I really like the look and overall feel of the Tau. Can we get a Tau thread going? Lore, pictures, funny stuff, anythings welcome
>>33434652
>The battlesuit shrugged off the White Scars who sought to bring it down, trampling one. Its three-toed foot came down with a crunch on the unfortunate warrior’s head, bursting it like a dropped melon, helmet and all. A power glaive sizzled as it left a scar on the battlesuit’s hull. The battlesuit spun, backhanding the White Scar hard enough to flip him head over heels into the air. The tau swung around, the fusion blaster boiling the air as it fired. Thursk threw himself out of the path of the deadly weapon. He hit the ground and rolled to his feet. Axe in both hands, he launched himself at the xenos, charging towards it.
>The pilot of the battlesuit was quicker to react than his comrades. He stepped aside as he swatted Thursk in the back. The blow drove the latter headfirst into a strongpoint. Head pounding, the Dark Hunter tried to stand. His vision blurred. The air hummed as more battlesuits dropped down into the courtyard. The first three had been the tip. The rest were there to make sure it struck home. Thursk groped for his axe.
>‘Ambaghai, I need you ready,’ he croaked, pushing himself to his feet. The battlesuit that had struck him loomed over him, weapon glowing. It fired as he dove between its legs. Smoke and heat washed over him. His power armour felt as if it were responding sluggishly. Something in it might have been damaged.
>Or maybe it was him. He scrambled to his feet. The battlesuit grabbed his head in a grip that would have crushed his skull, had he not been wearing his helmet. It hefted him, and he pounded at its arm helplessly. The metal of his helm began to buckle, and metal cut into his scalp. His eye-lenses burst, peppering his face with photosensitive plastics. The world went red at the edges, and then dark.
-From ''Hunter's Snare''
Melee suit when, Fio'vre?
>>33434743
Don't we have the one commander from the Enclaves who can use his fusion blasters as plasma swords? I'm surprised we've never had any drawfriends get their own idea of what that might look like.
>>33434743
>The battlesuit shrugged off the White Scars who sought to bring it down, trampling one. Its three-toed foot came down with a crunch on the unfortunate warrior’s head, bursting it like a dropped melon, helmet and all. A power glaive sizzled as it left a scar on the battlesuit’s hull. The battlesuit spun, backhanding the White Scar hard enough to flip him head over heels into the air.
What the fuck. None of that shit is even accurate.
>>33434743
post the excerpt that had Khan and Shadowsun honorfucking each other
>>33434743
Is that from the damocles anthology? I heard it was pretty decent for the most part.
>>33434880
That's because none of the other writers were Josh "I Don't Know What Power Weapons Do" Reynolds.
>>33434743
man having the Tau commander in TLS in DoW 2 was such a cocktease. i wonder if relic/thq would have made one final expansion if thq hadn't kicked the bucket. i waited since 2006 for the Tau to be in another RTS game
>>33434845
>‘You do not think like the others,’ Shadowsun said. ‘Your thoughts are more fluid. More like ours,’ she continued, switching to a crude dialect of Khorchin. ‘My folk grew strong on the plains, like yours. We broke cities then and we have broken worlds since, just as you have done.’ His lips peeled back from his teeth, but not in a smile. Not now. ‘Set your sword aside, and we will speak at length, over glasses of chinyua wine and a game of Go, Khan Kor’sarro. We will speak of Chogoris, and the ways of plains folk, and warriors. We will speak of the Greater Good.’
>temptation would have been overwhelming. There were too many layers of meaning in her words, implicit threats and promises that would take days to decode. The hunter in him longed to follow all of the tracks and trails she was laying before him. But he was not simply a hunter – he was the Master of the Hunt, and he had his duty.
>He sighed and looked up at the stars, fading into the dull iron sky of an Agrellan dawn. This world was poisoned, and worth nothing but the lives that would be spent in its defence, including those of him and his men, if that was the way of it. ‘I would like some wine,’ he said and his lips quirked in a smile, as he looked at her. ‘But we have already been playing, huntress, and the time has come to draw our game to an end.’
>>33435017
>Kor’sarro slid forward, barely stirring the snow. The shield drone hummed between them as he raised his bolt pistol. He fired rapidly, but not at either the drone or its mistress. Instead, he fired at the ground. His shots tore steam from the slushy ground as each of the explosive bolts super-heated the snow into a white fog which cascaded upwards, enveloping him and his enemy both. The shield drone hovered, blinded, and he took it first, catching it from below with Moonfang. Piercing the drone, he slung it towards Shadowsun, who fired instinctively, erasing her own drone from existence. He was on her a moment later, his sword chopping down through the barrel of one of her weapons, rendering it useless.
>She flung the shattered weapon aside as she brought up its twin and fired. Her jetpack roared and she slid backwards, away from him, still firing. He pursued her, narrowly avoiding the blasts. The world narrowed to just him and her. He held Moonfang in both hands, arms cocked, ready for the killing thrust.
>If he could just reach her, even if she killed him, it would be over. She knew it as well as he did. It had been a calculated risk on her part, as it had been on his. Victory was never the sweeter than when it was balanced by death.
>Cat-quick, Kor’sarro leapt. She fired, and he felt heat brush past him, scouring his shoulderplate of its white and red markings, and leaving only the grey of bare ceramite as he crashed down on her, driving his sword down with all of his weight behind it. She twisted, desperate now, and the blade caressed her side, tearing through the white armour like paper. He grabbed for her helm, digging talon-like fingers into it, trying to destroy her optic sensors, to blind her for the kill.
>>33435045
>A blade, a primitive looking knife, flashed, suddenly appearing in her hand. It kissed his neck, drawing a thin weal of blood. They hit the ground in a tangle, and her feet caught him in the belly, propelling him away. He lost his grip on Moonfang and slid across the ground. She tossed aside her remaining blaster and tore her crushed and mangled helmet from her head. A topknot of hair as crimson as a Chogorian sunset unspooled and snapped out as a slate-blue face, with large, dark eyes glared at him. He recognised the look in those eyes, alien as they were. ‘Maybe we are alike,’ he said, drawing his combat knife. ‘Come then, huntress. Come and take my scalp.’
>With a cry, she lunged for him, knife in hand. They reeled back and forth through the snow, blocking and slashing. Her blade bit into his vambraces, driven deep into the ceramite by the powered exoskeleton of her armour. His own knife gouged great scars in her armour, driven as much by his own muscle as his power armour. They whirled about one another in a deadly dance, and he laughed deep and loud and long for the pleasure of it.
>>33435070
>They crashed together, blade to blade, and he leaned towards her, smiling widely. In her eyes he saw reflected the joy that he knew danced in his own. We are not so different, Shadowsun, and in other circumstances, I would dance with you again. You are a worthy challenge, he thought. ‘And you would tame us?’ he said, ‘for shame. There is no taming the storm and there is no chaining the hunters of the stars. There is only the hunt, and death. Duty, honour, empire, these are but shadows in this moment, in all moments,’ he said. They strained against one another, heads so close that he could smell her sweat, and see his face reflected in her eyes. ‘You know that, as well as I, huntress. You feel it as well, and that is why you are doomed to fail,’ he said, stabbing to the core of her with each word. There was something indefinable in her gaze – determination, perhaps, tinged with what might have been sadness. The joy had faded. She had lost herself, but only for a moment. He felt a surge of satisfaction that he had been able to give her that much, even if it had only been a single moment of freedom.
>Their knives grated against one another. She longed to kill him, to cut his heart out with her blade and her hands. But that was not the way of it, not today. She shoved him back and withdrew, her armour carrying her speedily away from him. He stumbled momentarily off balance. She scooped up her fusion blaster and spun, levelling it at him before he could reach her. He felt a moment of sadness, both for her sake and his own. She was a cunning creature, locked in chains that she didn’t even see. She deserved a clean death, a warrior’s death, if nothing else. Instead, he would die here, and his men would die, and it would all be for nothing.
