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Hi!

So this project was inspired by the "4 things you want to change about Tau" topic. After some lurking in that topic i realized that i have an owervhelming urge to write my own version of the Blue Guys. So here it is, sort of tightly packed, working with mostly tweaks instead of shiny new stuff and also lacking some fluff there and there (the fluff thing will be corrected later).

Whats in the 'dex:
- A little bit reshaped playing theme: it is not exactly about absolute firepower, but more about threat neutralization by either simply taking out the threat (Target Locks and good firepower) or simply avoiding it (better resilience and Dynamic Disengagement).
- Psykers! There are two of them: the Kroot Master Shaper (after an upgrade) and the Nicassar High Enchanter.
- New Tau Commander. He now comes with an all-new shiny battlesuit type (the XV-53 Pacifier) and a Cadre Configuration speical rule that allows the player to take all kinds of stuff as Troops.
- Drones are now wargears and all of them have Close Protection. Also, Drone Controllers don't take up system slots.
- Veteran Fire Warriors. To troll those who want BS4 FW-s. Now you can get them!
- Most of the FW stuff found its way into my fandex, including Tetras, Hazards and Hammerhead turrets.
- Oh, an and i rewokred most of the equipment. For example Target Locks effectively give Eye of Vengeance and Multi-Trackers work like PotMS.
- A small, fast dropship inspired by the Sawfish: the Stingray. It can even transport suits!

Wording errors and bad grammar could happen.

All C&C is welcome.

Dynamic Disengagement is basically the most OP bs I've ever seen. Any decent Tau player is now 75% immune to basic Infantry, and gains an extra (free!) turn against Jump Infantry and Beasts. This ability alone bumps your basic Fire Warriors (with all their shiny new options! which I like) up to 12 points, at least - especially in their sexy new 24-man squad size. 40 S5 shots with a free markerlight is nothing to scoff at at 200 points, and it gets to do that indefinitely against regular infantry, and for an extra turn against Jump infantry. For a show between a similar points value of normally powerful assaulters, this ability ruins Lychguard, Tyranid Warriors, Terminators, Berzerkers, Gray Hunters, etc. It severely hampers even 300-point FNP-Bubbled deathstar slayerclumps a-la blood angels - and it scores, too!

One thing you could do; instead of actual movement, you could reduce the Assault Movement of an assaulting enemy by D3", to represent their hampered movement under fire.

Edit: Reading over the rest of it; this just really jumped out at me. Enjoying the formatting and selection immensely.

@AtoMaki
please tell me you added in the Tau Swordfish

chrisrawr wrote:Dynamic Disengagement is basically the most OP bs I've ever seen. Any decent Tau player is now 75% immune to basic Infantry, and gains an extra (free!) turn against Jump Infantry and Beasts. This ability alone bumps your basic Fire Warriors (with all their shiny new options! which I like) up to 12 points, at least - especially in their sexy new 24-man squad size. 40 S5 shots with a free markerlight is nothing to scoff at at 200 points, and it gets to do that indefinitely against regular infantry, and for an extra turn against Jump infantry. For a show between a similar points value of normally powerful assaulters, this ability ruins Lychguard, Tyranid Warriors, Terminators, Berzerkers, Gray Hunters, etc. It severely hampers even 300-point FNP-Bubbled deathstar slayerclumps a-la blood angels - and it scores, too!

The D6" movement part is a weak spot, but it has its resrictions, like one use per Assault phase, fixed movement direction and such. As far as i can see, it is only really useful against loners (mostly Deathstar units). And that's good because its intended purpose is to protect against one-unit assault monsters (preventing the "battering ram" effect when one unit wins the battle for the enemy). Tomorrow is testing day, so i will see the actual usefulness of this thing. And yeah, running against a Fire Warrior wall isn't funny anymore .

@AtoMaki
please tell me you added in the Tau Swordfish

Hmmm... There is no Swordfish, because i couldn't find the rules of it. If i can have a link for it then i will add it.

