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Basically summed up here. O'vesa seems okay,
I run Firebase with a FSE detachment.

Just not really sure this guy is worth it

He used to be much better when he could join a buffmander and another riptide in one squad. I would still say he's good as you get access to another ECPA and his weapon load out is optimal. I find the FNP costs too much for what it does but it's still a worthwhile buy.

For hilarity/max usefulness have him join random units (or a buffmander) either so he can hide or get buffs because he's in that squad (marker light efficiency, drones, etc)

His loadout is far from optimal.

IA riptides have little need for the ECPA (the FnP however, is a must-have considering the cost), and the shielded missile drones are almost a PENALTY to have. seriusly, had they cost half I still would have avoided them like the plague (they can make you run when shot at, riptides aint fearless)

His best use is to tank for other squads, having him join a suit team or another "high damage low durability" type of unit to tank for. if only you could have both him and the "classic" farsight squad at the same army...

Anyways. nowdays, he's not too impressive, and given that he requires farsight to be taken as your warlord, its an issue-as he is a really bad warlord outside of a farsight bomb list, and O'vesa blocks the possibility to build a bomb.


End of story, his not a top tier choice under 7th rulebook, and will never be unless the upcoming tau codex will allow bigger suit teams as a standard. a 3 suit team is just not worth the cost of the bodyguard.

If O'Vesa had the HBC, it would be a bit more valuable. But being costier than Fateweaver... nah

If you could take O'vesa without taking farsight I would think O'vesa was pretty good. Having to take farsight though seriosly hurts. I almost never want farsight, and thats a huge point sink to get access to something that is just pretty good.

You can make a riptide that does almost everything that O'vessa does without having to take farsight. If you are going to play O'vessa you have to utilize it's one strength, and that is it's ability to join squads. Shadowsun can give it shrouded for easy access to 2+ cover (terrain depending). Buffmader can give it ignore cover. None of these are really that great though. For my money the best option is to attach it to Aun'va. Putting them together makes them basically unkillable. Blows that would pen the riptides armor get shrugged off by the paradox of duality, and blows that ignore the paradox of duality are shrugged off by O'vesa's armour. Aun'va can now sit in the middle of fire warriors buffing them withought being worried that his weak old man body will die at the first sight of scatter lasers. O'vessa gets his amazing leadership, and doesn't have to worry as much about just running away when the drones die. It's pretty fun, but still not amazing.

Wait You have to take Farsight to take one of the 8? They aren't HQ's?

Wow They are the most god awful named characters in 40k then. Brightsword? ...

Yes, taking the 8 requires farsight, and as a warlord-no choice around it (so ovesa warlord is impossible)

As for their names, most are Tau-to-english transulations (O'vesa, Shas'vastos and Ob'lotai are in original tau, rest transulated, including farsight himself), not actual names. and given that tau names are not birth-given, but gained by defining acts or traits later in life, most make sense.

 coblen wrote:
If you could take O'vesa without taking farsight I would think O'vesa was pretty good. Having to take farsight though seriosly hurts. I almost never want farsight, and thats a huge point sink to get access to something that is just pretty good.

You can make a riptide that does almost everything that O'vessa does without having to take farsight. If you are going to play O'vessa you have to utilize it's one strength, and that is it's ability to join squads. Shadowsun can give it shrouded for easy access to 2+ cover (terrain depending). Buffmader can give it ignore cover. None of these are really that great though. For my money the best option is to attach it to Aun'va. Putting them together makes them basically unkillable. Blows that would pen the riptides armor get shrugged off by the paradox of duality, and blows that ignore the paradox of duality are shrugged off by O'vesa's armour. Aun'va can now sit in the middle of fire warriors buffing them withought being worried that his weak old man body will die at the first sight of scatter lasers. O'vessa gets his amazing leadership, and doesn't have to worry as much about just running away when the drones die. It's pretty fun, but still not amazing.

Main issue of the combo, is that you need to have a FSE detachment as your main, with farsight as warlord, plus ovesa, and the required troops, and then aun'va at yet another detachment of non-enclaves TE with his mandatory troops.
Its a lot of points sank before you even START building your army. 689 being the bare minimum, and that's just getting these three, a trio of unequipped battlesuits and 2 units of minimal gue'vesa, who are debate fully legal. (one for enclave's second troops, the other for aun'vas allied detachment troops)