Using normal Battle suits as commanders.

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**MechaEmperor7000**

I dug out my old tau army (from 3rd edition) and wanted to clean it up so it would be less of a shame for me (it was one of my more regrettable impulse buys). Unfortunately this was back when the battlesuit commander kit didn't exist; like, even the old metal and plastic version didn't exist during this time. I really don't want to buy a 60 dollar commander just to make this army viable (I have no ethereals) so how much of a faux pas is it now to use one of the original (basic) suits as a commander? I do plan on converting him (and maybe his old bodyguards too and give them a promotion since commanders are the new hotness) so he won't be just something out of the box. Equipment will all be represented on him.

**AnomanderRake**

Not much of a faux pas, so long as you don't try using a basic XV-8 as a Coldstar suit.

**MechaEmperor7000**

If I do that, he'd be so converted that there would be no question as to what it's suppose to be.

I've been wanting to put those suits under the knife for a while now.

**Jaxler**

Tau XV8 suits do pass as commanders. If you want proof, look at the eight in 7th edition's farsighted book. They all were mostly just crisis suits and only one was the commander suit. Canonically, it's completely normal for commanders (and high ranking ones at that) to take crisis suits.

I'd suggest doing things to make your commanders stand out from normal guys. The yee olde' drone for a head might work for cheap, or simply just painting them differently. If you convert them though, it ought be okay.

Also before anyone goes "but the commander model sold by GW isn't a crisis suit!" The original commander model, before finecast or the plastic one, was a crisis suit with a fancy head and was on a terminator base. So by all means, make your commanders crisis suits, they'll probably be a tiny bit worse though since smaller bases does nerf their aura range.

**Scott-S6**

And if anyone complains just explain that your commander is a curmudgeonly veteran that sees no reason to retrain on these newfangled variants.

**MechaEmperor7000**

Oh these guys are getting the knife. I've been looking up crisis suit conversion articles. Custom heads, possibly lengthened torsos, extra armor, the works.