A d6" movement is still movement; even if it only procs off one unit charges them, they are now most likely out of range for all other units charging them. We have to look at it from a highly-skilled player's perspective, in which he will be abusing it thoroughly. And if ever there was an ability meant to be abused with the Tau, this was it.

chrisrawr wrote:A d6" movement is still movement; even if it only procs off one unit charges them, they are now most likely out of range for all other units charging them. We have to look at it from a highly-skilled player's perspective, in which he will be abusing it thoroughly. And if ever there was an ability meant to be abused with the Tau, this was it.

After a little meditation: what about prohibiting unit movement after making a Dynamic Disengagement? So a unit that uses DD cannot move in its next Movement phase but still counts as moved in the following Shooting phase. You effectively sacrifice the unit's normal move for the DD move. And with Vectored Retro-Thrusters negate this (so Hazards remain uber-brutal ).

It... works, but in my opinion, it's not as elegant or fluffy as simply flat-out denying or reducing your opponent's movement.

chrisrawr wrote:It... works, but in my opinion, it's not as elegant or fluffy as simply flat-out denying or reducing your opponent's movement.

Yeah, i developed some "tremorstave" wargear back when i started this fandex but then i realized that this hat was already stolen by the Necrons.

And on a side note: can i haz a ruleset for the Swordfish please? I remember that it is a hammerhead with two HUUUUGE railguns but nothing else.

AtoMaki wrote:

chrisrawr wrote:It... works, but in my opinion, it's not as elegant or fluffy as simply flat-out denying or reducing your opponent's movement.

Yeah, i developed some "tremorstave" wargear back when i started this fandex but then i realized that this hat was already stolen by the Necrons.

And on a side note: can i haz a ruleset for the Swordfish please? I remember that it is a hammerhead with two HUUUUGE railguns but nothing else.

chapter approved 2004 had them. it was basically like the:
………….[Front] [Side] [Rear] [BS] [points]
Swordfish] 13 12 10 4 220
Type: tank, skimmer
Weapons: twin linked rail guns with submissions, smart missiles
Equipment: Landing gear, targeting array
Options: The targeting array may be replaced by a burst cannon for free, but the BS is reduced by 1. May have sensor spines for +10 points, multi-tracker for +10 points, blacksun filter for +5 points, target lock for +5 points, flechette discharger for +10 points, disruption pod for +5 points, decoy launcher for +5 points.
Heavy support: The swordfish is a heavy support choice for tau empire
but there is also an online version here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/74662435/Tau-Empire-Codex-LEAKED-no-Markups

Hi!

So today was testing day, with two 1750 battles. And i must confess, the fandex was very... convincing.

My list was the reconfigured version of the list i use with the current codex:

HQ – 190
Tau Commander (Rapid Insertion Force, Fusion Blaster, Airbursting Fragmentation Projector, Shield Generator, HW Multi-Tracker, 3x Gun Drones, Shield Drone) – 190
Troops – 815
Fire Warrior Team 23+Shas’ui (Bonding Knife) – 255
Fire Warrior Team 9+Shas’ui (Bonding Knife) – 125
Devilfish (Disruption Pod) – 75
Crisis Team 1+Shas’vre (Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array, 2x Gun Drones / Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Target Lock, 2x Gun Drones) – 180
Crisis Team 1+Shas’vre (Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array, 2x Gun Drones / Missile Pod, Fusion Blaster, Targeting Array, HW Multi-Tracker, HW Target Lock, 2x Gun Drones) – 180
Fast Attack – 180
Pathfinder Team x10 – 120
Pathfinder Team x5 – 60
Heavy Support – 565
Broadside Team x2 (2x TL Missile Pod, 2x Targeting Arrays, 4x Gun Drones) – 200
Broadside Team x2 (2x TL Missile Pod, 2x Targeting Arrays, 4x Gun Drones) – 200
Hammerhead (Hammerhead Railgun, 2x Burst Cannons, Multi-Tracker, Disruption Pod) – 165

