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With the Tau update, i really had my hopes up for the new codex, expecting there to be some new Troop options, since actually theres very little option at all. And one of them, was the wish for the XV15 to be different rule wishe from the XV25, to become a new Troop option, even if striped of the Stealth field, since i see them as an awesome model, really powerfull and with lots of chances to improve the Troop choices on the Tau codex. But sadly, nothing of it happened, they were still the elder cousins of the XV25, and were wasted on Elite choices model whise.

So i came up with a conversion for them, i made a Shas`Vre into a Fireblade, with some GS for the cape, and thats all i really needed to get a cool guy as a Fireblade. But it was not enough for me, i wanted to try and make my first attempt at creating my own unit, neatly as possible, and on the line with the Tau Codex internal balance, and this is what came up. I`ll make a really short intro for it, since im no shakespeare here, and i have no confidence at all on my enlgish to pull off a nice and good history right here right now.
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Fluff: The Tau Empire, as it keeped up its expansion through the Third Sphere campaign, confronted many dangerous and deathly worlds, that made it impossible for its Firewarriors basic wargear to fight on their surface, them being killed by the toxins on the air, or by the enviorentment conditions. As expected, this situations made it impossible for the Battlesuits to gain any Firewarrior support, on top of not being able to get the Pathfinder support, making ti completely impossible to make succesfull campaigns on these worlds, rich in minerals and gas supplies. The Earth Caste of the Tau, began to work from scraps ordered by the Ethereals, to came up with an idea to fight on these worlds, and gratn the Battlesuits effective support from troops. They found out that the more intricate, reinforced XV15 battlesuit made it possible for the Lone Wolves of the Tau Empire to fight more freely and for longer times than the Firewarriors in these situations. Choosing these concrete model of Battlesuit, due to its actual decrese in use, in favor on the XV25, and it was a great succes, at the first test, but the StealTh Field Generator consumed too much power, and was not needed for the new purpose the said suits had.

So they to striped the battlesuits from the Stealth Field Generator, and in place, used an enhanced powersource to further improve the resistance for the Fire Caste to the toxins, and strong gravitational force they might encounter without further stress on the body of the Tau warrior, wich is also used to bring Photon Grenades. The new variation of the XV15 and the unit were called the Deep Divers, since it was not weird to see them dive into water, or clouds of poison, knowing they were immune to them, and so, the name of Shock was granted, sicne that was the first thign they produced when the enemy realized they were tougher than expected for Tau troops.

XV15 Shock (Pending for lame):

WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
Shas`Ui 2 3 4 3 1 2 1 8 3+
Shas`Vre 2 3 4 3 1 3 2 9 3+

Unit Cost 66 Ptos
Unit Size: 3 Shock Shas`Ui
Unit Type: Jetpack Infantry

Wargear:
• XV15 Shock
• Pulse Cannon
• Photon Grenades

Special rules:
• Supporting fire

Options:
• The unit can add up to 9 additional Shas`Ui Shock for ……… 22 Points/mini
• Any Shock Shas`Ui can pick up one Support System.

For each four miniatures the unit has, one of them can change it Pulse Cannon for:
• Fusion Blaster....... 5 Points
• Ion rifle……….. 10 Points
• Rail Rifle……… 15 Points

You can upgrade one Shas`Ui to Shas`Vre for 10 Points

The Shock Shas`Vre can pick up any of the following :
• Positional Relay…….. 10 Points
• Networked Markerlight…….. 15 Points

The Shas`Vre can purchase up to two Drones from the Drone List.
The unit can choose the upgrade Bonding Knife……… 1 point/mini

XV15 "Shock" battlesuit: Variant of the Shadow XV15, the Stealth Field Generator was removed, to include the improved Backpack for dangerous enviorenment. It has integrated a Multi-Tracker, and Blacksun Filter.

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And thats all, i hope i didnt miss anything on the translation work, i tried to keep it as closely as possible to the Tau Codex profile for the XV25 units, and spice a lil the Weaponry, since i dont know why did the Tau Empire made their so valuable Pathfinders use a weapon than will surely burn them to death due to the poor armour they have, and didnt made it possible for the XV25 teams to pick up said weapons, and specially the Rail Rifles, only seen on the weakest unit armor wise, wich is used mainly for ML support, and not Fire Support... Sometimes the Xenos way its not possible to understand, no matter how many times GW tries to make it up.

Anyway, i hope you guys can help me to improve this unit, and give som C&C on it, personally speaking, im not much convinced on the IR and RR options, but these two being wasted on the Pathginders, specially the IR, wich is as mortal to them as to the enemy, its a real waste. I hope it was a fun read nontheless, and im waiting for your comments to knew you points about this new vision of the XV15.

So are these fellas Troop choices and do you mean burst cannons instead of pulse cannons?

RoopSo you want troop choices that are identical to elites bar their superior options? That sounds like a horrible idea, namely because then everyone would field armies of xv15s because xv15s would be MEQ troop choices. A better idea:

Drop their strength boost
Drop their weapon options
Drop their squad size
Drop their point cost to 18 (the same price as a far superior assault squad

The thing you have to remember is that burst cannons fire twice as much as pulse rifles or carbines at a range sacrifice. While that means they have to get closer, they can not only jsj but they can put out more shots than a team of FW with a fireblade, and they can do so after moving.

If you're gonna make them troops you gotta make them more in line with tau troops, because tau troops suck if not for their guns, and stealthsuits are an improvement on that in every way.