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.

 Gamgee wrote:
Yea but I was thinking something more along the line of the Shiv drones from X-Com but a little larger so they can tank medium weight firepower.

So you want Drone tanks, basically? Half-size Hammerheads with BS2?

 Gamgee wrote:
I also want to see good rules for flying drone air craft. Hover and flying like a Predator drone. I know FW makes something like that but the rules are unimpressive and I don't care for the model visually.

The Remora is exactly what you're asking for, though. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it doesn't count.

 Gamgee wrote:
We also need an infantry support vehicle that is akin to a Helicopter gunship. So highly mobile and offers a lot of fire support but can drop off small squads. It would be a VTOL craft so it can fly like a jet or hover high above to rain down death.

You mean like a Valkyrie? Which is basically an under-gunned, fixed wing because IMPERIUM, Mi-24 Hind?

The Razorshark airframe wouldn't look stupid with a troop compartment between the booms, I suppose. Gods know the current uses of the hull are awful enough.

Hell yes to the hovering Drone Tanks. I would think with increased size they can be given BS 3 due to more space for targeting software. The Tau Shiv would be endlessly customization platform much like the drone platform is used for so much already.

Yeah that's true. You have to realize though as a Canadian FW is simply too expensive to buy unless I am 100% loving the model. Like my V'vaharah (which was still expensive as hell, which I got just as the economy took a crap.

I think it should be more sleek to contrast with the Imperium and even Razorsharks. I am thinking more Commanche Stealth Gunship meets Tau Design aesthetics and rules.

What is it about the political circumstances of the Tau Empire that impedes the development of these units?

Games Workshop. Suits sell better.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Gamgee wrote:
We also need an infantry support vehicle that is akin to a Helicopter gunship. So highly mobile and offers a lot of fire support but can drop off small squads. It would be a VTOL craft so it can fly like a jet or hover high above to rain down death.

You mean like a Valkyrie? Which is basically an under-gunned, fixed wing because IMPERIUM, Mi-24 Hind?

The Razorshark airframe wouldn't look stupid with a troop compartment between the booms, I suppose. Gods know the current uses of the hull are awful enough.

To be fair, he basically just described the Devilfish.

Skimmers per the fluff have a fairly high operational ceiling, but not as high of one as Flyers. Devilfish can be used for high altitude drops in addition to just landing and disgorging troops.

Devilfish doesn't reflect it in the rules or have the firepower.

I wouldn't object to a Devilfish with the same kind of drone heavy weapons as are on the Piranha TX-10.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
Devilfish doesn't reflect it in the rules or have the firepower.

Right, it doesn't in the rules--but that's because Skimmers are separate from Flyers.

I wouldn't object to a Devilfish with the same kind of drone heavy weapons as are on the Piranha TX-10.

A Devilfish with SMS and Burst Cannon isn't exactly something to sneeze at. That's the same amount of weapons as a Valkyrie/Vendetta before it wastes points on the waist mounted Heavy Bolters.
Hell, that's more weapons than a Vulture Gunship outfitted with Punisher Gatling Cannons(they're Twin-Linked rather than two separate weapons despite taking up both wing hardpoints)!

I can get behind twin-linked Missile Pods for the Devilfish, but not the Plasmas, Fusions, or Railrifles.

What would be cool would be a variant of the piranhas, instead of drones it has a transport capacity of 5 or 6. Its opened top so passengers can fire from it at any and all angles, yeah, sure, that makes it easier to blow up but that's what jink is for. Also since it's fast it's a better reaction transport for tau, making it faster to get to objectives.
Would be good for getting breacher close to the enemy without Haveing to drop them off. And if it's assaulted then those same breacher get overwatch, and if it blows they still have one more round of shooting b4 being assaulted.
Fireing platform for the heavy weapons of pathfinders.
I've wanted such a variant. ..has a huey feel to it...aND also the appeal of a fse montka fighting style.

Don't Orca Dropships exist as drop flying vehicles?

Yeah, but they're more like a Chinook. Heavy lift vehicles, only really suitable for moving between warzones with no fire support capability.

The transport Piranha is a stupid idea. There's literally no space for a passenger compartment.

What you could do is have a Piranha wing that can transport a squad, as long as there's one Piranha per squad member - Piranhas are two-seaters, but you could fight them with only a pilot. Actually, I'm, not entirely sure what the second crewman actually does. I assume sensors.

