Progress is good Master Aun'Va. We have received word that you wish a report on our initial rush back into the Damocles Sector and our equally fervent search for the one we know as Commander Farsight.
Our report is this:
We have encountered heavy resistance from the Imperium of Man. Our efforts towards readiness seem to have cost us valuable initiative and the Imperium of man has strengthened its border against us. it is clear they do not consider us a threat equal to the Tyranids nor the orks, and have staffed accordingly which is our one saving grace. However, just in the shortness of this glorious campaign in honor of the Greater Goods higher purpose we have seen the multiplicity of the enemies forces represented.
Fighting has been heaviest against the Chapter known as Blood Angels, who have sworn their fealty to the Imperium and whose space Marines are indeed some of the fastest we have seen. Our first incursion was on Pheta Gamma II. As ordered, we identified the agriworlds first for colonization and thus also those least likely to face exterminatus measures. As a resource to the Imperium, we believe they will not go to extremes, so that if they do lose them, they may attempt recapture later.
Upon insertion to the planet, the Blood Angels ambushed us from the skies, their fleet hidden temporarily around the dark side of the moon. Their assault was relentless and we had scant moments to respond to their attacks. They did manage to secure an area early, and we were forced to consolidate our forces in order to repel the primary thrust. Mephiston was with them but we were able to mitigate his presence in the fight and melt away from him. He never struck a blow. We were able to force them back to their ships, as they had a narrow window to secure their beach head before our fleet would be upon them, stranding them. They retreated in the end.
Result: 6-4 Tau victory.
However the Blood Angels forces retreat was simply a prelude to yet another surprise: the Imperial Guard had taken the Capital city of the planet and we were forced to break their siege. As we are ill equipped for a direct assault, we ordered our troops to circumnavigate around. We used the Kau'Yon to draw their attention and resources forward toward us and then we struck from behind where their lines were stretched too thin. By hitting their rearguard and giving them no place to go, we were able to encircle and capture them TO A MAN. There were no survivors outside the prisoners we took.
Result: Tau Victory Total annihilation.
Aware that this city was one of many we began sending the expeditionary forces out to the airfields and other militarily strategic locations. W found that the Ultra Marines had arrived and they were already preparing a counter attack against the betterment of all. They were not yet aware of the loss of the Imperial Guard and they mounted an assault with, I think, the expectation of joint operations. However, those operations never came and the Space Marine plight grew desperate. They fought gallantly. No Tau who fought that day should forget what they learned of the combined arms approach the enemy can employ. Nonetheless, the Greater Good was to be served.
Result: Tau victory: 11-1
The Dark Eldar are opportunists and outcasts of their race. Several of them that were remnants of a raiding party agreed to fight alongside a stranded eldar vessel and its forces to raid us and try to use those supplies to get their ship off world. After discussing their options within the Greater Good, negotiations with the Air Caste broke down and they used the time we spent speaking with them to prepare for their attack. This dishonorable act was punished. Using massive Eldar tanks we had never seen before, and firing a fusillade the likes of which our own Fire Caste might well have been proud of, the enemy attempted to corner us. They did not understand that they were again fighting against the Kau'yon way and as they made their way forward to lay into our brave fire Warriors, the forces closed in behind them and encircled them, destroying first their tanks and then them. No survivors to report sir.
Result: Tau victory, Total annihilation
In our haste to secure so many locations, we had not foreseen the rather forward leaning Blood Angels as a threat from anywhere but the skies. As the Greater Good would have it, they also had ground forces located in the western Hemisphere and surprised our Cadre by attacking from the ground exclusively, offering us another tactical look at the enemy. Mephiston led them again and this time there was no way for him to be completely mitigated. He charged hard towards the battle as night was lifting and made his presence known.
It was perhaps fortunate for use that we were prepared for night fighting and our units in the field were close enough to call back in time to impact our defense. They outflanked once again to handle the onslaught of so many Jump infantry coming so fast. We were able to keep them at bay and beat them back one wave at a time, almost literally.
In the end only their Commander Corbulo, pinned and alone, as well as a brave assault Marine were left. In recognition of the bravery they showed, we allowed the two to take the body of Mephiston with them and retreat the field of battle alive. It was our commanders hope that news of this defeat going back to their lines would reap a necessary amount of understanding as to the benefits of joining the Greater good. Only through kindness can you convince an enemy that you will absorb them peaceably, as you have taught so many times master Aun'Va
Result: Tau Victory 14-2
Chaos Forces are always to be suspected. Wherever the IMperium of man goes, the rot of this infestation must surely be expected.
A powerful force of Slaanesh led Chaos Mariens, apparently hunting the Dark Eldar we destroyed before, encountered us and immediately began the word of trying to exterminate us. We were quite surprised by the Firepower but were able to withstand it through clever use of terrain and the expedient of an aggressive forward rush. The relatively smaller force was unprepared for the firepower we bring at short range and in turn the Greater Good seemed little served by hanging back and allowing attrition to become an issue so far into the Damocles Sector. As such the brave Fire Caste and the Air Caste piltos guided their Devilfish's in and made "Drop kills" out of the units individually as we came to them. Stealth units struck from unexpected places, sowing confusion and ultimately, defeat. Losses were high in our fight despite our best efforts, but the results were as inevitable as the Tau Empire itself.
