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, here I am with my 4th Extended Codex Project, I either have too much spare time or too little sanity.

The Tau are a little out of date, and having spent some time looking at them and watching peoples complaints, I feel I'm ready to start this project.
As always I welcome any constructive comments and criticism.

First, I figure that not all Fire Warriors will choose to progress to wearing Battlesuits, it's been shown that there are those that choose to become bodyuards instead, and I like the idea of a pure Fire Warrior army

Plasma Pistol is same as Plasma Rifle but with 12" range and is a pistol. Fusion Pistol is same as Fusion Blaster but with 6" range and is a pistol.

Then of course the Drone options. In my extended codex the drones will have their own section, similar to the Dedicated Transports section.

You will require the appropriate Drone Controller for them:
Grade 1 Drone Controller 2pts: A grade 1 Drone Controller can support Light and Medium Drones with up to a total of 2 Hard Points.
Grade 2 Drone Controller 4pts: A grade 2 Drone Controller can support Light and Medium Drones with up to a total of 4 Hard Points.
Grade 3 Drone Controller 6pts: A grade 3 Drone Controller can support Light, Medium and Heavy Drones with up to a total of 6 Hard Points.
Special Drone Controller 10pts: A Special Drone Controller can support Light and Medium Drones with up to a total of 4 Hard Points and 1 Special Deployment Drone.

Most vehicles will have access to Medium Drones (current standard drone) with some having access to others, I intend to have a Fast Attack and Heavy Support Drone Carrier, one based on the Pirahna Chasis, one on the Skyray Chasis.

Infantry will invaribly for the most part only have access to Grade 1 and 2 controllers, suits 1-3, commanders and certain special characters 1-special and most heavy options will have access to 1-3, some carrying Special Controllers.

And as a final note, Should Markerlights be Assault 1 weapons instead of Heavy 1?

Mmmm, drone carrier... brb reinstalling Soulstorm

Yeah, I totally didn't steal the idea from DoW :p

I've decided that instead of expanding the tank options, I'm condensing.
All the main tanks will be off the Hammerhead Modular Gunship, with a Primary, Secondary and Support weapon mount, each with different options. Such as Primary weapons being Ion Cannon, Sky Ray Missile System, Heavy Railgun, Drone Control Suite etc.

Seems reasonable; I was going to do something similar myself, but I'm relying on SMS for skyray moderation, and bombardment ( also stolen from DoW ;P) is easier as a special rule than a wargear option.

I also prefer Markerlights as Assault 1. Outflanking pathfinders should be useful.

I'm going to be more adding to and updating than making too many major changes, allows for better integration with codex change too.
My hammerhead skyray will simply have the potential of six to ten missiles. Six from the turret, two from standard wargear, and two from 'markelight uplink'.

I'm basically going to have it so for each markerlight or networked markerlight in the army you can purchase an additional seeker missile (probably standard 10pts per) that can be fired from 'off field' positions to represent supporting skyrays or orbital strikes etc.

It means pathfinders could bring an additional 4-12 missiles to the field per squad between themslves and drones, allbeit at another 40-180 points, and woud allow an army of just 96 firewarriors (no 1+ firecaste commander so potential of 2 ethereals with honour guards) in 8 squads using 4 light drones and 2 ethereals witn 6 drones each to have 52 s8 anti armour shots.

'Course the missilesalone will set you back 520, the markerlights another 520 and the drones another 220 or so. So you've just spent 1230 points on one shot missiles, so with the rest it's going to be a 2250-2500pt army, but at least the options there right :p

Further Updates Go:


Weapon: Ion Cannon - 15pts
Range- 60", Str-7, AP-3, Type-Heavy 3.

Weapon: Drone Control Suite - 30pts
The Drone Control Suite consists of:
- Twin-Linked Turret Mounted Burst Cannon,
- 2 Grade 2 Drone Controllers,
- 2 Grade 3 Drone Controllers,
- 1 Special Drone Controller,
- Drone Control and Command Unit.

Drone Control and Command Unit:
Drones controlled by a unit with a DCCU may detach and operate as an independant gun drone squadron.
In addition, any drones within 12" of a DCCU are fearless.

Weapon: Sky Ray Missile System - 50pts
The Sky Ray Missile System consists of:
- Sky Ray Missile Turret mount
- Six Seeker Missiles
- Two Networked Markerlights
- Target Lock

Weapon: Heavy Railgun - 55pts
The Heavy Railgun is a larger, vehicle mounted version of the weapon found elsewhere.
The greater power output and size allows for a variety of shots to be made.
You may choose to fire the Heavy Railgun as any one of the following profiles per turn.
Solid Shot: Range-72", Str-10, AP-1, Type-Heavy 2.
Submunition: Range-72", Str-6, AP-4, Type-Heavy 1, Large Blast.
Sustained: Range-72", Str-5, AP-5, Heavy 5, Pinning.

