless and having an ethreal that can really pack some heat in close combat.

I think your over-estimating the Karskin.

Even with storm trooper stats they sre marginal at best in HtH. Anything assault oriented will eat their T3 I3.

Then with 5th ed rules the Ethereals fearless rule would pretty much doom the squad.

Personally I'd keep them seperate.

Kasrkin? For CC troops? Sure, they're better than a Tau in hand to hand, but anything MEQ or Assault oriented will just slaughter them. I think having this argument with your opponent far outweighs any bonus the Kasrkin would bring.

Personally I wouldn't put the ethereal in a unit to make it fearless if I intended it to end up in close combat, Tau just don't have access to units that can reliably win a round of fisticuffs.

What I would suggest you look at if you are after a melee unit though (and alot of people will probably be looking at me funny) are Vespids. Compared to your idea of storm troopers they get a 12" move instead of the 6" of the storm troopers, they have 2 more strength and 2 better AP on their ranged weapons, which are assault so they can fire them before charging unlike the storm troopers. They can also run before charging due to fleet. They have the same WS and Str, but are tougher, and have 2 higher I, allowing them to strike before most opponents.

Admittedly they can't get a sergeant with power weapon and suffer from a lower armour save, plus they cost 50% more, but I think they are a very underappreciated unit, certainly quite niche, but not as useless as people would have you believe.

The other advantage is you aren't then stuck getting your opponents permission to use your melee unit.

Milquetoast Thug wrote:I'm pretty sure gue'vesa are not considered a "tau unit" so I don't think they would benefit.

Agreed, for the sake of the original question.