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1. Can a Coldstar suit move 20" and charge? I'm thinking even with Mont'ka declared... the answer is no? Right?
2. I also want to confirm... Signature Systems - fusion blades... This gives me 4 fusion blaster shots in shooting?
3. I also want to confirm... Signature Systems - fusion blades... In mellee, thats 2 attacks total, do I lose my other native 3 x str 5 attacks?

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
1. Can a Coldstar suit move 20" and charge? I'm thinking even with Mont'ka declared... the answer is no? Right?
2. I also want to confirm... Signature Systems - fusion blades... This gives me 4 fusion blaster shots in shooting?
3. I also want to confirm... Signature Systems - fusion blades... In mellee, thats 2 attacks total, do I lose my other native 3 x str 5 attacks?

1.
You can move your M and then charge, so yes. Any unit can. Unless you arrived from reserves that turn, in which case you can't move, just charge.

2.
No, the relic replaces TWO fusion Blasters. You had two fusion Blasters, now you have ONE set of fusion blades, which have 2 shots.

You can take four fusion Blasters and replace two of them. That gives you four shots: two from the two remaining blasters and two from the blades.

3.
You can still make the rest of your attacks, you just have to use your basic profile. Coldstar has 4 attacks, so you can make 2 with the blades and 2 with your basic attack.

 Stux wrote:

 Sazzlefrats wrote:

1.You can move your M and then charge, so yes. Any unit can. Unless you arrived from reserves that turn, in which case you can't move, just charge.

I think I read that the coldstar can advance 20"... that's the move + run, I wanted to charge too. or is the 20" the move with no run. I have this feeling I definately can't go 20" and later on charge.

The coldstar's basic movement is 20". You can move that and charge, so long as you didn't Manta Strike that turn.

Yes, this is very good!

When a Coldstar advances, it moves 40". Note that because Fusion Blasters/Blades are Assault, it can do this and still shoot. Though it can't move 40" and charge.

OMG... this is insanity.


So if I were to....

Use the homing beacon off my stealth suits, for a low altitude drop... that means I can deploy my coldstar within what was it 6", then it can move 20" and later charge?

 Stux wrote:
You can take four fusion Blasters and replace two of them. That gives you four shots: two from the two remaining blasters and two from the blades.

From the Codex T'au Empire FAQ:

Page 93 – Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit, Wargear Options

Change the first bullet point to read:
‘• This model may replace its high-output burst cannon and missile pod with two items from the Ranged Weapons and/or Support Systems lists.

I don't see a way for a Coldstar to have four fusion blasters.

...the bullet point after the one you quoted?

 JohnnyHell wrote:
...the bullet point after the one you quoted?

The one I quoted was from the FAQ. Missed the second bullet point in the codex

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
OMG... this is insanity.


So if I were to....

Use the homing beacon off my stealth suits, for a low altitude drop... that means I can deploy my coldstar within what was it 6", then it can move 20" and later charge?

No. As I said, you cannot move if you deploy from reserves. If you deploy with a Manta strike or with a Low altitude drop this is deploying from reserves, which happens at the END of the movement phase, so you cannot move.

The way Coldstars are generally used is to deploy them as normal on the table. As they are characters under 10 wounds, they will be protected from enemy shooting attacks should you go second. Then on your turn you can advance them 40" and shoot 4 fusion Blasters into the juiciest target. Though of course you cannot charge after advancing, but Tau don't really want to be in melee and imo the Blades don't really change that.

I didn't realize that low altitude drop is basically the same thing as a manta strike, except that you can deploy closer than 9". Not that useful unless I need the rerolls from being in half range with the 18" fusion blasters.

Thank you, I believe I'll be scrubbing homing beacon from my list.

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
I didn't realize that low altitude drop is basically the same thing as a manta strike, except that you can deploy closer than 9". Not that useful unless I need the rerolls from being in half range with the 18" fusion blasters.

Thank you, I believe I'll be scrubbing homing beacon from my list.

6" is a pretty reliable charge distance to be fair.

But you still don't really want to charge! Blades are a bit of a trap I'm afraid. More to make someone think twice about engaging you, rather than to make a Commander a proper melee threat in itself.

In smaller games I think charging a vehicle... (2shots from fusion blasters + 2 swings with fusion blades), same thing as shooting 4 fusion blasters... kinda), should be able to punk a big tank, and even if it just screws it up to the lowest profile that's a win. I don't think I'd be willing to try the same trick against a lot of infantry or a larger game.

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
In smaller games I think charging a vehicle... (2shots from fusion blasters + 2 swings with fusion blades), same thing as shooting 4 fusion blasters... kinda), should be able to punk a big tank, and even if it just screws it up to the lowest profile that's a win. I don't think I'd be willing to try the same trick against a lot of infantry or a larger game.