Having been glancing over a friends copy of Apoc Second Edition I've noticed there's already a Heavy Railgun.

Going to change that in my extended codex now.

Maybe Twin-Barreled Railgun? iunno.

Had this kicking around in my head for awhile, after seeing a piece of concept art by LordDirk, as an optional Dedicated Transport for Fire Warrior or Pathfinder squads.
Sawfish 40pnts
Front: 11 Side: 10 Rear: 10
Unit: 1 Sawfish
Type: Vehicle (Skimmer)
Special Rules:
Fast
Open-topped
Grab-holds

Wargear:
2 Gun Drones
Assault Flechette Launchers (Count as Frag Assault Launchers)

Transpot Capacity:
6 Models
Options:
May take any of the vehicle upgrades in the Tau Codex
May replace it’s gun drones with two twin-linked flamers

Grab-Holds: The unit may embark or disembark even if the vehicle has moved flat out in the movement phase. In addition if the vehicle moves over an engaged combat any one unit in the combat may roll an initiative check as per the hit and run universal special rule. If they pass then they count as having embarked on the vehicle in the previous movement phase and may disembark as normal, even if the vehicle moved flat out. If the unit has more models then the transport capacity of the vehicle then these units are destroyed but cause the automatic success of the hit and run check.

So is everyone OK with the balance and idea of what I've put up so far?

Are the drones all OK and priced fairly?
The Fire Warrior Commanders look good atm?
The new Hammerhead Gunship platform and drone control suite acceptable?

I have somewhat less experience with Tau than DE.

Some thoughts on the Hammerheads, why make anything but the primary weapon mandatory? Certainly it would be a waste not to take it but giving the option not to use a secondary or support system should be an option.

i like the idea your going with for giving the tau some more options. personally id like to see a transport for crisis suits. im thinking something kinda like a triangle shape kinda like the stealth fighters, and give it front-13, rear-13, sides-11 and able to hold 3 under it? or on top. and give it the option for 3 gundrones with burst cannon or smart missle options on each corner access to all vehicle equipment, and make it cost about 95. id like to move my suits across the map with out putting them in to the line of fire till i have to. i saw something on another page about giving the fire warriors a pistol and a bomb and let them go kamikaze, how about an option for that with gundrones? that would be an awesome FU for who ever messes with the gun drones. and i have plenty of them so i could do that too hahahaha.

Commander Mourning Sorrow:
I'll flesh out the fluff moreso later, but the basic concept is this -
Within the Dark Eldar codex it speaks of the Tau that were made into Grotesques, The prototype, the first Tau changed during that conflict and the archetype for the others. Sent into combat with his distorted kin shortly thereafter, he took a direct hit, which somehow shook loose the connections that bound his mind - rather than go insane from the pain the warrior drew from previously unrealised reserves of control and courage, and fought his way through, ultimately hiding among the bodies when the battle was over.

The Haemonculi simply dismissed him as a casualty, not really caring about another lost test subject in the huge melee, yet the young warrior snuck back to friendly lines, where he told his story in distorted, gutteral words. His kin took pity on him, yet he wished to forge ahead and take vengence upon his makers - driven by the pain and rage they forced upon him.

The Earth Caste created for him unique equipment such as the Hammer of Dawn - a Plasma rifle designed for his giant hands, a special shield to protect him and a drone harness to support him, and he took the name R'ashmya - Mourning Sorrow, the changes to his genetics extending his life, he still fights to this day, now leading a specialist Hunting Cadre known as the Defenders of Twilight - constantly on the watch for the Dark Eldars insidious threat.

He is effectively a Grotesque made from a Tau warrior, who regained sentience.
I intend to buy a Grotesque (the first and probably last actual grot model I'll be buying and it's not even for my Dark Eldar ) and modify a plasma rifle into a sort of oversized pulse rifle.

I just thought it'd make an interesting character.

Tau O'R'ashmya - Commander Mourning Sorrow
FO: HQ
Squad: O'R'ashmya - Commander Mourning Sorrow
Unit: Mourning Sorrow
Points Per: 120
Models: 1*
Unit Type: Infantry
WS-4, BS-4, S-5, T-5, W-3, I-4, A-3, Ld-9, Sv-6+/3+(5+*).

