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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Rumor Mill: The Beat Goes On

Greeting Gentlereaders,

It seems the internet has heard me, read my last post and wants to troll me because the rumors are hitting fast and furious about tau.  Again, more playtest rumors from Faeit 212, this time covering almost entirely different units, with more on Gurren Lagan and the Kroot monstrous creature, the Knarloc.  I'll provide my commentary after the break and would love to hear from you folks also.

Ethereals: These guys now provide both army wide special rules and auras a la the Dark Angels' sacred standards.  Proposed buffs are army side re-rolls on Ld tests, while all units in 12" are fearless and a single unit may fire as salvo while all units within 12" get twin-linked. ~Well, this is certainly a change from the generic ethereal that lets you re-roll your morale and pinning.  I can see each buff representing a different leadership style of the ethereals.  I guess GW realized no one was taking the ethereals and they needed a buff.

Kroot: Gain Scout, FC, MtC at the cost of Infiltrate.  Unit can include hounds and hawks with a shaper unlocking more options.  Expect an elite kroot that can pop out of terrain like Ymgarl 'stealers.  ~Again, a unit that has been seeing less play due to its rather poor stats and lack of special rules to compensate.  If these rules are in addition to the drop to 6 points we saw yesterday, they could be a good choice for tau troops.

Knarloc:  Very similar to the forgeworld Great Knarloc (right), a MC that can trample attack 3d6 inches causing 2d6 6/6 wounds to anyone it tramples over.  If the beast ends in close combat it seems that it counts as charging with rage and assault grenades.  ~With the base A 5 we saw yesterday and strength 8, this could be the berserk attack that was hinted at when the rider dies.  Still no confirmation on that, but it is interesting.

Vespid: The regular vespids seem to be getting a range increase, hit and run, along with a points reduction.  Also, the smallest flier in game almost a jetbike with vector dancer and a single neutron blaster as it's weapon.  ~I can see the flier being akin to what the eldar jetbikes might be like when they are updated and I'm interested to see how the flier will pan out.  I'm surprised by the slew of upgrades rumored for vespids, though not at anyone of them, especially hit and run.  They were the first fleet jump infantry IIRC.


Fortification: Deep striking turrets with burst cannon or missile pod. ~Original concept, I wonder if anyone had thought of that before.  I can't get my hopes up for this as the same was rumored for the Chaos book, but didn't pan out. 

Tau Flyer Transport: 13/13/12 HP:3.  Can hold a full Fire Warrior team, Crisis Squad or a single Gurran Laggan.  Lightly armed, but can purchase a save and deep strike, with an emphasis on reliability.  ~This is a very tau Stormraven.  Like the Devilfish it should be expensive and lightly armed, but durable and able to get its passengers where they need to be safely.  Probably shouldn't be an assault vehicle, but then when have tau cared about that?

Tau Toppa Gurran Lagan!: Looks like a mobile weapons platform (Metal Gear Rex?) with rail guns that can be upgraded to plasma or ion cannons.  Considered a 2+/4++ MC that can forgo shooting and movement to go to 2++ or move as if a Jump MC if it doesn't shoot its primary weapon.  "VERY HIGH toughness, no existing weapon can instant death it." Costed comparable to a terminator squad, can take drone support.  ~I really want to see the model.  I can't believe the invulnerable save being 4++ standard (so was the dreadknight at this point in development) that can go to 2++.  The forfeit X to get Y I really like, choices, strategy and all.  The toughness is curious, as the same can be said about the  Carnifex as far as instant death and cost.  Drones- gotta see what drones will do in the new book.

FOC trickery: Some specific HQs move Crisis Suits to troops.  One moves two Kroot units to troops.  ~Seeing crisis troops would be cool, maybe not viable, but cool.  I expect those to be the tau characters while the other should be Anghkor Prok.

Anti-Psyker: All tau have some basic immunity to psychic powers, thus can deny the witch, with suits improving this roll.  ~We've seen non-psychic Necrons with anti-psyker, and I can see the ability to purchase adamantium will making sense.  They do barely register in the warp after all.

P.S. Within 5 min of my posting this dropped:
Fire warriors can't be upgraded to bs4, the squad leader has an upgrade that raises their BS though for (currently) 50 points and goes away if he dies.

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