40K: Codex: Tau Special Character & Formations Q&A

Looks like someone got the new Codex: Tau and is running a Q&A – Check this out!

Grab some popcorn folks, it’s Q&A Time with Iuchiban!

Via Iuchiban 10-23-2015

I don’t recall if this was answered, have the Signature Systems changed? Currently it seems like a no-brainer to take a Buffmander as he gives re-rolls to-hit, Ignores Cover plus Monster Hunter/Tank Hunter to the entire detachment. If that guy on DakkaDakka is right in that if you combine a Buffmander with a unit that has Target Locks and Split Fire at different targets, you can do this stuff to more than one unit a turn too with the Buffmander bonuses. Does that sound legal to you from what you can read? That is broken beyond belief if that is the case.

Additionally, did Vespid themselves or the flyers change at all?

Already answered but …. Signature systems remained the same.

I cannot see any changes in Vespids.

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Step by step:
– We have a Buffmander that gives all those SR to his unit
– If you choose to combine fire, all the chosen units shoot as if they were a single unit, so they benefit from all the SR of the Buffmander.
– Target lock says that a model equippend with one, may fire at a different target.
– Split fire lets another model shoot at a different target

So I would that for every target lock and/or Split fire, one model can shoot to a different target, and get the benefit of all those special rules.

Pointwise is expensive, but it works,

What special characters are in the codex, any rules changes?

Special characters are:

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– Farsight
– Shadowsun
– Aun’shi
– Aun’va
– Darkstrider (Can joint breachers now, as well as Strike and Pathfinders teams). The -1T to target Works very good with the new Pulse Shotguns.

Rules are the same. No changes.

Are the Pulse Driver Cannon and pulse Blastcannon listed as Pulse weapons?
Did the Ethereal change at all, specifically with regards to Storm of Fire?

Are Farsight/Darkstrider/Longstrike in the codex and the detachment?
Who is a Lord of War?

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They are pulse weapon, but the Ethereal rule says specifically that it does not affect them. Apart from this, Ethereal is pretty much the same.

SC – see above

Only Lord of War is the Stormsurge.

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Can you give us small tidbits about the tactical objectives?

Does anywhere in the book say about a possible War Zone Damocles: Mont’ka?
Warlod traits are same:

Tactical objetives are:

11 – 1 VP if one enemy unit that assault last turn is destroyed

12 – 1 VP if one enemy unit is destroyed by a unit that is in your deployement zone

13 – 1 VP if one unit is destroyed of fails a moral check. If 3 or more, D3 VP

14 – 1 VP if one unit is completly at 12″ of one border of the battleflied and another unit in the opposite border.

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15 – 1VP if a unit that starts the turn at 9″ of any unit of your army and its not in its deployment zone is destroyed

16 – D3 VP if you control an Objective that was under the control of the opponent at the beginning of the turn. 3+D3 VP if 3 Objetives. 1 additional VP if no model is lost during this turn.

By the way, datacards are only objetives and warlord traits. Nothing else.

I haven’t have time to read the book Deep enough, so cannot say any thing about the War Zone thing.

 

1) Has vectored retro thrusters changed (the support system that gave units hit and run)?

2) Is iridium armour still limited to 1 per detachment?

1) No changes

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2) Iridium armour is a signature system, so only one per army.

So, if the Stealth team cadre thingy rules makes shots hit the rear, does that mean that Wave Serpents would get no benefit from their shields?

The rule says clear that they are hit in the rear, so I would say that Serpent shield will not work. Necron shields will not work either ….

Age of Tau begins!!!!

Thanks Iuchiban. I have one more question. Do bonding knives offer the same bonus?

Yes. Remains the same

– How many drones are in the Drone list? Can any unit grab the 6++ drone? And the Pathfinder’s special drones? Are Missile drones available to more units?

– where is Tide Wall in all of this?

Drones are as always: Missiles drones only for Broadsides. Strike teams can purchase the 6+ Drone, but they do not have or can purchase the amplifier thing. Pathfinders drones are the same.

I am really surprised, but the Tidewall is NOT in the codex.

What’s the actual makeup of the Stealth Cadre?
I know its 1 Ghostkeel, 2 Stealth Suits, but is there room here? Like 2-4 Stealth Suits or 1-2 Ghostkeel or something?
It is:

– 1 unit of Ghoskeels
– 2 units of Stealth Battlesuits

That’s it.

Do Cadre Fireblades and their units still require to be still to grant Volley Fire?

What are the extra things Devilfishes have access now? Their page in WD seems to have more options than the 6e

Can Firesight Marksman (Sniper Drone Team) fire at a different target than the unit?

Does Stormsurge really miss Blacksun filter? Or is it listed somewhere in the armour page?

Are Riptides still forbidden to grab Vectored Retro-Thrusters?

1. Yes

2. Devilfish is 100% same

3. No

4. Does not have it or access to it.

5. Yes. Only Crisis and Stealth battlesuits can get one.

What’s the composition of the formation with stormsurges and ghostkeel?

– 1 Unit of Ghostkeels
– 2 units of Stormsurges

Are Kroot weapons the same? Kroot, Shaper, Krootox?

Yes. All the same.

Thank you. Can you confirm that the firebase cadre can be composed by any units o battlesuits?

Firebase Support cadre is:

– 2 units of broadsides
– 1 unit of Riptides

And just for clarification, Markerlights are the exact same except that for one point they can turn the Stormsurge’s Destroyer Missiles into Strength D right?

I am afraid that the wording is the same as in previous codex.

1 markelight token boosts 1 Destroyer missiles fro S8 to SD. Rest of Markerlight uses remains the same.

– Does Feel no Pain costs 15 or 35 for the Stormsurge?
– If the Hunter Cadre can run and shoot, what’s the point in using Ethereal’s Water ability?

Stormsurge cannot purchase FnP thing. It already has that rule for being Gargantuan Creature.

Ethereal water invocation is: Snap shot and then run. In this order
Hunter Cadre is run and shot. In this order.

Just noted that Hunter Cadre vehicles can as well move flat out and then shot. That’s good for Fusion Piranhas … mmm interesting. By the way it only works if unit is at 12″ from the commander before running or moving flat out.

Woha, that’s important!

Wait… the bolded part; does that mean that any unit wanting to run and shoot must be near the commander?
Ah, and is the Holophton Countermeasures written just like the WD article? OR did they clarify it a bit?
Is the Stormsurge Pulseblaster 15p or 5p?

Yes. I think its fair. There has to be some restriction somewhere, right?

Is there any word on the Interceptor Drones that come with the Sun Shark Bomber? Previously these had the Skyfire rule (rather than Velocity Trackers) that made their overcharge weapon option useless (can’t snapshot a blast weapon at ground units, or target a flyer with a blast weapon)

Interceptor Drones have Skyfire and Interceptor. Lazy codex design I would say …

Kauylon Tau Roundup

Author: Robert B

Robert is a veteran tabletop and miniatures gamer, and writer with over 20 years of experience. His specialtiesies are the worlds of Game's Workshop's Warhammer. He began writing for BoLS In 2010.