So I picked up the Tau codex on my way into work this morning. I thought it would give me a good read on a typically slow Saturday afternoon. Rather than review the book in a traditional format I thought it would be cool to give some first reactions based on the conversation I've been having with my good ol'friend Mr. Nerdwatch.
Me: Tau Codex in hand
Him: Ballin' so, any possibility of a super gundam force?
Me: Let's take a look.
Me: You can have all fire warrior type dudes.
Him: So they got rid of the "you must have a battle suit commander?"
Me: Yeah, it looks like you can take an HQ called a Cadre Fireblade.
Him: Cool.
Me: Riptide is an Elite!
Him: Jigga what now?
Me: I would've thought that badass mutha was a heavy.
Him: Yeah, me too.
Me: But it looks like there's no way to make battlesuits a troops choice and so you either have to take firewarriors or kroot.
Him: Sad face.
Him: I would have loved shadowsun to make stealth suits troops.
Me: Not that I'm seeing.
Him: Oh?
Him: aww
Him: read that as "Now that I'm seeing"
Him: I'm assuming stealth suits have changed, looks like there getting rid of those rules where you measure distance to see if you can see them.
Me: Yeah, you instead get stealth and shrouded so a 2+ save in cover is pretty nice.
Him: Cost? any other changes? Still FA?
Me: Elites
Him: Hmm, always with the elites, did they get any new FA's or heavy's worth looking at?
Me: Nothing new save their flyers
Me: They also already dropped a faq saying only broadsides could get missile drones. Doesn't change my plan, but before you could have firewarriors with the drones as well.
Him: Interesting.
Me: Sniper Drones got a bit of a nerf, maybe. In that they got regular sniper rifles instead of the Str 6 AP 3 rail guns.
Me: That said, the new guns are rapid fire.
Me: and have a 48" range.
Him: I'd assume, as I'm pretty sure the new tau still don't like CC.
Me: Nope, in fact, they have a special rule that lets any unit within 6" not just the charged unit, overwatch.
Me: That's their codex wide ability.
Him: Oh, shit, that actually means a gunline would be awesome.
Me: Yeah, I'm thinking put a line of dudes across the front that you'd have to charge then put blocks of dudes behind. Charge the lead unit and the whole army gets overwatch.
Him: Indeed.
Him: An Aegis defnce line makes this a good strategy.
Me: I just broke the game!
Him: Lol
Me: Because you can expend markerlights during overwatch to increase your BS.
Him: Dayum dayum dayum!
Me: There's like 1000 drones
Me: Marker Drone, Gun Drone, Missile Drone, Shield Drone, Recon Drone, Grav-Inhibiter Drone, Pulse Accelerator Drone....
Me: Sniper Drone, Command Drone....
Him: We got all kinds a drones.
Me: Small Drones, Fat Drones, Quick Drones, Sloooow Drones, Come on Down to Cadre's Drone Imporium cause we've got a drone for yooooou!
Me: They have Commander Longstrike a special character for Hammerheads.
Him: What does her do?
Him: he*
Me: Which gives the Hammerhead tank hunters, preferred enemy (imp guard) and BS 5
Me: And a Pathfinder Special Character HQ who is know as Darkstrider. Outside of being a badass Pathfinder he and his unit treat non-vehicle enemies as -1 toughness for shooting and can consolidate D6" after firing overwatch.
Me: Which I can see being used as intended, to get the fuck away from combat, but what if you use that ability to put that squad in front of a squad targeted by a charge. If the opponent can't reach the initial target no charge can happen me thinks.
Me: I might do a battlesuit-less army. They've got some cool shit. The Cadre Fireblade gives his unit "bladestorm" if it doesn't move and it can still shoot next turn.
Him: Datum.
Him: Dayum
Me: I like the cut of this armies jib.
Me: The Damn Riptide has a Shield Missile Drone! Sooo many drones.
Me: Sadly I don't think they've changed Kroot or Vespids at all.
Him: Sad pandas.
Me: There IS however an Ethereal Special Character that is a close combat monster.
Me: I would also take Ethereals in general now. They don't make your whole army run away when they die and they have sweet support powers.
Him: Ehterals were just BAD
Me: Now that rule is changed to All units within 12" can use his leadership for most things and if he does die he gives up an extra victory point.
Me: In addition they can grant all friendly units within 12" one of the following: Stubborn, Fire and extra shot at half range, Feel No Pain on a 6+ or they can fire Snap Shots after running.
Me: The book seems pretty solid. I'm impressed.
So in general those are our first thoughts on the book. I'm still reading through it looking for strategies and inspiration for a list. There is a natural evolution of my previous ideas on Tau in here and I feel like I can bring that to the forefront. Also just some really cool stuff in general. If I wasn't so invested in my Eldar I might just consider switching armies. Ghostwind Cadre perhaps? I doubt it...
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