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Vespid Stingwings have increased by 2 points per model, and their Strain Leader has increased by 6 points, but they have been buffed. To begin with, all of them are Initiative 6 now. What’s more, they’ve gained the Hit and Run ability. Both improve their chance of making it out of a close combat if they get charged. Alternately, they can now move, shoot, charge and then disengage at the end of the opponent's combat phase to repeat the process during your following turn, though 6th edition's overwatch has made this business less lucrative. The Strain Leader has also gained 1 attack. Their armor save has improved to 4+, which is awesome, as it makes them more survivable on the field than Swooping Hawks, given their increased toughness. Furthermore, they have gained the Stealth (Ruins) special rule, so giving these guys a 3+ cover save is pretty easy to do now – thanks to Move Through Cover and their mobility, you can make sure your Vespids are hard to hit. However, note that they aren’t Jetpack infantry, so you still won’t be able to JSJ. Now while Vespids don’t really contribute in any way to a Tau army (massed AP3 firepower can be found in other places, such as on Ionheads or Riptides, and Crisis suits can deliver it as well with the same measure of mobility while also being effective against tanks), I think Vespids are cool models that add to the alien covenant theme of the Tau Empire and thus, like fielding them next to my Tau and Kroot, and am happy that they no longer suck as hard as they used to in the previous edition. Oh and to top it all off, their Neutron Blasters have increased range by a further 6”. So all of these changes for a mere 2 points extra per model is worth it. But in light of the fact that pretty much everyone else around them in the Tau codex (and in the 40k meta in general) has gotten a boost in 6th edition, they are just as useless as before. They add nothing that a Tau player needs. Now Pathfinders, Crisis suits, Ionheads, Riptides, all of those add tremendously to what a Tau player needs. Heck, even Piranhas are useful. Vespids are still only purposeful at killing Marines, and Marines only. And even there they suck due to each Neutron Blaster only being 1 shot and at BS3. Think about it - a 10 man squad costs 190 points, and while it is reasonably mobile (12" movement, deepstrike, move-through-cover) and tough (T4, 4+save, stealth in ruins), its unaided firepower output is ridiculously low - 10 shots, 5 hits, 3.33 wounds - so 3.33 dead Space Marines outside cover, otherwise usually only 1.66 dead (the latter not even enough to force an LD check on a 10 man Space Marine squad).

Now lets say that Space Marine squad (10 members, armed with a HB and a PG, totalling 165 points, i.e. 25 points cheaper than your Vespid squad) strikes back at the Vespids, you have 6 Bolter shots (they have taken 2 casualties, remember?), 3 HB shots and 1 PG shot: 2.88 dead Vespid outside cover, otherwise 1.3 dead Vespid if they are in 3+ cover giving ruins. And this doesnt take rapid-fire range into consideration, in which case the Space Marines would fare much better. So as you can see, even if they do the alpha-strike, a full 10 man squad of Vespids can only gradually wear down a tactical squad and their only hope is to shoot, assault, remain in cc all throughout the opponent's turn (to prevent him from shooting them) and then disengage at the end of his assault phase and repeat the process to get the most out of your Vespids. So let's try that again, shall we? We assume the Vespids shoot once, then get shot at (as demonstrated above), then shoot again and charge in during Tau turn 2. So copy the results from above (let's say the Vespids got lucky and moved into ruins before they got shot at), but now we are in Tau turn 2: 8 Vespids shoot (1.32 dead space marines) and then charge. They receive overwatch (8 bolter shots, 3 HB and 2 PG shots (0.937 dead Vespid)) and then the marines get to strike first as the Vespids charged into cover: 7 S4 AP- hits with WS4 against WS3: 1.16 dead Vespid. The 6 surviving Vespids strike back: 0.72 dead space marines. We'll call this a tie. Come Space Marine turn, the combat continues, this time the Vespids strike first due to I6: 0.72 dead space marines, and the 4 space marines strike back: 0.625 dead vespid. The 5 Vespids disengage. Next Tau turn, they shoot, rinse and repeat. As you can see, this is a very simplistic example where many things were not factored in, such as challenges, morale tests, potential rapid-fire or failed charge, alternate use of Vespid jump pack to gain HoW attacks etc. and all kills were always rounded up. But you can clearly see how the Vespid struggle to even take down one tactical squad - supposedly their juiciest target. Everything else from terminators to assault marines to light infantry makes them even less worth their points. And as finecast models they’re not cheap either. Verdict – don’t take them unless you like their looks/fluff.

