Tau soon.....probably

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**nomotog**

juraigamer wrote:
nomotog wrote:

Tau have been slowly drifting to anime.

You sure it hasn't been drifting towards battle-tech? Mechwarrior? Starship troopers? Those robots at the end of the matrix 3? Metal gear? Mecha in general?

Or is the only giant walking robots you know anime?

I am quite aware of many giant walking robots. (You know metal gear is a totally Japanese mech right, it even roars.) In my full post I compared the XV8 to the XV9. To me, the VX9 seems closer to a Japaneses style mech.

**CpatTom**

Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Harriticus wrote:Tau vehicles are gonna move away from the "Wow, these guys actually fight semi-smart/realistically" to more anime mechs. Mark my words.

I sincerly hope you are completely wrong on that magic 8 ball prediction, although they may go both ways with it, make Imperial Tau in the manner we know, and make the Farsight collective be a more battlesuit based ( anime) force, Tau are one of the races like Necrons that did not make much sense fluff wise they would be fighting each other.

So likely the Farsight group will become a rebellion and provide perhaps a seperate play style, I don't particularly like Farsight, but meh! diversity is good I guess, and will allow the angsty rebelious types to play gundam tau

The recent codex (Xenos) have seemed to try and build up modeling options as well as play, and I have a feeling Tau will be no different.

Exactly my sentiments. As long as the Farsight bit doesnt detract from the army proper, I am all for the option to do something else.

**docbrown**

Japan v western mech

Japanese mechs are functional human form robots that use weapons like external tools
American mechs are single purpose and the waeponry is mounted to the appendages
Japanese mechs have features derived from humans
Western mechs have odd features leaning towards topheavyness minimal hip structure and non human feet type mechanics

While a crisis suit is less western then a dreadnought it is still fairly western as it leans to purpose built robot rather then robotic humanoid.

**Brotherjulian**

omerakk wrote:
Samus_aran115 wrote:
Prodigalson wrote:They have... when did that happen? I haven't seen any of the confirmed rumor posters say that.

There's only a couple armies left that need to be updated... Tau, BT, DA and CSM. It was only a matter of time. We have (under scrutiny) confirmation that CSM are getting released with 6th edition, and BT and DA are small releases that don't require much more than a codex. Tau are the only logical army to get get an update.

You can add Eldar, Orks, and Daemons to that list

Personally, yes, I am pulling for the Tau as well, but just from little hints that were said at games day, the chatter around here, and the fact that 6th edition is coming out next year... I won't bet money on it. A new boxed set is a sure thing with a new edition, and you know a marine army will be one of the factions. There was some hype about it being marines vs chaos marines... that would make some sense; trying to capitalize on the space marine video game. Plus, you can't get a much more even starter set than a marine vs marine, good vs bad situation

With any luck the ill conceived demon book will go away and be rolled back into the single chaos dex where it belongs. And if that dex is done well, demon army players will still be able to field their armies from it

**chaos0xomega**

Hope not, I like having my separate demon book, and I'm pretty sure when demons were split off GW stated quite clearly that the policy was to support anything with its own published codex or army book as a its own separate entity, not to be eliminated from the lineup or combined with any other book.

**ChiliPowderKeg**

Some more from ghost21

ghost21 wrote:shas'o taking stealth Armour...

i've seen redesigned crisis suits... the morphic weapon has been said

demiurg may get an elite choice too... n thats as far as im going with that one

ghost21 wrote:
ashendant wrote:Anything on Nicassar? any mentions?
none

i was told they are too hard to portray game wise

As a side note, I can see from a few posts here that the "Tau=anime" bomb has been dropped. Unfortunate when that happens.

**CpatTom**

ChiliPowderKeg wrote:As a side note, I can see from a few posts here that the "Tau=anime" bomb has been dropped. Unfortunate when that happens.

Its different, so it must be bad.

ghost21 wrote:shas'o taking stealth Armour...

i've seen redesigned crisis suits... the morphic weapon has been said

I'm liking the Shas'O in 5 subclass suits (stealths), although Shadowsun was sorta along those lines.

Morphic weapons?

**ChiliPowderKeg**

CpatTom wrote:Morphic weapons?

Could possibly be something like a Shas'O'R'Alai -esque weapon

**docbrown**

I'd prefer suits be a chassis-pilot-gear type layout but my bet is we get multiple kinds of suits with less options

Ie replace TL missile pods with...
Replace multi tracker with...
I believe they will get rid of the hard point system

Also we get either a unit of 3 with a commander no question or we get a 1-3 option but no commanders

Just based of looking at newer codecies

**agnosto**

I took "morphic weapons" to mean something like obliterator weapons. Every suit will be able to field one of several weapon types per turn...not a bad idea and would make the models easier without need for all the drilling and magnetizing...