My first opponent was a Space Marine with a Vulkan list (Vulkan, Termi SS Librarian, 5 Assault Terms in Crusader, Ironclad in pod, 2x10 Tacs in LasPlas razors, 2x2 MM attack bikes). Th first turn was mine, an guess what, at the end of turn 1 all SM transport was dead and both combat squads were left without heavy weapons. The Ironclad tried to save the day, but let's say that poor guy had a very long target piority list. The real heroes of the game were the assault terminators (with the two joined ICs), who shrugged off 96 shots from the FW blob Unfortunately for them, while they were busy walking through the pulse rifle barrage, the rest of my army cleaned up the rest of the SM. The game ended when the Terminator ball assaulted the FW blob, destroyed them all from SA, and then died in my next Shooting phase. The SM was wied out, i lost a Crisis, the FW blob, the Devilfish, one Broadside and the 5 strong Pathfinder Team.

Second opponent was Imperial Guard hybrid list. He had QuadPlasma CCS in Chimera, 4 flamer PCS in chimera, 30 strong blob with ACs and GLs, 2 Vendettas, 5 strong Rough Riders, 2 trimelta vets in chimeras, Demolisher, 2 Hydras in a squadron and one Manticore. He seized my initative, and this nearly won the battle for him. He successfully alpha-striked me, taking out all my vehicles and seriously damaging my battlesuit teams. The return fire from the Tau was also harsh (the blob was wiped out and the Vendettas were blown off from the sky), and this kind of characterized the whole battle: it was a Shooting-fest with a merciless attrition rate. The IG had more firepower, but i had markerlights and drones (for tanking damage). Oh, and Target Locks (sniping!). As it turned out having tricks is better than having guns, so i won the battle again, but only within a hair.

Conclusions are really clear-cut: as per this fandex, the Tau is around the power level of the Space Wolves. It has medicore Shooting power (except Pule Rifles and Railguns) but it is simply full of tricks that can give nasty buffs (Markerlights, Target Locks). And drones can take crazy ammount of damage.

Is the Swordfish real?! Or is it just some kitbash/conversion?

Fralethepalewhale wrote:Is the Swordfish real?! Or is it just some kitbash/conversion?

As far as i can remember it was an example-build for the VDR. So it isn't real in the strickest sense (i mean you cannot take it to a legal Tau army).

AtoMaki wrote:

Fralethepalewhale wrote:Is the Swordfish real?! Or is it just some kitbash/conversion?

As far as i can remember it was an example-build for the VDR. So it isn't real in the strickest sense (i mean you cannot take it to a legal Tau army).

Feth, It sounded awesome! And is that internet codex legit? I've only read a little but a lot of it seems to make sense, and I like the universal special rules!

Fralethepalewhale wrote: And is that internet codex legit?

Nope. Its a fandex just like mine (though it is a way more messed up one).

UPDATE TIME!

- A few small changes are in.
- Tarellian Dog Soldiers are in. They even have a Dedicated Transporter.
- Swordfish is in.

@ AtoMaki

After a very long break, I am looking at doing a fully finalized version of my fan-dex from a couple of years ago. Here is a link to where I left it on Dakka:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/290724.page

Please keep in mind that I have changed a few things since the above thread and its predecessors but this should give you an idea as to what I was up to.

If you and others are interested, I will start a new thread for discussing and finalizing this old project. I can also provide links to the preceding discussion threads that lead to what I was doing(so
e of the threads were pretty long, though).

Let me know what you think, thanks

focusedfire wrote:
Let me know what you think, thanks

Well, i'am curious, so bring it on! My take on the Tau is pretty much this fandex, but i like to see other people's ideas.

if you like, i can offer up a few of my fan made units as well

Update time!

What's in:
- Few minor fixes (mostly wording errors).
- Tau Special Characters!

