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Hey everyone!

I've been really enjoying 6th edition so far, as have the other players in my local gaming group. One of the best parts of a new rules edition is finding nuggets of gaming gold in older codices, I think. The idea of tanking wounds with a 2+ save in a squad isn't a new one (sanguinary priest in TDA, Shadowfield archon, etc), but I came across one for Tau players to use.

Commander Shas'O
Iridium Armor
Drone Controller w/ 2 Shield Drones
Stimulant Injector
Shield Generator

Then add whatever weapon systems that suit your taste/points value. A plasma rifle/missile pod combo with a hardwired Multi Tracker is a swiss army knife suit, but other weapons have their merits as well.

Join this unit to another shas'o or shas'el, and an elite squad of 3 Crisis suits. As long as the shas'o is placed in spearhead formation, the unit can shrug off anything short of lascannons thanks to his 2+ save. He can look out, sir! AP2 wounds, or just risk his own 4++/5+++ save if possible. I haven't fielded this configuration yet but I anticipate it being a huge problem for my enemies to deal with. Our group allows the 40K stamped forgeworld units in games, too, so if your group is equally as willing you can upgrade another commander with an XV-89 suit to get an additional 2+/4++ tank in the squad. The stim injector is special issue, however, so only one tank will have feel no pain.

Any tau players that have tried this set up, post here how it performed for you. After i get some games in and this is more than mere speculation I'll add my comments as well.

 tetrisphreak wrote:
Commander Shas'O
Iridium Armor
Drone Controller w/ 2 Shield Drones
Stimulant Injector
Shield Generator

Drop the Shas'O to 'el (if you're really desperate for the bs just take a t. array)
drop the stim injector to another hq who would benefit more (i'd rather have a 2+ and a 3+/5+ rather than a 2+/5+ and 3+)
drop the shield gen (do a look out sir to a drone on a 2+ if you need the invul)

Saves points and just as effective

the weasel king wrote:

 tetrisphreak wrote:
Commander Shas'O
Iridium Armor
Drone Controller w/ 2 Shield Drones
Stimulant Injector
Shield Generator

Drop the Shas'O to 'el (if you're really desperate for the bs just take a t. array)
drop the stim injector to another hq who would benefit more (i'd rather have a 2+ and a 3+/5+ rather than a 2+/5+ and 3+)
drop the shield gen (do a look out sir to a drone on a 2+ if you need the invul)

Saves points and just as effective

That isn't just as effective as once the drones are dead the commander is killed by Instant Death from the next Lascannon shot, as opposed to having a 50% chance of surviving.

The whole point of the OP was to build the toughest single HQ possible to be a bullet sponge for any unit he's joined to.

Saves points and not nearly as effective for the role you want for him. from the comment about the TA I can see that you didn't even realize the purpose of this setup and by an extension you could never understand the reasons of wargear.

To put it simple-its a heavy-weapon magnet.

This setup is actually a classic setup, even before 6th, that is borderline impossible to remove except by heavy guns shooting multiple times or dedicated assault units, and the 'O upgrade and stim inj are important parts of it. in fact, these two upgrades ALWAYS go to the same suit, one never takes a stim on an 'el, it just gives less virtual wounds.

The whole point is to make a 2+/4++ FNP 4 wound suit with 2 2+/4++ drones to soak up even further wounds. sure, it will attract massive numbers of S8 or higher shots, but a player using this setup will use other units to quickly remove anything that might instant-kill this monster, as it pretty much gives no feth to anything with AP higher the 2 and S lower then 8, very few things in the whole game can compete with him on survivability-and all the gunfire wasted at taking him is not directed elsewhere.
(it would take, on average, AFTER the drones are dead 18 bolter hits (with BS4 of marines-27 shots) to remove a single wound. so that is 108 shots, plus 18 per drone for a total of 144 shots. I call that pretty much immune to light gunfire.)

Its expensive as hell, and as such we tend to equip it with guns that tend to be "suicide suit" guns-guns that WILL draw fire as they are way too lethal to be left to do whatever they want, such as fusion blasters, so they cant ignore it and must divert power in an overly-expensive attempt to remove him. his purpose is to either join critical units, leading from the front and turning them almost invulnerable (and if things go south and drones are down-send that insta-kill shot at another guy with LoS!), possibly splitting off to assault something even more expensive and bogging down combat for a few rounds, or just walking solo from tank to tank, blowing stuff up and forcing the enemy to deal with him.


This unit wont make it's point, its no designed to do it, it is meant to do one thing and one thing only-forcing the opponent to play by your game. and it does that well.


its a 192 to a shas'o with fusion, plasma, shield, 2 drones, stim, iridium, HWMT, but its survivability and high-powered guns combined makes even terminators wary of him, as he WILL hurt them, a lot, before they eventually manage to remove him (if not shot to death by other units by then.). not to mention that if he get himself to an unguarded tank-its an easy kill with no chance of retaliation. (and being a character allows him to snipe out enemy special weapons that ARE effective against him from nearby squads.)


Highly effective setup when used well. quite popular amongst tau players-and for a good reason, it brings home repeating results.

Boom wolf, great insights there. Thanks for the input.