**chaos0xomega**

Morphic weapons might be cool if it was explained as different ammo types for the diff. weapons, but I don't think GW is going to go that route personally.

**darkcloud92**

juraigamer wrote:
nomotog wrote:

Tau have been slowly drifting to anime.

You sure it hasn't been drifting towards battle-tech? Mechwarrior? Starship troopers? Those robots at the end of the matrix 3? Metal gear? Mecha in general?

Or is the only giant walking robots you know anime?

agreed. machines existed before anime, just b/c they use battle mechs does not necessarily mean they are intended to be an anime race. Likewise not all anime is mecha related, so not everyone who is into anime is into mecha. It's just ignorant to say the tau are an anime race, saying they are a mecha-like race is far more correct. They remind me of the forerunners from halo a little to; a quickly advancing race that utilizes technology.

**thechr1s**

I have always loved Tau and I hope they dont screw this one up...if anything make kroot less suckfail
and make BS4 a standard..I just hope marine players dont go BAWWWWW

and demand BS5 next codex

**Brother SRM**

thechr1s wrote:I have always loved Tau and I hope they dont screw this one up...if anything make kroot less suckfail
and make BS4 a standard..I just hope marine players dont go BAWWWWW and demand BS5 next codex

BS4 should only be standard on elites. Fire Warriors should be BS3 and let markerlights take care of the rest. This conversation has been had already. As a Marine player, I couldn't give much less of a damn if another army has BS4. As a Tau player/game design enthusiast, Fire Warriors should stay BS3 and only be BS4 or higher with markerlights. It encourages synergy and inter-unit teamwork which is what the entire army is built around, and keeps the army from being point and click. Now a points decrease on Fire Warriors, that's more than welcome.

**SonicPara**

Brother SRM wrote:Fire Warriors should be BS3 and let markerlights take care of the rest.

I agree but they need to make markerlights more accessible. Markerlights and Marker Drones are far too expensive and the compulsory Devilfish makes already overpriced Pathfinders cost an extra 80 points and, more importantly, an extra killpoint. If Pathfinders remain at their current price, lose the required Devilfish investment, and gain "Infiltrate" then BS3 lesser Tau with BS4 Elites would be perfectly fine. Markerlights would still be expensive as they are points/FOC slots spent exclusively on buffing the rest of the army. It would further promote the interesting balance between offense and support units that clearly exists in Codex: Tau but has been largely forgotten due to Markerlight costs.

**docbrown**

I think this argument is simple
Tau deserve bs4
Some want this through markerlights
Some want it naturally

If markerlights were more access able most of us could deal
But it's dumb how so many armies are bs4 but the one that depends in shooting the most is bs3
Just saying

**Kroothawk**

Tastyfish over at Warseer made a nice rumour summary on Tau:

Here's my attempt at a round up of the last year of Tau rumours. Apologies to those who have had their rumours previously summarised into round ups and thus aren't credited. You have our thanks none the less!

From Stickmonkey, September last year.

New Heavy support platform. Basically immobile deep striked! heavy weapon and crew. Rail and Ion Cannon, and missile launcher are all obvious options here, but nothing solid with the rumor.

Assault Skimmer. Something between size of piranha and hammerhead, fast skimmer open topped, assault on disembark.
Update: Yes, its assault after a flat out move, and has the "drop troops along path" option similar to the storm raven. its supposedly a dedicated transport option for one new unit. (I dont place faith in this last bit, its very rare in current GW systems to see a vehicle kit limited to one unit/role...if GW is trying to sell them they will be available to more than one unit, or be a separate entry unto itself.)

New Drop ship. Not the FW one, but something new. Holds a boatload of fire warriors, or a few battle suits.

New battle suits. Not sure if these are the "next gen" suits or just heavy suits redone with out metal bits.

Also Cypher on Heresy compiled a round-up of the Tau rumours as of April this year

Quote
Penciled in release date of August 2011

All current metal sets to be plastic (Pathfinders, Krootox, Vespids). New plastics are completed for Crisis Suits, Stingwings and Pathfinders.

Plastic Barracuda as well as a new unit choice, which will be a new alien race (insert your fantasy here).

Battle Suits - plug and play system. Essentially streamlined. Pick two guns and a skill or two skills and a gun. New models with interchangeable arms similar to Killa Kans?

Rule Changes

HQ and Troops
HQ choices are used to unlock units for troops, so a commander in a Crisis Suit unlocks Crisis Suits as troops, an Etheral unlocks Fire Warriors, Shaper unlocks Kroot.