So, on the Tau special characters, we have four of them: Farsight and Shadowsun are well known for everyone, they didn't change much; Frostspite and Starfury are new players, and i must warn you: all similarities are intentional !

About Frostspite:
He is the twin brother of Starfury. He is cold, cruel and callous. He respects noone, he never takes orders and he is only loyal to himself. The only reason that he is still the youngest and most successfull Shas'O is that he is also the greatest military genius since Puretide. Because of the many obvious similarities, many thinks that he is somehow related to Shadowsun (Or Farsight. It's pretty hard to decide.).

About Starfury:
She is the twin sister of Frostspite. She is the complete opposite of her borther: she is fiery, reckless and passionate. She is also blindly loyal to the Tau Empire, and let's say that she isn't the smartest girl around. Because of the many obvious similarities, many thinks that she is somehow related to Farsight (Or Shadowsun. It's pretty hard to decide.).

Edit:
Ooopsie, the last upload was a wrong version. Problem fixed.

So, i decided to revive this thread, because i got some nice new ideas for the blue guys. Beware, the fandex will be rewritten for good! So the basic plans:

- Seeker Missiles are auto-hitting and have two firing modes: a compact (S9, AP1, 2D6 armour pen, InstaKill regardless of Toughness) and a submunitions (S6, AP3, Large Blast). They are always treated as Barrage weapons. Seeker missiles are no longer upgrades for vehicles, but may be bought as a Heavy Support selection (don't take up HS slot though) for 10 points per missile. No limit on how many missile you can buy.
- Sky Rays are revamped to defense units. They have Coteaz's reserve-overwatch rule and carry special Seeker missiles (S8, AP2, Large Blast, always fired with BS5). Tough they can fire only 2 missiles per player turn and they have Limited Ammunition (8).
- Obliterator Crisis suits! Yeah, silly idea, but more i think about it, better i like it. So each Crisis suit carries four weapons (one AT, one anti-GEQ, one anti-MEQ/TEQ and one anti-light vehicle). Something like a Multi-Melta, an Airbursting Frag Projector, a 24" range Plasma Cannon (with S6) and a Missile Pod that penetrates armour like Ordnance.
- Stealth suits will get the option to take Fusion Blasters for everyone.
- Oh, and all suits are T4(5), except Stealth Suits what are just T3.
- Railguns have a +2 damage modifier (including the +1 for AP1) on the vehicle damage table.
- Two new suits: the 'Longbolt' (a suit with a "raily" rail weapon) and the 'Calamity' (a suit that can fire lots of high-strength small blasts).

Update will coming in the near future (1-2 days).

this fandex as written is kind on crazy, can you give me any reason why seekers are that powerful?

Formosa wrote:this fandex as written is kind on crazy, can you give me any reason why seekers are that powerful?

Well, that was just an idea. Maybe i1ll price them to 20 (or even 30) points per missile. The idea behind Seeker Missiles is to give a "special weapon" to the Fire Warriors without actually a special weapon option. Now they take their markerlights and rain some pain with Seeker Missiles. Blame Chrisrawr for the original idea .

Eh, the reason my Seeker Missiles are so powerful (comparably to the current Tau) is because they're expensive, require non-auto-hitting markerlights to fire, and are limited both in fire rate and availability.

- Seeker Missiles are auto-hitting and have two firing modes: a compact (S9, AP1, 2D6 armour pen, InstaKill regardless of Toughness)

Priced at 50 points, minimum just for this. 10 of these with 1000 points of models to fire them just screams "lol I win."

- Sky Rays are revamped to defense units. They have Coteaz's reserve-overwatch rule and carry special Seeker missiles (S8, AP2, Large Blast, always fired with BS5).
Tough they can fire only 2 missiles per player turn and they have Limited Ammunition (8).

So, 2 large blast "psyplas cannons" per turn. 225-250 points per model at least - it's like having 2 Leman Russ that can suddenly kill terminators!

