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I'm trying to make some rules for an apocalypse unit for Tau. I have a nice model (aleit non GW but still pretty) i'd like to use as a superheavy scale battle suit but the bit i'm stuck at is pricing the thing up. I'd also appreciate any comments on stats are rules i've made for it as i want to make it powerfull but still not ridiculous. Just nicely balanced and fun to play with/against. One other query, do you think it should be able to move 6" or 12"? here's what i have so far and some pics ...

XV 105 Tau Firewalker

Type: Super-heavy battlesuit

Ws - Bs - Str - T - W - I - A - Ld - Sv - Inv
-- 4 - 5 -- 7 -- 5 -- 2 -- 4 - 3 - 10 - 2+ - 4+

Wargear:
Markerlight
Super-heavy Jetpack

Weapon options:
Only 1 of each option may be Equipped.
Available mounts are 2 hands and 1 body mount.

Phased Ion Cannon
Rng Str AP Type Special
72" -- D -- 2 -- Heavy 1,Large Blast -- 2 Handed


Fusion Cannon
Rng Str AP Type Special
12” -- 9 -- 1 -- Assault 2, Melta -- 1 Handed
12” -- 9 -- 1 -- Assault 1, Melta -- Body Mounted


Crecent Moon
2 Handed, +3 A, +2 Str,
Special attack: Sweep of Faith
Resolved as shooting attack
Str AP Type Special
8 -- 4 -- Assault 1, Apoc Blast -- Blast template centre placed on top of unit


Bringer of Peace
1 Handed, +1 A, +1 Str, +1 T,


Whirling Glory
1 Handed, +1 A, +1 Str
Special attack: The Path of Truth
Resolved as shooting attack
Str AP Type Special
7 -- 4 -- Special -- See Below
The Whirling Glory is a boomerang shaped blade weapon made of a lightweight but strong metal alloy. Its unusual shape and design allows the weapon to be thrown a considerable distance and still return to its point of origin. This makes it a very unique close combat and ranged tool.
The weapon is thrown in a straight line from the model in any direction the player chooses. It has a maximum distance range of 12”. Upon contact with an enemy model it uses the above weapon profile to score a hit. If the hit kills or destroys the enemy unit the weapon continues in a straight line if however the model survives (or in the case of vehicles does no damage) it forces the weapon to scatter in a random direction generated by a scatter dice. The weapon then continues to travel in a straight line following these rules until it has reached its maximum range distance (note this does not necessarily mean it will finish 12” from the throwing unit). Once complete the blade returns to the thrower in a straight line hitting any units in its path but now ignoring scatter until it reaches its owner. If the weapon scatters in such a way that it hits friendly models these too are dealt damage with the above profile, however if it is directed back at the thrower it is merely caught and ceases to travel any further.



Special Upgrades:

Multi Tracker
Blacksun Filter
HDMA Shielding (0-3) - High Density Metal Alloy shielding absorbs 1 wound of any kind inflicted upon the wearer.
Accelerator Booster Jets - Adds Fleet of Foot.

AWESOMMME!

Mount it on a smaller base =D

I assume it's some sort of toy, like transformas.

anyway, 12". he's got a jetbike. hell, I'd consider this a superheavy walker.

up the wounds, down the S, [DCCW, maybe?]

weapons seem good, but maybe for the wounds, he has just 2 wounds, but a 2+ invul. this'd make him hard to kill, but he'd still be a vulnerable target - 2 bolters could effectively wipe him out.

Alternatively, 2+4+ with about 8 wounds. he's a big boy now.

He'd still be able to be taken out by a squad of Tac marines, but he'd be less suseptible to small arms fire.

Thats my suggestion.

not quite sure what SD is, but I assume D6?

and, give it an option for a high speed weak cannon

How about something like...

flathead phaser. [in keeping with fish love.]
RA18" S4 AP- heavy 2D6+1, Rending.

Thats just an idea. it seems even, and it's kind of like a superheavy version of assault cannons.

Bringer of peace is good except the +1T how does a close combat weapon increase your toughness. Whirling Glory is very unique I would keep that weapon as it is. For the stats I would give it T6 so it is not possible to ID it. The special upgrades are good as well. Accelerator Booster Jets should be free.

Points wise
base 200p
Crecent moon 85p
Bringer of peace 30p
Whirling Glory 40p
Phaseed Ion Cannon 25p
Fusion Cannon 25p
Multi Tracker 10p
Blacksun Filter 10p
HDMA shielding-20p
My point values are rough as I'm not that good at make them.

