Tau Wishing listing for 9th, why not?

[Guest Triszin]

I would love for a lt version for Tau.

[jarms48]

Well, I wonder how HQs will be affected. Currently, you can only have one Crisis Commander per detachment, I believe. Now, in the Space Marine Codex, you get 1 Captain and 2 Lieutenants per detachment. Tau do not currently have any Lieutenant equivalents though. Also, lore-wise, an Ethereal is the top of the hierarchy in Tau society, so maybe 1 per detachment? Or one named and one generic per detachment?

 

So, maybe Tau will get a new Darkstrider model, but what if Tau got a cheap Pathfinder HQ?

 

A Cadre Fireblade that can take a Pulse Blaster would be fun too. Could go with Vior'la I think.

 

Also, a variant of a Recon Drone, but with a Flamer or 2 would be great for forward deployed Pathfinders.

 

Honestly? I think they'll limit Ethereals to 1. Or failing that XV85 and/or XV86 Battlesuits to 1. I imagine XV8's will become the new Lieutenants.

[Galron]

The HQ thing was settled two editions ago. You had Shas'el and Shas'O ranks. The 'Els were the lower ranking officer and the 'Os were the cadre commanders. Be easy just to pivot back on that and allow one O and multiple 'Els with either an in game mechanic like a marine LT or since they dont appear to like Tau commanders having buffs like marines and others, just give them slightly less wounds and attacks.

[Guest Triszin]

Updates to fire warriors teased

[chapter master 454]

The update shown was fairly interesting, possibly hinting at certain changes.

As I mentioned in the larger thread where it was bundled with the other changes for AC and GSC, the AP boost for the pulse rifles comically is more notable for armoured targets like tanks than infantry really as already infantry were respecting pulse rifle fire anyway, now they have more excuses at the bar as to how the blueberries mulched them. Tanks however were kind of able to shrug the fire to an extent, wounding on 5s with mass fire was always able to knock wounds through here and there but now it will be more regular. Most decent tanks run around with 3+ save, going to a 4+ really will make more chip damage possible while even heavy armour will need to be wary of mass rifle fire. Not going to replace standard anti-tank in tau by any stretch but now tanks have more reason to try and not stay in LoS of fire warriors.

 

What I think could be interesting is looking at what this could mean for other guns. I find it odd we got the Pulse Carbine and Pulse Rifle but not the Pulse Blaster as well, they are all for Fire Warriors in general but I guess the community team meant strike teams, they tend to get their terms wrong (not their fault, they have to cover all armies. How dare they miss one pedantic detail!).

Pulse Blasters I think have a good chance of seeing their range changed to being in increments of 6" instead of 5" (so 6", 12" and 18") along with likely damage boosts. To me, GW have been handing out Damage 2 to weapons extremely generously and I would expect from these, Pulse Blasters will have it at shorter ranges along with our Plasma Rifles likely going to D2 as well.

Curious what the Rail weapons will get. I mean, I could the HRR going to 3+D6 personally while the normal rail rifle would just be flat 3. Bit out there but hey, putting my chips on some very odd horses.

[AenarIT]

I agree with you regarding these weapon profiles predictions. 
If I had to guess, missile pods will go to flat damage 2 as well while cyclic ion blasters will still be d3 (but be restricted to commanders only). Fusion blasters will obviously get the new melta rule (d6+2 at half range). 
I can see the Riptide's IA going to the current relic IA profile, at least for damage, while the HBC is unlikely to change. 

 

One thing I would love to see is seeker missiles going back to ignoring LOS like in past editions, but I don't think we're going to get that. 

While I also think that plasma rifles are going to be damage 2, I'd much rather prefer them to double the number of shots instead (rapid fire 2). They would be optimal against both 2W MEQ and 1W T3 infantry with good armour saves. 
 

Considering they have started showing new rules on warcom, I hope we'll get to see more of the new Tau codex very soon.

[Tawnis]

I agree with you regarding these weapon profiles predictions. 

