New Tau Army Set/Battalion/Book/Piranhas and More!

Philleehellphia · Post by **Philleehellphia** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:08 am

Score. This is crazy. My Tau army is just going to be lethal now! Hahaha. Vespids! And that Elthereal is crazy.. Ooh.. I can't wait for this.. XD!!!!! Hahahaha! Piranhas! I can't wait! Hahahahaha!

The Army Set:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... 8dfb50.jpg

This boxed set is perfect for starting a new Tau Empire army or adding on to an existing force. Supplies of this boxed set are limited so please make sure that you order promptly to ensure delivery.

This boxed set includes: Codex: Tau Empire, one (1) Tau Ethereal and Shield Drone, one (1) Tau Crisis Battle Suit Commander and two (2) Gun Drones, two (2) Tau XV8 Battlesuits, six (6) Vespid Stingwings, a four (4) model Tau Sniper Drone Team, three (3) Tau XV25 Stealth Suits, twelve (12) Tau Fire Warriors, sixteen (16) Kroot, and one (1) Hammerhead Tank. All models are supplied unpainted and require assembly.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom: March 11, 2006 - £145.00
United States: March 16, 2006 - $205.00
Canada: March 20, 2006 - $300.00
Germany: March 1, 2006 - 199,00 EUR
France: February 22, 2006 - 195,00 EUR

The Battalion:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/TAU2.jpg

This boxed set includes (1) Tau Crisis XV8 Battlesuit, (1) Devilfish APC, (3) Tau XV25 Stealth Suits, (1) Markerlight Drone, (6) Gun Drones, (12) Tau Fire Warriors and (12) Kroot Carnivores.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom: April 1, 2006 - £50.00
France March 8, 2006 - 80,00 EUR

Piranha Skimmer Team(Previously from Forgeworld):

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/TAU3.jpg

The Piranha is a lightly armoured vehicle used by the Tau in a range of capacities including rapid response, support of pathfinder teams and even as battlefield transport for high-ranking dignitaries. By Upgrading the vehicle to carry a fusion blaster or a pair of seeker missiles it becomes an effective tank hunter, particularly when guided to target by Pathfinder teams. This box contains 3 Tau Piranha Skimmers.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £40.00

Tau Crisis Battlesuit Commander

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/TAU4.jpg

Commander is a position of great honour for Tau of the Fire caste. It is attained only after years progressing through the ranks of Fire Warriors to fight first in the Battlesuit teams and then as part of another Commander's Bodyguard. Proof of accomplishment in not only the tactical but also the strategic arts of war may then earn the Commander's approval and elevation from Shas'vre. Contains 1 Tau Crisis Battlesuit Commander.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £15.00
Australia March 8, 2006 - $40.00
France March 1, 2006 - 20,00 EUR

Tau Sniper Drone Team

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/Tau5.jpg

Sniper Drone teams consist of a single Tau Spotter and three rail rifle-equipped drones. Each team is equipped to provide pinpoint accurate anti-personnel firepower, and they do this best when working in groups of two or three such teams. Contains a single Tau Spotter and 3 Sniper Drones.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £15.00
Australlia March 1, 2006 - $40.00
France March 15, 2006 - 20,00 EUR

Tau Pathfinders with Rail Rifles(New models to the old range)

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/Tau6.jpg

Tau Pathfinders are skilled at infiltrating the battlefield and spring ambushes on the unexpecting enemy. With the addition of a few Rail Rifles in the squad they become even more dangerous. A Tau Pathfinder squad consists of between 4 and 8 models. The blister contains 2 random Pathfinder with Rail Rifle figures.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £6.00
Australlia March 15, 2006 - $18.00
France March 15, 2006 - 10,00 EUR

Army Book

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... auBook.jpg

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £12.00
Australlia March 1, 2006 - $33.00
France March 1, 2006 - 15,00 EUR

Ethereal Caste

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/Tau7.jpg

Led by the mysterious Ethereals and accompanied by alien allies whose cultures have been subsumed in their empire, the Tau believe that the very stars themselves will be reforged in the cause of the Greater Good. This blister contains a single Tau Ethereal.

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £6.00
Australlia March 29, 2006 - $18.00

Vespid Stingwings

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a168/ ... a/Tau8.jpg

The Vespid provide auxiliaries to Tau armies, who value them for their skill at negotiating dangerous ground at speed. They make ideal mobile reserve or flanking troops, though the Tau rely on the communion helm issued to the Strain Leaders to communicate with the Stingwings and coordinate their actions. (6 figure boxed set).

Release Dates/Prices:

United Kingdom April 1, 2006 - £15.00

-Phil

Rork edit: Images replaced with links...