Crisis Suits
Mostly same stats but now 3 wounds, come with every gun option and you can choose what weapon systems you fire every round. Max squad size x 5

Broadsides
Can take Network Markerlights instead of the missiles on their arms

Hammerhead Railgun
Draws a line across the table hitting everything under it. Multiple penetration through vehicles, only stopped by a glancing hit.

Shield Generator
Only team leaders can take a shield generator. The shield generator functions exactly like the DE Shadowfield. 2+ invulnerable save until the first failed save at which point it ceases to work.

Drones
No longer bought as Wargear. They are bought as a unit and then divided as you see fit at the start of the match. You can mix your drones when bought for the point cost needed. This caters for Drone Squadrons as an option.

Markerlight
One markerlight can fire the seekers off one model. Seekers replenish and are no longer one use items. Skyrays will only be able to fire one seeker per round.

Also...from BoLS (April 1st - so may just be a wind up!)

1. Kroot HQ is in the works!
2. Kroot to get own transport (Devilfish will no longer be able to transport Kroot)
3. Kroot will get light armor saves (6+)
4. Kroot shaper will allow for the unit to have a special genetic trait.
5. Firewarrior carbine to get a grenade launcher (either explosive or EMP)
6. Vespids reworked and getting a Heavy unit
7. Firewarrior BS increased to 4
8.Crisis suits will get “hit and run” ability
9. Various changes to Firewarrior equipment
10. Various changes to Crisis suit equipment
11. New Prototypes
12. 4th edition prototypes now “standard” equipment for all suits
13. All HQ’s can act as a commander
14. New type of “Heavy” Battlesuit (new prototype of the Broadside)
15. Stealth suits will be changed to a advanced scout unit similar to Pathfinders
16. Pathfinders will be changed to act as a type of Tau Commando infantry

Now on to Ghost's rumours, which primarily cover new non-Tau models. Because there's so many, I've split them up and tried to connect the dots between the hints and match them against each other - my thoughts and interpretations are in italics

General Codex rumours

Not the next book, but probably after Black Templars

Author may be Phil Kelly

Army has 4 basic HQs and 3 basic troop choices excluding changes made by any Special Characters if there are any

Return of 4 old SC, plus 2-4 new ones

No Court of the Archon/henchmen type mixed units

New Tau models

New SC "Iceheart"

Crisis suits have been completely redesigned (not just recut sprues and ankle tweaks), less boxy and including a 'morphic weapon'

New sniper suit

Shas'O get a stealth armour option, may be an experimental suit like Shadowsuns, or the experimental suit might be a third option

Allies and Auxiliaries

Vespids get two slots (unknown if this is an additional two, or two overall). Kroot get an additional unit

No Knarloc riders,though perhaps something big (new WFB monster-szied) for the Kroot

Maybe minor psychic powers for Shapers or Shaper like character this is something Ghost has heard from other people and not stated directly

Demiurg have 1 HQ, 1 troop and maybe 1 else. Presumably the Elite choice mentioned elsewhere

Demiurg ancients are a thing Probably HQ, but could also be the elite unit

Possible Demiurg elite choice

Demiurg are "equal to banshees without the scream" so presumably anti-armour close combat, or at least have that as an option. This might also be elite unit rather than the troop one, or be a unit that does both - like a kit that would let you make Boyz and Ard Boyz (or Dwarfs and Longbeards). An elite unit, but being an upgrade to a troop slot to keep out the way of the battlesuits

Demiurg and one other new race join the army, the latter being something bizarre or at least something we've not seen before.

No Gue'vesa unit or models

No Nicassar

**IPS**

I really really hope that morphic weapons for krisis suit rumor is wrong...
It would just ruin the game for me. >.<

**Brother SRM**

SonicPara wrote:
I agree but they need to make markerlights more accessible. Markerlights and Marker Drones are far too expensive and the compulsory Devilfish makes already overpriced Pathfinders cost an extra 80 points and, more importantly, an extra killpoint. If Pathfinders remain at their current price, lose the required Devilfish investment, and gain "Infiltrate" then BS3 lesser Tau with BS4 Elites would be perfectly fine. Markerlights would still be expensive as they are points/FOC slots spent exclusively on buffing the rest of the army. It would further promote the interesting balance between offense and support units that clearly exists in Codex: Tau but has been largely forgotten due to Markerlight costs.

This is essentially what I'm proposing - easier to get and more usable markerlights to counteract the BS3.

As for the rumors, I don't like the "morphic weapons" one at all. It doesn't even make sense since a battlesuit has at most two weapons. 3 wounds for Crisis Suits doesn't seem amazing considering they still get ID'd by batltecannons and missile launchers. Buying drones like Wolf Guard makes sense, and frankly most of these rumors sound fairly plausible.

