Merrick's Tau Blog. Beware, sloppy painting within. :D

[Merrick]

Oh hai guys I made you some Tau.

Well, some early WIP shots of some Tau anyway.

A hour or so's painting, and voila.

[Minako]

Paiting is better than what i could manage, is it meant to be red, or orange?

[Merrick]

Red. Damn midnight lighting. Better images before too long.

[Merrick]

Wow. Threadomancy. I sure neglected this.









Now then, for those wondering what that thingamabob on the Commander's right arm is, it's my cyclic ion blaster conversion.



I didn't want to pay £18 for an extra metal part....

[Anubis]

Take your photos in natural light, these aren't doing you any favours

Your work could be easily improved with some practice using washes and highlighting.
It's relatively clean and the models aren't caked obscuring details, so the basics are there for you to work on. Don't be scared to try out new things with painting, it's the only way you will improve
I suggest you read thantos' articles on painting technique, you would be suprised how quickly you progress if you learn some new tricks as it were.
Keep up the good work.

[Narric]

I think you painting is very good

A tip on taking pictures. Take large ones from a distance, then crop them. Usually, more detail gets captured.

I like the CIB conversion. I take it this is an Out-of-the-Box army, with a few additions?

Are you doing a dual force army? Thats what I'm doing to

[Merrick]

Yay, a reply! 

My apologies on pictures.
I usually roam a forum where there is an auto-resizer, so completely forgot to resize these. I can assure you the quality is better when it's not so freaking large.

Thank you on the surprising comment that the painting is very good, as this is one of my usual efforts. 



I suppose the blue tones and flat surfaces help on the Devilfish.

And no, it's not a dual force army, I just wasn't happy with the initial red/white scheme, so I changed it. 

[Lord Zambia]

It might just be because the picture is so large, but your devilfish looks to have an awful lot of dust over it, same with the drones...a glass cabinet of some type is good for storing your recently painted models which you arent putting them in a case. Then just take out the models for the photoshoot and return them. No dust, no spring cleaning required

Otherwise, good painting, but try not to be too bland on the colours. I know when i first painted my Tau i had everything orange, with black and blue on the weapons. Recently i went over and redid the weaponry with some boltgun metal, purple, turquoise and aqua and its looking so much better. Try not to paint your plasma rifles all the same colour, put some cool brightish colours on the different parts. You can keep the constant blue/red whichever on your suit and spice up the weapons and it will look great.

As the others said, try something out - its the only way to get even better!

Zambia

[The Man They Call Jayne]

The thought occours that we have lots of what we do want to see, but with a few people distressed at the state of the WD SOBs, is there aything that we Really wouldn't want to see, that are possiblities?

Personally, im terrified that we're going to have another Tau -> Tau Empire fiasco.

[Meister Brony]

What I wouldn't want to see:

Giving all our Tau units Markerlight special abilities, that require markerlight hits to activate, still fired from a squishy Heavy 1 platform. In doing so, they nerf what markerlight abilities can do.

(OTOH, if markerlight hits can be generated on a D6 roll per turn, increased by pathfinders, that might be better.)

OR, they do a half-assed attempt at making us better in CC...

[GreaterGoodNewZealand]

For me, what I wouldn't want to see is the Ethereal as it is now, and I also concur with Meister Babylon's second point. A half-hearted attempt to make us better in close combat would, IMO, be absolutely awful.

[Enderwiggin]

I don't want to see Matt Ward's name anywhere near the codex.

I don't want us to suck, but I also don't want us fanwanked to hell and back.

Fluffwise I don't want us to lose even more ground than we have, or to have excessive fluff (beyond made-up ground).


Not asking for the moon and sky, just some incentive to play the army I spent mad monies on.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

The Tau race, should not be good in CC, hell you shouln't even be competant unless you're wedged into a 12ft Battlesuit. We have allies for that.

Markerlights shouldn't become Orders/Psychic Powers.

Crisis suits shouldn't become Tau Marines, each one should be a significant threat in its own right, rather than slightly glorified line troops.