Wargear:
Gnarlskin
Hard-Wired Target Lock
Sorrows Shield
Hammer of Dawn
Pulse Pistol
Twilights Shadow
- Two Drone Controllers
- Four Gun Drones

Special Rules:
- Acute Senses
Independent Character
- Move Through Cover
- Skilled Rider
Feel No Pain
Furious Charge
Preferred Enemy: Dark Eldar

Options:
None.

Gnarlskin:
Gnarlskin confers a 6+ armour save.

Sorrows Shield:
Commander O'R'ashmyas personal shield generator – it operates on a broader spectrum than the standard Tau shield generator, it confers a 3+ save and a 5+ invulnerable save.

The Hammer of dawn is a unique weapon combining the technology in Plasma and Pulse Rifles that has the following profile:
Weapon: Hammer of Dawn
Range-30”, Str-6, AP-3, Type-Assault 2, Rending.

Twilights Shadow:
Commander Sorrows drone controllers are contained within this special harness.
It counts as 2 Drone Controllers that have a total of 4 Gun Drones.

< Taken by the void dragon. >

Che-Vito wrote:Why did you make suits vulnerable to ID from S6 weapons? Also, why the addition of Skilled Rider/Move Through Cover?
Rerolling failed Dangerous Terrain tests, I could see (from the bulk of the suits, etc.) but not MTC.

Anything that's ' - line' is conferred by something else.

Skilled Rider and Move Through Cover are rules given automatically by being an Independant Character.

Also, I haven't put any suits up yet.

They are Fire Warrior Commanders - as in, regular FW with better gear.
It even says that there, that it's not a battlesuit - it's also Str3 with a 4+ save.

Suits are going to be Str5/T5, or Str4/T5, nt sure which yet.

One thing that jumped out at me in the Hammerhead section was this;

I can take a targeting array for 10pts and use up a support weapon slot.

Or...

I can take a targeting aray for 5pts as a normal upgrade and not use a support weapon slot.

The only way I can imagine the support targeting array being useful is if the two bonuses stacked for BS5, but even then, I'd want more dakka if I can still buy that wargear that allows me to shoot at a different targets.

Basically, the best way to run a hammerhead would be a heavy railgun, then two burst cannons, then another burst cannon with a targeting array, dis pod, target lock and multi-tracker. Shoot 9 burst cannon shots at an infantry squad, then shoot the railgun elsewhere.

Anyways, I think it looks good so far, I'll go back and take another read through later.

The reason you can have both is so you can stack to BS5 yes.

But it's also combining the Hammerhead and Skyray slots, plus the Harbinger drone assault gunship.

Also - with how drones are now, you can put a pair of fusion blasters or missile pods on it.

I like versatility

Ovion wrote:
Suits are going to be Str5/T5, or Str4/T5, nt sure which yet.

Uhm... You mean normal Crisis suits at T5? And what about Hazards then? I think S5 T4 is perfect for Crisis suits, i mean they are just guys in a bulky (and fragile looking) power armour...

I was going to go with T 3/4/5 for Firewarriors / XV25 / XV8s, possibly reducing the strength of suits, unsure - I mean, ultimately I feel that stealths should be better than FW for toughness... maybe make them T3(4), with XV8s T4(5) or something.. either way, that's yet to be done.

But all things considered, a Crisis Suit has marginally worse stats than a Gortesque (higher leadership and better standard save, but no FNP), and costs pretty similar.
That said - what do Terminators cost currently?

Ovion wrote:
That said - what do Terminators cost currently?

as i recall, 40/mod, min 5 mods.

Ok, so I've been working on this guy recently:

During the War of Dark Revelations, hundreds of Tau were given over to the Dark Eldar Haemonculus Urien Rakarth as payment for aid against the Tyranid threat, these poor souls were tortured and warped into lumbering Grotesques by the fleshmelders.
Among the first wave of these creatures sent back through the webway to Vigos were the initial experiments, cannon fodder not expected to survive, and it was thought all of their creations from this first wave had been lost.

In truth in the opening moments of that battle one of them had been struck hard, then trapped under the corpse of a massive tyranid beast. After the smoke cleared, the tyranids pushed back and the covens had vanished once again into the shadows, there was movement among the piles of dead. A lone Grotesque rose, somehow his own man again, no longer a puppet of the haemonculi. Slowly he made his way back to the Tau lines, calling in a loud, guttural voice for his kin.

Already shocked and horrified at the realisation of what these creatures were, seeing one that knew he was Tau saddened them further. The creature that was once like them had no recollection of his name, or his caste, his body while strong was full of pain, yet his will was resolute. He wished to stand as a memorial to his fallen brothers and deliver justice upon the Dark Eldar. The builders and engineers of the Earth Caste took pity on him, and from the remnants of destroyed equipment built him weapons and armour to help him achieve his goal.

