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I have no real dog in this fight, as I'm not interested beyond the models(which look great), but the idea that they would label something as "Mobile Fortifications" for an army that has been labeled as never digging in with static fortifications without it having some kind of rules for movement is a bit beyond just "low expectations of GW".

I'm surprised in any regards that we still don't have the rules for the fortifications.

 Bulldogging wrote:
GW New Zealand site has leaked Tau codex formations.

Optimized Stealth Cadre
Heavy Retribution Cadre

Visible, yet unseen. Hungry ghosts that perpetually haunt the battle lines of their enemies, the Optimised Stealth Cadre is exactly that - a group of spectres that appear suddenly from the fog of war, pouring ruinous fire onto a terrified and confused foe. Their stealth fields are networked using a technique known as mesme’j’kaara - the wall of mirrors - which utterly blinds targeting sensors with a mesh of interlocking obfuscation fields, making the weaving, undulating movements of the squad completely unpredictable.

This bundle gives you everything you need in order to field the Optimised Stealth Cadre, as found in Codex: Tau Empire. Two sets of three XV25 Stealth Battlesuits, with two accompanying marker drones, and an XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit with two MV5 stealth drone projectors are included - the enemy won’t know where to turn.

A blinding firestorm of explosive intent, the Heavy Retribution Cadre is deployed when all diplomacy fails. Led by a Ghostkeel spotter, the accompanying Stormsurges constantly receive telemetry and feedback on enemy positions, adjusting their attacks and compensating for any and all variables with cold precision. Even the most enormous foe is is gradually reduced to dust by the furious nuclear flame of this Cadre’s devastating resolve.

This bundle will give you everything you need in order to field the Heavy Retribution Cadre, as found in Codex: Tau Empire. Three Ghostkeel Battlesuits lead the charge, spotting and advising, while two Stormsurges absorb their data, take aim, and annihilate. Five crushing examples of Tau tech!

They're up on the Australian store, it's not a leak as you can pre-order them now. It confirms what we guessed about the Stormsurge and Ghostkeel being heavily featured in formations.

Hey, believe what you want. Why don't we go look at the description for the stormsurge, the anti titan armor suit that sucks vs titans. And CSM. Like, their whole line. Just because GW says how badass something is doesn't make it true. Lol

 Kanluwen wrote:
I have no real dog in this fight, as I'm not interested beyond the models(which look great), but the idea that they would label something as "Mobile Fortifications" for an army that has been labeled as never digging in with static fortifications without it having some kind of rules for movement is a bit beyond just "low expectations of GW".

I'm surprised in any regards that we still don't have the rules for the fortifications.

Again, agreed completely. If any army is going to have a moving fortification Tau are the most logical choice for it. I think the model itself floating should be a pretty obvious indication of it as well. To be fair I can understand the objection to the mobile thing as a moving fortification sounds ridiculous!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

vitae_drinker wrote:
Hey, believe what you want. Why don't we go look at the description for the stormsurge, the anti titan armor suit that sucks vs titans. And CSM. Like, their whole line. Just because GW says how badass something is doesn't make it true. Lol

There's a difference between saying something is designed to kill a specific unit and saying something moves. Technically a Stormsurge can kill a Titan (it's unlikely but it is possible), ergo they add the "titan-killer" for obvious advertising potential that gets. Ergo, whether it is limited or not it will be possible to move the Tau terrain judging by that example you provided. Besides, you are speaking about the FLUFF descriptions of those units. The Tau terrain's PRODUCT DESCRIPTION says it is mobile. It's pretty freaking obvious that it moves.

They're up on the Australian store, it's not a leak as you can pre-order them now. It confirms what we guessed about the Stormsurge and Ghostkeel being heavily featured in formations.

Leaked as in it shows whats in them, names them, and gives an idea of the bonus, weeks before the codex

I know a lot of people were stressing about buying stuff before seeing whats required in formations.

 Bulldogging wrote:

They're up on the Australian store, it's not a leak as you can pre-order them now. It confirms what we guessed about the Stormsurge and Ghostkeel being heavily featured in formations.

Leaked as in it shows whats in them, names them, and gives an idea of the bonus, weeks before the codex

I know a lot of people were stressing about buying stuff before seeing whats required in formations.