Am I overlooking something or screwed up on the math? If so, please enlighten me. I dont think they are good MC hunters either, as most MCs are T6 and their Neutron Blasters need 5s to wound.

How would I fix Vespids? Give them rending claws, emp grenades and make their guns rapid-fire (jump troops are relentless so they can assault after firing these). That's all you need to do to make them a viable choice. What are your views of these aliens?

I think Vespids are cool too. Excellent write and post by the way.

I agree... Vespid are fun and I enjoy fielding them to give my Tau an alien coalition feel, but they don't add much that you can't get elsewhere. I don't tend to look at them in a vacuum though, since my army will always have things like markerlights and supporting fire. If I want a marine unit dead... it's dead, but from my entire army. I think that's one of the strengths (and possibly a weakness) of Tau in that the units aren't really meant to run off and fight other units 1-on-1. I've found Vespid to actually be somewhat durable against non-combat specialists in assault with their T4 and 4+ armor. I've found them to be quite handy against 'Nids too as they can usually plink a couple extra wounds off of a MC here and there.

But yes, in short... they tend to be out shined by pretty much everything else in the book... except maybe the flyers

In 40k the vespid just don't cut it, and outdone by others.

In kill team however, crisis suits are overkill, making them optional, and in cities of death and zone mortalis they are just home and become little terrors.

It's just a matter of fitting the right dude to the right game type.

I agree with your post and enjoyed it. They are fair choice in codex that has almost too good of choice everywhere else. In any other dex they would be good and taken more often. Models are a bit static which doesn't help get them more board time either.

I have had great success running them as a deep strike distraction. They have always mass my points back, only reason they are not taken is they are 2pts too high when compared to brethren(I think they are just right, but in internal codex cost they are too high), and they are not troops, either change and we would see them far more often.

A one shot gun, compared to 6 shots from fw for same cost (ethereal cost not factored), 6.shots at same str will kill more.

I've been toying with adding them to my Tau detachment allied into my Space Marine Drop Pod force. The Stingwings could Deep Strike off the Locator Beacons just like anything else, and an AP 3 squad descending from the heavens is nothing to sneeze at.

Only problem is they compete for the markerlight spot of force org. Marker light>>>vespids.

Also they are easily killed

They excel at doing what almost the entire tau army does - anti power armor. What doesnt pen 3+ usually has so many shots it gets through anyway.
Thing is though, penning 3+ armor is literally all theyre going to do as outside that I6 their melee sucks balls compared to other armies, and they have next to no armor. On top of that, they arent even THAT great at killing power armor because the RoF is as low as the range for some reason.

Theres literally no reason to take them over crisis suits, stealth suits, sniper drones, broadsides, riptides, ionheads, or pathfinders w/ special guns. Yes not all are FA, but in reality who the hell maxes out all FoC slots without hitting double FoC? Points are the issue, not the FoC slot used.

Now, if they had decent armor and/or any real melee damage, they might be worth it. As it is now, theyre just as bad as firewarriors in melee...they just hit first and are SLIGHTLY better batting averages. Big deal, when you cant hurt anything lol.

Above all they are too expensive in cash terms. Release a multi part plastic kit and I thinj more tau players would buy them and In turn take them.

They are cheaper and smaller than crisis suits and can fit in backfield better, plus their are small advantages of jump pack over jet pack, which corrects the short range of their gun making their range fairly decent.

