The list and the Scheme.

So I was going through my Tau list and found a major mistake in a points total. So, I redid my list and I think Ive reached my final draft. Well final with 3 small options. I have also picked 2 options for color schemes. I thought volcanic would be cool but then I got to playing on the net and bam it hit me and I thought one of these two designs could be the one. You'll have to see below for the design pics. Anyway here's the new list.

HQ-Shasel- plasma rifle, missile pod, target array, hard wire drone controller, HW multi tracker, HW black sun filter, 2 shield drones. 130
HQ-Shasel- plas. rifle, cyclic ion, tar. array., HWDC, HWMT, HWBSF, 2 shield drones. 133

Troops-3x6man squads in Devilfish with Multitracker, Dis. pod, flachette, 495

Elites-3 XV8's- Twin link missile, flamer, team lead, HWDC, 2 shield drones. 176
Elites-3 XV8's- Plas. rifle, miss. pod, tar. array, team lead, HWDC, HWMT, HWBSF, 2 shield drones. 244

Fast-3 Piranahs- fusion, tar. array, flachette. 240

Heavy-3 Broadsides- Adv. Stab. System, team lead, HWDC, HWBSF, HWMT, Target lock, 2 shield drones. 288
Heavy-Hammerhead- Railgun, burst cannons, flachette, dis. pod, HWBSF, HWMT. 180

options to hit 2k...
1-Single bodyguard for a shasel w/fusion,burst cannon/tar. array/HWBSF/HWDC/2 gun drones. and 2 extra firewarriors. TOTAL ARMY 1999

2-Another elite spot with a shasel attached to them, 2 XV8's w/Twin burst/tar. array/HWDC/2 gundrones. TOTAL ARMY 2000. Is it legal to have two sets of drones in a squad because of the attached?

3-9 footsloggin firewarriors w/team leader, markerlight and BSF. TOTAL ARMY 1999. They are just gonna hide somewhere and mark stuff and take 30" shots till they die. Or they may stick with the broadsides and block flanking assaulters.

there was an option 4 a bunch of kroot warriors but I just don't like the Kroot. So I shot that option down. Im thinking option 2 or 3 most likely, but I'm going to get the models to cover any of the 3. Then maybe get some other things like stealth's etc. later. I'm in a Tau fever.

And lastly here's my 2 options for the new scheme, the army will be painted in the colors of the 1st pic. of the group option with just the second shasel painted like the 2nd pic. See if you can guess what the scheme ideas came from. I'm really psyched about doing them up like this and option 1 will most likely be my choice just because it's more robotic, hint hint, but the 2nd option has my favorite villain ever in it, hint hint. Here they go.

Group 1 option



group 2 option



There we go, as always any comments are greatly appreciated, except the damn ad. spammers I will probably be putting word verification back on the blog soon. But until them I appreciate any comments, critiques or well anything really. Thanks for reading, more later.
-Matt

A new army...

Nope this isn't part 6, and no it's not a new tyranid list. Yes I'm still playing my marines and my Nids but I've seen a lot of Tau stuff on the threads lately. With that in mind I go back 5 years and remember when I first read Fire warrior. I loved that book and fell in love with the Tau. I always wanted to build an army but I tend to play more of an assault game than a shoot game. But with all the recent Tau talk (mostly Old Shatter Hands site, I'm gonna blame you when I tell the wife I'm building another army.) I have decided it's time to put this one together. Side notes before the list starts, Hive Fleet "NEX" won the name it poll and well that's what I wanted to use anyway so they are in the works. Expect more on them to come. I'm gonna get the new Ven dread and battle missions at some point. Still waiting on the exacts of the new BA before I jump on that boat, maybe I'll just wait for the new DA whenever that happens. Part 6 of the BRB review is still being worked up, Vehicles is so loooong. And I have built a 8 part progressive campaign for me and JC and Lach to play over the next few months. More to come on that. Anyway to the point of this post here is my Tau list. I have it pretty secure through 1750 its the last push to 2k that's getting me. So I have some options and I'm looking for a little help finalizing that option.
Here goes.

HQ-Shasel-Plas. rifle, missile pod, target array, Hard wire multi tracker, hard wire drone controler, hard wire black sun filter, 2 shield drones.
HQ-Shasel-plas. rifle, cyclic Ion blaster, tar. array, head wire multi tracker, hard wire drone controller, hard wire black sun filter, 2 shield drones.

Elite- 3x XV8's-Twin link missile pods, flamer, team leader, Hard wire drone controller, 2 shield drones.
Elite- 3x XB8's plasma rifle, missile pod, target array, team leader, HWdrone controller, HW multitracker, HWblack sun filter, 2 shield drones

Troops- 3x 6man fire warrior squads in Devilfish with Multitracker, Disruption pod, flachete.

Fast- 2x Piranha-fusion blaster, target array, flachete, black sun filter

Hvy- 2x Broadsides-Team leader, Advanced stab. syster, HWdone controller, HWblack sun filter, 2 shield drones.

Hvy- Hammerhead-Railgun, flachete, Dis. pod, HWblack sun filter, Multi tracker, burst cannon.

Total is 1642 points. Question do you have to buy drone controllers for Suits or do you get two with a suit? I am assuming you have to have the controller but I see lists where people have drones but aren't listing the controller.

here's my options for pushing to 2000.
1-Add another identical broadside to make 3 another hammerhead for 2 and another piranha for a sq. of 3. Plus 1 extra floating firewarrior or target lock for the broadsides. Total 1997
2-add another piranha, another 6 man filled devil fish, 1 floating fire warrior and target lock for the broadsides. Total 1992
3-add Piranah, another broadside, A bodyguard for the lead shasel, stim kit for wach of the shasels and 1 floating fire warrior and target lock for broadsides. total 1999
4- Add another piranha, another broadside, and 3x XV8's-missile pod, plasma rifle, target array, team leader, HWdc, HWmt, HWbsf, 2 drones, plus 1 floating fire warrior and target lock to the braodsides. Total 1998.

or scrap that and get some stealth suits which I think are cool but no one talks about, pathfinders again no one talks about, sniper drones are cool but my heavy spots are filled, should I even get stealth suits? Option 1 and 2 seem the most viable but I like 4 too. Also I'm taking it per the book that if the team leader has the device IE multi tracker that enables the whole squad to multi target different things. Is this correct or does each suit need a tracker? Which I can't do cause only the leader can take the extra stuff.