Result: Tau Victory 8-5
We will continue to report our battles here, but the planet is becoming more secure and we will soon be able to clear the moons of residual threats. Already the communities here are embracing us and we have made request for terraforming equipment to assist the population on in increasing their usable land mass which includes volcanic areas that may hold great reserves usable by our forces as well.
As always, for the Greater Good.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
XV104 Riptide BattleSuit Wonkiness
So a friend of mine asked me a question, which led to another question and yet another question got asked that made me think of yet another question!
So where does this link up with the subject line?
Well...
The rules on pgae 39 say an IC can join a unit so long as it is not ALWAYs a single model unit, such as MOST Monstrous Creatures and vehicles are.
Therefore The Riptide by virtue of the fact that it is not always a single model unit (it takes Drones and per the rules they count as a unit in every way), may be joined by an IC. This is cool because that means that an IC Commander with a RetroThruster could alleviate one of the potential threats to a Riptide: being caught by a throw away unit in close combat. The Onager Gauntlet is added fuel for that.
I thought this was a pretty significant issue!
The other interesting fact is that the Riptide battleSuit is NOT fearless like most Monstrous Creatures. It seems to be the exception to a lot of little thing. So that makes it all the more important to try to find a commander and link up if you plan to use Shielded Missile Drones. The Shielded Missile Drones are better with a Commander in the unit also if he has the Drone Controller, which frees the Riptide to take the Vector Tracker and Early Warning system.
All in all, this is a pretty significant combo idea. Thanks to Kingpin for bringing the possibility to my attention..
So where does this link up with the subject line?
Well...
The rules on pgae 39 say an IC can join a unit so long as it is not ALWAYs a single model unit, such as MOST Monstrous Creatures and vehicles are.
Therefore The Riptide by virtue of the fact that it is not always a single model unit (it takes Drones and per the rules they count as a unit in every way), may be joined by an IC. This is cool because that means that an IC Commander with a RetroThruster could alleviate one of the potential threats to a Riptide: being caught by a throw away unit in close combat. The Onager Gauntlet is added fuel for that.
I thought this was a pretty significant issue!
The other interesting fact is that the Riptide battleSuit is NOT fearless like most Monstrous Creatures. It seems to be the exception to a lot of little thing. So that makes it all the more important to try to find a commander and link up if you plan to use Shielded Missile Drones. The Shielded Missile Drones are better with a Commander in the unit also if he has the Drone Controller, which frees the Riptide to take the Vector Tracker and Early Warning system.
All in all, this is a pretty significant combo idea. Thanks to Kingpin for bringing the possibility to my attention..
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Tau vs. Space Marine BATTLE REPORT
Hammer and Anvil, 3 Objectives more or less evenly distributed, Big Guns Never Tire
Space Marines vs. Tau Empire
So I decided to try my hand at the new Tau. After making several lists, I decided to go with one that was fairly pedestrian, but that seemed to mesh well with the old style of playing to kind of ease into the new feel of things. There will be many opportunities to test the waters or more exotic builds. As you will see below, my opponent had a slight edge, as he had many more scoring units than I, all were tougher and more mobile as a rule. His list was also very representative of Space marines in general which was nice.
For a blast to the past, to see how a 5th Edition Tau army worked:
http://40kunorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2012/01/space-marine-vs-tau-video-battle-report.html
Moving on!
For a blast to the past, to see how a 5th Edition Tau army worked:
http://40kunorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2012/01/space-marine-vs-tau-video-battle-report.html
Moving on!
My list was as follows:
185pts 10 Kroot Snipers+8 Hounds+3 Krootox
185pts 10 Kroot Snipers+8 Hounds+3 Krootox
90pts 10 Fire Warriors
90pts 10 Fire Warriors
180pts 7 Pathfinders (3 x Rail rifles, Recon, Grav and Pulse Drones)
95pts Devilfish (Disruption Pod)
180pts 7 Pathfinders (3 x Rail rifles, Recon, Grav and Pulse Drones)
95pts Devilfish (Disruption Pod)
140pts 10 Marker Drones
150pts Commander (Flamer, Vectored Retro Thrusters, Drone Controller, Command and Control Node, Repulsor Impact Field, Neuroweb System Jammer, Puretide Engram NeuroChip, Onager Gauntlet)
235pts Riptide battle suit (Ion Accelerator, 1 Missile Drones, Velocity Tracker, Early Warning Override)
235pts Riptide battle suit (Ion Accelerator, 1 Missile Drones, Velocity Tracker, Early Warning Override)
139pts 3 Crisis Suits (TL Fusion Blaster, Flamer)
1999pts
My opponent played a Space marine List like this:
Captain in Terminator Armor
5 Tactical Terminators
5 Assault Terminators
Land Raider Crusader
3 x 10 Tactical Marines
Predator
Vindicator
Devastators (4 x Plasma Cannons)
Dreadnought (Missile and Lascannon)
He got the Warlord trait to run faster for all units within 12" of his Warlord and I got the trait to impose Night Fighting on Round 1 I went ahead and did that.