>>33435095
>Cemakar hesitated and then nodded. Stiffly, one hand pressed to his side, he moved across the ridge. Bikes roared past, guns blazing. The tau were trying to regroup, but seemed confused, as if their commander was otherwise occupied. Cemakar grunted. He had a feeling that he knew why that might be. Something cold clutched at his hearts, as if a shadow had passed over him. Maybe Ambaghai wasn’t the only one the spirits spoke to. He began to run, despite the pain, despite the ache in his side and the red fog that nearly blinded him. Wherever Shadowsun was, that was where Kor’sarro would be.
>caught sight of the familiar flash of Moonfang, in the light of the nearing dawn. Something in him tore and he coughed blood. He saw them strain against one another, his khan and the alien commander, saw them break apart, saw the weapon rising in her hand, and he knew what was coming next and without a second thought, he leapt.
>Kor’sarro tensed, ready to make his final lunge. Her finger tightened on the trigger.
>Cemakar crashed into him as the fusion blaster roared. Kor’sarro scrambled to his feet. He looked down into the old man’s upturned face. ‘They’re… here,’ he wheezed, smoke rising from between his lips. ‘The Khwarezmian has come.’
-----------------
>Kor’sarro still knelt beside Cemakar. Old Shatterhand was dying, red bubbles forming at the corners of his mouth as he tried to speak, to breathe. He’d been cut in two by the blast, and Kor’sarro shifted slightly, so that Cemakar couldn’t see his own legs lying some distance away. ‘T-told you so,’ the old man hissed. His fist tapped weakly against Kor’sarro’s leg. ‘Stupid,’ he gurgled.
>>33434652
>dat pic
Hold on, a knight is only barely larger than a crisis suit? I thought it was like half the height of a Warhound Titan.
>>33435122
>‘Easy old man, the Khwarezmian is here. You’ll be fine. You’ve survived worse,’ Kor’sarro said, knowing it was a lie even as he said it. ‘You’ll survive this.’ He looked up. The sound of engines shook the ridge. Hasik and his bikers had made it through and come back. The khamar were making a fighting withdrawal. Their ambush had been ambushed, and they knew when they were beaten. They wouldn’t stay gone long, however. He knew that they would have a long, hard ride ahead of them, back to their own lines. The old man gripped his wrist, and Kor’sarro looked down.
>‘My tanks are dead,’ Cemakar said, staring up at the lightening sky. ‘Now so am I.’ His gaze sharpened, just for a moment. ‘They’ll make me a Ghost Warrior, boy,’ he rasped, and there was real fear in his words. For the first time, in his final moments, Old Shatterhand was frightened. The thought of being interred within the armoured sarcophagus of a Dreadnought caused even the staunchest warrior of the ordu to quail. To be made one of the Ghost Warriors meant an eternity of sterile slaughter, never to feel the wind or taste the blood of the enemy. Bloody fingers dug into Kor’sarro’s arm. ‘Don’t let them.’ He coughed. His eyes were wide. Blood spattered into his beard. Then with a querulous sigh, his face went slack, and his hands flopped limply to the snow.
>Kor’sarro hesitated. There was an Apothecary with Gharchai, he knew. Cemakar would be stabilised, kept hovering between the land of blood and the land of ghosts until such time as he could be encased in an adamantine bio-coffin and join the ranks of the living dead. He was too valuable to lose to such a shallow death. Old Shatterhand was a legend – a god-killer and a master of war. The seers would oversee his return and they would awaken him to fight anew.
>Unless there was nothing left to awaken.
>>33435126
That's a Riptide it's breaking.
>>33435126
It's fighting a Riptide you retarded gue'la
>>33435140
>He looked up at Shadowsun, who was shouting orders to her troops. She met his eyes as he rose to his feet. ‘He was my commander, once,’ he said, softly. He knew she could hear him. ‘He was never my friend, for he had none. But he was my brother, and my teacher and he did not deserve this death. And he does not deserve what will happen next.’
>They stared at one another, as the battle swept on around them. She had faced Dreadnoughts before, he knew. Even as she likely knew, after all this time studying the warriors of the ordu what such a fate meant to them. Then, just as he began to fear that he’d misjudged her, Shadowsun inclined her head slightly and he stepped back. Her fusion blaster vomited plasma and Cemakar’s body was enveloped in a pyrrhic shroud. Kor’sarro expelled a breath and looked at her. ‘Your days are numbered. Count them one by one, and cherish them. You have earned this one, but our dance is not yet finished, huntress. Wherever you go, wherever you wage war, I will pursue you, and when the appointed day dawns, your head will join the others on the White Road.’
>Shadowsun held his gaze for a moment. ‘We could have been great friends, huntsman,’ she said, finally. Her armour wavered and a moment later, she was gone, lost to his sight. The sounds of bolterfire trickled off as the tau retreated, leaving Rime Crag to the battered remnants of the Third Company.
-Damocles : Hunter's Snare
ShadxKhan OTP
>>33434880
>picture for ants
BAH
Eat not-Lawmaster, creep!
>>33435126
That's a riptide
>>33435126
That's no Crisis Suit.
>>33435172
>>33435177
You say that as if I should be able to tell anything about Xenos except that they are Xenos.
Also, the only picture I ever saw of a Riptide had it painted Grey, so for someone reason I thought that was the default color scheme.
>>33435297
Why would you comment on it then.
>abloobloo Old Shatterhands!
Fuck this hypocrisy
>The Khan laughed in exultation, activating Moonfang’s power field and bringing it round in a waist-high slash to carve a pair of Tau in half at the waist. One of their kneeling comrades
blasted a point-blank volley right at his chestplate, knocking him back a pace and filling his flaring nostrils with the scent of burning ceramite. The Tau warrior scrabbled for a reload, his fingers shaking with fear. Kor’sarro cut him down with contemptuous ease.
>>33435322
Because I thought it was a crisis suit (they look bloody similar) and I thought Knights were bigger than that.
>>33434808
The books tend to take a theatrical stance.
I always hated Uriel's Ultramarines popping crisis suits with fucking bolters.
>>33435333
He is even more of a prick.
Shadowsun has him dead to rights in that scene, and Shatterhand gets in the way to save him. But there is nothing that stops Shadowsun from just firing a second shot and killing the Khan anyway. Instead, she respects the sacrifice that has been made and spares him.
Later, in that same book, Khan has the drop on Shadowsun after she avoids killing some child soldiers that get caught up in the battle or something. I forget that part, but what happens next is that the Khan almost has her, one of her honor guard gets in the way and sacrifices himself to save her...
And the Khan immediately turns around and tries to kill Shadowsun again.
Shadowsun did Khan a solid, and when the exact same situation came up with the roles reversed later, Khan ignored that and went for the kill anyway. And she still got away.
Khan confirmed for honorless piece of shit. No bro.
>>33435396
>I always hated Uriel's Ultramarines popping crisis suits with fucking bolters.
What the fuck.
This is why I say the novels are fucking stupid and shouldn't be canon.
>>33435340
Actually looking at the picture again... what the hell is the fluff reason for the riptide? It seems like it's armed just as well as the crisis suit, just bigger, heavier, and less mobile. Which makes it a fire sponge, really.
What's the reason?
![Galient 16[(017462)20-31-35].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/3Xdg0Wj.jpg "Galient 16[(017462)20-31-35].jpg")
>>33435455
Picrelated.
They are fighting war, not a honour duel.
Okay I have been away from 40k for a while, what the hell is a Knight? Are the Imperium version of Battlesuits?
>>33435455
>Khan confirmed for honorless piece of shit. No bro.
Except of course that makes you a Xeno sympathizer. Purge the Heretic/xeno is all you need to know, the degree to which they are heretics/xenos doesn't matter.
>>33435502
From what my Tau playing buddy has told me, it's because they didn't want to keep getting stomped by Warhounds and Stompas.
Pretty much they looked at those and said "I want to drive one..."
>>33435502
They carry the big Titan killer guns.
>>33435017
>>33435045
>>33435070
>>33435095
>>33435122
>>33435140
>>33435184
Shadowsun and Khan have totally got the hots for each other. New canon.
>>33435502
Nah man, it's pretty darn mobile. It's the Tau response to having to fight more scary threats like Knights, Titans, Gargants, Bio-Titans, etc. Plus they're scary as shit to fight and provide good morale boosting for Shas
>>33435502
> What's the reason?