Ah I see what you mean now, that makes sense yeah. GW online stores did the same thing last week with the Armored Interdiction Cadre and the Firebase Support Cadre though so they are giving us weekly teases, it very much puts the whole "Tau aren't getting a codex just a campaign supplement" rumor to bed.

Then there is also the potential for some amazing formation in White Dwarf(like Admech has)

They like to keep you guessing and spending money.

Newtonian physics would show how ridiculous a floating defense line is.

"Look, the humans are firing one of their primitive battle cannons at us!"

"We cannot be hurt by such primitive technology, our floating defenses are impenetrable to their weaponry!"

"Yes, but does not I'vor'las laws of motion dictate that our floating platform will shoot across the battlefield like an earth caste's toy?"

"Only if our anti-skid field is not operational."

"Was that not destroyed in the last attack?"

 Dr. Delorean wrote:
This is turning out to be a rather expansive release!

Stormsurge, Ghostkeel, new Fire Warriors, new fortifications, new Ethereal, new Crisis suits, new battlesuit commander, it's been a long while since we saw a release of this size.

Tau are a very popular faction though, I remember GW being caught by surprise when they were released previously, apparently the demand was unprecedented.

Yeah, that's a lot of model love. New campaign book too (as a part of the box).

In fairness, this is the third 40k faction this year to get a lot of model love... Harlequins and AdMech did pretty good And then AoS Chaos and Sigmarites did well too. Damn, no wonder I've spent way too much money on GW this year, lol.

vitae_drinker wrote:
Newtonian physics would show how ridiculous a floating defense line is.

"Look, the humans are firing one of their primitive battle cannons at us!"

"We cannot be hurt by such primitive technology, our floating defenses are impenetrable to their weaponry!"

"Yes, but does not I'vor'las laws of motion dictate that our floating platform will shoot across the battlefield like an earth caste's toy?"

"Only if our anti-skid field is not operational."

"Was that not destroyed in the last attack?"

So now you're using real-world physics to justify your opinion that it won't move? This is 40K dude, most of it makes no sense whatsoever From a fluff perspective it makes a whole lot'ta sense for Tau.
By the by, I checked the Stormsurge product description from the White Dwarf - i.e. the same blurb we are looking at for the terrain - and it says "the Tau Empire deploy their walking artillery!".

vitae_drinker wrote:
Newtonian physics would show how ridiculous a floating defense line is.

Newtonian physics don't allow for void shields, anti-gravity, webway portals, teleportation, psychically powered invisibility, warp travel, or graviton and distortion weapons, though. 39,000 years have passed... but that's really irrelevant since it's an alien species with more advanced technology that we can't explain

vitae_drinker wrote:
Newtonian physics would show how ridiculous a floating defense line is.

Don't see why it would be more ridiculous than something like this?



Firing ordenance at not-absolutely-stationary stuff is as old as warfare itself. Is shooting a tank ridiculous, just because it isn't moored to the ground?

And if it is ridiculous because it uses some sort of sci-fi float-technique, 40K already jumped that particular shark way, way back in the day with this guy:

Wonderwolf wrote:

vitae_drinker wrote:
Newtonian physics would show how ridiculous a floating defense line is.

Don't see why it would be more ridiculous than something like this?

Spoiler:

Firing ordenance at not-absolutely-stationary stuff is as old as warfare itself. Is shooting a tank ridiculous, just because it isn't moored to the ground?

And if it is ridiculous because it uses some sort of sci-fi float-technique, 40K already jumped that particular shark way, way back in the day with this guy:

Spoiler:

Holy crap that picture. I remember seeing that when I was like 10 years old. Marines were definitely cool back then. Black armor, black weapons, no trim decorations, just unit markings. And close combat attachments. Badass.

I wonder if they'll remake that grave tank in not-deodorant plastic sprue fieldable in 1-3 per squadron for $150 each.

Show me the data slate, guys. Like I said, I will be pleasantly surprised if it can move.

I will feast mightily on the screams of nerd rage should I be correct, though.

vitae_drinker wrote:
Show me the data slate, guys. Like I said, I will be pleasantly surprised if it can move.

I will feast mightily on the screams of nerd rage should I be correct, though.

