Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Can a Commander/Character with body guards join a unit together?

As in you have Shadowsun + 2 Bodyguards joining a crisis team to make it a 6-(wo?)man unit?

No.

So, whats actually the point of the Bodyguards at all?
Its better just going 3 regular crisis suits over bodyguards, even with the auto-pass look out sir is merely anything for extra 10 points...

Bodyguards get ready access to Signature Systems that don't cost hardpoint slots.

1. they can take sıgnature systems wıthout usıng any slots, so they can actually take a lot of systems. 3+ (potentıally all the sıgnature systems)

2. farsıght can take a bodyguard unıt of 7. this potentıally opens up a way for a 1000 point deathstar unit which can engage 7 targets at once after a no scatter deep strike and has +3 cover even in open thx to shadowsun.

3. better statlıne.

 pizzaguardian wrote:

3. better statlıne.

Only 1 more attack and 1 more ld, and you can get that from a crisis shas'vre

So i guess the sole purpose of the Bodyguards is for merely having a "fluff" model that does Look out sir auto, and gives you like 4 extra suits in case your elites are full.

so you just decide to ignore the first 2 reasons i stated and still go with only fluff.

Is it not a 4+ cover save in the open?

 pizzaguardian wrote:
so you just decide to ignore the first 2 reasons i stated and still go with only fluff.

Not ignored, its just that i dont think the Farsight "deathstar" set-up is something that i am going to use in that many games at all, its cool, but its not a argument that makes me go "oooh bodyguards are cool because this one character can mass them!"

For the Signature systems, i am thorn, i havent tested any of them yet, so i might be overly negative to what i read here, but there is a few signatures i would have for my commander in a unit with 3 crisis suits so i can use a extra set of drones.

 liturgies of blood wrote:
Is it not a 4+ cover save in the open?

for clarification; it is +3 cover save to your non existing cover save. So yes 4+ cover save.

For signature systems; the ones that give your unit ignore cover and reroll hit are my favorite.

With Stealthsuits and the Riptide in Elites, Bodyguards give you the chance to squeeze more suits into your normal Force Org. They would also allow you to take a suits in an allied detachment as well as a Riptide.

They are the same price as a Shas'vre XV8, they get sworn protector, and can take Signature systems.

 pizzaguardian wrote:

 liturgies of blood wrote:
Is it not a 4+ cover save in the open?

for clarification; it is +3 cover save to your non existing cover save. So yes 4+ cover save.

For signature systems; the ones that give your unit ignore cover and reroll hit are my favorite.

Well the one using those systems cant shoot that phase when they use them, so i would prefer to use them in another unit with more guns to offer than on a Bodyguard ( unless its a farsight unit ) and using them on a commander is a bit waste of his 5BS ( unless you go with a double-commander in a crisis squad to make it 5 models with 10 drones total and have a drone controller and the re-roll + ignore cover set-up )

Dracoknight wrote:

 pizzaguardian wrote:
so you just decide to ignore the first 2 reasons i stated and still go with only fluff.

Not ignored, its just that i dont think the Farsight "deathstar" set-up is something that i am going to use in that many games at all, its cool, but its not a argument that makes me go "oooh bodyguards are cool because this one character can mass them!"

For the Signature systems, i am thorn, i havent tested any of them yet, so i might be overly negative to what i read here, but there is a few signatures i would have for my commander in a unit with 3 crisis suits so i can use a extra set of drones.

Keep in mind that with farsight you can free up elite choices for riptides (that alone makes him worth his and his bodyguards worth their slightly higher cost).

Alright i am convinced, i did the mistake of not realizing how good the crisis suits are for "free" by comming along with a HQ and freeing up for either stealthsuits or riptides.

So my final question tho, do they need to join the HQ they are bodyguarding? So having a Ethereal buy 2 bodyguards, but leave them on their own as he join a unit that need his leadership more?

Dracoknight wrote:
Alright i am convinced, i did the mistake of not realizing how good the crisis suits are for "free" by comming along with a HQ and freeing up for either stealthsuits or riptides.

So my final question tho, do they need to join the HQ they are bodyguarding? So having a Ethereal buy 2 bodyguards, but leave them on their own as he join a unit that need his leadership more?

This is correct, he does not need to join the unit. The commander is still an IC and can choose to deploy with another unit or even on his own.

tidalwake wrote:

Dracoknight wrote:
Alright i am convinced, i did the mistake of not realizing how good the crisis suits are for "free" by comming along with a HQ and freeing up for either stealthsuits or riptides.

So my final question tho, do they need to join the HQ they are bodyguarding? So having a Ethereal buy 2 bodyguards, but leave them on their own as he join a unit that need his leadership more?

This is correct, he does not need to join the unit. The commander is still an IC and can choose to deploy with another unit or even on his own.

Hmmm, getting a few ideas, making them "out of elite slot" choices in lists can be pretty good if you want to put in stealth or Riptides.
I guess the "deathstar" you can get is Farsight with 7 guards with a commander ( or shadowsun ) making it a 9 model unit of crisis suits. ( if you have shadowsun you get stealth and shroud too ) and added that she can have 3 drones and comes with drone controller, + 2 drones for everthing else...