Shekkels.
>>33435502
The riptide is the experimental platform for a new powersource called a Nova Reactor. Right now it can only go into FULL POWER in short bursts without tearing the Riptide apart, but when it does? You can either zoom twice as fast, deploy a basically invulnerable super shield, or power up your weapons to full and fire a multi-shot super long range gun that is the single most powerful weapon in the Tau army.
Crises Suits are for getting the right weapons to the right place in time, and falling back if shit gets too hot.
Riptides are about dropping a giant, hard to kill unit on your doorstep and then kicking down your fortress with an ion cannon that makes Monoliths sweat nervously.
>>33435547
Imperial Knights are from Adeptus Titanicus, which came out in the.. 80's? They're the Imperium's equivalent to a Stompa, more or less.
>>33435502
They needed a bigger suit for the bigger threats. Not Titans and shit that's what the Tiger Shark and Manta is for.
>>33435547
One-man titans who live like knights in King Arthur.
>>33435502
Basically there's this big (and slightly unstable) reactor that puts out a stupid amount of power, but it has to be a minimum size. Think nuclear powered aircraft carrier compared to a diesel powered one.
So once you have something big to put it in you can run a massive jetpack, bigass shield and ubergun all at the same time.
It's more manoeuvrable, more powerful and better armoured than a crisis because of this.
>>33434652
How do the Tau treat their Kroot auxiliaries?
>>33435547
> the Imperium version of Battlesuits
You haven't been away for very long time either.
>>33435692
Fairly well. The Kroot are mercenaries but ever since the Tau saved them from extinction from Orkz they pretty much prioritize the Tau with their mercenary work above Humans, Eldar, etc.
>>33435644
>tfw Imperium has the least qt3.14 of the group
>>33435611
>hard to kill unit
Aside of the temporary shield, what makes it any more invulnerable to being shot through the knees than any other walker?
Wouldn't a tank be more sensible to carry heavy weapons? Tau have really been using less and less tanks and more and more suits. I always thought crisis and stealth suits made sense, they fill operational niches. But why would you but super heavy guns on something which can be immobilized by an artillery shell to the knee?
At least imperials have the "void shield, ain't gotta explain shit" excuse. Not that they're not retarded.
>>33435731
It has a giant flight pack, moron.
>>33435731
Powerful armor along with the shield which can get boosted by the nova reactor.
>Wouldn't a tank be more sensible
I always got the impression the Riptide was meant to be a bipedal Hammerhead. You want to drop in a cadre of battlesuits, make a big suit to carry tank weapons instead of having to deploy tanks with your faster battlesuits. You can deploy your suits from Orcas and your Riptide from orbit like Halo Scarabs-all badass like.
>>33435731
Heavy armor, mostly. It has a jet pack, so it can jump over terrain that tanks usually cant.
Anyway, in the fluff it made a pretty impressive first showing. As I recall, it was deployed in a surprise attack against some well fortified hives on an imperial world.
The Hives saw it, got antsy about the giant robot, and fired a low-scale anti titan weapon at it.
The Riptide walked out of the burning crater unharmed, blasted apart a couple landraiders, and disabled the anti-titan weapon/breached the outer wall of the hive letting the fire warriors pour in.
The tech priests on site who saw all of this actually started crying.
>>33435816
And with one leg, it's going to land without crashing how exactly?
>>33435017
>>33435045
>>33435070
>>33435095
>>33435122
>>33435140
>>33435184
much obliged friend
>>33435702
I left JUST as Riptides were introduced.
>>33435731
Adaptability for all environments, muh honourrabu warrior and a fuckhueg jetpack.
Seriously it's basically a plane with legs
Plus, y'know: mo' models, mo' money
>>33435140
>‘They’ll make me a Ghost Warrior, boy,’ he rasped, and there was real fear in his words. For the first time, in his final moments, Old Shatterhand was frightened
>Space Marines
>Fear
Wat.
>>33435855
It's gonna hop around, or it's gonna hover around.
The mental image is hilarious.
>>33435855
Space marines eat brains to absorb memories.
>>33435855
The same way that the Imperium still successfully uses WW1 fighting tactics in a setting where orbital bombardment exists, and Ultramarines can beat uncountable trillions of space bugs with chainsaws.
>>33435875
Exactly.
In a game from the 80's.
>>33435853
It resisted an anti-titan weapon? That sounds like bullshit to me, no way that Tau shield tech is up to Imperial levels. Armour compounds, probably. But shields don't seem like a strong point of Tau tech.
>It has a jet pack, so it can jump over terrain that tanks usually cant.
But Tau tanks are all skimmers, so rough terrain doesn't mean a thing to them, unless it's mountains.
I dunno, I just figure there must be a reason why most imperial anti-titan weapons are mounted on Super Heavy tanks, as opposed to things like knights.
>>33435891
Space Marines experience fear pretty often in the fluff, actually. It is hard to provoke, and their fear usually doesn't slow them down, but they do feel it.
They just don't freeze up and panic from fear.
Hell, some Space marines actually are afraid of fighting the Tau, because tau railguns turn them into slurry and destroy the progenoid glands making recovering the gene seed impossible and dealing heavy long term losses to the chapter.
>>33435901
How do you pronounce Gue'la? Goo'la or Gway'la?
Dawn of War one had them pronounce it Gway'la, and DoW 2's Last Stand Commander made it sound like Goo'la
Don't forget the Riptide's brother.
Someone once said something about another Forgeworld Riptide for close support and I came buckets of tacticool.
>>33435855
Land?
It's got a jetpack and a massive fuel supply, it doesn't need to
>>33435891
Everything has fear. Fear is what kicks our braon into action and pumps full of adrenaline while we decide Fight or Flight.
Space Marines are hardwired to always choose Fight
>>33435985
Goy-la.
>>33435985
I always figured it was Gwue-la
>>33435934
It was a deathstrike missile
>>33435979
>Hell, some Space marines actually are afraid of fighting the Tau, because tau railguns turn them into slurry and destroy the progenoid glands making recovering the gene seed impossible and dealing heavy long term losses to the chapter.
They feel Hatred from that formation, not Fear.
>>33435905
Never seemed off to me.
>>33435908
Imperium is more modern than WWI. Most of it is at a WWII level of technology, but with ballistic missiles, heli support, more advanced squad level tactics (fire teams, squad heavy weapons) and of course, orbital droptroops as opposed to paras.
Krieg is the most WWI regiment. Cadians are vietnam era, and Elysian drop troops are almost black hawk down level.
>>33435985
>>33436040
It's "gway la" you retarded guelos. Gum say choon ah, sei pok gai, lune gum upp yeh.
>>33435934
Tau tech is getting better all of the time, and the Riptide is their brand newest stuff.
Did you know that the Tau are currently working on a man-portable improved Railrifle that can be held and fired by a Firewarrior, but deals the same damage and range as a Broadside/Hammerhead railgun? It is expect to replace the Pulse Rifle when its done.
Th Tau have also been working on a new limitless power source, and in the course of that have accidently blown up stars. Stars as in multiple.
An accident that they have decided to put effort into weaponizing as its own thing.
Tau are rapidly nearing a point where the Imperium falls behind in the arms race.
>>33435986
Nerfed to the ground.
>>33436070
What?
>>33435902
tfw no fluff on my favorite image
Anyone remember the Tau short where the riptide blows up a tank company and the Mechanicus guys are shitting bricks the whole way?
>>33436070
Well excuse me.
>>33436125
Also this really odd one.
>>33436090
Sauces for all these claims?
>>33436090
Plus, the Imperium has very sparse amounts of technology that's far and above Tau technology, to the point where Imperial Tech is more often than not either being beaten by Tau or matched by it.
The biggest advantage though are that Earth Case scientists and engineers thoroughly understand and always improve their technology unlike the Mechancius who, for the most part bang on stuff with sticks, light some incense and call it a day.
>>33435902
damn much better, thanks again
>>33436156
But this one was very good.
>>33436184
Munitorium Rail Rifles for the Rail rifle part.