- Obliterator Crisis suits! Yeah, silly idea, but more i think about it, better i like it. So each Crisis suit carries four weapons (one AT, one anti-GEQ, one anti-MEQ/TEQ and one anti-light vehicle). Something like a Multi-Melta, an Airbursting Frag Projector, a 24" range Plasma Cannon (with S6) and a Missile Pod that penetrates armour like Ordnance.

Oblit Suits are one of the things I toyed with - they work out really well, but you have to price them at least 80ppm - something that might not work out for people who just want a couple heavy burst cannons. Not sure on giving Tau prevalent plasma cannons, that's more the Eldar/Marine gig.

- Stealth suits will get the option to take Fusion Blasters for everyone.

Always a good change.

- Oh, and all suits are T4(5), except Stealth Suits what are just T3.

No love for stealths :C

- Railguns have a +2 damage modifier (including the +1 for AP1) on the vehicle damage table.

So +3 total? Or just +2? Not that I'd be taking Railguns when I can take S9 AP1 autohit 2d6pens.

- Two new suits: the 'Longbolt' (a suit with a "raily" rail weapon) and the 'Calamity' (a suit that can fire lots of high-strength small blasts).

Eh, you're gonna have to sell em to me. Tau suits are all about mass production and swappable, mass-use weapons - if the Longbolt and Calamity were good enough to warrant training with, eventually every suit pilot would have access to the training and weapons. Since you're going the way of the Oblit, maybe just slap them onto the list of usable weapons.

^ Oh yeah, i forgot that markerlights will be no longer auto-hit, but hit on 3+ things (still pre-shooting though). And don't forget that in my codex, only squad leaders can take markerlights (and Pathfinders of course).

I priced the new Sky Ray to 230 points and the new Crisis to 75 ppm. Hope they will work.

Its +2 total for the railguns. And i'm not sure about their uselesness compared to seeker nissiles. They are still multi-shot and the number of possible railgun shots is still greater than possible seeker missile shots.

Both the Longbolt'and the Calamity are specialist suits. The Longbolt is a "sniper" and the Calamity is the unholy bastard child of a Hazard suit and a Thunderfire cannon.

The promised changes are in!

What's new:

- Some rule clarification (especially around Dynamic Disengagement).
- Cleaned-up wargear section (weapons are categorized per type, not separetly).
- Seeker Missiles got a big power boost. They are much more effective now.
- Railguns gained a +1 damage modifier against vehicles.
- New unit: the Earth Caste Field Engineering Team. absolutely no combat use (WS-/BS-), but resilience, Bolster Defences and of course the ability to repair vehicles. It is a 0-2 non-HQ HQ selection, just like Engineseers.
- New unit: the Gue'vesa Commando. Essentialy the Tau version of Sly Marbo.
- Crisis suits changed a lot. They are now super-versatile, with longer ranged and more effective weapons. And they have all the weapons, including a Multi-Melta, an "Ordnance" Missile Pod, a 24" range Tau plasma cannon and a slightly tweaked AFP.
- New unit: the Longbolt battlesuit. it is a medium anti-personel precision attack battlesuit. It has a R36" line attack, but it lacks mobility and damage resistance.
- Stealth Suits got some extra options, like Fusion Blaster for everyone and Stingray dedicated transports.
- Demiurg Defenders are now AssTermi resilient (2+/3++). They are also more expensive.
- Fire Warriors/Veteran Fire Warriors lost their Weapon Drone option.
- Seeker Missiles may be bought as unlimited Heavy Support selections (they don't take up FOC slots).
- New unit: the Calamity battlesuits. These things can dish out lots of anti-infantry firepower, and can take equal ammount of punishment before going down. Their weapons also have a "tremor" and a "haywire" firing mode.
- Skyray reworked: it gained Coteaz's reserve-overwatch and a pretty good anti-MEQ/TEQ weapon.
- New unit: the Demiurg Siege Cruiser. Land Raider Achilles - Tau version. Nuff say...

Hope you'll like it. Feedback, comments and stuff like that are welcomed as always.