DEPLOYMENT:
I went first and as there were ample buildings in the western deployment zone, I took that. In the center of the board was a fairly large and a good 10" long LOS blocking wall that obscured North to South view, at the end of which was one objective. I had one placed on my side around the 18" mark in my zone. He has one in his, near the NE corner, behind a hill.
I deployed a Scouting Devilfish on both the North and south flank, against the board edge to take advantage of my Recon Drone capability.
I deployed the XV104 suits both north and south of the LOS blocking wall that bisected the length of the board, thinking to use it for cover as much as possible by jumping to the other side after shooting, depending on how he deployed. I wasn't sure if I'd need it but it seemed a sound strategy.
The Fire Warriors formed two large circles to the rear, one in a bunch of rocks, the other behind the XV104 Riptide suits. Both were several inches back from the objective in anticipation of the eventual arrival of trouble and his Vindicator.
The Commander and his Marker Drone Swarm hovered near the deployment line next to the northernmost Riptide Battle suits, ready to start firing.
Deep Striking were the Crisis Team while the Kroot were to outflank. My strategy was to use the Pathfinder Recon Drone to guide my Kroot to whatever side made the most sense for them and to set up side shots where possible with the Rapid Firing Krootox.
My opponent responded, deploying his Land Raider at the very center of his deployment line, the Vindicator and Predator directed abutting it behind, to provide them cover. On his south flank were a Tactical Squad in some rocks, to take cover and prepare for the approach of the Pathfinder Devilfish along that flank.
Behind the NE hill, he stationed a Tactical unit to provide protection for his objective and on the hill itself stood the Devastator Squad ready to make a mess of my Pathfinders along the Northern flank if they caused him any trouble.
His third Tactical unit stood beside the Land Raider and prepared to move forward with it. Given it was Night Fighting rules, the Land Raiders shadow provided considerable cover. The Dreadnought joined them in that shadow.
PREGAME SCOUT MOVES:
Pathfinders zoomed their Devilfish's forward to be within range. The one to the North got closer to the Devastator Squad in front of it, while the southern Fish travelled on a straight vector towards the Tactical Marines hiding in the rocks to the south.
Round 1:
The Space Marines failed to steal the initiative, and so the Tau war machine began its march.
The Commander bounced forward and his Drones bathed the Land Raider in undeniable markerlight, the bounced backwards again. The Pathfinders to the North stayed in their Devilfish as its cannon came to life and buried a Plasma Cannon Devastator. The Pathfinders to the south got out and into a small ruin, killing three of the Tactical Marines in front of them.
Meanwhile the Fire Warriors began whittling the Tactical Marines near the Land Raider and killed a couple of them with a little luck.
The riptides moved forward and lit into the Land Raider, Nova Reactors overcharging. Unfortunately, one of the Riptides took two wounds firing it's weapons this way, but the other landed a shot but could not damage the tough vehicles who were so beautifully clustered together.
The northern Riptide jumped to the south side of the wall while the wounded southern one, already there, decided to take cover behind it.
The Space Marines returned fire. Devastators lit into the Riptides, causing a wound, while Marines tromped forward alongside the Land Raider which moved full tilt forward and unloaded its payload on the Riptide. The Shielded Missile Drone held up against the fusillade as it was closer.
The dreadnought caused two Hull
The Predator also tried to kill a Devilfish to the south but could not, as the predator veered from behind the Land Raider to set its own course.
No units to report as combat ineffective yet.
SCORE: SM:3 Tau: 0
ROUND 2
The Tau Crisis Team was guided perfectly within 9 inches north of the Land Raider thanks to the Pathfinder Devilfish. The Crisis Team took aim and blew the Land Raider to kingdom come. Out spilled the Captain and his retinue of Terminators.
The Pathfinder Devilfish emptied itself out into a ruined temple structure and fired at the Tactical Squad, as did both the Riptides with the help of the Commanders remaining drones. Jointly this resulted in the complete annihilation of the Tactical squad and FIRST BLOOD was achieved.
The Pathfinders in the southern ruin got unexpected help as the kroot outflanked right in front of the southerly Tactical Marine squad amongst the rocks and managed to kill three more of them; and with Pathfinder help, only 4 marines remained. Sadly, one of them had a flamer.
The Nova Reactor on the unwounded Riptide caught fire and scorched it for a moment, causing some damage.
Now it was the Space Marines turn to respond. The Captain and his men swarmed and killed the Crisis Team in retribution for their loss the n consolidated towards the church the northerly Pathfinders were hiding in. The Dreadnought, Predator and Vindicator all combined fire to destroy the Commander and all but three of his insolent Drones and a fire Warrior perished in the conflagration. Plasma Cannons and the Space marine with the Flamer combined to Kentucky Fry the Kroot and destroy them utterly. A sharp turn of events to be sure! the objective near the central wall had been the Kroots responsibility to get to and now they were all quite dead and unable to carry out that assignment, nor protect the southerly Pathfinders.
SCORE: SM:4 Tau: 1
Round 3:
Despite their losses, the Tau moved on. another kroot unit appeared to replace the one that had just been sent packing. The Devilfish for the Pathfinders to the south Tank Shocked the four remaining Space Marines to the south into running away (though immobilizing itself in the rock formation they had been in!) and the Kroot fired into them killing all but...of course... the Flamer. The Pathfinders contributed to the effort but to no avail. Couldn't kill that last one.