The suns exploding is in the codex, I believe.
>>33436184
Most his claims are from the codex.
Here is the Railgun bit
>Now, centuries later, the rail rifle is a common sight in Pathfinder teams, though it has not yet fully supplanted the pulse carbine. Indeed, Fire caste doctrine dictates that rail rifles never be fielded to the exclusion of all other weaponry. Even though the current models are considerably more reliable than the initial prototypes, they are still prone to occasional misfires or targeting system failures. These mishaps occur rarely – perhaps once in ten thousand firings – but until this minor unreliability is rectified, the Fire caste will consider the rail rifle an augmentation to Pathfinder teams, rather than a mainstay weapon.
>Whilst the rail rifle officially remains exclusive to Pathfinder teams, there are persistent rumours that more compact versions of the weapon are currently being trialled by Fire Warrior cadres on the Tau Empire’s eastern fringe. It is difficult to say whether there is any truth to these tales, though it is certainly the Earth caste’s avowed intent to oversee further refinement to the weapon. Their next goal is to evolve the rail rifle to a point where its killing power is comparable with its larger, Broadside-mounted cousins. From there, who can say where the Earth caste’s ingenuity will lead?
-Rail Rifle (Munitorum)
>>33436219
>>33436090
Fuck I just love Tau technology. I don't care if it's better than Imperial tech or not, I just love how the blue hooved bastards do things.
I remember they're even working on their own equivalent of Tau Craftworlds.
>>33436187
>the Imperium has very sparse amounts of technology that's far and above Tau technology
Shields. Supply lines: Fuel efficiency (imperial vehicles can run on wood if need be). and Ammunition efficiency (sun charged ammo packs for rifles and cannon). Biological interface (servitors, augments, tech replacements like the admech does, vat growing limbs). Anti armour capability (Melta bombs and guns, plasma cannons).
And I'm sure there's much more.
>>33436248
Bull
>>33436187
>>33436274
Imperium has tons of tech way more advanced than Tau stuff. They just don't end up in the hands of grunts or even many marines.
Even the basic ships that can warp jump are more advanced than Tau tech so don't go thinking Tau are this amazing technological race. They can't hold a candle to Necrons, Eldar, or DAoT. They are simply high tech to US, modern humans, and they are a young race that is constantly improving.
>>33436274
I'm pretty sure the Tau have degrees of Biological interface, it's how Crisis Suit pilots are able to pilot them so well. Supply lines aren't really discussed much for the Tau so I have no idea, and they have a very good amount of Anti Armor capability as well. Fuel and Armor efficienty does sound better though
>>33436291
I don't have the picture on me but it's a tidbit in the 6th edition Tau codex. They aren't craftworld sized but they serve the exact same purpose. They're massive.
>>33435455
naw brah, pussy gets all confused when confronted with panty flooders like a space marine captain.
Khan's doin what all brahs do, kickin ass and gettin pussy wet
>>33436395
It's not hard to believe when they already have Mantas and space ships. Craftworlds are just super big ships. It's not difficult at all to design an upsized space ship. Building it is the hard part.
>>33436395
>I'm pretty sure the Tau have degrees of Biological interface
Sure. But it's nowhere near Imperial tech.
I forgot about orbital drop troops, squad carried auspex, power weapons (and all melee weapons really) and superior anti orbital defences.
I'm not sure if we ever even heard about Tau surface to orbit abilities. Do they even have ICBMs and macro cannon equivalents?
>>33436395
>I don't have the picture on me but it's a tidbit in the 6th edition Tau codex. They aren't craftworld sized but they serve the exact same purpose. They're massive.
It's so pointless I might just believe it if it wasn't the Tau.
Do you recall where it was in the codex?
>>33436395
>I don't have the picture on me but it's a tidbit in the 6th edition Tau codex. They aren't craftworld sized but they serve the exact same purpose. They're massive.
You mean this?
>>33436476
I'm honestly surprised the Tau DON'T have orbital drop troops.
>>33436478
Ta'chiro Fortress stations, floating continents and worlds in space.
It's on the page with the map in the Tau codex.
>>33436347
The way I see it, Tau are approaching DAoT tech-level (of course, you could say that a caveman inventing fire is approaching that level, but you know what I mean).
The Imperium has nifty gadgets in limited supply because it has only a few leftover or they are difficult to manufacture, while the Tau get nifty gadgets in limited supply because they're experimenting with new technology.
There's a story of a Space Wolf who had a time-stopping bomb in place of his second heart so that anyone who killed him would be trapped in eternity with him. In the Tau Codex, there's a Tau commander who had one of those devices wired into his suit, and used it to trap a Space Marine commander with him in stasis. As I recall, they built a monument around the frozen time-bubble.
They've got a few other, stranger devices lying around, but it is true that the Imperium has more of them simply because they have more artifacts than the Tau have innovations.
>>33436533
So it's a Starfort then? So? The Imperium has those by the hundreds of thousands. The largest are Ramilies class starforts, pic related.
>>33436574
Awesome disguise.
>>33436623
Pic relateder
>>33436558
Stasis isn't even near the highest level of Imperium tech. The fact that Loki can use a grenade version of it to replace his heart for laughs is proof enough.
The Tau made a monument out of something the Imperium considers a prank. A firecracker.
>>33436558
>There's a story of a Space Wolf who had a time-stopping bomb in place of his second heart so that anyone who killed him would be trapped in eternity with him.
It'd be pretty anti-climactic if someone just vaporizes him from a hundred feet away
Drones don't get enough love.
>>33436692
He's certainly fat enough to be earth caste.
And is a drone himself.
>>33436679
Lukas is a high-level named protagonist, so I doubt that will happen.
Although his job position is pretty prone to being picked off from range.
>>33436677
Maybe not. But the point is that the gap between the Imperium's best tech and the Tau's new inventions gets shorter every day.
With the ability to destroy Stars, the Tau even have the weapon they need to wipe out an entire Hive Fleet in a single go. Nids are strong, but not "survive a supernova" strong.
The only question is how long it will take them to have the balls to use it.
>>33434652
your daily reminder that GW got ride of any sort of FTL for the Tau.
So none of their tactics, expansion, or military successes make any sense any more.
>>33436751
>But the point is that the gap between the Imperium's best tech and the Tau's new inventions gets shorter every day.
No, the point was that the gap exists. The original argument being the gap was the other way around. Pay attention instead of making spergy tangents.
"Oh man, the Tau can blow up a star!"
That's cute. Meanwhile, the Necrons have the Celestial Orrery. All they have to do is touch a display and go "boop" and they can literally blow up the entire galaxy however they want.
>>33436760
I choose to interpret it that the mechanicus actually doesn't know what the speed of light is, so they miscalculate and the Tau do have FTL it's just not very good FTL.
Because really, they do fucking need FTL if they want to exist.
>>33436558
>>33436677
God hilarious shit's going to go down when some Earth caste gets sloppy or lazy with the monument's maintenance
>>33436120
Nimbosa.
>>33436791
Why are you so bent out of shape over people saying they like Tau tech? Do you really have to flaunt how consistently inferior it is? Do you realize how much of a cunt you're being?
>>33436794
no, the Tau had a weak FTL that made sense, and no one complained about.
Then GW removed because they can't have a faction whose economy or military capacity makes any sort of logical sense.
>>33436823
Because Tau a shit. Did your feelings get hurt, being shown how wrong you are? Is being faced with the inferiority of your chosen faction so hard to deal with?
>>33436751
Well, there's still a huge gap there. You have Tau on the up-and-up, and then the Imperium maybe 30,000 years down the line, with a huge gap titled in bold font "DARK AGE OF TECHNOLOGY".
What exists in that gap? We only get to see bits and pieces that survived out the other side.
>>33436791
I'd be one to exempt Necrons from the whole argument. Their whole thing is being better at technology that everyone. Their basic guns tear matter to pieces and everything else laughs in the face of physics. They're definitely above DAoT humanity, and just about everyone else in the fluff.
>>33436796
Well, the time-fucking-field is self-sustaining, because it's inside the time field, so it can't really undo itself. They sort of just built the building around the bubble of stopped time, like building a monument and memorial around an immovable location.
