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Hey everyone, I just had my first match of 40k this weekend and while it was fun, I left the match feeling pretty confused. My main confusion came from crisis suits and broadsides, and how their weapons work.

1: If my broadsides are equipped with twin-linked high-yield missile pods, does that mean each broadside fires 4 shots per shooting phase (not including smart missile system rolls), or 8? Also, is multi-tracker needed to fire all of their missiles per round?

2: If my 3 man crisis suit squads are equipped with 2x plasma rifles (or 2x fusion) are they automatically twin-linked? How many shots per shooting phase do they get?

3: This is a general question, but how does a weapon's AP come into play? A targeted unit gets to make save rolls as long as their save value is lower than the attacking weapon's AP, correct? Do cover saves get to be rolled regardless of a weapon's AP?

BaronVonSnakPak wrote:
Hey everyone, I just had my first match of 40k this weekend and while it was fun, I left the match feeling pretty confused. My main confusion came from crisis suits and broadsides, and how their weapons work.

1: If my broadsides are equipped with twin-linked high-yield missile pods, does that mean each broadside fires 4 shots per shooting phase (not including smart missile system rolls), or 8? Also, is multi-tracker needed to fire all of their missiles per round?

2: If my 3 man crisis suit squads are equipped with 2x plasma rifles (or 2x fusion) are they automatically twin-linked? How many shots per shooting phase do they get?

3: This is a general question, but how does a weapon's AP come into play? A targeted unit gets to make save rolls as long as their save value is lower than the attacking weapon's AP, correct? Do cover saves get to be rolled regardless of a weapon's AP?

It sounds like you need to spend a little more time with your rule books. The short answers are...

1. High-yield missile pods get 4 shots each since they are a Heavy 4 weapon. Twin-linked allows you to re-roll your misses. It does not allow you to roll twice as many shots. The multi-tracker allows you to fire an additional weapon. Normally, you can only fire one. The multi-tracker is the only thing allowing you to fire both the high-yield missile pod and a smart missile system in the same shooting phase. All Broadsides and Crisis Suits have a multi-tracker and there is no way to get rid of it.

2. You have an option of either taking a twin-linked plasma rifle or a non-twin-linked plasma rifle. You have three spots you can fill. Twin-linked varieties take up two spots and cost more. A single twin-linked plasma rifle would get 2 shots at half range and 1 shot at full range with re-rolls for misses. Two non-twin-linked would get a combined 4 at half range and 2 at full range, but with no re-rolls.

3. You seem to have AP correct. An AP3 weapon would not allow saving throws of 3+, 4+, 5+ or 6+. A 2+ save would still work. AP2 weapons basically invalidate all armour, since there is no 1+ save. A model always gets his/her invulnerable save regardless of AP. A model always gets his/her cover save, regardless of AP... unless the shooting attack has the Ignores Cover rule.

Thanks for the reply, I did read the codex and rules, but it's a lot of info and numbers to take in.

I played the match the way you described the rules, but the way the broadsides are modeled left me questioning their amount of shots (4 per arm/pod = 8 total, or 4 total per model). Also, I played my crisis suits as non-twinned, and someone at the flgs said that meant each suit got 4 shots each turn instead of 2, but I erred on the side of caution and only did 2 each.

I'm looking at the codex right now and for crisis and broadsides it doesn't say anywhere that multi-tracker is a given. "Crisis Suits may take up to 3 items from the Ranged Weapons, Signature Systems and/or Support Systems. Broadsides may take 1 item from Support Systems." That's why I took my 3x Crisis team with 2x Plasma and Multi-tracker, because I understood that to mean all of my weapon/sig/supp slots were filled.

edit: to clarify, I do understand rapid fire rules double shots at half range.

From memory in both the 6th and 7th ed tau codexes multi trackers are built in - check the page for the armour.

You'll want to check the Armour section of your codex. I have the digital edition, so I can't give you a page number, but...

"ARMOUR
Battlesuits: The following battlesuits have multi-trackers and blacksun filters. Stealth battlesuits also have Stealth and Shrouded.