The nameless warrior took the title R'ashmya, or Mourning Sorrow and with his modified Plasma Rifle the Hammer of Dawn vowed to protect the empire from the dark kin. While many expected him to fall swiftly, he prevailed in conflict after conflict, always on the front line, eventually making it to the rank of Commander, and finally being given the option to retire. He refused, instead asking to commission a special strike force, and his wish was granted.

He now leads the Defenders of Twilight, a rapid response force that specialises in defending the empire against the Dark Eldar. They operate out of a customised manta, the majority of its internal space taken up by a jump drive, the ship, while with greatly reduced capacity can deliver the Sorrows force to anywhere within the empires borders swiftly, to deliver retribution against those who wronged them.

O'R'ashmya - Commander Mourning Sorrow


Have been working on the complete Defenders of Twilight force also, each one unlocked by Sorrow being taken, each unique, elite units.

 Ovion wrote:
Commander Mourning Sorrow:
I'll flesh out the fluff moreso later, but the basic concept is this -
Within the Dark Eldar codex it speaks of the Tau that were made into Grotesques, The prototype, the first Tau changed during that conflict and the archetype for the others. Sent into combat with his distorted kin shortly thereafter, he took a direct hit, which somehow shook loose the connections that bound his mind - rather than go insane from the pain the warrior drew from previously unrealised reserves of control and courage, and fought his way through, ultimately hiding among the bodies when the battle was over.

The Haemonculi simply dismissed him as a casualty, not really caring about another lost test subject in the huge melee, yet the young warrior snuck back to friendly lines, where he told his story in distorted, gutteral words. His kin took pity on him, yet he wished to forge ahead and take vengence upon his makers - driven by the pain and rage they forced upon him.

The Earth Caste created for him unique equipment such as the Hammer of Dawn - a Plasma rifle designed for his giant hands, a special shield to protect him and a drone harness to support him, and he took the name R'ashmya - Mourning Sorrow, the changes to his genetics extending his life, he still fights to this day, now leading a specialist Hunting Cadre known as the Defenders of Twilight - constantly on the watch for the Dark Eldars insidious threat.

He is effectively a Grotesque made from a Tau warrior, who regained sentience.
I intend to buy a Grotesque (the first and probably last actual grot model I'll be buying and it's not even for my Dark Eldar ) and modify a plasma rifle into a sort of oversized pulse rifle.

I just thought it'd make an interesting character.

Tau O'R'ashmya - Commander Mourning Sorrow
FO: HQ
Squad: O'R'ashmya - Commander Mourning Sorrow
Unit: Mourning Sorrow
Points Per: 120
Models: 1*
Unit Type: Infantry
WS-4, BS-4, S-5, T-5, W-3, I-4, A-3, Ld-9, Sv-6+/3+(5+*).

Wargear:
Gnarlskin
Hard-Wired Target Lock
Sorrows Shield
Hammer of Dawn
Pulse Pistol
Twilights Shadow
- Two Drone Controllers
- Four Gun Drones

Special Rules:
- Acute Senses
Independent Character
- Move Through Cover
- Skilled Rider
Feel No Pain
Furious Charge
Preferred Enemy: Dark Eldar

Options:
None.

Gnarlskin:
Gnarlskin confers a 6+ armour save.

Sorrows Shield:
Commander O'R'ashmyas personal shield generator – it operates on a broader spectrum than the standard Tau shield generator, it confers a 3+ save and a 5+ invulnerable save.

The Hammer of dawn is a unique weapon combining the technology in Plasma and Pulse Rifles that has the following profile:
Weapon: Hammer of Dawn
Range-30”, Str-6, AP-3, Type-Assault 2, Rending.

Twilights Shadow:
Commander Sorrows drone controllers are contained within this special harness.
It counts as 2 Drone Controllers that have a total of 4 Gun Drones.

One problem with his fluff.. Dark Eldar never leave casualties behind, they can take them back and either use the corpses for experimentation or sell them on for whatever mysterious reason... And they leave planets much like the Tyranids, with no trace... :/

Dark Eldar rarely leave their own behind if possible - and the monstrosities of the Haemonculi are pretty low on the priority list.

Furthermore, this was a special situation - one of the few times Dark Eldar had engaged in a 'proper shooting war', where they didn't employ the standard hit-and-run tactics - it was a straight up fight against the 'nids.

Then again, I did also say the body was hidden among (and under) the masses of Tyranid corpses.
It's meant to be unique and different, a number of extreme circumstances combining to make an awesome model.