It's a nice thought, and yes if you get the opportunity then locking a valuable target in melee may be worth it. But your Coldstar is also valuable, so I wouldn't do it lightly.

Also, savvy opponents will screen their valuable targets with infantry, making charging them quite difficult.

That's why I'm asking questions, I need to understand rules to apply strategy. Tactically, we're on the same page.

For instance, the fusion blades are hard to use because tau do not support mellee, but I've won big tournaments using commander farsight back in 5th edition (one game in 5, farsight attacked an armored company army... killed 3 lemon russ tanks himself (super satisfying)... anyhow my goal is a cheaper than normal commander but is harder to use because of the mellee aspect, but he's also got sheild gen and drone controller, adding durability and flexability. So punk the tank turn 1, run back to the infantry blocks on turn 2 and control the drones better. I'll still have pathfinder ion and railrilfle support to make sure the tank (I'm expecting one) is on its lowest stat tier.

Later on I'll build a 2k list, something that'll handle imperial guard infantry spam and vulture/valkyrie spam (I'm months away though)

Yeah, I don't think you're going to get into melee with anything valuable turn 1 I'm afraid.

20" movement, with a 24" no man's land. Shooty vehicles generally won't be parked on the edge of the deployment zone, and will be often behind infantry which FLY units can't charge over any more.

Infiltrating stealth units... within 12" of the enemy unit, place the commander within 6"....... he's can't move, but could charge? possibly being 6" from enemy unit on turn 1 *(my rulebook is on order... one more week)

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
Infiltrating stealth units... within 12" of the enemy unit, place the commander within 6"....... he's can't move, but could charge? possibly being 6" from enemy unit on turn 1 *(my rulebook is on order... one more week)

You can't arrive from reserves until turn 2. And then only if your Stealth Suits survive that long. Not to mention that you're probably still having to charge a blob of infantry rather than your desired target.

Oh.... Grrrr.....

No thanks on blob charging.

Clearly I need a new plan. Thank you.

Are you allowed to take duplicate relics?

What prevents a AM character from taking multiple aquila then?

The Stratagems giving access to multiple relics say each relic must be different and each must be given to a different character.

 skchsan wrote:
Are you allowed to take duplicate relics?

What prevents a AM character from taking multiple aquila then?

The fact that you can only take one relic "normally" and the fact the Extra Relic stratagem explicitly states you cannot buy the same one again, nor can you give a second relic to a character with a relic. While not a "Core Rule", this is how it has been for every codex (they didn't even screw up this time, they only screwed up in the early codex by allowing you to buy unlimited extra relics).

 Sazzlefrats wrote:
I didn't realize that low altitude drop is basically the same thing as a manta strike, except that you can deploy closer than 9". Not that useful unless I need the rerolls from being in half range with the 18" fusion blasters.

Thank you, I believe I'll be scrubbing homing beacon from my list.

Most useful to deploy flamer crisis suits - but they are not that good.

 skchsan wrote:
Are you allowed to take duplicate relics?

What prevents a AM character from taking multiple aquila then?

I think you might be getting confused because a SET of Fusion Blades is a single relic that replaces TWO Fusion Blasters. 'Fusion Blades' is just one weapon for rules purposes though, despite it being named as a plural.

 Stux wrote:

 skchsan wrote:
Are you allowed to take duplicate relics?

What prevents a AM character from taking multiple aquila then?

I think you might be getting confused because a SET of Fusion Blades is a single relic that replaces TWO Fusion Blasters. 'Fusion Blades' is just one weapon for rules purposes though, despite it being named as a plural.

No I'm asking about how a commander can replace two sets of two fusion blasters for two fusion blades. The last I read the rules, you can't give same relic twice on a single character.

EDIT: I misread your post it seems. I thought you claimed if you have four fusion blasters you can swap them all out for two fusion blades.

 skchsan wrote:

 Stux wrote:

 skchsan wrote:
Are you allowed to take duplicate relics?

What prevents a AM character from taking multiple aquila then?

I think you might be getting confused because a SET of Fusion Blades is a single relic that replaces TWO Fusion Blasters. 'Fusion Blades' is just one weapon for rules purposes though, despite it being named as a plural.

No I'm asking about how a commander can replace two sets of two fusion blasters for two fusion blades. The last I read the rules, you can't give same relic twice on a single character.

EDIT: I misread your post it seems. I thought you claimed if you have four fusion blasters you can swap them all out for two fusion blades.

Ah right!

Yeah I was talking about a setup with a set of Fusion Blades plus 2 Fusion Blasters.