...Well, lets see i can see the appeal of the mega-squad here.

this is the list i made when i noticed the potential


farsıght

shadowsun
2 shadowsun shıeld drone x2

bodyguardx7

plasma rıfle/mıssıle pod/ fusıon blaster (2 of these per bodyguard ) x6

sıgnature systems (the two that gıves your unıte reroll and ıgnore cover) x2 (one bodyguard takes both of these so he just buffs the whole squad)

support system x7 (ı pLan these ones as target lock)

shıeld drone x 14 (from regular body guards)

this combo comes about 980-1000 points.. It has 25 models , 37 wounds and everybody has cover and most have invul saves.

Dracoknight wrote:
Alright i am convinced, i did the mistake of not realizing how good the crisis suits are for "free" by comming along with a HQ and freeing up for either stealthsuits or riptides.

So my final question tho, do they need to join the HQ they are bodyguarding? So having a Ethereal buy 2 bodyguards, but leave them on their own as he join a unit that need his leadership more?

Ethereals can't bring bodyguards. It denotes commander in the text and not HQ choice. If it was meant that all HQ's could take them, it would not have to mention Farsight or Shadowsun at all. Otherwise, yes you can bring a "Commander" and not have to stick him with bodyguards.

Um, Bodyguard models also mean that any characters in the unit auto-pass Look Out Sir rules, which is an utterly AMAZING rule.

It means you can take a Commander with a 2+ save, surround him with cheap drones and sit there soaking up any light fire and guarantee that when a S8 AP2 shot comes in, you can pass it off onto a drone.

That is a stellar rule, that should not be overlooked.

 yakface wrote:

Um, Bodyguard models also mean that any characters in the unit auto-pass Look Out Sir rules, which is an utterly AMAZING rule.

It means you can take a Commander with a 2+ save, surround him with cheap drones and sit there soaking up any light fire and guarantee that when a S8 AP2 shot comes in, you can pass it off onto a drone.

That is a stellar rule, that should not be overlooked.

FYI taking iridium armor also makes the commander T5, so its only lascannons that can instant kill him. So even the occasional S8 weapon is survivable

 shock_at wrote:


FYI taking iridium armor also makes the commander T5, so its only lascannons that can instant kill him. So even the occasional S8 weapon is survivable

Good point, but the awesomeness of the rule stands in that you can also do essentially the same thing with regular Commander Armor (or Farsight) and not worry about them getting accidentally punked by a Lascannon shot when you roll a '1' for LoS.

Except when playing against other Tau, who can make it so you cannot take LOS! rolls at all - making autopassing useless.

 shock_at wrote:

 yakface wrote:

Um, Bodyguard models also mean that any characters in the unit auto-pass Look Out Sir rules, which is an utterly AMAZING rule.

It means you can take a Commander with a 2+ save, surround him with cheap drones and sit there soaking up any light fire and guarantee that when a S8 AP2 shot comes in, you can pass it off onto a drone.

That is a stellar rule, that should not be overlooked.

FYI taking iridium armor also makes the commander T5, so its only lascannons that can instant kill him. So even the occasional S8 weapon is survivable

Did Lascannon suddenly get a Str upgrade I didn't know about?

Yeah, since when does a S9 weapon instant-kill a T5 target?

It doesn't.

I have a better idea, give a bodyguard suit the iridium armor shield generator and stimulant injector. have the commander always facing the threat, then LoS everything onto the bullet sponge suit with his 2+/4+/5+ T5 wound allocation shenanigans.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
You can even use Shield Drones to cover your backside/flank in case some enemy units gets corner on you, and you can always move them up front as well, so they take all the wounds first.

 Shas'O...Crap wrote:
I have a better idea, give a bodyguard suit the iridium armor shield generator and stimulant injector. have the commander always facing the threat, then LoS everything onto the bullet sponge suit with his 2+/4+/5+ T5 wound allocation shenanigans.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
You can even use Shield Drones to cover your backside/flank in case some enemy units gets corner on you, and you can always move them up front as well, so they take all the wounds first.

Or you can still get iridium and FNP on what is most likely you'r warlord, and then arrange up to 6 shield drones so whenever he automatically passes his LoS one of the drones takes a save.

That could work too.

 Flinty wrote:

 shock_at wrote:

 yakface wrote:

Um, Bodyguard models also mean that any characters in the unit auto-pass Look Out Sir rules, which is an utterly AMAZING rule.

It means you can take a Commander with a 2+ save, surround him with cheap drones and sit there soaking up any light fire and guarantee that when a S8 AP2 shot comes in, you can pass it off onto a drone.

That is a stellar rule, that should not be overlooked.

FYI taking iridium armor also makes the commander T5, so its only lascannons that can instant kill him. So even the occasional S8 weapon is survivable

Did Lascannon suddenly get a Str upgrade I didn't know about?

Yah sorry about that, i was thinking of demolisher cannons but i wrote lascannons

Has anyone thought of adding a farseer ally to this amazing deathstar. Take divination and TL everything! + runes of warding for some physic defense

Farsight
Shadowsun + drones
7 Bodyguard Plasma/Fusion/Targetlock (1 drone controller for increased BS on Marker Drones) + 14 Drones (Shield/Marker)
Farseer on Jetbike. Runes of Warding, Divination (TL power)

Deepstrike within rapid fire range for 16 TL plasma, 9 TL fusion and possible TL markerlights (im not even sure if thats possible but it would be awesome!)