>>33436872
I know but it's so fucking stupid
>>33436794
>mechanicus
>doing math
I imagine they measure speed in fucking barleycorns or something. Real math is beyond them.
>>33436873
Stop being a cunt.
>>33436823
>Do you really have to flaunt how consistently inferior it is?
Yes, because when you talk about Tau technology IN COMPARISON WITH THE OTHER RACES, that's what's going to fucking happen.
>>33436928
No, why? I don't fucking like Tau. Feel out of place.
>>33435611
>...kicking down your fortress with an ion cannon that makes Monoliths sweat nervously
>>33436948
>>33436934
>>33436967
Monoliths are part of the past, old man, start living in the future of the new dynasties!
It's all about Annihilation Barges and Scythes, screw durability!
>>33436992
No.
>>33436980
Wow, someone who's butthurt calling his aggravators rustled.
Actually, no, why am I even surprised. /tg/.
>>33436679
even moreso if he is around other space wolves when it goes off. some pathfinder kills him and the two dudes around him spend eternity looking shocked as loki is dragged through a tiny hole.
>>33436948
>>33436760
Except they didn't. They gave them near lightspeed engines, and then made fluff that said the tau made new engines to replace those which propelled their ships at 'unthinkable speeds'. The term unthinkable speeds pretty heavily implies FTL if they're already traveling at near-light.
>>33436890
oh, it's very stupid.
But GW likes to remind you occasionally that they will be that stupid. Just in case your hopes were being raised.
Is there a part of the setting that you like or at least have no serious problem with? Well at any time GW might completely fuck that up, even if it they gain nothing from it.
I'd make a list of reasons why GW should no longer be allowed to control their own fluff, and should surrender editorial control to Fantasy Flight Games. But it would be a very long list, and I have better things to do.
>>33437032
Well, I wasn't the one to start bitching about it in the first place.
Tau tech still a shit though. Particularly in space battles, and orbital defense abilities.
>>33437011
Is this based off an actual song or was it /tg/ being awesome?
Hey, why do Tau make such good cops?
Because they're bluebloods.
>>33437096
Google 'monorail simpsons'
>>33437122
Isn't that nobles who have blue blood?
>>33437096
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhpO_WcR_jE
>>33437130
Thanks.
>>33437142
Thanks too.
Requesting a better veersion of this picture.
>>33435905
Unfortunately the Tau try to stay somewhat realistic in their tactics, if only tangentially. Dark Future Stupid™ and Future Soldier nonsense don't mesh well.
>>33436003
>Space Marines are hardwired to always choose Fight
Actually, no. Space Marines are hardwired to be able to decide when to flood their system with adrenalin on their own. Complete control over normally unconscious brain functions is one of their many hilarious powers.
"And They Shall Know No Fear" isn't just a metaphor. Having total control of all bodily functions and being completely brainwashed to look forward to glorious death in battle has removed all fear from them.
>but chaos marines
have given up their selflessness and now fear the consequences of their deaths.
>>33437206
>Unfortunately the Tau try to stay somewhat realistic in their tactics, if only tangentially. Dark Future Stupid™ and Future Soldier nonsense don't mesh well.
what
>>33437395
Exactly what purpose does a giant impractical robot serve when you have airborne railcannons that can shoot beyond the horizon.
The Tau are in the Koronus Expanse.
How?
I don't think I'd play as the Tau, but I do like how a race that would be generic sci-fi somewhere else seems so unique in 40k's space fantasy environment.
Also, has anyone read 'A Sanctunary of Wyrms?' It's a Deathwatch short story where a Water Caste Tau and 80% machine Iron Hand team up to take on some Tyranids. Sum up makes it sound bland, but I love it so hard.
>>33437464
>Slavers caught some and brought them there. Also their technology.
>Warp portals/gates?
>Chaos did it?
Space Marines eat brains to absorb memories.
>>33437426
drop pods and the contents within
you need something hardish defending those guns, glorious mixed arms son
>>33437469
does the water caste have a pulse pistol or something?
>>33437563
Nope.
She has a lot of grenades though.
>>33437540
Crisis and Stealth suit teams take that role by hopping around popping the contents, while the Air Caste catches them before they hit the ground.
Official fluff says they need something to crack big targets up close and more personally. A siege-breaker unit to put holes in structures so the smaller invasion forces can crawl inside and do the work where giant robots and over-the-horizon artillery can't get to.
>>33437469
>>33436156
Already in the thread
>>33437563
She carries the grenades!
And the heavy burden of no longer believing in the Greater Good.
>>33437426
The same way that a Bigger tougher giant impractical robot with super long range cannons, with fire power to level a city easily
captcha: traitor
>>33437540
>you need something hardish defending those guns
No, like, that's the thing. They have interceptors to do that, because the guns are flying.
Tau don't do emplaced positions. Explicitly so. A clunky prototype made to be huge and do huge robot things is totally normal for the setting, but it's just not how the Tau fight, according to their own lore.
As for combined arms, Manta carriers can air-drop just about every unit in the codex (kroot excepted). The only ones that don't fit inside the hold are the Riptides, who would require some alternate, specialist method of transportation.
>>33437795
Well, they do get around being clunky by also having giant jetpacks, which can jump them faster than any other suit in their armory.
>>33437622
If artillery isn't cracking those walls, your gun mech isn't going to either. Biggest guns anywhere are always the artillery.
Then again, I don't believe Tau even have actual artillery, so they may just need the mechs.
>>33437795
I always figured they'd come in bigger Mantas lol
>>33437597
nice
>>33437658
>And the heavy burden of no longer believing in the Greater Good.
heh
>>33437206
/tg/ wishes they were as suave as that velour god in that image
>>33437855
>I don't believe Tau even have actual artillery
Neither do half the factions in 40k. Score one for the IG for actually having useful units to engage at range with. As usual.
>>33437932
mfw when deathstrike goes right
>>33437932
Space Marines had all the artillery before Guilliman decided they shouldn't have access to it anymore.
All that Guard artillery? They pretty much had those, with extended platforms to fit marine gunners.
>>33437855
Hey, it's 40k: the mechs are ridiculous and logic doesn't matter.
Maybe precision? Easy to maneuver a gun around an obstacle or terrain when it's a lot closer to the enemy, then to have to wait for the enemy to expose themselves to your firing lane from your far away tanks.
>>33437921
Right now we have inarticulate "nuh-uh!"s spouted from beneath a scraggly forest of crumb encrusted facial hair to the accompaniment of halitosis and an almost painful sense of smug superiority.
>>33437964
Give it the D-strength apocalyptic blast template.
>>33437983
>then to have to wait for the enemy to expose themselves to your firing lane from your far away tanks.
I don't think you get how artillery works. Fire lanes are for tank hunters, or urban combat. You use artillery to smash the building, troops, defenses, everything the enemy has in a square mile, before taking it with a ground assault. If you even bother and don't just bypass it.
This isn't WWI. Bunker buster shells, incendiary shells and HE shells have all been made for artillery.
>precision
Artillery is accurate to within meters. And 40k has magical, never explained, auspex range finders.
Frankly, it makes no sense that any faction can stand up to the IG in attrition warfare. Almost every faction lacks some combat arms for proper large scale warfare. Only the Orks really come close. No wonder they're such a threat.
>>33437855
Broadsides are the only one that I consider the closest thing the tau artillery w/out being artillery. Despite their firepower they need line of sight
[for some reason I keep typing 'shit' instead of 'sight'].
Other then a close range fire from a broadside, I'd figured that the Tau would have an explosive charge for breaching
>>33438094
I was talking about the Tau, and how their heavy weapons need a more straight line of sight instead of lobbing things over obstacles.
There's the Skyray, but you still need someone to paint targets to let them get around cover.
>>33438125
Broadsides are closer to tank hunters in the role they fulfill. They have one kind of shot, and it has no AoE or frag effect. It's terrible artillery.
Another thing most everyone but the IG lacks, is mortars. Of the siege and squad kind. Very bloody useful things to scatter or splat enemy infantry, and useful even against open topped vehicles. Great area denial weapon too.