As always thanks again for reading. Any help with this is greatly appreciated, comments, critiques, etc. And lastly the color scheme for the nids is black just like the aliens form the movie Aliens, black with silverish (probably mithril) claws and teeth then dipped for shine with dark blue highlights. The Tau I'm debating a Lava scheme or Snow, I see a lot of snow so I'm leaning more towards Lava but that's a whole new direction and jump in skill level for me, they may have to be commissioned off.
That's it for now more later.
-Matt

PART 5.....43-55

Well here is the 5th installment, and it may be the last one. We've made it up to vehicles after this installment and its just a huge amount of work, that would almost involve just rewriting the BRB onto the blog. I'm still looking at it and seeing what I can do. I may just go over it really briefly and throw a few of the really high points out. Who knows. Either way I'm done with my actual notes, so my actual work is done. I think I've gained a much better grasp of the rules thanks to this little project. Anyway, without further ado here is part 5.

pg43- Morale- Insane Heroism- A roll of double 1's (snake eyes) on 2D6 indicates the unit has automatically passed its morale check regardless of modifiers.

pg44- Taking Morale Checks- Here's 3 reasons you have to take morale checks. 1)A unit loses 25% or more of its models during any phase other than assault. 2)Tank Shock. 3)Losing an Assault. If you lose an assault (close combat) you take a morale check and you also suffer a minus (-) 1 to your leadership for each wound your side has lost the combat by.

pg44- No Retreat- Fearless units or units with special rules may not have to take morale checks. If t a unit never falls back then their unit suffers a number of wounds equal to the number their side has lost the combat by. All types of saves other than cover can be taken against these wounds.

pg45- Fall Back- 2d6 is the normal fall back distance for units. Fall Back is slowed by difficult terrain, it is affected by dangerous terrain. If any unit in a falling back unit comes into contact with a table edge the unit is removed from the table.

pg45- Trapped- If a unit cannot perform a Fall Back move in any direction without doubling back, it is destroyed.

pg46- Regrouping- Units may not take there regroup test if, 1)The unit is below half strength. 2)There are enemies within 6". 3)The unit is not in coherency.

pg47- Characters As Leaders- Units use the highest leadership value within the unit for their leadership tests. Remember this if you throw a leader model or Independent character(IC) into a low leadership unit.

pg47- Moving Independent Characters- All IC have the move through cover and skilled rider special rules.

pg48-49- These two pages are full of rules and fun things that involve IC's, Areas of note Shooting and being Shot at on page 49 as well as IC's in a unit assaulting a unit.

pg50- Perils of The Warp- If the result of a psychic test is a double 1 or a double 6a peril of the warp occurs. The psycher suffers 1 wound with no cover or armour save allowed, inv. saves can be taken. On a roll of double 1 the psychic attack still occurs but you still suffer the wound.

pg51- Monstrous Creatures- Movement- All MC's have the move through cover special rule. All MC's have the relentless special rule in regards to shooting. They may also fire two weapons a shooting phase. In assault all wounds caused by a MC are ignore armour saves like power weapons. You also roll an additional D6 for armour penetration against vehicles in C/C.

pg52- Jump Infantry- Movement- Jump Infantry can use their JUMP ability to move up to 12" in the movement phase. They may also just move normally up to 6". Jump Infantry that moves into or out of difficult, dangerous, or impassable terrain treat it as dangerous terrain and must take the test. Jump Infantry can land on top of impassable terrain if the area can physically hold all the models in the unit. All jump infantry models have the deep strike special rule. All jump infantry fall back 3D6.

pg53- Bikes- All bike riders benefit from a plus (+) 1 to their Toughness for being mounted on a bike. Bikes can move up to 12" in the movement phase and are not slowed by difficult terrain. They treat difficult terrain as dangerous terrain and must test for each member moving into through or out of the terrain. Bikes also have the Turbo Boost special rule. Bikes fall back 3D6.

pg54- Beasts and Cavalry- All beast and cavalry models have the fleet special rule and may move up to 12" in their assault move. If assaulting through cover they double the highest result of their highest scoring dice for distance moved.

pg 55- Artillery- Artillery Gun models have an armour value of 10. Any glances or penetrating hits will destroy the gun outright. If all the crewmen for a artillery piece are killed the gun is immediately removed. Any crewmen within 2" of the gun may fire the gun. When shooting at an artillery model roll for each hit inflicted on the unit. On a 1-4 the weapon is hit. On a 5-6 a crew member is hit. If a Artillery unit has to fall back after losing a C/C and the enemy is free to sweeping advance the artillery unit automatically loses the initiative roll and is swept off the table. Such is the price for having the biggest guns.

That's it for 5, like I said it may or may not be the last installment. I'll cross that road here soon. Anyway as always hope this helped out someone or just sparked a light bulb. Comments, questions, critiques are always welcome, unless your gonna post as anonymous, at least throw your name out if your gonna critique someone. Thanks again for reading and even if there is no part 6 there will be more 40k coming from me in the future. I've built my first Tau list and will be in need of some fishy guidance, Ive also got a few models that I'm working on that should have pics. coming soon.
More later
-Matt