[Walrus Man]

Codex creep and assorted fanwankery is inevitable, so I'll just settle for no more space pope.

[Charistoph]

What I would hate:

Ethereals being the only HQ.  Price of Failure is expanded to affect more units, and with a debuff to boot.

Crisis Suits only have access to one short-ranged weapon, much like Stealth Suits now, but are still only 1-3.

Stealth Suits will have their SFG changed to just Stealth.

Vehicle prices don't change, but the wargear goes up in price.

Kroot lose Fieldcraft, and the +1 Attack on their guns.

Vespid get more expensive, but have their I reduced and/or their gun nerfed.

Carbines are reduced to 12" range and lose Pinning, but stay 2-handed and one shot.  Pulse Rifles reduced to Bolters, Kroot Rifles reduced to lasguns.

Railguns get turned into Lascannons.  Ion Cannons become Autocannon.

Fire Warriors get their Carapace Armor reduced to Flak Armor.

Of course, that's just being paranoid...

[Meister Brony]

Codex creep and assorted fanwankery is inevitable, so I'll just settle for no more space pope.

Problem is, codex creep doesn't always happen. See: SoB WD :s

So true. See You Space Pope. :p

*is shot by Spike*

[salamut2202]

I don't want what happened to the Tyranid Warrior to happen the Crisis Suit. Heavy troops that gets too expensive when marginally effective? No thank you!

I also don't want to see ;

Heavy weapons other than the marker light given to troops.

Psykers which are not of an allied race.

Tau become more elite and better armed with their infantry (Space marine syndrome)

Tau become outnumbering in troops and realiant on vehicles (Imperial lard syndrome)

Tau become too mobile in a blitzkrieg style (Eldar syndrome)

"Written by Matt Ward"

Becoming good in combat (unless you're kroot or something)

[GreaterGoodNewZealand]

I don't want what happened to the Tyranid Warrior to happen the Crisis Suit. Heavy troops that gets too expensive when marginally effective? No thank you!

I also don't want to see ;

Heavy weapons other than the marker light given to troops.

Psykers which are not of an allied race.

Tau become more elite and better armed with their infantry (Space marine syndrome)

Tau become outnumbering in troops and realiant on vehicles (Imperial lard syndrome)

Tau become too mobile in a blitzkrieg style (Eldar syndrome)

"Written by Matt Ward"

Becoming good in combat (unless you're kroot or something)

Sorry if this seems stupid, but to clarify what you have said. First off, heavy weapons not being given to troops (other than markerlights), which I believe is how the tau's troop choices are now.

Psykers of an alien race - so no new race with psychic powers, but maybe something along the lines of an experiment to create psychically capable fire warriors or a piece of wargear allowing a unit to use psychic powers is what you would prefer?

Space marine syndrome, Imperial lard syndrome, Eldar syndrome and "written by Matt Ward" I understand.

And finally, instead of, say, creating a battlesuit specially equipped for CC, they make kroot better somehow or something like that?

[Raving Bonkers]

I agree to not wanting Tau being good in CC.

The biggest thing I would hate to see is a mass of alien ally units in the book. While the idea is cool and what not, I like and play Tau for the Tau. If there was to be an influx of other species I could see it being more Tau Empire winning matches but not the Tau themselves.

[Meister Brony]

I shall go against the grain by saying that I actually DO want "Written by Matt Ward", simply because that alone will ensure that the book is balanced against the other Matt Wardian spawn...

[salamut2202]

I don't want what happened to the Tyranid Warrior to happen the Crisis Suit. Heavy troops that gets too expensive when marginally effective? No thank you!

I also don't want to see ;

Heavy weapons other than the marker light given to troops.

Psykers which are not of an allied race.

Tau become more elite and better armed with their infantry (Space marine syndrome)

Tau become outnumbering in troops and realiant on vehicles (Imperial lard syndrome)

Tau become too mobile in a blitzkrieg style (Eldar syndrome)

"Written by Matt Ward"

Becoming good in combat (unless you're kroot or something)

Sorry if this seems stupid, but to clarify what you have said. First off, heavy weapons not being given to troops (other than markerlights), which I believe is how the tau's troop choices are now.