Oh, and grenade launchers. No one but IG seems to have those either.
>>33438094
>Frankly, it makes no sense that any faction can stand up to the IG in attrition warfare.
They generally can't even in the fluff if the IG has an established supply line that isn't stopped.
You can rationalize it as the artillery being overrun by sheer numbers, surgical strikes via drop pods, etc. In a setting where teleportation, magic, reality warps, massive reinforcements from space, orbital battles, warp storms, etc are a reality, having artillery dominance isn't a sure win.
>>33438094
>40k has magical, never explained, auspex range finders.
lol they're just scanners with scope. akin to today's computerized range finders
>>33438206
Whirlwinds are a thing, but hardly anyone takes the.
>Oh, and grenade launchers. No one but IG seems to have those either.
Auxiliary grenade launchers were something I really hoped would have stuck around.also technically any faction with smoke launchers has "grenade" launchers, in a sense
>>33438298
Space Marines have nade launchers.
>>33438206
>grenade launchers. No one but IG seems to have those
Orks of mortars too
>>33438298
Ravenwing Knights can take grenade launchers on their bikes?
I guess everyone else thinks NO I CAN THROW A GRENADE THAT FAR LAUNCHERS ARE NOT MANLY ENOUGH.
>>33438228
>having artillery dominance isn't a sure win.
But they don't only have that. They're the only faction with the full scope of military hardware. Tau lack heavy infantry weapons (machine guns, flamers that sort of thing), artillery and drop troops.
Orks lack scouts, and that's pretty much it. DEldar lack everything except light infantry, squad anti tank and mechanized infantry.
Eldar are another strong contender for a functional army, but still lack artillery and squad heavy weapons and crewed heavy weapons.
Tyrannids are absolute fucking nonsense and should be pulverized by any decent force.
And so on. Every faction is lacking in several aspects. IG will win an infantry firefight, because IG have designated marksmen, heavy bolters and stubbers for surpresion, flamers for clearing building, mortars for area denial, plasma guns, melta guns and missile launchers to deal with armour...
IG has quality artillery and ICBMs to soften enemies up prior to an assault, and destroy it's defensive positions.
These two alone are decisive factors in winning battles, and almost no one fields this but the IG.
>>33438206
>It's terrible artillery
exactly what I mean almost all of Tau's weapons require line of sight
>>33438378
Necrons have everything.
Thus they are the best.
>>33438378
War in 40k is different from war in real life. Also 40k is pretty retarded in pretty much everything from tactics to hardware.
You're complaining about realism from guys who eat brains to absorb memories and win battles by shooting full auto RPGs laced with water.
>>33438378
And on top of that IG has higher numbers (except orks) and every combat branch other factions have. Armour, mechanized infantry, scouting units (rough riders, sentinels), special forces, heavy and light infantry specialized in different types of combat, snipers, gunships and fucking Anti Air companies.
No one else brings AA either. IG artillery and armour regiments have companies of Hydras for air cover.
So IG, if the navy sticks around, also has an edge in air superiority. Even though the air force is one of the more lacking forces in the Imperium.
>>33438410
No artillery. No real armour as such. And they are absolutely lacking in any sort of rapid advance force. Or scouts.
But I guess you don't need tactics or tanks if you're an immortal terminator.
You know what I never see? Dark Eldar with Tau slaves. Why? In their dealings with the DE, they've been naive enough to make the Dark Eldar honestly amused and totally worthy of absolute supplication.
Why are Tau butlers and boot-shiners not a thing for the DE?
>>33438414
>shooting full auto RPGs laced with water.
Well, gyrojets were a real idea at least. And they weren't laced with water, they were actually *tipped* with water. So all I can imagine is ice bullets.
>>33438550
>Dark Eldar with Tau slaves
The DE have Tau slaves working in their factories (source DE dex).
They also have Tau gladiators for their arena shows (One of Hammer and Bolter series short stories).
>>33438455
Most other factions are physically stronger, have better equipment, ect ect.
The IG need a little of everything because that's how they wage war - overwhelming the enemy with ways to counter anything they might bring to bear.
But Eldar and Dark Eldar both rely most often on quick lightning raids. Tau try to destroy the enemy from a range, and Orks and Tyranids always attempt to overwhelm by sheer numbers. Chaos tries to turn the populace to its side, and summon a bunch of daemons to fuck up everything.
In short, every faction is geared to fight in the way they fight best for the tactics they use. Just because the IG have just about everything doesn't automatically make them superior.
>>33438598
Ah, good. It just seems the fluff for that sort of thing is few and far between.
>>33438490
>No artillery.
What about them Pylons?
>>33435644
Who else thinks it was the Sororita who was actually cheating?
>>33438684
Nobody but you, heretic.
>>33438643
Deep Striking one of the oldcron HUGE pylons onto stuff was some of the funniest shit.
>>33435853
I thought the first story with the Riptide was going into a hive world, fucking a bunch of leman russes up followed by a baneblade. And doing this by using drones to keep a layout on the streets and using its superior mobility to keep out of LoS
>>33438756
God fucking damnit I posted the story right up the thread. Don'tcha people look?
>>33438632
>Tau try to destroy the enemy from a range
Which is one of the reasons that it makes so little sense for them to lack things like artillery and grenade launchers. I get that beams are their thing and all, but artillery wins wars.
>Most other factions are physically stronger, have better equipment, ect ect.
Physical strength is pretty meaningless if you're blasted apart by a manticore missile from miles away. It meaningless against a gun line of IG with more firepower in their heavy weapon than your entire squad. You'd never get close. The lasguns are only there to shield the heavy guns who do the killing. Realistically, an ork or Tyranid charge against an IG trench should end like the Somme. The attacker dies. Every armour engagement would be like the battle of Kursk. With Leman Russ-34s.
I know I'm just talking real life military here, but it makes no sense that such vital branches are lacking for so many factions. It makes sense for SM or SoB, but why don't say, the Iron Warriors have considerably more artillery, seeing as sieges are their thing?
Demons are cool and all, but they're just more gun fodder. Subverting the populace, that's legit psychological warfare right there. Works for Tau and Chaos, anyway. And Eldar and Orks have halfway competent armies.
Tyrannids are really the worst off. Fucking genestealers set off the revolution too early half the damn time.
>>33438847
I think Tau use seeker missiles as directed artillery. Tau doctrine is mobility so static artillery wouldn't really be their thing.
The Tau fire warriors don't carry heavy weapons because those are carried by the suits and their pulse rifles are strong enough to fuck up what they come across.
>>33438847
But they doif you play 30k
>>33436751
Pretty sure blowing up stars was Kryptmann's favored tactic when slowing the Hive Fleet.
>>33438934
Which is why IG uses artillery, to potentially fuck up the enemy before they are in fucking range.
>>33439095
Well maybe indirect fire is alien to the Tau?
>>33438934
>their pulse rifles are strong enough to fuck up what they come across.
But as soon as they get to urban combat, their lack of anti tank, flamers, and surpressing weapons will mean they just guaranteed lose against guardsman. Sure, flashlights are shit (even though they can still kill Tau) but small arms aren't the killers of the infantry anyway. Firewarriors haven't a chance in hell in urban environs. IFVs and Tanks shrug of pulse fire, crisis suits and hammerheads make for easy targets for a missile launcher, or a multi melta fired from hiding. And there's fuck all the fire warriors can do about it as the heavy stubbers open up and the mortar shells start landing among them. Then what? Hole up and fortify in a building? Forced to keep their heads down by bolter/stubber fire as the marksman pick them off and the flamer teams approach to sear the place clean.
And fuck all the fire warriors can do about it.
pathfinders can alleviate it somewhat with anti armour railguns, but they're still shit at opposing the guardsmen on the ground.
>>33439169
That is a pretty good point.
I mean, most of their weapons are plasma weapons, and not like a plasma cannon kind of plasma. I've never heard of them using kinetic weaponry like bullets or bombs.
Maybe they never made a gun with an arcing trajectory?
>>33439196
In urban enviroments then the brave-noble-etc battlesuits would take the lead, and the auxillary troops would get used more extensivly. Vespids and Kroot would get around easier and are better suited for those close in encounter.