The Riptides advanced on the enemy, one firing at and killing the Vindicator, while the other attacked the Predator, taking a hull point off it but failing the charge against it. Luckily, the Nova Reactor was overcharged to give the behemoth a 3+ invul save for the next round. It was time to start pushing towards the enemy Capital.
The Pathfinders to the north and the Marker Drones as well as their Devilfish wounded the Captain once and killed two of his Terminators. Their advance seemed inevitable however.
The enemy responded, with the lone Marine to the south rallying and then barbecuing the Kroot, but the plasma Cannons were aimed at the Riptides this time and the Shielded missile Drone and the toughness of the Suits combined to confound them. This saved the Kroot from annihilation and they made their morale check to stay the course.
Meanwhile the Captain and his Terminators slew the Pathfinders in the church without mercy or consideration for their holy surroundings. the bloodbath was utter and complete. no morale check could be made because there were no Tau to make it. they consolidated forward. the Dreadnought finished their Devilfish for good measure.
5 Tactical Terminators landed right in front of the Green Squad Fire Warriors. They were not apparently aware of the Early Warning Override on the riptide Battle suits who proceeded to knock out three of the 5 Terminators. A rather jarring landing for the Terminators.
The SM troops on the rear objective were to far to contribute much but the cheeky heavy bolter did fire on the Riptides and wounded the less tattered of the two.
The Predator moved back a bit from the Riptide that tried to charge it and positioned itself so that it could try to take the central objective later.
SCORE: SM:5 Tau: 3
Round 4
The Green Tau Fire Warrior squad, with the help of the three remaining Marker drones, burned the Tactical Terminators to the ground. The other (Desert) Fire Warrior Squad poured it into the Captains unit in the church.
One Riptide overcharged itself to jump to the enemy deployment zone (since it couldn't fire anyways) instead of continuing its attack on the predator. The second Riptide tried and failed to do the same and took cover behind the wall for the round, With a tiny bit of help from a snap shot from the southern Pathfinders that was in range by maybe an inch, the last of the Captains retinue was killed. Now it was just him.
The immobilized Devilfish to the south fired its burst cannons into the side of the Predator and took a hull point. One to go.
The Kroot finished the last Marine to the south with extreme prejudice while moving north towards the central objective.
The Space marine Dread and Predator concentrated firepower on the Riptides. The one in the enemy deployment Zone was down to a single wound whereas the other had two left. Both Missile Drones were dead. they were now quite vulnerable.
The Plasma Cannon unit tried to kill the kroot, and the Kroot went to ground, surviving the 14 wounds dealt to them!
SCORE: SM:4 Tau: 3
Round 5
The Riptides understood their peril but could ill afford to be anything but aggressive. The one already in the enemy deployment zone dared not overcharge this round and fired his gun into the Predator as he walked and then jumped normally towards the enemy objective, but the Predator took it and the Riptide was still short of the mark. The second one fired his into the Predator to equally disappointing effect!
The Pathfinders to the south moved again to try and get into position if there was another round to contest the central objective, not trusting the Kroot not to run.
The Green and Desert Fire Warrior squads, plus 3 Marker Drones tried to kill the oncoming Captain but could not, after moving both forward to get close to the objective and take hold of it (recall that they had been holding back from it to this point). His charge seemed quite unavoidable but they had no choice but to try and hold it. One of the squads was also stretching closer in case they needed to go after the central one in future turns, should things go well with the Captain (unlikely but hey...).
The Kroot milled about, pinned as they were.
It was the enemy's turn and as predicted, the Predator moved to take the objective the Kroot could not. the Dreadnought tried to kill the Riptide but could not.
The Captain charged the squad, but supporting fire allowed a Marker light to hit and then one of the squads on BS2 Overwatch managed to kill the Captain and end the threat to the objective, despite his beefy Terminator armor and still having two wounds left. An unexpected but welcome affirmation of the Greater Good.
SCORE: SM:7 Tau: 7
Round 6
Well it doesn't get much closer.
With the Captain gone, one Fire Warrior Squad moved and ran towards the central objective, not quite reaching it while the other solidifed its hold on the one in the Tau deployment zone. That meant it was up to the Kroot, facing the prospect of all those Plasma Cannons...
The Riptide moved, ran and jumped onto the enemy objective to contest. The second one fired its thrusters into the enemy deployment at maximum speed to back up the first Riptide.
The Pathfinders to the south tore the Predator apart with their Rail Rifle, sending a LOT of shrapnel into the kroot, which made matters a bit worse. Would they hold?
The Kroot moved and ran towards the objective, making their morale check afterwards thankfully.
The remaining Plasma Cannons tried to blast the Kroot from existence but couldn't hit enough times to kill them all. They did take out almost all of the remainder though. The Space marines behind the NE hill unloaded on the Riptide but their bolters and Heavy Bolter just weren't up to the task of taking out the Irridium plating. That forced the Dreadnought to try and kill the Riptide but the riptides invul save held on the one wound it got.
The final score:
SCORE: SM:1 Tau: 11
I hope you enjoyed the report.
Friday, April 12, 2013
New Tau Pathfinders
I wanted to share some thoughts I had on these.
