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 Kahnawake wrote:
I just hate the overall design and have no idea why GW puts everything Tau has into battlesuits. This thing is just straight ugly for me and I miss a new vehicle for the Tau. But I guess they base this on what people purchase and huge stompy robots are what most players are into. I am still thinking on how I can transform this into a vehicle.

cheers
Kahnawake

I sort of get it; battlesuits are a pretty iconic Tau unit.
So logically, a new Tau unit should be a type of battlesuit, right?
At least, that's probably the Marketing department's logic.

I would have preferred to see more skimmers, but eh, the new suits are kinda of cool.

Personally, I think stormsurge makes more sense as a dual build kit (missiles vs big gun) super broadside kit, or as a super heavy vehicle (super hammerhead/skyray kit).

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:
The Tau Empire, capable of designing a 50 foot tall bipedal robot with a cannon the size of a modern day tank and a missile armament that would make even an MLRS blush... unable to put a roof on it.

You think that's bad? Have a look at the necron flyers.
Here we have an advanced attack craft that's older than most races in the galaxy, comes with a potent electricity weapon, a teleportation device and an engine that drives enemy soldiers into madness due its unbearable roar, and is capable of incredible speeds.
Doesn't come with a cover over the cockpit though; that's beyond the necrons ability.

Or just their skimmers in general. What, did the necrons not discover radar tech, so they have to see everything themselves?

No idea what you're talking about. The only Necrons I know of were never updated after their first codex and never had any fliers. In fact, their only vehicle option was a Monolith.

I think it's pretty safe to assume, fluff-wise, that the Necrons stopped bothering to enclose their vehicles because they all derive some protection from fields, even if their rules don't literally include quantum shielding. The monolith seems to be the big exception, perhaps being a mobile strong point rather than a normal vehicle.

The Tau crew on this walker could easily be protected by a field. Too bad GW couldn't use logic and make it an open topped walker with an invulnerable save.

 agnosto wrote:
...and then it rained and turned the cockpit into a bath... thus started the new Tau doctrine of cooperative bathing.

Oh, so they really are turning tau into anime now.

Hmm, super heavy walker doesn't make sense from an army design point. Tau suits are creatures, with their attendant rules.

vitae_drinker wrote:
I said most, thanks. Maybe they don't have a better means to maintain signal integrity? How do you know? Maybe it's to maintain proper validation of targets by visual contact? Maybe there's an energy shield over the cockpit? Wouldn't that make more sense than a big chunk of metal?

Not really; having an energy field to project something that could have easily been protected by a simple cover is just inefficient use of resources.
Especially when the night shroud bomber does, in fact, have a covered cockpit.

The necrons are masters of dimensional tech, and can manipulate the fabric of time and space. I think they have signal integrity covered.

Now visual contact is a good point, yes. I would counter that having a canoptek drones would be the same has they are also machines, but technically warriors are also drones as well.
Still needs better protection though. Quantum shielding or no that's pretty illogical. Its like having a window between you and an angry bear. Yeah, the bear can't get to, but you still wouldn't want to be near it without some solid bit of protection.
And considering how QS tends to fail, having more metal might be a good thing.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

chaos0xomega wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:
The Tau Empire, capable of designing a 50 foot tall bipedal robot with a cannon the size of a modern day tank and a missile armament that would make even an MLRS blush... unable to put a roof on it.

You think that's bad? Have a look at the necron flyers.
Here we have an advanced attack craft that's older than most races in the galaxy, comes with a potent electricity weapon, a teleportation device and an engine that drives enemy soldiers into madness due its unbearable roar, and is capable of incredible speeds.
Doesn't come with a cover over the cockpit though; that's beyond the necrons ability.

Or just their skimmers in general. What, did the necrons not discover radar tech, so they have to see everything themselves?

No idea what you're talking about. The only Necrons I know of were never updated after their first codex and never had any fliers. In fact, their only vehicle option was a Monolith.

I see what you did there. I see it.

It's open topped? Hahaha wtf! Games Workshop has officially trolled us now.

 Gamgee wrote:
It's open topped? Hahaha wtf! Games Workshop has officially trolled us now.

Next we'll have open topped dreadnaughts with the marine exposed.
Oh wait...



I don't get how the stormsurge is open topped though; there's clearly an artificial head.
Its not very intuitive. Like, I know that its not a vehicle so it doesn't really matter rules wise, but it just doesn't make sense.
Are the other suits like that? It doesn't make sense.

This is now a thing that can happen to us.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

 Gamgee wrote:
It's open topped? Hahaha wtf! Games Workshop has officially trolled us now.

Next we'll have open topped dreadnaughts with the marine exposed.
Oh wait...

God, that is the worst model/rules design ever. I like to just pretend it doesn't exist.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

I sort of get it; battlesuits are a pretty iconic Tau unit.
So logically, a new Tau unit should be a type of battlesuit, right?
At least, that's probably the Marketing department's logic.

I would have preferred to see more skimmers, but eh, the new suits are kinda of cool.

I like the Ghostkeel (not it's name though) and will buy it. The Storm Surge is an abomination to me lol!
cheers
Kahnawake

I like the stormsurge
It reminds of something from mechwarrior.