Also they could do what they did on Taros and just level the city.
>>33438847
Not him, but it is one of the stupider things of the 40K setting. Small arms and support weapons all seem to have stupidly short ranges, and I'm talking like 18th century battlefields, let alone anything modern or futuristic.
Physical strength matters because fighting degenerating into hand to hand brawling is commonplace in 40K.
>>33438847
>but artillery wins wars
except the table top game is a ridiculously inaccurate example of wars if you actually try scaling it up.
Look at the range of the ICBM model, and scale it up from the game to real wold and get an ICBM with a range, iirc, of about 2 kilometers.
So we'll just have to assume that the table top is a poor representation, and that their guided missiles, and extremely long range air crafted mounted weapons take the role of artillery in hitting things very far away, but with greater accuracy.
>>33439209
Nope. Closest thing they got is a bomb their aircraft carry. It's supposed to vaporize organic matter to keep potential resource nodes from being destroyed in the blast.
>>33439209
They have the Hammerhead, which would reasonably fill any ranged requirement (all the fluff has them smashing Russes before they can fire back). All they need is line of sight and when you can hover that's not terrible hard to find, I would imagine.
Also those seeker missiles again for concentrated barrages.
>>33438821
Ya like 4 minutes after i posted something. The problem is im ALWAYS late to the party so I can't catch everything.
>>33439278
They have Seeker missiles which navigate around terrain, even hitting things outside of LoS. Of course, they need a spotter to light up the target first.
>>33439300
Seeker missiles pretty much are Tau artillery. In an actual combat situation they could have a bunch of Skyray Missile Gunships parked several miles away and use markerlights drones to fire them off with pinpoint accuracy.
That probably counts as artillery.
>>33439251
I'm of course talking fluff. Using TT figures would result in the sort of hilarity you just described.
>>33439249
>In urban enviroments then the brave-noble-etc battlesuits would take the lead,
See, that's a terrible idea. Armour of any kind without good infantry support is useless in urban combat. A crisis suit? Fodder for krak missiles, lascannons, multi meltas, krak grenades dropped on them, all coming from alleyways, tops of buildings, entrenched positions around the corner...
Stealth suits are the only feasible thing here. Unless there's auspex on at least platoon level. Vespid work better as well, with their mobility.
Tau troops of any sort are overspecialized though, and just lack the pure versatility and resources guardsmen have to work with. It's going to be a pretty tough job to ambush a convoy in a street when all you have is rail rifles against the armour, and absolutely nothing to suppress the infantry with. Guess just rely on Kroot to engage in melee and hope your pathfinders aren't taken out by the chimeras multi lasers and bolter fire before they disable all the vehicles in the convoy.
>>33439379
I would imagine it's as close as they get to indirect fire (sans smart missile systems).
I can't recall anything which involves artillery in the traditional sense.
Actually in Courage and Honor, the third Uriel not-Space Wolf book, the Tau attacked a city by dropping a thousand gun drones into it. It probably speaks a lot about how the Tau feel about artillery if their bomber drops fucking gun drones.
>>33439416
I could have sworn that Tau have auspex equivalents built into the helmets of at least all the Pathfinders, if not every Fire Caste guy on the field.
>>33439456
i also could have sworn that all the suits from Stealth to Riptides were agile enough for city combat too.
>>33439416
Why is it that in an urban combat situation, the guardsman are all set up in ambush positions with every weapon in the codex plus a half-dozen tanks, while the Tau get to pick 1 squad of 1 unit to walk unwittingly into it?
Not saying your point is necessarily wrong, but the way you've set it up is fairly biased.
>>33439435
I'd figure them to be more precise in their destruction. What good is a missile that doesn't hit home? What good an artillery shell that goes wide?
The Tau lack the logistical resources to simply wait until scattering fire removes the general direction their opponent came from. Also why they don't hold down positions unless they really have to, or why they like to drop drones instead of bombs: it's costly to keep dropping ordinance and drones can go places bombs can't, and potentially have more uses too.
>>33439300
>They have the Hammerhead, which would reasonably fill any ranged requiremen
Gonna get fucked by tank hunters though. And leman russes come in considerably more numbers than hammerheads do.
The T-34 was pretty shit compared to a Panther as well. But the Russians still took Berlin.
and this is one of those things were artillery becomes useful. Spearhead of your armoured column destroyed? Launch a creeping barrage over the whole area and advance again.
>>33439379
Artillery with no indirect fire is going to be hampered. Drones can be shot down, a shell can't.
Your pathfinders can be killed by a scout team. All a basilisk needs is the approximate coordinates.
>>33439416
>A crisis suit? Fodder for krak missiles, lascannons, multi meltas, krak grenades dropped on them
Another reason to develop the riptide. But crisis suits aren't necessarily restricted to land, they can go from roof to roof. You're fight in that stealth suits are probably used more heavily.
Fire warriors also have EMP grenades, I doubt it's an exaggeration to say they have some sort of mine variation. They've also got that scanner thingy on their spure.
>>33439472
They are. They can also all fly, so they can more easily maneuver around or onto buildings. If a group of guardsman comes across a wall, they're going to need to spend some time helping each other climb over it, and will be fairly vulnerable while doing so. Meanwhile a crisis suit uses it's thrusters to fly backwards over the wall, firing at any pursuers while doing so.
>>33439507
>And leman russes come in considerably more numbers than hammerheads do.
It's a stupid example but fluff has always said that the Tau are used to swarm tactics and aren't generally put off by being outnumbered when your tank's main weapon can fuck them up in a shot or two (fluffwise, at best). >>33439504 says it well,
>>33439416
well, going for the fluff they have some artillary is bits.
Their's an airburst gun with volley fire that's in their experimental weapons.
Smart missles could just something like the rocket artillary system we use for some of are artillary now. Sure they're aren't models/rules for this, but it makes sense.
Bombing runs and extremely long range ATM weapons gets around a fair bit of it.
>moving on to your response to the different anon
As for the tau being overspecialized, what if we change the conception slightly, instead of thinking of a basic tau unit block consisting only of the firewarriors, it's a mixed unit with support from various alien auxillaries and suits.
It would require greater logistical sophistication, but fluff suggests that the Tau are amazing at logistics (if you ignore the recent stupidity around FTL).
Now what should be changed is having more access to flamers, that's just silly. Support drones with flamers or light anti-vehicle weapons (missile pods) would be great. plus some stuff like that on the transport.
>>33439507
I digress, but the Panther is a vastly overrated tank, and a hugely disproportional amount of them were sent to the Western Front: the road and rail network out on the East wasn't developed enough for the over-heavy things to really be able to move all that effectively.
>>33439472
Agility doesn't matter much in ambush. And infantry is far more mobile than Tau suits. They can hide anywhere, strike from any point. Sewers, tops of buildings, ditches, ground floor, the top of a fucking lamp post if they must.
Armour is never good without infantry support in urban combat, and firewarriors are shitty infantry support. Great marksmen though.
>>33439481
I gave them both the same scenario. No armour on either side, with all weaponry and squads available to infantry there is. I picture several pathfinder and firewarrior teams in buildings to open fire on the convoy, with kroot on the ground to assault and vespid and stealth suits to close the escape routes. Against a convoy of chimeras. It's the most effective scenario I can picture for Tau.
Same goes for guard, a platoon maybe (so between 2-5 heavy weapon squads and 5 infantry squads) dug in and on the high ground, against some crisis suits and fire warriors. Maybe a pathfinder team on high ground as well to serve as cover.
Both situations, the attacker has the advantage of surprise.
I just don't see the tau doing nearly as well as the Imperials, without any sort of effective infantry weapons
>>33439641
>Tau fire warriors now get flamer drones and missile drones
And the world ends.
>>33439677
You keep saying Armour, but Battlesuits =/= Tanks. Quit comparing your real life combat to our stupid Scifi setting where bullshit happens.
>>33439677
stealth suits are faster, only slightly larger, have jet packs, and can turn near invisible and come with darklight filters.
How are they more poorly equip for ambushes than infantry?
>>33439767
Well the things are pretty big.
