Tau Rumor Roundup Mk-2

[daboom]

Yep markerlights are still heavy...

[ElectricPaladin]

Yep markerlights are still heavy...

That by itself doesn't mean that they've failed (though it's disappointing). The other questions remain:

• What is the cost of a pathfinder unit?
• What is the cost of a marker drone?
• What deployment options do pathfinders have? Scouts? Outflank? Infiltrate?
• Where can we get markerlights on relentless or vehicular platforms and at what cost?
• Other than markerlights, what other options do we have to boost the BS or rate of fire of Tau units?

[The Dave]

That by itself doesn't mean that they've failed (though it's disappointing). The other questions remain:

• What is the cost of a pathfinder unit?
• What is the cost of a marker drone?
• What deployment options do pathfinders have? Scouts? Outflank? Infiltrate?
• Where can we get markerlights on relentless or vehicular platforms and at what cost?
• Other than markerlights, what other options do we have to boost the BS or rate of fire of Tau units?

ElectricPaladin, I agree with your sentiments on Markerlights entirely. Without them, the army would just be IG, but with them we have a lot of options and the ability to correct that extremely acceptable BS3 (given that Tau are not genetically enhanced, psychically-tuned super-soldiers lol).

Your questions are ones that I've been waiting to find the answers to myself. I really wish the person who got those pics of the codex could have grabbed a pic of the Pathfinders entry, but oh well, only four more days!

[ElectricPaladin]

I will tell you one consequence of the Spanish translation - thanks again, by the way. I've bought a hammerhead ion cannon on eBay. It looks like ion cannons are getting a bit of a boost that might make them more than a poor man's railgun.

Ion Cannon (Canon Ionico) is on the Hammerhead:
- Normal - S7 AP3 - Heavy 3
- Submunition - S8 AP3 - Large Blast, Heavy 1, Gets Hot

That's pretty tasty, especially now that the normal shot has the potential to glance light vehicles to death and the submunition will do terrible, terrible things to squads of power armor, especially once you've markerlit their cover into oblivion.

[Xarplo]

According to those pics, it looks like Fusion Blasters are now 18"! WOOT!

[Tynskel]

I like the minor change to Markerlights that has a HUGE impact on game play. Gone are the days of multiple marker hits to remove cover. hit once, cover gone. hit twice, cover gone +1BS or a seeker that ignores cover.

[Kawauso]

According to those pics, it looks like Fusion Blasters are now 18"! WOOT!

18" meltaguns on jump pack infantry? Yes please.

[apahllo]

That by itself doesn't mean that they've failed (though it's disappointing). The other questions remain:

• What is the cost of a pathfinder unit?
• What is the cost of a marker drone?
• What deployment options do pathfinders have? Scouts? Outflank? Infiltrate?
• Where can we get markerlights on relentless or vehicular platforms and at what cost?
• Other than markerlights, what other options do we have to boost the BS or rate of fire of Tau units?

Having them be heavy is a way of balancing the game and is disappointing only if you seek an unfair advantage(like all good generals, lol) another proper way to balance is giving them a 5+ and a mandatory devilfish. On a side note, I believe tau tetras are a grossly effective unit but are squishy and have nothing else to do but mark up with a lazer show, that's balance but just barley.

Your other points are great questions, but scouts seems like the only rule I see as "needed" unless they get a price hike.

[atlas_garon]

+5 sv is not balance they already have **** LD one good bolter volley and they will break and not come back hvy makes transport pointless for them and they will have to snap shot to hit anything then die before giving you more than 1 or two markers to work with. Its that they are FA that hurts them more than anything really dumb on the writing team to weaken and already weak unit.

[ElectricPaladin]

Having them be heavy is a way of balancing the game and is disappointing only if you seek an unfair advantage...

I really disagree with you here. It's a moot point, since it isn't like GW is listening to us, and even if they were, it's a bit late. My theory - substantiated only by my observations of the codex - is that the Tau are designed as a shooty army that is bad at shooting because of the advantage presented by markerlights.

Imagine an army that works like this:

Most models have abysmal leadership. However, you've got this set of special independent characters that you can move around in different units. Each one effects the leadership of its unit in different ways, as well as granting other, smaller ancillary benefits. So, you've got this extra layer to the game: how do you arrange your special characters? Do you put them all into one unit so it's got killer Ld and lots advantages? Do you spread them around to make your entire army reliable? Unlike most armies, your army is bad at something it needs to do - hold objectives, pass pinning checks, not get run down after losing a single guy in close combat - but also unlike most armies, you have the potential to make a few of your squads totally awesome at those things, plus some other advantages.

The Tau work like that. They're kind of mediocre at what they're supposed to be good at (shooting), but they have a special benefit - which they have to spend like a resource, turn by turn - that can make them average, or even really good at shooting.

The trouble is, if you make the special benefit too hard to come by - too expensive, too hard to use, too inflexible - the whole gimped-but-awesome thing turns into just gimped. And that's where the Tau have been for years, because markerlights don't work as designed.