Psykers of an alien race - so no new race with psychic powers, but maybe something along the lines of an experiment to create psychically capable fire warriors or a piece of wargear allowing a unit to use psychic powers is what you would prefer?

Space marine syndrome, Imperial lard syndrome, Eldar syndrome and "written by Matt Ward" I understand.

And finally, instead of, say, creating a battlesuit specially equipped for CC, they make kroot better somehow or something like that?

Fire warriors I described are armed the way they are and I'd like it to stay that way! Generally good weapons but no missile launchers of plasma guns.

Psykers are okay if they're an alien race, anything else would be a rape of fluff.

The last point you just rephrased what I said. Like if it takles up one line than take note of the "I also don't want to see ;" at the top of the list!

I shall go against the grain by saying that I actually DO want "Written by Matt Ward", simply because that alone will ensure that the book is balanced against the other Matt Wardian spawn...

I will do things to would that will make you beg for the touch of a Haemonculus.

[PsyBomb]

What do I not want to see? Well, I've literally written articles on it (you can find one such from two years ago HERE. Long and short of it:

1) Tau (as in non-auxiliary units) ever becoming Psykers or being truly good at CC.
2) Sucky special characters (again). I don't mind them just being enhanced regular guys, but no more drawbacks needed and the points need not be extreme anymore.
3) Major unexplained fluff changes (I don't care if Ethereals end up being evil or something, but have a good reason please!)

I prefer to state my preferences at what I want instead of what I don't, but these just about cover it. I'd also like to note that the SoB 'dex is not complete. It only sucks if their points stay at the current levels and the wargear doesn't make up for the lacks of the units. We'll see about THAT in a month

[El ShasOcho]

I agree with what psybomb has said in terms of maintaining our style. What I am wondering is what can be done to improve us in these areas. What worries me is that designers will have trouble figuring this out, and instead take the easy way out and mess us up by either making us good in cc or overload on auxiliaries.

[Alpha_Wolf]

I personally would want to avoid tau becoming heavily dependent on a single unit, as in it is impossible to build an effective list without than unit.  At present there are strong signs that tau were built as a synergistic army and that's fine, but anything further is going too far.

At present many people consider pathfinders essential, but lists can be made without them.  Similar circumstances rise around hammerheads/broadsides as well, but to a lesser extent.  I am suggesting that this type of situation needs to be avoided if possible, and anything worse is simply not acceptable.

[Ra´Meses]

I wish people were less doom and gloom before things have even come out. As long as they do not change the whole fluff and make drastic changes in the armylist I am happy. The reason is that I do not think they will change... Much. It is all pretty streamlined as is and therefore more in line with current design philosophy than SoB is. And in regards to that I echo a previous poster and say that we do not have the unit list nor the wargears of the Sisters.

so lets try and think positive and not focus on the negative ovf a hobby we should do with a lighthearted mind.

[Charistoph]

Some more for my list:

Kroot and Vespid don't get Assault or Krak grenades.

Demiurg?  What are those?

Mat Ward writes the fluff.

Phil Kelly creates the new units.

Robin Cruddace writes the Armory.

[Gonefishing]

I dont want to lose the single most effective piece of Wargear the Tau have : The Positional Relay (or have it replaced by some sort of Ethereal only ability.)

I also dont want them to go overboard on Markerlight stupidity/abilities without drastically changing the way we put Markerlights in a list (the only good option at the mo is the Marker Drone - and thats to expensive to actualy take).

[The Man They Call Jayne]

In all honesty, i have NEVER once used the PosRel. I know that a Juggernaught'O can be nigh unkillable, but risking him to really make the ninja tactic work never seems worth the risk. I've never seen anyone take one and not be Ninja either.