Nerd rage? The only ones displaying nerd rage will be the people who aren't expecting a moving defence line...which will be most people.
To be fair though a pretty large part of the community already hates playing Tau so I guess this wouldn't be too much of a change of pace.

I wouldn't be shocked if the breachers get some fort of deepstrike deployment from a formation. The leaks are cool, but for the past year leaks have been at best 50% of the picture since entire armies function differently when taken from formations.

 Red Corsair wrote:
I wouldn't be shocked if the breachers get some fort of deepstrike deployment from a formation. The leaks are cool, but for the past year leaks have been at best 50% of the picture since entire armies function differently when taken from formations.

It'll be very hard for them to get that, since they don't sport any kind of DS-able device.
Now, Devilfishes deep striking is totally feasible!

It's really easy to get deepstrike:


Deep Strike Breachers Team
1-6 Breachers Teams

"Breachers Teams when brought with the 'Deep Strike Breachers Teams' formation gain the Deep Strike rule."

Boom, deep strike.

New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I do love being right...

So looks like I'm going to be grabbing:

1x commander
1x ghostkeel
12x crisis suits
1x firewarriors
1x codex

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I think the Coldstar will be made with the Enforcer box, and that's just an alternate chest for the Crisis suits.

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

Kinda late on the uptake buddy, these were shown a few pages ago.

 ImAGeek wrote:

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I think the Coldstar will be made with the Enforcer box, and that's just an alternate chest for the Crisis suits.

Apparently, the Coldstar will be included in the Crisis box as the third suit.

 AtoMaki wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I think the Coldstar will be made with the Enforcer box, and that's just an alternate chest for the Crisis suits.

Apparently, the Coldstar will be included in the Crisis box as the third suit.

So two Crisis and a Coldstar? Because the Commander is pretty clearly gonna be its own set, so if the Coldtar is in the crisis box then it'll be as the second suit, but the Coldstar transfers were the same size as the Enforcer, and iirc it has the same code as the Enforcer (or a bigger one than the Crisis suit).

Source?

Im highly skeptical that a model unit wit a higher designation than the enforcer would look so similar to the crisis suit

 ImAGeek wrote:

 AtoMaki wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I think the Coldstar will be made with the Enforcer box, and that's just an alternate chest for the Crisis suits.

Apparently, the Coldstar will be included in the Crisis box as the third suit.

So two Crisis and a Coldstar? Because the Commander is pretty clearly gonna be its own set, so if the Coldtar is in the crisis box then it'll be as the second suit, but the Coldstar transfers were the same size as the Enforcer, and iirc it has the same code as the Enforcer (or a bigger one than the Crisis suit).

The Ghostkeel's transfers are also smaller than the Enforcer's, so it doesn't mean anything. The Coldstar is probably just an alternative Crisis model, like how the SM boxes have two or more PA variants.

Also, the 8-code encompasses a massive variety of stuff (Crisis, Enforcer, Broadside), so I wouldn't trust that either.

 ImAGeek wrote:

 AtoMaki wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:

 gossipmeng wrote:
New crisis suits! *second suit on the left in first pic looks like a coldstar with thrusters on chest

I think the Coldstar will be made with the Enforcer box, and that's just an alternate chest for the Crisis suits.

Apparently, the Coldstar will be included in the Crisis box as the third suit.

So two Crisis and a Coldstar? Because the Commander is pretty clearly gonna be its own set, so if the Coldtar is in the crisis box then it'll be as the second suit, but the Coldstar transfers were the same size as the Enforcer, and iirc it has the same code as the Enforcer (or a bigger one than the Crisis suit).

We went through the stages of crisis suit denial a few pages back with the same pics. In essence, we don't know. Other than the Iridium and Coldstar, we don't have names for official variants in the various codex books (but obviously more from Forgeworld). We're guessing that the one that looks different and chunkier is the coldstar that is supposed to be a bit buffer as a space suit but in the end it is a guess. The flip side of that is that the numbering and decal size puts the coldstar as a variant of the enforcer so maybe that's the iridium suit model that is being made a squad upgrade... or an unannounced variant that we just don't know about... or simply a cosmetic difference that will have no difference in the game (like having a Mk5 armor space marine next to a Mk6).