The gun is a bit too big though, I'll give you that.
Its only S10 too. You'd think a rail gun that size would be S D.
Isn't it bigger than the hammerhead's?

 CalgarsPimpHand wrote:
Too bad GW couldn't use logic and make it an open topped walker with an invulnerable save.

How exactly is it logical to make one and only one of the Tau battlesuits a vehicle when the rest are either Infantry or Monstrous Creatures

A bear like this? Behind a window? Okay.

Don't doubt bears; they can be surprising

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/07/06/minnesota-zoo-grizzly-shatters-glass-pane-of-enclosure-with-rock/

And that was laminated glass. The bear was only playing.

And it didn't get through. *shrug*

It wasn't trying to get through. I'm sure if it really wanted to escape it could have gotten through more layers. Especially if it wasn't alone.

My point is that relying on a single method for protection is foolish if there is an actual threat on hand.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
I like the stormsurge
It reminds of something from mechwarrior.

The gun is a bit too big though, I'll give you that.
Its only S10 too. You'd think a rail gun that size would be S D.
Isn't it bigger than the hammerhead's?

Hey, I'm happy you like it. More people seem to and I always enjoy seeing all models, even if I don't like them. The gun is either on par or slightly bigger than hammerhead's one I think? I hear many people complain about the S10, I'm too bad of a player to discuss that though
Cheers
Kahnawake

At least the guy who did the Metal Gear Rex Tau walker finally has something to use it as. He's got a big gun, missiles, and the cockpit is modelled open.

You have a very odd understanding of the world. 1. Bears won't coordinate on an escape. 2. We rely on single layers of protection ALL THE TIME when it comes to threats. Like zoos who only use laminated glass to keep bears in pens. The world is not nearly as safe as you think it is. 3. It's an aesthetic choice on the part of GW. The very concept that you would have people rushing into close combat and being issued guns with effective ranges at less than 100 meters at 38,000 years into the future is ridiculous. And you complain that the undead robot space plane doesn't have cockpit glass? Huh?

 agnosto wrote:
...and then it rained and turned the cockpit into a bath... thus started the new Tau doctrine of cooperative bathing.

The standard Fire Warrior armour now comes with a loofah, the Kroot are super jealous D:

We may only use one type of defense, but we always try and use the best mix of cost and effectiveness in real life as well.

In real life no modern purpose built tank or front line military vehicle would ever be made again with an open top unless there were some extreme situation that called for a cheap vehicle.

We've discovered that surprise having an open top compromises the durability and protection offered by a layer of armor. Any visibility given to a vehicle with glass or entry hatches will compromise armor and has to be made so people can use the vehicle.

Still a good engineer will minimize the problems of those and maximize the defense offered.

It would be incredibly easy to add a hatch or plate there if necessary. Not to mention the dumbness of this thing in an airless environment. Is the crew on limited life support with their own personal armor?

That would greatly limit their time they can be in the field as opposed to having a sealed compartment.

Oh falling lava. Ouch. *sigh* Dumb ass open top.

 Tinkrr wrote:

 agnosto wrote:
...and then it rained and turned the cockpit into a bath... thus started the new Tau doctrine of cooperative bathing.

The standard Fire Warrior armour now comes with a loofah, the Kroot are super jealous D:

Orks discovered a new method for cooking - Stormsurge boiled Tausquiggen.

Some sort of acid thrower would be particularly deadly. It would just kill them, without needing to damage the suit.

Lol@it being open topped. GW always finds a little way to make an acceptable model look like gak. For the Stormtalon it was the giant turret, for the Taurox the tracks, for the Dreadknight the Marine strapped in.

vitae_drinker wrote:
3. It's an aesthetic choice on the part of GW. The very concept that you would have people rushing into close combat and being issued guns with effective ranges at less than 100 meters at 38,000 years into the future is ridiculous. And you complain that the undead robot space plane doesn't have cockpit glass? Huh?

Only space marines and specialized units rush in close combat, and they have gear and background to justify such actions. Not to mention that Wh40k was always more space opera that actual hard sci fi.

The short ranges are an abstraction caused in part by the scale of the game. A really, really silly abstraction that has been done better in other games, but still an abstraction.

The fact that there is a big hole in the middle of an aircraft that is a clear weakpoint is a terrible aesthetic choice on the part of GW. There's not even any bit of fluff explaining why its like that. Its just there.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

 Tinkrr wrote:

 agnosto wrote:
...and then it rained and turned the cockpit into a bath... thus started the new Tau doctrine of cooperative bathing.

The standard Fire Warrior armour now comes with a loofah, the Kroot are super jealous D:

Orks discovered a new method for cooking - Stormsurge boiled Tausquiggen.

Oi' Boss! Dem fish come in their own deep fryer now!

chaos0xomega wrote:
The Tau Empire, capable of designing a 50 foot tall bipedal robot with a cannon the size of a modern day tank and a missile armament that would make even an MLRS blush... unable to put a roof on it.

The Tau Navy.

I wonder how long it will take for a third party company to make a top hatch for that thing. Looks like it wouldn’t be particularly hard to do.