Mornedhel · Post by **Mornedhel** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:33 am

Hey phillee, great thread, thanks! I´m looking forward to the new codex as well, and I have decided I will definitely get a commander battlesuit, a sniper drone team and a few of the new stealth suits asap.

I´m just as excited as you, really. I´ve had a look at the new codex in a GW store recently, and I really liked it. A lot of the fluff part is exactly the same as in the old codex, though, and I´m not sure wether there is much new fluff, but there´s a lt of interesting new wargear and unit options.

On an unrelated note, would you mind editing the post so that you link to the pics instead of including them? You know the drill...

P.S.: Oh and btw, will all that stuff really only be released on April 1st in the UK? Because here in Germany, the new codex will be out 1st of March, as well as the sniper drones and the new ethereals, while the rest follows over the next few months, the commander battlesuit coming last in June, iirc.
Strange that the codex gets released here before it is in the UK.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:59 am

Phil? Remember site policy on not posting pictures? I reported your post (even though it's informative)...

Anyway, yes, Morn, us European folks get it all a month earlier than the Brits. Go us.

Vespids suck, Ethereals now suck, Piranhas aren't very useful, the Skyray is the only thing that shines. I can tell you the Battalion is an awesome buy, though: you get one mounted unit of Fire warriors, one unit of ten kroot, a Crisis suit for a commander and three Stealth suits (you need to purchase at least one more later on, but there). This allows you to make a very solid basic 500 point list:

Crisis Shas'el (Fireknife, let's keep it simple) - 92
3 * Stealth Shas'ui - 90
12 * Fire warrior Shas'la in Devilfish (SMS, MT, DL, TA) - 240
10 * Kroot carnivores - 70

Total - 492

And that's an excellent starter list, even though this is a bit OT.

Niterabbit · Post by **Niterabbit** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:37 am

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Ansob, because I do not think that Vespids suck at all. Rather, I just think that they aren't too useful in anything but controlled situations and, while this is very similar to "suck", I don't consider them exactly the same thing. Other than that little bit of pedantry, yes I think they would take some thinking to use effectively. Ethereals have an interesting option, to say the least, and one that I am sure would be fun to use though I never did use them before and I don't think I'll be doing so now. I really like the new goodies that some of the existing units are getting (yep, folks, you read it right. Devilfish can take a Smart Missile System!) and Commander Shadowsun has the potential to become one of the few special characters I ever feel like using, right up there with Lucius the Eternal and the Deceiver. Even then, I really don't like using the Deceiver anymore but that's not important.

Pre-ordered mine and getting it next month (damn you, Ansob!)

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:46 pm

Agreed @ your vespid comment, I just didn't feel like explaining.

Anyway, just to temper what you're saying: SMS are twenty points and replace drones (is the cost and two extra shots worth losing the strategic options that the droens give us?); Ethereal are now unfluffy as hell, and commander are 1+ anyway; Shadowsun is the worst of all our special characters (even Farsight with all his restrictions is better).

Mennorach · Post by **Mennorach** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:53 pm

I haven't been able to take a look att the new codex so I just ask: Are ethereals still just easy victory points for my nid's?

Mornedhel · Post by **Mornedhel** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:06 pm

Heh. Though I did have a look at the codex, I didn´t read too much of the actual rules, and as Ethereals don´t concern me all that much (see below), I didn´t check their new rules.
However, a rumour I heard mentions they can now get body armour, most likely a 4+ save (no invulnerable save though, but with rumours you can never be sure), so they´ll probably be a little harder to kill.

I have now gone through all the Tau models I own but have never assembled, and I actually think I won´t buy too much of the new stuff in the near future, except the codex and maybe a new commander suit (to have the models for the new weapon options). Maybe a sniper drone team or two.

The other new models will just have to wait until I manage to enlarge my force a little more, but I´m looking forward to getting a skyray and a few piranhas one day.

I´ll use my XV15 Stealthies, though, cause I just like the idea of having two different battlesuit designs for the same purpose, and if I want a second unit of them, I´ll get the new ones. Only drawback here is that the XV15 cannot have a hardpoint-mounted system like the XV25 can. And being a fluff nut, I´d never just say I pay the same points for them so they can just as well have one even if they´re different models. But I guess for less fluff-fanatic players that would do just as well.

However I really don´t like the new ethereal models. I didn´t like the old ones much, but the new ones are ugly imo. Way too much spiritual stuff on them, they all look like decadent super-priests. I´ll maybe get the Aun'Shi model someday to represent one though.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:23 pm

Ethereals are identical except for their rules. Their death now grants Prefered Enemy to the Tau; I warned you it was unfluffy. I would invite you to do a search on Google for "mechanized tau tactica."