[knightperson]

In all honesty, i have NEVER once used the PosRel. I know that a Juggernaught'O can be nigh unkillable, but risking him to really make the ninja tactic work never seems worth the risk. I've never seen anyone take one and not be Ninja either.

I used to use it to bring in the outflanking Kroot charge at the right time. A bit expensive, but worth it most of the time.

[Gonefishing]

In all honesty, i have NEVER once used the PosRel. I know that a Juggernaught'O can be nigh unkillable, but risking him to really make the ninja tactic work never seems worth the risk. I've never seen anyone take one and not be Ninja either.

Everysingle Tau army I build has one - yes just by including it you have the option to run your Hybrid list as a Ninja List if the battle would benefit from it - but generally, as Knight says, its just fantastic for bringing on the right tool for the Job at the right time. Not sure on the expense side of things...its only 15Pts? (Unless you mean kitting out a full Shield'O type to  carry it....which isnt really necessary generally, slam it on a cheap HQ and the HQ has a useful purpose for once!).

In the context of wishing what the New Codex does not change Keeping the Positional Relay is my key concern (Above even not having the Codex written by Matt Ward!!)

[Kur'os]

"Railgun Spam"  I think it's a universal given, but I'd rather not see railguns outside of heavy support.  I would, however, love to see an XV-88 HQ option, but saturating the Tau org chart with their signature weapon?  No thank you. 

"Power armored Tau"  An XV-15/25 themed army would be nice, but only if they were XV-15/25s, not just Tau with 3+ saves.  Though I'm sure the Tau are capable of crafting suits lighter than XV-15s, I'd simply rather not see it happen.  There are far too many 3+ armies out there and the Tau do not need to jump on the power armored band wagon 'deff rolla. 

-Kur'os

[The Man They Call Jayne]

I agree we should definatly not be Spamming Rails outside of heavy support, HQ could have them, but it would be nice to see some more REAL heavy weapons spread around the FoC.

[Narric]

Can't we just settle for a new codex, and work out the bugs from there?

[Farseer Del]

So.... You don't want Vespid, Kroot, Defensive Grenades, Jump Jets, or low initiative?

This is what makes this anti-wishlist confusing, the things people do not want are sometimes things that define the race.

Personally I just want less weeaboo influences and less vulnerability to stupid special rules that nerf weapons.

[Kur'os]

This is what makes this anti-wishlist confusing, the things people do not want are sometimes things that define the race.

Personally I just want less weeaboo influences and less vulnerability to stupid special rules that nerf weapons.

I'm not sure if you realize what you posted or if you're just living up to the troll reference in your name...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it generally believed that Tau battlesuits were/are heavily influenced by Japanese manga and anime?  By removing "weeaboo" influences, you're quite possibly removing the most unique units that make the Tau worth playing: XV-8s, 88s, 9s, 15s, 25s, and 22s.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a Tau player who doesn't use these units; 1+ XV-8 Shas'El / 'O aside.

-Kur'os

[Farseer Del]

This is what makes this anti-wishlist confusing, the things people do not want are sometimes things that define the race.

Personally I just want less weeaboo influences and less vulnerability to stupid special rules that nerf weapons.

I'm not sure if you realize what you posted or if you're just living up to the troll reference in your name...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it generally believed that Tau battlesuits were/are heavily influenced by Japanese manga and anime?  By removing "weeaboo" influences, you're quite possibly removing the most unique units that make the Tau worth playing: XV-8s, 88s, 9s, 15s, 25s, and 22s.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a Tau player who doesn't use these units; 1+ XV-8 Shas'El / 'O aside.

-Kur'os

Welcome to Missing the Point/Wild Interpretation Skills 101. I in fact realised what I posted, but do you? Of course not. 

I said "less". Not "removing them". Less means that in future no further influences from Japanese manga and anime should be present. At no point did I state the current influences should be removed.  However I should also point out the current influences themselves are misinterpreted and overstated by some who fail to realise what the Tau really are. Eastern influence most certainly does not define the Tau when you scratch below the front cover.