The new Codex has clearly given each FOC hard choices to make which likely means the armies are going to abound in variety as many choices are great and more than one FOC slot can now fill a need you may have. One of the big changes were Pathfinders.
Just to review for those who may not know as much about them, they were always the "Markerlight guys" with the scout special rule who rarely fired their Carbines for any reason other than to hit you with Markerlights that can increase other units Ballistic skill, help Pin people and so on. They had been essentially Fire warriors in every way, but with the addition of a 2 point Markerlight upgrade making them far superior to network Marker drones and other answers to the need for Markerlights if indeed you needed them at all. They always REQUIRED that you purchase their Devilfish Transport and this rankled some people who seem to fail to realize that their Fire Warriors would need the Transport anyways. Oh well.
The new Pathfinders are QUITE different. They no longer require a Devilfish! This is big on its own (in the minds of those who FELT this was some kind of tax despite all logical reason). They are cheaper by one point and they come with lighter armor (5+) which explains the reduction in points assumedly. That change is enormous when you think about it though because now they are bolter fodder and that changes a LOT about how safely you can expose them for one thing; and it forces you to REALLY think about the role they can play now.
An Aegis Defense Line will solve those problems for you but I mean... 50 points added just to augment that little unit? The better way to go about it though is to accept that they have a different part to play.
Their markerlights can easily be replaced in the list by massive Drone units now, as well as AFFORDABLE ones that other units can take to support each other. So while the Pathfinders have them, you may as well disabuse yourself of the notion RIGHT NOW that they are really in the list for that reason as was the case previously. Other units that you have do it better. Nope, the Markerlights they carry are "nice to have" but ultimately are emergency weapons now. This is made even MORE true by the fact that their Carbines are now ASSAULT 2, PINNING, which makes firing the Carbine very attractive anyways.
So then what ARE Pathfinders now?
Pathfinders are the equivalent of IG Veterans now, a Special Weapons squad with a serious amount of upgradability in its firepower. As they have no hatches to fire from, you cannot use them like IG in Chimeras work, but their function is the same nonetheless. They carry a seriously powerful gun, Markerlights and they now can take the Rail rifle which is 30", STR 6 AP 1 (yes 1) Rapid Fire (Yes seriously, rapid firing at 15 inches!) or the dangerous but very powerful Ion rifle (STR7/AP4 Rapid Fire or STR 8 AP 4 Blast). That is an incredible amount of punch.
So to answer the question, the Pathfinders are now like the Chaos Chosen, the IG Veterans, the Dominion Squads of the SOB's and so on. squishy cheap versions but with very intense firepower which they can scout into range (not that they will need to very often in that role) and start blastifying. The Scout move is important because you start the game nearly in Rapid Fire Range. The enemy can barely move without coming into their range.
But Pathfincers, while deadly once they find a place to set up camp (pardon the pun), they can do even more important things for the army in the form of their drones. They have three special Drones no one else can take: Recon, Grav inhibitor and Pulse Accelerator Drones in addition to the normal ones the unit leader may take. These really define HOW to use the Pathfinders even though we already know what they are now for.
The Grav Inhibitor Drone is pretty cool. It has a Gravity Wave Projector. It reduces one enemy charge by D3 inches. Now this is a REALLY big deal for two reasons. First is that it may stop a charge altogether allowing the pathfinders to fearlessly scout forward and not worry about getting too close to the enemy They can get just a little closer with more confidence. The second and SCARIER reason is because the Pathfinders like all Tau Codex units, have the Supporting Fire rule which in conjunction with neighboring Marker drones (the rules explicitly say that the Marker drones DO affect Overwatch BS) means that this special weapon squad could be firing all its weapons at BS 5 or better and then repulsing the enemy d3"??? Wowa! That makes charging them impossible when they are near their comrades so long as they are nearby.
Which leads us to our first rule: Pathfinders should lead the way for their comrades and stay near them when they can. Not only is the initial cover valuable due to their new "Recon Armor" (again, 5+) but this also allows the Drone to do its work.
The Pulse Accelerator Drone is a perfect synergy for this unit. It is after all a Special Weapons unit and this Drone extends the weapon ranges by 6". That means Rapid Fire happens sooner, the threat level is much higher when you are now able to feint and fall back and you have the added value of just being able to hit more stuff while on the MOVE. Threes no reason to ever be moving closer and Fish of Fury attacks from 24 inches? Yes please!
It is the Recon Drone that provides the most tactical usefulness though. When mounted in a Devilfish (remember that so-called "tax? well now you'll WANT to pay it because...) the Drone gives it a Positional Relay and Homing Beacon. Result? The Pathfinders can scout move 12" and then move flat out in the first round, putting them all the way into enemy territory against the board edge wherever they want to be. This in turn allows your outflankers to come there by CHOICE. It also makes Jumpers not scatter when within 6" of the Devilfish and the Devilfish creates quite a radius and become the center of the assault.
This is huge because you will have PINPOINT accuracy with your deployments. Unlike some "utility units" or wargear, this unit actually has serious sting to it WHILE it does these things. No flank will ever be secure as long as Pathfinders can move into position, and whose going to stop them?