Stealth battlesuits: 3+ Armour Save.

Crisis battlesuits: 3+ Armour Save.

Broadside battlesuits: 2+ Armour Save.

Riptide battlesuits: 2+ Armour Save.

Combat Armour: 4+ Armour Save.

Kroot Armour: 6+ Armour Save.

Recon Armour: 5+ Armour Save."

Gotcha, I was going off the unit datasheet section, I haven't read all of the armor section yet.

Is there a "must-have" from the support list then, or are they more situational?

BaronVonSnakPak wrote:
Gotcha, I was going off the unit datasheet section, I haven't read all of the armor section yet.

Is there a "must-have" from the support list then, or are they more situational?

Depends on the unit and what you want them to do. Early Warning Override is considered by many players to be an auto-take on Riptides and Broadsides, as getting to intercept with their firepower is pretty amazing. On a Crisis Suit team with double Fusion Blasters, I always take them with a Target Lock on two of the suits so they have the potential to shoot at 3 separate units. If you have a ton of extra points, you can put Shield Generators on your Crisis Suits and Broadsides to give them more staying power, but at 25 ppm it's generally not worth it. I always take Stimulant Injectors on my Riptides and, if I have the points for some reason, occasionally on my other suits. Advanced Targeting System can be useful on Broadsides with HRR to make them quasi-snipers. Counterfire Defense Systems are ok, if you know you're going up against a fast assault army.

Overall, the only ones I would say are considered must haves are EWOs and TLs, though only on certain units. I personally always take Stim on my bigger suits like Riptides, but an argument can be made against it. Other than that, situation, and personal preference, dictates.

BaronVonSnakPak wrote:
Gotcha, I was going off the unit datasheet section, I haven't read all of the armor section yet.

Is there a "must-have" from the support list then, or are they more situational?

Pretty much situational. It sort of depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Crisis Suits are probably one of the most versatile units in the entire game. Also, remember that you don't have to fill all of the slots. I tend to pick an intended use and equip the suits for that.

Examples...

Anti-Infantry - Tons of S5 AP5 shots that will chew through horde armies.
3x Crisis Suits, 6x Gun Drones
Each suit is equipped with 2x Burst Cannons and one Suit has a Drone Controller

Anti-Tank - 2 shots... re-roll a miss on one of them. S8, AP1 Melta. Deep Strike this sucker in next to an enemy tank and hope for good rolls.
1x Crisis Suit
Suit is equipped with a twin-linked Fusion Blaster and a regular Fusion Blaster

Anti-Flyer - 12 S7 shots for the unit. Sure, you need a 6 to hit the flyers, but you can potentially kill one before it does anything. This build is also decent for taking out things like Rhinos and Drop Pods from a distance.
3x Crisis Suits
Each suit is equipped with 2x Missile Pods and an Early Warning Override

Etc, Etc, Etc.

Cool, thanks for the reply, guys!

I definitely could've used EWO on my broadsides, my opponent was also Tau and on turn 2 his Buffmander and 3 suit squad did a deep strike right behind my broadsides and wiped them off the table.

BaronVonSnakPak wrote:

I played the match the way you described the rules, but the way the broadsides are modeled left me questioning their amount of shots (4 per arm/pod = 8 total, or 4 total per model).

A lot of the time, a model that is modeled with two of the same weapon is usually considered twin linked, so in the broadsides case it is 4 shots but you reroll misses.

An exception to what I just said is a model that has two of the same weapon (crisis suits for example), which is why you need to make sure you always have a written list, or a way to show you opponent what you are doing in case they question you. Especially at a tournament.

Don't ever go by the model; go by the datasheet.

Broadsides have 1 t-l high yield missile pod.

Crisis suits can have 1 weapon, twin linked or 2 weapons; depending on how you pay for them(both on the model are 2 of the same weapon, and both cases take up 2 hard points.) The difference is also in cost, t-l is cheaper but you can never get more than a single weapons number of hits.