**docbrown**

What they can do to crisis suits

Make a + 1 wound upgrade
Make a 1+ toughness upgrade
Make a 1+ armour upgrade(aka iridium)
Remove hard points and instead make the entry as such
Each suit must take two weapons out of the following
2 of the same count as twin linked
Each suit must take one:
Any war gear items
the commander may take a bonding knife, drone controller ect.

**Enigma Crisis**

IPS wrote:I really really hope that morphic weapons for krisis suit rumor is wrong...
It would just ruin the game for me. >.<

I completely agree I don't want "Obliterators" it sounds completely ridiculous and doesn't fit the fluff for Tau. Makes since for Chaos as the weapons moprh due to the taint of chaos and the warp.

docbrown wrote:What they can do to crisis suits

Make a + 1 wound upgrade
Make a 1+ toughness upgrade
Make a 1+ armour upgrade(aka iridium)
Remove hard points and instead make the entry as such
Each suit must take two weapons out of the following
2 of the same count as twin linked
Each suit must take one:
Any war gear items
the commander may take a bonding knife, drone controller ect.

Armor save of +3 is perfect enough for a Crisis suit. T5 on the other hand would help out tremendously, especially when going up against Melta, Missle, D-lance spam. Also I like being able to take 3 weapons/ 1 twin linked and one other weapon system.

**darkcloud92**

Enigma Crisis wrote:
IPS wrote:I really really hope that morphic weapons for krisis suit rumor is wrong...
It would just ruin the game for me. >.<

I completely agree I don't want "Obliterators" it sounds completely ridiculous and doesn't fit the fluff for Tau. Makes since for Chaos as the weapons moprh due to the taint of chaos and the warp.

docbrown wrote:What they can do to crisis suits

Make a + 1 wound upgrade
Make a 1+ toughness upgrade
Make a 1+ armour upgrade(aka iridium)
Remove hard points and instead make the entry as such
Each suit must take two weapons out of the following
2 of the same count as twin linked
Each suit must take one:
Any war gear items
the commander may take a bonding knife, drone controller ect.

Armor save of +3 is perfect enough for a Crisis suit. T5 on the other hand would help out tremendously, especially when going up against Melta, Missle, D-lance spam. Also I like being able to take 3 weapons/ 1 twin linked and one other weapon system.

Ya you can currently take 3 weapons, one TL and one not TL on a leader right? What I would like to see is being able to take better weapons or other devices for your HQ. The cyclonic ion blast is just meh, though AP1 on a 6 is nice if that ever happens. Right now the only reason I ever upgrade my leaders is so that they get the plus one BS and can take the TA

**Enigma Crisis**

darkcloud92 wrote:Ya you can currently take 3 weapons, one TL and one not TL on a leader right? What I would like to see is being able to take better weapons or other devices for your HQ. The cyclonic ion blast is just meh, though AP1 on a 6 is nice if that ever happens. Right now the only reason I ever upgrade my leaders is so that they get the plus one BS and can take the TA

You can have 1 TL weapon and 1 not TL on any crisis suit.

**docbrown**

The 2+ save is an option for people who wish to do things like deep strike melts attack.

**FlammingGaunt**

docbrown wrote:What they can do to crisis suits

Make a + 1 wound upgrade
Make a 1+ toughness upgrade
Make a 1+ armour upgrade(aka iridium)
Remove hard points and instead make the entry as such
Each suit must take two weapons out of the following
2 of the same count as twin linked
Each suit must take one:
Any war gear items
the commander may take a bonding knife, drone controller ect.

Hmmm where have I seen this system before.... oh right Tyranids 4th edition. Don't get me wrong its a great system but GW is streamlining everything now so I wouldn't expect it. So far I'm liking the new rumors might even paint up the Tau that I own.

**docbrown**

Looking at the new necrons I am disappoint
Such a lack of options.
Everything comes down to a royal court

**Brother SRM**

docbrown wrote:The 2+ save is an option for people who wish to do things like deep strike melts attack.

Deep striking melta units are typically meant to be suicide units. You don't want to waste the points on a 2+ save for that sort of thing.

docbrown wrote:Looking at the new necrons I am disappoint
Such a lack of options.
Everything comes down to a royal court

A lack of options compared to what? Have you seen the old Necron codex?

**docbrown**

Well it's not hard to waste 3 sv 3 models In the open and close range. 2+ may help
And that doesn't count. A 4th edition codex is good compared to a third regardless. I'm just saying it has allot of how many do you want units and not enough would you like fries with that kind of thing.

**stompydakka**

Tau: blue gun fish fight.
Why do you have BS 3?
That is pure BS.

-a stompydakka haiku

**docbrown**

Amen