The unit can kill with alacrity and conviction and it has a BIG impact on deployment. It's role has become that of true scouts: finding good landing zones and guiding the Tau forces into them, then supporting them with suppression fire while they advance on the enemy. Like Rangers, they lead the way and rightly so, providing an excellent potential shield against melee aggression and taking a few with them on the way out.
One last point. Darkstrider can accompany them. He is as mortal as they are in his Recon armor but,,, He also can stop the charge of enemies from being successful. As soon as Overwatch is done, he can make his unit consolidate before the charge occurs... and then the Drone can create the gravity Wave! It can be near impossible to charge that unit. Shooting them is the only viable option, which will be frustrating to many foes. DarkStrider drops the toughness of his target unit as well in the shooting phase only. This makes the Pathfinder unit a truly frightening prospect BUT... The cost of DarkStrider is high for what you get so choose wisely whether the longevity of that unit is worth the investment. Still, he makes the shooting of his unit exceptionally powerful.
Fear Pathfinders. Their new role is one of speed and knowing their battlefield, then bringing pinpoint accurate strikes to the enemy while providing valuable and SELFLESS protection to their comrades by leading the way. With brave Pathfinders at the fore, even Mephiston himself may find his path unclear and blocked, unable to act at all!
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy though. =)
The new Codex has clearly given each FOC hard choices to make which likely means the armies are going to abound in variety as many choices are great and more than one FOC slot can now fill a need you may have. One of the big changes were Pathfinders.
Just to review for those who may not know as much about them, they were always the "Markerlight guys" with the scout special rule who rarely fired their Carbines for any reason other than to hit you with Markerlights that can increase other units Ballistic skill, help Pin people and so on. They had been essentially Fire warriors in every way, but with the addition of a 2 point Markerlight upgrade making them far superior to network Marker drones and other answers to the need for Markerlights if indeed you needed them at all. They always REQUIRED that you purchase their Devilfish Transport and this rankled some people who seem to fail to realize that their Fire Warriors would need the Transport anyways. Oh well.
The new Pathfinders are QUITE different. They no longer require a Devilfish! This is big on its own (in the minds of those who FELT this was some kind of tax despite all logical reason). They are cheaper by one point and they come with lighter armor (5+) which explains the reduction in points assumedly. That change is enormous when you think about it though because now they are bolter fodder and that changes a LOT about how safely you can expose them for one thing; and it forces you to REALLY think about the role they can play now.
An Aegis Defense Line will solve those problems for you but I mean... 50 points added just to augment that little unit? The better way to go about it though is to accept that they have a different part to play.
Their markerlights can easily be replaced in the list by massive Drone units now, as well as AFFORDABLE ones that other units can take to support each other. So while the Pathfinders have them, you may as well disabuse yourself of the notion RIGHT NOW that they are really in the list for that reason as was the case previously. Other units that you have do it better. Nope, the Markerlights they carry are "nice to have" but ultimately are emergency weapons now. This is made even MORE true by the fact that their Carbines are now ASSAULT 2, PINNING, which makes firing the Carbine very attractive anyways.
So then what ARE Pathfinders now?
Pathfinders are the equivalent of IG Veterans now, a Special Weapons squad with a serious amount of upgradability in its firepower. As they have no hatches to fire from, you cannot use them like IG in Chimeras work, but their function is the same nonetheless. They carry a seriously powerful gun, Markerlights and they now can take the Rail rifle which is 30", STR 6 AP 1 (yes 1) Rapid Fire (Yes seriously, rapid firing at 15 inches!) or the dangerous but very powerful Ion rifle (STR7/AP4 Rapid Fire or STR 8 AP 4 Blast). That is an incredible amount of punch.
So to answer the question, the Pathfinders are now like the Chaos Chosen, the IG Veterans, the Dominion Squads of the SOB's and so on. squishy cheap versions but with very intense firepower which they can scout into range (not that they will need to very often in that role) and start blastifying. The Scout move is important because you start the game nearly in Rapid Fire Range. The enemy can barely move without coming into their range.
But Pathfincers, while deadly once they find a place to set up camp (pardon the pun), they can do even more important things for the army in the form of their drones. They have three special Drones no one else can take: Recon, Grav inhibitor and Pulse Accelerator Drones in addition to the normal ones the unit leader may take. These really define HOW to use the Pathfinders even though we already know what they are now for.
The Grav Inhibitor Drone is pretty cool. It has a Gravity Wave Projector. It reduces one enemy charge by D3 inches. Now this is a REALLY big deal for two reasons. First is that it may stop a charge altogether allowing the pathfinders to fearlessly scout forward and not worry about getting too close to the enemy They can get just a little closer with more confidence. The second and SCARIER reason is because the Pathfinders like all Tau Codex units, have the Supporting Fire rule which in conjunction with neighboring Marker drones (the rules explicitly say that the Marker drones DO affect Overwatch BS) means that this special weapon squad could be firing all its weapons at BS 5 or better and then repulsing the enemy d3"??? Wowa! That makes charging them impossible when they are near their comrades so long as they are nearby.
Which leads us to our first rule: Pathfinders should lead the way for their comrades and stay near them when they can. Not only is the initial cover valuable due to their new "Recon Armor" (again, 5+) but this also allows the Drone to do its work.