I'll tell you what I think of the Tau's Eastern influences. It can be argued that the influence is purely visual: Battlesuits can more easily trace their lineage to western works in my eyes, as Japanese output of the kind is more accurately giant mecha a great number of times larger than the average Tau suit - What little I know of Gundam is that a Gundam Mech is comparable to a Titan. Starship Troopers, the novel, arguably has the Tau battlesuit in it - an armoured, powered suit equipped with a variety of weapons.

Of course it can then be noted that in some cases, any Japanese manga of a more reasonable nature use smaller, more sensible suits that trace their influence back to Starship Troopers as well. Meaning? The point stands - The influence is visual, as in role it can be traced back to Starship Troopers at the very least, maybe all the way back to 1930's or earlier pulp and sci-fi, with some detours on the way passing other works influenced on the chain.  In terms of a role and what they are Tau have a Western influence, and only visually embody the altered influence of Japan. Japanese mecha and power armour are different beasts even to how the Tau act.

Tau already fail to fit into the setting thanks to this at times - They are seen as the eastern-influenced red headed stepchild amongst a universe of Western archetypes. Crusader warrior-monks, rows of armed conscripts, fickle elves, brutish orcs, animated skeletons - Every 40k army draws a line to a Western influence in visuals and role, the Tau are mistakenly thought to have an Eastern influence AND role.

I think Tau are not Mecha. I think Tau should be seen as the modern force of 40k. Every other force draws influence from the fantasy genre with a modern spin or alteration. Therefore I don't want Gundam to influence the Tau in future any further. We have enough influence from Japan. It's time to make the Tau something that really does fit, even if the role of fitting is to ensure they are the odd one out in the universe even more.

What should be the influence? Battlefield 3. Modern Warfare. Halo. Killzone. Iron Man. Starcraft. DARPA. My Little Pony. Think modern tactics, modern weapons. Not the Hollywood Tactics of the IG nor the fifty three episodes to throw one punch of Japan.

And finally, I should point out the name is what we call a joke.  It should also be rather obvious I'm not trolling as I have a big blue bar wot says Global.

[knightperson]

I mostly agree with Trollton. There is a superficial resemblance of the Tau to some Japanese culture, but it does not extend to the crisis suits becoming super-duper-crazy mecha battlesuits. Nor should it. The few times the crisis suit is mentioned in anything but the Tau Codex, it can not do any of the ridiculous things you see anime suits doing, nor is the scale even close. As I understand it, a crisis suit is only 2-3 times as tall as an unarmored Tau, and just big enough for a pilot to sit curled up in the torso. I, for one, do NOT want the Tau to become any closer to Gundams. We have tanks, foot soldiers, hired savages, and all sorts of other things that are more than just little guys to step aside when the all-powerful battlesuits show up.

Fluffwise, the Tau could be more easily compared to some evangelical religions. They don't care about "race, color or creed", just whether you can be persuaded to convert to their Way. The Kroot are the native savages in the process of being "enlightened" by the "more civilized" people, and have a very native American feel to them (which I love). I can't even guess what the Vespid are parallel to. They might actually be the most original of anything in the game.

[Calmsword]

There have been tentative steps taken by others, like the RPG people, to further Tau fluff. If it's all official then, believe it or not, I'm actually hopeful.

Remember that the Tau were supposed to, in essence, be the Federation from Star Trek that by accidentally wandered into 40k. If they keep the hopeful/naive/incorporative aspect it'll be for the best. If they get lost in the weird pseudo ethereal eccentric aspect of the second codex then they might as well just be the Imperials with blue skin and anime vehicles.

But BUT- I think there's hope based on what the other elements allowed to write fluff have been doing. Like Commander Firewing in the Deathwatch book- he fights in the Damocles Gulf war, relatively young, and now commands the defense of a third sphere sept, Velk'han. He has the conviction to do what he needs to, but he also thinks like a true believer of the Greater Good and truly thinks that Humanity and Tau will band together in the end. It's not crazy space pope wandering around with a deathwish- catch my drift?