If I had to guess, missile pods will go to flat damage 2 as well while cyclic ion blasters will still be d3 (but be restricted to commanders only). Fusion blasters will obviously get the new melta rule (d6+2 at half range). 

I can see the Riptide's IA going to the current relic IA profile, at least for damage, while the HBC is unlikely to change. 

 

One thing I would love to see is seeker missiles going back to ignoring LOS like in past editions, but I don't think we're going to get that. 

While I also think that plasma rifles are going to be damage 2, I'd much rather prefer them to double the number of shots instead (rapid fire 2). They would be optimal against both 2W MEQ and 1W T3 infantry with good armour saves. 

 

Considering they have started showing new rules on warcom, I hope we'll get to see more of the new Tau codex very soon.

I think putting Plasma Rifles up to RF2 would just outclass so many other options for damage output. I could see them doing D2 on them, though I think most likely is that they become Strength 7 with no other changes. Or no changes at all and a points change to 5 points per Plasma Rifle. Actually, I could see the points change and the Strength 7 change both happening. If they went up to D2, I feel like they'd go up to 10 points per. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Tawnis

[AenarIT]

That’s the most likely option. But they would compete with missile pods if they went to dmg 2 as well.

At the end of the day there’s going to be an optimal weapon choice based on point cost and profile. We’ll just have to mathammer our way trough the new codex once it drops :D

[Panzer]

That’s the most likely option. But they would compete with missile pods if they went to dmg 2 as well.

At the end of the day there’s going to be an optimal weapon choice based on point cost and profile. We’ll just have to mathammer our way trough the new codex once it drops

 

^ this

When a unit has so many different weapon options that aren't exactly unique then there will always be ones that are better and ones that are worse for their points. The variety is a trap in this case. It's nice to have all these options when they're actually options but that requires them to be equally good which pretty much never happens.

[Guest Triszin]

I suspect pulse blasters might be d2. Or D2 when in half range.

 

 

+I half suspect infantry suite options ala the Pathfinders

Edited December 1, 2021 by Triszin

[Tawnis]

That’s the most likely option. But they would compete with missile pods if they went to dmg 2 as well.

At the end of the day there’s going to be an optimal weapon choice based on point cost and profile. We’ll just have to mathammer our way trough the new codex once it drops

Right, I forgot Missile Pods going to D2, yeah I can't see that on Plasma then. Plasma could still go up to S:7 and be the high AP D1 option with Missle Pods being the long range low AP high Damage choice. Makes them feel Very distinct still. 

[Tawnis]

I suspect pulse blasters might be d2. Or D2 when in half range.

 

 

+I half suspect infantry suite options ala the Pathfinders

IDK, I think aside from a change to 18"-12"-6" they might just leave blasters alone, they're pretty strong as is TBH. I'm usually knocking off 3-4 marines in a round of shooting up close. (Or with the stratagem to use the close profile at max range.) I also assume everything will just get passively better as they get new Sept traits and all the other fun stuff, so that's certainly a factor too.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Tawnis

[chapter master 454]

One thing I thought about was Burst cannons, often just "pulse carbines but not as good due to lack of synergy". I could see these going to Assault 6 weapons. I mean, yes that means if crisis suits get 3 of them that is 18 shots but unless they buff the Ballistic Skill you don't have to worry. 4+ to hit may as well be 6+ to hit imo with tau, at least orks get volume of fire to compensate and the ability to fight in melee...woe be it to the faction about shooting to have good shooting.

[Guest Triszin]

Something i hope for but knows it won't happen.

 

Move tide wall stuff to heavy support. It's a vehicle, not a fortification, it moves

[AenarIT]

I’d settle for it being useful enough to see the table. Bringing a fortification detachment is not impossibile, it’s just that current rules are total garbage.

[Focslain]

New WarCom Article

 

Battlesuits can fire into melee, no penalty.