The Pulse Accelerator Drone is a perfect synergy for this unit. It is after all a Special Weapons unit and this Drone extends the weapon ranges by 6". That means Rapid Fire happens sooner, the threat level is much higher when you are now able to feint and fall back and you have the added value of just being able to hit more stuff while on the MOVE. Threes no reason to ever be moving closer and Fish of Fury attacks from 24 inches? Yes please!
It is the Recon Drone that provides the most tactical usefulness though. When mounted in a Devilfish (remember that so-called "tax? well now you'll WANT to pay it because...) the Drone gives it a Positional Relay and Homing Beacon. Result? The Pathfinders can scout move 12" and then move flat out in the first round, putting them all the way into enemy territory against the board edge wherever they want to be. This in turn allows your outflankers to come there by CHOICE. It also makes Jumpers not scatter when within 6" of the Devilfish and the Devilfish creates quite a radius and become the center of the assault.
This is huge because you will have PINPOINT accuracy with your deployments. Unlike some "utility units" or wargear, this unit actually has serious sting to it WHILE it does these things. No flank will ever be secure as long as Pathfinders can move into position, and whose going to stop them?
The unit can kill with alacrity and conviction and it has a BIG impact on deployment. It's role has become that of true scouts: finding good landing zones and guiding the Tau forces into them, then supporting them with suppression fire while they advance on the enemy. Like Rangers, they lead the way and rightly so, providing an excellent potential shield against melee aggression and taking a few with them on the way out.
One last point. Darkstrider can accompany them. He is as mortal as they are in his Recon armor but,,, He also can stop the charge of enemies from being successful. As soon as Overwatch is done, he can make his unit consolidate before the charge occurs... and then the Drone can create the gravity Wave! It can be near impossible to charge that unit. Shooting them is the only viable option, which will be frustrating to many foes. DarkStrider drops the toughness of his target unit as well in the shooting phase only. This makes the Pathfinder unit a truly frightening prospect BUT... The cost of DarkStrider is high for what you get so choose wisely whether the longevity of that unit is worth the investment. Still, he makes the shooting of his unit exceptionally powerful.
Fear Pathfinders. Their new role is one of speed and knowing their battlefield, then bringing pinpoint accurate strikes to the enemy while providing valuable and SELFLESS protection to their comrades by leading the way. With brave Pathfinders at the fore, even Mephiston himself may find his path unclear and blocked, unable to act at all!
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy though. =)
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Tau in 6E Translation
Numerous foreign translations of the Tau codex are everywhere now, at least four that I could find, some with pics, some not. So for those who'd like to know, this is a compilation of things from at least five different sources, none of whom I feel are blowing smoke at this stage:
FlyersAV 11/10/10, 3 HP. Bomber starts at 160pts and fighter at 145pts. The fighter can take a missile pod in place of the burst cannon. The quad ion cannon is S7 AP4 but can be boosted to S8 large blast.
The bomber can twin-link it's missile pod Despite still being BS2 the fighter drones have S7 AP4 twin-linked guns which isn't bad at all when they appear to have interceptor too.
THE DRONES CAN JUMP OFF THE TRANSPORT AFTER IT MOVES FLAT OUT. WHUUUUU
Broadsides max squad size of 3 and looks to be a tiny bit cheaper. Already mentioned that their Railguns are now S8 AP1 and they can change it out for S7 AP4 4 shot missiles. SMS are now twin-linked. They can take a seeker missile for 8pts. The shas'vre is now Ld 9.
Apparently Shas'vre suffer some WS loss?
Crisis Suits22pts. Supporting Fire capable. Rated Very Bulky. Most rumors seem confirmed and I guess they are still 3 to a unit? Drones and other upgrades make the unit though.
Riptide
180pts. T6, 5W. Comes with a STR 6 cannon that does 8 shots. Make it 12 shots rending (but gets hot) on Overdrive. or make it a STR7 AP 2 3-shot gun that can overcharge into a massive blast. Can take a twin-linked fusion blaster or plasma rifle (which are again the same). Its a serious gunboat.
Fire Warriors
9 pts, free Photon Grenades. WIN! Fireblade lets them add +1 shots if they don't move.
Kroot
6 pts each WITH 6+ armour. STR3, WS4. Hounds are 5 points. Krootox is 25pts. Precision ammo can make their guns sniper rifles. Wowa. 20 Sniper Rifles? Now that's something. They get acute senses from their hounds (tracking dawgs).
HQs
Ethereal = 50pts. Fireblade= 60pts.
Grand Invocation: Aun'va can invoke two elements!!!
Aun'shi (yes he's back!!!) can choose to re-roll failed saves. He basically parries.
Afterburners: Turboboost like a jetbike.
Sworn protector: ability to Auto-pass Look Ouit Sir.
Stay Calm!: Stubborn
+1 shot to all pulse weapons whose target is within have range. I think a Drone does this?
Solidity of Stone: Feel no Pain 6+
Some units can fire snap shots after running. I wonder if the BS 2 Overwatch thing will affect SnapFire?
58 points for a Sniper Drone unit.
Pulse Bomb: S5 AP5, Heavy 1, Large Blast, One Use only
FlyersAV 11/10/10, 3 HP. Bomber starts at 160pts and fighter at 145pts. The fighter can take a missile pod in place of the burst cannon. The quad ion cannon is S7 AP4 but can be boosted to S8 large blast.