Per the Imperial Armour entries for Piranhas, the second crewman is the weapons operator.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
Yeah, but they're more like a Chinook. Heavy lift vehicles, only really suitable for moving between warzones with no fire support capability.

The transport Piranha is a stupid idea. There's literally no space for a passenger compartment.

What you could do is have a Piranha wing that can transport a squad, as long as there's one Piranha per squad member - Piranhas are two-seaters, but you could fight them with only a pilot. Actually, I'm, not entirely sure what the second crewman actually does. I assume sensors.

You could mount 3 seats each side of the crew, or a bench or something for firewarriors to hang off of, Land Speeder Storm style.

Only if the Piranha can actually support that additional weight.

I forget the armor of the pirahna, if it wasn't 10,10,10 then the transport option would make it into one (less armor, more weight for carry). The side sets was what I was thinking too., besides most transports in the game hardly look like they can carry what the say they carry.

I do recall it being 10 all around.

I think a Tau Titan should be called the RX-78-2 battlesuit. The Tau name for it is "Gun'dam".

 Furyou Miko wrote:
Yeah, but they're more like a Chinook. Heavy lift vehicles, only really suitable for moving between warzones with no fire support capability.

The transport Piranha is a stupid idea. There's literally no space for a passenger compartment.

What you could do is have a Piranha wing that can transport a squad, as long as there's one Piranha per squad member - Piranhas are two-seaters, but you could fight them with only a pilot. Actually, I'm, not entirely sure what the second crewman actually does. I assume sensors.

That and co-pilot. Basically all FC vehicles can be piloted by a single person, albeit with decreased ability on stuff built for more.

Could certain Tau ever be tempted to join the forces or chaos?

I mean if you ever get rouge Tau, which has already happened, and would be likely to happen more as they expand, surely those rouge Tau would look for ways to expand their power. If the chaos gods could offer them daemons to use or even give them mutations, you could get small sects of chaos worshiping Tau. They would be similar to chaos space marines in that they may no longer be completely up to date with the latest tech, but would more than make up for it with the powers of chaos.

I think it would also be cool to see how chaos Tau interact with chaos space marines and cultists. CSM still hate xeno, but if they worshiped chaos that might be different. Daemons wouldnt care either way.

Or is there anything, apart from their small warp presents, that say Tau inherently cannot be corrupted by chaos?

They seem to be naturally resistant to any warp influence (evolving under a warp storm will do that to you), but I'm not sure if they are completely immune.

Its less about being immune and more about just not being very obvious. Tau souls are like the dimmest light possible in the warp, so much they almost don't exist.

If the Tau ever did grab the attention of Chaos they could definitely be corrupted. But for a daemon it might be the equivalent of eating tofu when you could have a nice juicy steak. Why bother?

It's a bit more than that. They aren't just hard to detect, but resistant to control as well. Not totally resistant, but it'd be harder to get your average tau than your average human.

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
It's a bit more than that. They aren't just hard to detect, but resistant to control as well. Not totally resistant, but it'd be harder to get your average tau than your average human.

No, they aren't. Shas'la Kais never even noticed he was possessed in the Fire Warrior novelisation, even though every other Tau around him could tell something was wrong.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Co'tor Shas wrote:
It's a bit more than that. They aren't just hard to detect, but resistant to control as well. Not totally resistant, but it'd be harder to get your average tau than your average human.

No, they aren't. Shas'la Kais never even noticed he was possessed in the Fire Warrior novelisation, even though every other Tau around him could tell something was wrong.

That has nothing to do with being resistant to control. If you are resistant to control that doesn't mean that you are immune, or can shrug off control, but are harder to control in the first place. That's what I mean.

And he wasn't really possessed. Full demonic possession never actually took place. He was influenced. Saying he was possessed is like saying every CSM is possessed.

I was thinking a lot about this scenario. I can't see Farsight being the catalyst. Yes he's distrustful of the Ethereal Caste now but I get the feeling he's more interested in protecting his own soldiers rather than liberating everyone.

Similarly I can see AI potentially picking sides but not being the driving force behind a Tau Heresy.

Something has to happen to fundamentally shake Tau faith in the Greater Good. Probably involving other aliens. Either it's a new race that gets brought into the fold badly, or something like the supposed Vespid control helmet is exposed and the Tau as a whole are unhappy with it. Unhappy enough to throw off or disrupt Ethereal control.

I think it would be awesome to explore. It's just difficult to find that initial spark that lights the fire of doubt in the whole system.