Anyone who complains about gun range I don't think has taken them, a third change as was hinted at that would make them better is rof, for price rof 2 assault would be great. I think i6 is what he thinks justifies cost.

assault 2 18" would be overpowered; I think rapid-fire makes for a nice compromise. add in rending claws (diamond hard claws according to fluff) and you might even give them a 1 pt increase

The problem is when you compare them to crisis suits. A dual burst cannon suits shoots 8S5 shots and while they arent AP 3 anything over than 3 shots of equal strength will always be better than ap3, the crisis suit also has a 3+ T4 and JSJ. The and while the vespid are I6 they are also S3 so unless they wipe the enemy on the charge they will die horribly. Even when elites are full you could just take piranhas. Where you can get 2 T4 4+ saves an av11 fast skimmer and 8 S5 shots for slightly more than two vespid with infinitely more durability more speed and more firepower.

Pretty much the only use I see is allying in a Space marine or eldar IC to take advantage of conferring stealth and I6 hit and run. whilst maybe getting some special rules in return.

nope Vespid are T4. Also the dual Burstcannon suit you mentioned is 42 points, for which you can get a bit more* than 2 Vespids.

*To properly do the math, let's take 3 crisis suits with 2 burstcannons each (126 points) vs 7 Vespids (126 points)

Crisis suits shooting at space marines in the open: 24 shots, 12 hits, 8 wounds, 2.66 dead
Crisis suits shooting at space marines in 4+ cover: 24 shots, 12 hits, 8 wounds, 2.66 dead

Vespids shooting at space marines in the open: 7 shots, 3.5 hits, 2.33 wounds, 2.33 dead
Vespids shooting at space marines in 4+ cover: 7 shots, 3.5 hits, 2.33 wounds, 1.165 dead


The crisis unit has a total of 6 wounds, 3+ saves and can be insta-killed by T8 weapons and can deepstrike

The vespids have a total of 7 wounds, 4+ saves and cannot be insta-killed by anything and can deepstrike

The crisis suits can JSJ and have a much higher strength in close combat; the Vespids can move an additional 6" and have 3+ saves in ruins

Vespid get 3.5 hits, and only 2.3 wounds BS3. And are more punished by cover. Less durable more vulnerable to return fire and far less versatile against a range of targets.



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In short vespod are ultra specialists who are outdone in their respective field by generalists. They may not be "bad" but there is always a better option.

its late edited it. you win vespids are inferior

Haha not sure if I win I'd love to have usable vespid. But the only way I can see to use them is as a delivery method for shrike whilst taking advantage of his infiltrate. Oddly the only way I see to make two individual units i consider subpar usable

except a unit with infiltrate cannot infiltrate with a unit that can't due to deployment shenanigans

Shrike has a special form of infiltrate which joins him to the squad before deployment. So RAW he is legal. With regular infiltrate I agree that its against the rules, but many tournaments have ruled otherwise.

Fair point. Would this make for better combos with other units? Riptides with tl-FBs?

You can still attach ICs to infiltrate units long as they outflank, not infiltrate. Ork FAQ has a specific "Yes" answer for such a situation involving Snikrot which still technically has infiltrate.

As for infiltrating, yea thats outright a nono lol.

As I sateted before shroke has an exception of that rule. And even without that many GTs have ruled it legal. Although shrike restricts units he may join to jump units so riptides would not be valid.

Jakobokaj wrote:
As I sateted before shroke has an exception of that rule. And even without that many GTs have ruled it legal. Although shrike restricts units he may join to jump units so riptides would not be valid.

Riptides are jump monstrous creatures, so I think they can be classified as jump troops, not jetpack troops

Riptides are jet not jump. There is a difference.

Jump = 12" move no assault move
Jet = 6" move, 2D6 assault move.

Only the Vespid are Jump in the Tau dex, rest are foot or jet.

Only reason we can get away with slapping a buffmander to one is because the rule that usually disallows it is bypassed by drones. Riptides are not a unit solely composed of a single model since the two drones it can purchase count as models for all intents and purposes, therefore whether we have them or not the riptide is not "solely a single model" and we can attach ICs to it