>>33439641
>Bombing runs and extremely long range ATM weapons gets around a fair bit of it.
That goes back to my point about AA. No one ever bothers to bring AA but the Guard. Probably unnecessarily, the damn things most likely end up getting used as oversized machine guns, but all the same, they have the best AA with them out of any faction. As per usual.
>it's a mixed unit with support from various alien auxillaries and suits.
I accounted for that, see >>33439677
Tau simply lack good heavy weapons. As you say, missile and flamer drones would increase their efficiency tenfold. All they'd need then is some sort of heavy machinegun for suppression, and Tau are all set for some urban combat.
>>33439782
They're not that big. A guy standing at the pintel mount of a salamander comes up face to face with a battlesuit.
>>33439767
Yeah, battlesuits are a lot closer to heavy infantry than tanks. A stealth suits isn't any bigger than a space marine, and a crisis suit is only a few feet taller than that.
They might have some trouble fitting through narrow doors or hallways, but flight allows them a lot of other options.
>>33439771
Stealth Suits would be some of the best ambush units in the game if they had better access to weaponry. Also, they're outclassed by Crisis suits and the Riptide in the Elites slot to be taken very often.
In fluff, they are less durable, but wreck people's shit in surprise attacks. On the tabletop, you'll rarely see them, and not because they're cloaked.
>>33439782
Theyre like 9ft tall. With those new Enforcer Suits being what 10? 11? And those are commanders only.
Is it just me, or is 40k art depicting dead, dying, or soon-to-be-dead humans somewhat uncommon? Most images have a cluster of humans fighting against xenos who are in mid swing or mid shot, though not actually hitting anything, while there are at least a few attacked and injured xenos.
>>33439880
It's IoM propaganda. You don't want to show your own guys losing.
>>33439771
>How are they more poorly equip for ambushes than infantry?
No flamers, missiles, grenades, mortars or any other form of anti tank. With their gatling guns though, they make for great suppression troops. The invisibility is voided by auspex though.
Basically, if you take a squad of guardsmen, they will have a designated marksman, some form of heavy weapon (melta, plasma, flamer) and potentially a grenade launcher or mortar. And individual grenades. This allows them to engage a variety of targets very efficiently. Tau forces are all dedicated to one role, and perform it exceedingly well. But faced with less than ideal circumstances, they are fodder for the Guardsmen.
Stealth suits can be spotted by auspex, and if the squad is on the move, defeat the guardsman. Guardsman on the defensive? grenades and flamers slaughter them. Same for vespid, except easier due to no invisibility. Kroot? If in ambush, and able to get into melee range? Possibly. Not much answer to grenades and flamers though.
And so on. Firewarriors are probably wort off, as they have no edge at all on guardsmen.
>>33439880
Well, this picture is showing Catachans who are about to die horribly.
>>33439907
Bottom Right corner are those heretics? I can't tell.
>>33439906
Man my Crisis suits would like to argue they can do whatever they want roll. Tanks? Melta, Heavy Infantry? Palsma that doesn't have a backlash, Infantry? Pewpew Gatling Pulse, Infantry in buildings? Those guys are going to end up crispy
>>33439906
Since when are fusion blasters not anti-tank?
>>33439907
LOL. You see the ultramarines? Imperium has already won.
No chapter picks their battles like the UM
>>33439803
>AA
Tau have decent anti-air in the missle-ships and markerlights.
They distributed the targeting system, and added an advanced laser guide missile system.
Or the Missilesides with vector tracking upgrade. Not that different from mobile SAM weapons.
They don't lack good heavy weaponry, it's just deployed differently. A crisis suit can maneuver anywhere the infantry can go, and bring along the heavy infantry.
The devil fish could use better guns, and flamer drone is so obvious it lack pains me and I add it in head cannon.
Markerlights+seekers can get around the lack of missles, kinda, but i'd love missile drongs. Burst cannon drones do a decent job as machine guns.
so in the end I see what you are saying, but for me it's not that basic strategy of the Tau is fundamentally wrong, their are just some holes which are left out of the table top game.
>>33439957
Those are extremely short ranged, on the downside. But yes, I forgot about them. Still lacking in variety though. Grenades would be nice.
>>33439954
I wouldn't call Crisis infantry. But sure, a crisis suit against infantry? Much more even fighting chance. They're still shoddy due to their size, making them bullet sponges (there's a reason IRL we don't use mechs) and their simple design flaw. Target the knees and sensor array on the head, some of it's weakest points, and it becomes essentially immobile or blind.
It could most likely take on a squad of guardsmen though, depending on who spotted who first and depending on if the squad has a melta with them or not. And Krak grenades are still a risk to the Crisis suit. Missile launchers more so.
>>33439928
The Guardsmen are not alarmed by them and they are facing towards the daemons.
So IG, I think.
>>33440022
I once saw a fellow Firewarrior suggest to an Earthcaste that they should put flamethrowers onto our drones. He was never heard from again.
>>33440022
>A crisis suit can maneuver anywhere the infantry can go, and bring along the heavy infantry.
Nah, they can't. You can't just march a tonnes heavy armoured suit through a shelled out building, it'd risk collapsing the place. I imagine urban combat for Crisis suits would involve a lot of poorly chosen landing sending them careening through 20 stories of floors before trying again. They also cannot maneuver through sewers, trenches or even simple doorways like infantry can.
They're basically very mobile light armour, but no more able to traverse urban terrain than a sentinel.
Their heavy weapons also come in an exceedingly vulnerable package. Knees and head, like I said here: >>33440033
>>33439906
>no flamers
gar, yeah, they need that option to be added.
>missiles
not as big a deal
>grenades
I though they had access to the tau options for grenadges.
>mortars
is this actually a common thing in the game.
>anti-tank
fusion blaster
>auspex
those are at the squad level now?
>>33440033
Well Jesus christ a missile launcher is a threat to a crisis suit? Its a threat to a lot of things. Get it in your head THIS ISNT REAL LIFE, its a god damned scifi setting, MADE UP by a bunch of limey brits. If you target the "Sensor Array" or the knee of a Space Marine with a heavy weapon youd get the same result.
>>33439907
What the hell is up with that giant axe wielding khornate contraption? What is that thing?
From awhile ago
>>33440128
It's a lord of skulls, its kind of like a mini titan. >>33440130
In response the riptide says something like "this isn't even my final form" because its using a prototype reactor
>>33440128
It's a Lord of Battles(or a Lord of Skulls). A daemon engine.
Khorne has a lot of them. My favorite is the Doom Blaster.
>>33440119
>missiles not as big a deal
Absolutely essential for long range anti-armour you mean. RPGs are a staple of even modern day military forces.
>>33440120
The point is Tau don't have infantry carried missile launchers. Which limits their anti armour capacity a lot.
>If you target the "Sensor Array" or the knee of a Space Marine with a heavy weapon youd get the same result.
Well of course. Thing is, you don't need that to take on a SM. You do for a Crisis suit.
And against the SM, the damn Tau don't have that missile launcher all the same.
>>33440108
>not maneuverable
stealth suits are pretty small, they look smaller than space marine suits, and the crisis and stealth can jump over obstruction and change elevations better than a sentry can.
>knees and heads and mechs
This is 40k, we need to make some allowances. If we're not going to allow mechs to ever make sense, than we through out everything but the imperial guard. Then we throw out a lot of the ig too.
>>33439880
Confirmed for never having seen any 40k artwork, ever
>>33440195
>stealth suits
This was about specifically Crisis suits.
>>33438598
>They also have Tau gladiators for their arena shows (One of Hammer and Bolter series short stories).
I can only imagine how well that went.
>>33440376They were pitted against a SM and they were armed with poor melee weapons
>>33439907
>That one Catachen who's being eviscerated so he's taking the chance to grab dat titty
>>33440357
If youre the same ass hole who uses real life logic with GW logic then yes, yes it is. Do ho ho tau are only allowed firewarriors some pathfinders and a couple of Crisis suits. While IG get Melta guns, missile launchers, and flame throwers on all their men, and theyre hiding in buildings and on lamp posts and in the god damned bushes.