The bomber can twin-link it's missile pod Despite still being BS2 the fighter drones have S7 AP4 twin-linked guns which isn't bad at all when they appear to have interceptor too.
THE DRONES CAN JUMP OFF THE TRANSPORT AFTER IT MOVES FLAT OUT. WHUUUUU
Broadsides max squad size of 3 and looks to be a tiny bit cheaper. Already mentioned that their Railguns are now S8 AP1 and they can change it out for S7 AP4 4 shot missiles. SMS are now twin-linked. They can take a seeker missile for 8pts. The shas'vre is now Ld 9.
Apparently Shas'vre suffer some WS loss?
Crisis Suits22pts. Supporting Fire capable. Rated Very Bulky. Most rumors seem confirmed and I guess they are still 3 to a unit? Drones and other upgrades make the unit though.
Riptide
180pts. T6, 5W. Comes with a STR 6 cannon that does 8 shots. Make it 12 shots rending (but gets hot) on Overdrive. or make it a STR7 AP 2 3-shot gun that can overcharge into a massive blast. Can take a twin-linked fusion blaster or plasma rifle (which are again the same). Its a serious gunboat.
Fire Warriors
9 pts, free Photon Grenades. WIN! Fireblade lets them add +1 shots if they don't move.
Kroot
6 pts each WITH 6+ armour. STR3, WS4. Hounds are 5 points. Krootox is 25pts. Precision ammo can make their guns sniper rifles. Wowa. 20 Sniper Rifles? Now that's something. They get acute senses from their hounds (tracking dawgs).
HQs
Ethereal = 50pts. Fireblade= 60pts.
Special Rules/Weapons:
Aun'Va will be awesome.
Invoke the Elements: At Start of movement, choose one element. The Etheral and all tau units that are not vehicles gain the benefit until the Etherals next movement phase. Effect ends if the Ethereal does.
Grand Invocation: Aun'va can invoke two elements!!!
Supreme Loyalty: While Aun'va is Alive, all tau units re-roll leadership checks.
Nova Reactor: On a 1-2 take a wound, no saves allowed. 3+, Jetpack move 4d6, Fire support fusion blasters, plasma rifles or missles twice, you can use the nova charge profile of your weapons. Effects last until your next movement phase.
Tactical Retreat: Shi'vre and unit may consolidate after overwatching.
Nova Reactor: On a 1-2 take a wound, no saves allowed. 3+, Jetpack move 4d6, Fire support fusion blasters, plasma rifles or missles twice, you can use the nova charge profile of your weapons. Effects last until your next movement phase.
Tactical Retreat: Shi'vre and unit may consolidate after overwatching.
Cyclic ion blaster: 18" Str7/AP 4, Assault 3 OR...Overload: Strength 8, AP 4, Blast, Heavy 1 (Get's Hot)
Pulse Carbine: 18" S5 AP5, Assault 2 , Pinning
Pulse Pistol: 12", S5, AP5
Long Range Pulse Rifle: 48" SX AP 5, Rapid Fire, Sniper
Pulse Pistol: 12", S5, AP5
Long Range Pulse Rifle: 48" SX AP 5, Rapid Fire, Sniper
Aun'shi (yes he's back!!!) can choose to re-roll failed saves. He basically parries.
Afterburners: Turboboost like a jetbike.
Sworn protector: ability to Auto-pass Look Ouit Sir.
Stay Calm!: Stubborn
+1 shot to all pulse weapons whose target is within have range. I think a Drone does this?
Solidity of Stone: Feel no Pain 6+
Some units can fire snap shots after running. I wonder if the BS 2 Overwatch thing will affect SnapFire?
58 points for a Sniper Drone unit.
Pulse Bomb: S5 AP5, Heavy 1, Large Blast, One Use only
Missles:
Missle Pod: 36", S7 AP4, Assault 2
High Explosive Missle Pod: 36" S7 AP4, Heavy 4
Markerlights: Spend 1 for +1 BS, Spend 2 for IGNORES COVER, Spend 1 for Seeker Missle
High Velocity Deployment: Drones can disembark in the movement phase even when Zooming. If the drones disembark first, the flyer can continue its movement as normal.
Failure is not an Option: All friendly Tau models can Use the Etherals leadership if they are within 12 inches, but killing the Etheral grants a VP.
Drones:
Missle Drone: comes with a Missle Pod!
Devilfish: Up to two Seekers for 8pts each.
Broadsides: 65pts each if i didn't mention it already.
Missle Pod: 36", S7 AP4, Assault 2
High Explosive Missle Pod: 36" S7 AP4, Heavy 4
Markerlights: Spend 1 for +1 BS, Spend 2 for IGNORES COVER, Spend 1 for Seeker Missle
High Velocity Deployment: Drones can disembark in the movement phase even when Zooming. If the drones disembark first, the flyer can continue its movement as normal.
Failure is not an Option: All friendly Tau models can Use the Etherals leadership if they are within 12 inches, but killing the Etheral grants a VP.
Drones:
Missle Drone: comes with a Missle Pod!
Devilfish: Up to two Seekers for 8pts each.
Broadsides: 65pts each if i didn't mention it already.
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