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So I was just discussing with my roommate how amazingly fun fire warriors would be with one small change. Here is my idea:

For 5pts per model, the entire squad can replace their pulse rifle/carbine with a Pulse Pistol and Tau Bomb Pack (or some tau bomb packy name).

Bomb Pack: During combat, Models equipped with a Tau Bomb Pack may elect to take a leadership check, if passed the model explodes.
Tau Bomb Pack Explosion:
Str: 6* AP: - Blast**

*Tau Bomb Pack Explosion can never cause Instant Death regardless of enemies toughness.
** Blast Marker to be placed directly over the model using Tau Bomb Pack, Blast occurs as if at Initiative 4.


I figured it even made fluff sense since exploding oneself would be for the greater good, right? Well this is my first time trying to make my own rules, thoughts and such would be appreciated.

It sounds entertaining if nothing else. I'm not sure how the Tau feel about being a martyr, but the idea itself seems fun. Sounds like something an Ork army would try......almost like a competition to see who would create the biggest boom.

Hahaha

Tau Fluff rather implies that they wouldn't suicide squads.
The only reason the suit has a det system is for those 'all is lost' moments, not running in and exploding.

Maybe giving it to gun drones, but even then...

I mean I've made a suicide unit for DE - but that's slaves and it's funny.

Hmm, yea I see the fluff issue...what about human auxilary units...

Tau don't see life as expendable, they value people and their equipment as it all has it's place in the greater good.

Drones are a maybe, for it though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Something that occured to me - it's always possible that something like a breakaway faction like the farsight enclave might be a little less... moral?

Tau do have the Failsafe Detonator which is a bomb that some of them (ie 1 per army and he's an expensive model already so it's a total waste) carry that they use to prevent their unit from being swept in an assault.

I could see something similar being made more commonly available or (ideally) in a drone.

The idea you have here seems more likely to kill the Tau's squad mates than protect them.

Fireknife wrote:bomb packy

During combat the model explodes.

exploding oneself would be for the greater good

lol i see what you did there (with allot of hack and slash to you post)

On topic i like this idea could cause for some memorable moments of gut busting laughter that and the stats seem pretty good, possible name could be "bomb satchel" or "martyr' armaments"

No no no ... We leave all the martyrdom stuff to the Imperials... All for the Emperor etc... Let the SM religous nuts do stuff like that.....

Tau on the other hand may leave a Pulse bomb behind when they flee the battlefield (Which is all too common with Tau!) Any unit succesfully attempting a sweeping advance takes a single Large blast template STR 6 AP 4.

For the greater good!

Ovion wrote:Tau Fluff rather implies that they wouldn't suicide squads.
The only reason the suit has a det system is for those 'all is lost' moments, not running in and exploding.

Maybe giving it to gun drones, but even then...

I mean I've made a suicide unit for DE - but that's slaves and it's funny.

And when Tau get put into assault is it not an 'all is lost' moment?

Yeah I am going to have to agree that the rules as presented dont really fit well with fluff. For example, why the pulse pistol that doesnt exist? Why not just a bomb satchel as a weapon replacement?

I think an "Earth Caste Sappers" or some such might fit a bit better. Give them an even worse profile than firewarriors with BS2 and t2, and 6+ armor, but let them carry bombs. Their job is to mine terrain and blow up buildings and such, and construct temporary shelters and maintence vehicles. Basicly, a squad based version of a techmarine. These guys, who are not trained warriors, I could see blowing themselves up when assaulted in combat. They dont have the Tau's way of war instilled in them, as they are a non-combat unit that got stuck in a fight, and are more likely to see blowing themselves up defending a spot as acting for the greater good. In contrast, a fire warrior is trained to try and get away to keep shooting, as ground lost means nothing to the tau way of war.

What precisely do you mean by 'doesn't exist'.

The Pulse Pistol is right there in the codex and on the summary page.

An ejected suit pilot will have one and the Sniper Drone controller has one, as do air caste pilots. I can't remember any more off the top of my head.

For Greater Good! For Honour of Ethereal!

BANZAI!!!!

THis job belongs to drones... Like ambush drones that bury under the ground and act as mines, jumping up, shooting, then detonating.

Foiled! I can see why I never heard of the pistols before--none of my tau playing friends have ever used either options mentioned.

A Tau Drone buried in the dirt would be a pretty neat trick. It could pop up like a bouncng betty mine and lay down a blast marker....

It would be really nice if all Tau FW has the USR for jumping out of combat.... makes sense since they hate being in it.

Milisim wrote:A Tau Drone buried in the dirt would be a pretty neat trick. It could pop up like a bouncng betty mine and lay down a blast marker....

It would be really nice if all Tau FW has the USR for jumping out of combat.... makes sense since they hate being in it.

Or just a Fall Back move when the enemy tries to assault. But yes, I like the idea of the "bouncing betty" drones!

Milisim wrote:A Tau Drone buried in the dirt would be a pretty neat trick. It could pop up like a bouncng betty mine and lay down a blast marker....

It would be really nice if all Tau FW has the USR for jumping out of combat.... makes sense since they hate being in it.

Being unskilled at something =/= being skilled at avoiding that something.

I like the fire warrior idea but i think it would work better on gun drones since they arent sentient, it would just be another piece of technology.