Mornedhel · Post by **Mornedhel** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:43 pm

I have studied the MechTau Tactica last year, but I will not build my list according to it, as I am fairly new to 40k´s 4th edition and have only played two games in 3rd, a few weeks after it was released, and that was not with Tau but with Space Wolves and Death Guard.

I might try using it later on, but not for my first few lists.

Btw, if anyone´s interested in reading it, I pulled this old site from my fav archives; it is a fairly good read, comprehensive, and easy to understand:

MechTau Tactica

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:02 pm

That's not an "old site," Morn, it's the Mech Tau Tactica. :roll:

Currently being upgraded to Tau 2.0, of course.

Mornedhel · Post by **Mornedhel** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:22 pm

Meh, for me it was old because I last looked at it a year ago.

Anyway, I have just browsed through it once more, and I guess the new units will be a very good addition to the Mech Tau Tactica. The Piranhas and Skyrays will be very valuable, as will be Stealthies with Fusion Blasters.

I might reconsider my former statement of not wanting to use the Tactica, actually. I don´t really like the XV88´s anyway, so it might be a viable option.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:34 pm

Stealths with fusion blasters are a con, and won't even be mentioned. If you want an in-depth explanation on why they're a con, I'll be glad to oblige. The Piranhas aren't that good at all, if not all that bad. As for the Skyray, it's the only worthy addition. Anyway, all three will get articles, if that's what you meant.

Post by **Rork** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:43 pm

A neutral shade of black. wrote:Stealths with fusion blasters are a con, and won't even be mentioned. If you want an in-depth explanation on why they're a con, I'll be glad to oblige.

Anything to do with putting a short range AT weapon in a medium range Anti-personnel unit?

Niterabbit · Post by **Niterabbit** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:10 pm

Pirahnas seem to be glorified Land Speeders (which, admittedly, look pretty cool) that cannot take Assault Cannons and while I don't think they're terrible they certainly can't be classed in the same league as their Space Marine counterparts. As for the Fusion Blasters on Stealth Suits, it's not a con so much as an interesting option that no one will use because it runs completely contrary to what Stealth Suits were really designed for (and leaves them completely open to attack from players that greatly, and rightly, fear them).

Mornedhel · Post by **Mornedhel** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:41 pm

In my opinion spending points on flexibility is a very intelligent thing, especially in the context of Mech Tau. While I agree that Stealthies are supposed to be infantrykillers, giving a unit of six one fusionblaster enhances the flexibility of your army as whole.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:06 pm

*feeds Rork some candy*

NR: the reason I classed it as a con is that it's being served to us as "the next best thing" when it's really useless given the unit it's in.

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:13 am

So, what about Vespids now? I have not seen the rules, but it sounds like they can infiltrate and get a S5, AP3 rifle. They're quite naked (i.e. very susceptible to fire), but that kind of anti-SM ability doesn't come all too easy to the Tau, who had a pretty big problem with low-AP weapons in their earlier incarnation. Both tanks and battlesuits are very expensive, but Vespids seems like they'd be cheap. Flooding the Tau infantry reserve with low-AP weaponry, albeit short-ranged weaponry, seems like it could come in very handy.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:53 am

16-17 points a model, cheap? You're kidding me, right? And they can't infiltrate, IIRC, just jump infantry and fleet of wings.

Pmpn8ez · Post by **Pmpn8ez** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:41 am

You are indeed one of the most opinionated people I have ever met, ansob. No, 16-17 isn't very cheap. That said, I have not yet seen the book so I am basing my assumption on the low cost of kroot troops (who I hope don't cost anywhere near that; god knows they sucked at 7-8 points per model). I'm sure they have some redeeming factors, even if they're few and far between. Fleet of wing and jump infantry allows them to be pretty aggressive. Used in tandem with battlesuits, I'm sure they'd do very well as an anti-SM unit.

Ansob. · Post by **Ansob.** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:26 am

Kroot remain at the same cost, though krootox are 0-3 per squad at 35 points a piece and hounds are 0-5 at the same cost as before. And of course, neither take up extra slots any more (but krootox still deny infiltrate, so are a complete waste).

The problem is this: BS3, one shot, 12" range. Even combined with a three-man suit squad with all about TLPRs (20 point per rifle, 30 twin-linked - remember that, too), there is absolutely no guarantee that you will wipe out every threat that could potentially take out your expensive vespids. Even five marines are enough to wipe out a squad of vespids (who will most often be taken in small numbers so as to be easily hideable and not too expensive). The problem is that there isn't one MEq unit in an MEq army, but a whole army of them.

Anyway, I remain absolutely convinced that this codex is just a token gesture from GW. They haven't fixed the drones, they haven't made us on-par with SM, CSM or Eldar and most of what they gave us is crap.