 

Burst Cannons and Flamers get +2 shots

 

Two new Strats - Fire and Fade: move 6" after shooting and Drop Threat: Re-roll shooting for unit that deep struck.

 

Multi-Tracker - exploding 6's when targeting units of 6 or more models

 

Target Lock - Ignore light cover.

[Panzer]

Battlesuits being able to shoot into melee sounds broken as heck, though still has the problem that we can't charge a unit that's sitting on an objective to claim it ourselves in that turn. We could do something similar-ish with one unit thanks to the JSJ Stratagem, but I'm sure we'll have more than enough other things to spend CP on as well.

 

I'm still pretty excited to take out my Flamer Crisis again though. And this time I can even put them into reserves thanks to their range increase to 12"!

[chapter master 454]

Tau were always hard pressed in 9th for objective claiming just due to how powerful charging is for claiming objectives or even just contesting but there is something to be said that only being good at melee would suck just as much, in this case we need to take a turn to blast them off the objective or weaken them. 

 

That being said, we haven't seen profiles for the battlesuits yet which I was hoping to see. The lacking of mention has me worried we are still 4+ even on what is supposed to be our elites (which are outdone by guardsmen whose only merit is really just surviving one battle by all accounts!)

[Guest Triszin]

I assume they will still be 4+.

 

But there's a lot we don't know still.

[Panzer]

I'm honestly mostly interested in the Markerlight mechanic. If that doesn't get changed in a satisfying way I don't see me unshelving my T'au again. If they still insist on T'au only being good at shooting in conjunction with Markerlights then they better make it a fun and satisfying mechanic. If they just can't do that it might be time to bin Markerlights as crutch for proper BS.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Panzer

[chapter master 454]

That imo is the issue: Markerlights currently are NEEDED to make shooting decent or you make use of other methods of boosting shooting. I mean, the only reason the Triptide lists did well was just putting volume of fire down range turn after turn, now the new Far'Sight Crisis bomb squad is the new hotness for any competitive tau purely because they can get BS3+ suits that can actually hit something (and they even get to hit on 2+ WITHOUT markerlight support really on entry).

 

If there is one thing GW have been doing is looking at what people have been doing and actually have a think about it to some extent. Tau Markerlights need to be something that enhances our shooting, not make it normal much like how Imperial Guard Orders aren't needed but do enhance their shooting.

 

So far, what we have been shown is good. Addressing some interesting areas and showing needed buffs. The change to Mont'Ka and Kauyon are excellent, the battlesuit change is good as well. Factions have been seeing quite regular stat improvements, hopefully tau's is our Ballistic Skill!

[Panzer]

The Triptide list also had a Commander with Drone Controller and Markerlight Drones usually. It's just that Riptides were the best unit point for point and then we also got a formation that rewarded us for taking three of our best unit. A completely ridiculous design and I'm glad it's a thing of the past but that's typical GW lol

 

And yeah of course now the Farsight Crisis bomb is popular because it pretty much completely circumvents the nasty need of Markerlights to be good at what they're supposed to be doing. I used them as well for the same reason before I stopped playing T'au completely because everything else was still very underwhelming compared to armies like AdMech.

 

I like what we got to see so far though I wouldn't say Kauyon is excellent. The game is usually decided in round 1-3, not round 3-5. Mont'Ka is ridiculously good in comparison.

Edited December 23, 2021 by Panzer

[Guest Triszin]

Rail cannon

[Panzer]

Yeah nothing more to add here. Just Railgun. The terror our opponents will feel. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Panzer

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Yeah nothing more to add here. Just Railgun. The terror our opponents will feel. 

For a month, they have buffed it to the point of op, up to 12 wounds with a single shot and no invuns allowed when you can fit 4 in a list…

I would advise enjoy whilst you can if you have the models but don’t buy if you don’t, it’s so overkill the errata’s errata will be around the corner and again highly possible this is to encourage the sale of the old kit before releasing a replacement (which is needed, they are nice but I bought my first hammerhead nearly 20 years ago)