There is no such classification as a "super-heavy battlesuit". He has to be either a super-heavy walker or gargantuan creature, and a gargantuan fire warrior in a battlesuit just doesn't seem plausible. Therefore, the most logical choice would be a super-heavy walker. Yes, that means you have to redo all his stats - give him armor values and structure points. I'd give him the jetpack rule, only he can move 12" or jump 12" (a super-heavy jetpack). I'd also give him disruption pods and maybe a tau version of "void shields". Sorry....giant tau warrior, I don't think so. Tau in a super-heavy walker? Yes, please.

Whirling Glory? Bringer of Peace? Crescent Moon?

Sounds like something out of G-Gundam...

jy is right, you'd probably be better off just giving it an armor value, the reason the XV-Battle Suit series (8, 88, 9, etc) is based off of wounds instead of AV is due the the fact that the suit itself is merely an overcoat of the firewarrior in side (for instance, if you blow the arm off of a crisis suit, you are also blowing the arm off of the firewarrior inside.

With a suit this big, that would not be the case, the "rider" (or "driver" if more preferred) would probably be nested in what looks like the cock-pit of your model (in the center, slightly raised, where the "head" is) so therefor it is pretty safe to assume that if you were able to chop the legs off (immobilize) , blow the arms/weapons off (weapon destroyed) then the "driver would not necessarily die, and other systems of the suit would still be able to function.

The only real changes that would be needed would be something along the lines of

AV 13/12/10

Structure Points: This one is hard as you do not include a point cost, safe bet is if he costs less then 500 points before weapons, he has 3 structure points if he costs between 501-1250, before weapons, he has 5-6 structure points, if 1300+ then he would have a decent amount of SPs, I would just rip off the Reaver/Warhound titan SPs if I were you, give you self +1 SP for each VS the titan you are mirroring in question has.

Drop the HDMA shielding, and just give him the shield Mantas and Tigersharks get (the 4+ invul)

You should probably consider "Shoulder-mounted" weaponry since that seems to be pretty big in Tau Engineering.

Definately take Agile, but also give him jump packs (Maybe even a direct rip off of the Revenant Titan rues, which seems like what you are making with this unit)

Also, Tau "Firewalker" (while a cool name) probably would not be what they would go with. Firewalker sounds more like the name of a Shas'O/'Vre as opposed to an immense suit, since something like this would probably end up being a vehicle class, Land-Shark or "Posieden" would probably make more sense (hell even let one of his TCCWs be a giant trident with a str-D shot, basically a "Water-god" on the battle field, fits Tau alittle more accurately)

If Multi-Tracker is the thing that allows you to select an additional ranged target (I don't have my codex with me ATM and I might be confusing it with Target Lock) as a superheavy, he gets this rule anyway, so its kinda unneccesary.

Whirling Glory seems a bit over-complicated, I would just make it a "Hellstorm Template" weapon that also acts as a TCCW (or makes the suit have Str 10)

Crecent Moon does not have a range, unless it is resolved in the assault phase... in which case... I'd reconsider this one. (If he was a superheavy walker, he would have "Stomp" which is arguably better)

The model you are using for it however, and the concept, is great! I just think you are going alittle small scale (on the stats/points) for the size of the model/compared to other superheavies.

Example:

Tau Water-God Titan
XV 100 - Neptune Class

Cost 850 Pts

AV F/S/R
13/12/10

Structure Points: 6

Ws-3
Bs-5
Str-7(10)
I-3
A-2(3)

Wargear:
Chest Mounted Drone Controler with 5 internal Marker Light Drones
Chest Mounted Phased Ion Cannon
Shoulder Mounted Twin Linked- Long Barreled Rail Cannon (See the Main weapon of the Manta for stats)
Right Arm - Fusion Cannon
Left Arm - Whirling Glory
Titan Vectored Retro-Thrusters (allow him to escape from HTH with other Titans/Gargantuans/SHWalkers, he counts as LD 10 for this test)
Titan Jump Pack (Gives him the "Agile" rule and other movement rules associated with Eldar Revnant Titans)
BlackSun Filter
Tau Force-Field (See Manta entry)

Special Rules:
:Whriling Glory: (See weapon entry)
:Tau Force-field: The Tau Forcefield gives the XV100 a 4+ invulnerable save against any attacks. This is NOT in addition to a "obscured" or other type of cover save and you may only take 1 save of any type for the XV-100.
:For the Greater Good: If the XV-100 suffers a Super-Heavy damage Table result that would cause it to roll on the "Cataclysmic Damage" table and there are ANY enemy units within 24" of the suit, it suffers a "Goes Nucluear" result on a 4+ instead of only a 6.


Just an idea...

Hope it helps!
~DAR