[Deadnight]

(1) Kaldor'o Draigo'la

(2) less backs to the wall, soaked to their necks in their own blood, defiantly facing off against overwhelming odds, and somehow, somehow surviving long enough for the cavalry to arrive and instead getting a single tau hero with god mode, and a bandolier of infinite ammo happily killing a billion bad guys on his own, and conquering dozens of systems with no bother. ye gods, i hate the new fluff writing...

(3) anything resembling the atrocity of the grey knights codex.

(4) shadowsun. aunva.

[Calmsword]

Kaldor'o Draigo'la?

And the Grey Knights almost convinced me to stop playing- Chapter Master walking the warp and daemonic demigods AFRAID of him? 

[raiza(archer)]

Don't want Pulse carbine resembling Dark elder splinter carbine but at least see that it is similiar to it in that it allows the same rate of fire as our pulse rifles.(hurray we can now shoot safely and run back on to our fish if they run at us)

Normally on the battlefield I expect to see more tau infantry then kroot(not that they are bad but because they are a sub race), so I want my fire warriors with a bit more dakka action instead of holed up in a fish

[Deadnight]

Kaldor'o Draigo'la?

And the Grey Knights almost convinced me to stop playing- Chapter Master walking the warp and daemonic demigods AFRAID of him? 

*confused face*

[Farseer Del]

Kaldor'o Draigo'la?

And the Grey Knights almost convinced me to stop playing- Chapter Master walking the warp and daemonic demigods AFRAID of him? 

*confused face*

I think what you meant was "I find this confusing and would like you to explain, but I must also note this appears off-topic and indeed has caused spammy posting already"

Actually, no, you only meant the first part, the second bit is me. Get the message?

Anyway, what he probably means is Draigo is overpowered in the fluff, written by an idiot like an idiot for idiots. Anyone who honestly thinks his backstory makes any sense deserves to be shot out of a cannon into the sun so their death will brighten the world for but a fleeting moment as it consumes them in firey retribution.

I'm guessing you however simply did not want a Tau to have that "lol this can scouts now" rule?

[Khanaris]

What should be the influence? Battlefield 3. Modern Warfare. Halo. Killzone. Iron Man. Starcraft. DARPA. My Little Pony. Think modern tactics, modern weapons. Not the Hollywood Tactics of the IG nor the fifty three episodes to throw one punch of Japan.

I think you could take any one of those and mark it down as something I wouldn't want to see.  Maybe Starcraft or Halo.  40k is not Modern Warfare.  It is barely even Science Fiction.  I think contemporary military elements drawn from console shooters are far and away the least appropriate influence to emphasize.

And I am sorry, but I can't see the term "weeaboo" used without becoming somewhat annoyed.  It was originally a trollish backlash against kids who though anything associated with Japan was cool.  Mostly a response to the popularity of kids anime and a few product lines.  But I see it as just as juvenile and far more mean-spirited.  I don't know what your intention was when using it, but that is how I interpret it.  I don't know what a "weeaboo" influence is, let alone how it applies to the Tau in 40k.

The "eastern" influence in the original Tau book is mostly visual.  You can't really say that it is inspired by Manga or Anime, because that is like saying that something is inspired by comic books or tv shows.  If you know anything at all about Manga or Anime as they actually exist in Japanese popular culture, you find yourself hard-pressed to identify many common elements (although what gets exported is more similar).  Tau are not inspired by anime and never have been.  But there were certainly a lot of visual cues from eastern history in the original Tau models and background, from the use of circular symbols to the shape of the armor panels.  I think that should continue and be played up.  40k models all need a consistent theme, and the Tau models work best with an orderly but rounded scheme.  In terms of background writing, you can find as many influences from Chinese history as you can from Japanese history.  Kids tend to latch on to Japanese history or anime as an inspiration (for good or ill) only because they are more familiar with it.


What I don't want to see is another transition like Tau to Tau:Empire.  I do not believe that the Tau are anything close to fine as they are now.  The army needs to be brought up to 5th Edition.  Adding a few new alien allies isn't going to cut it.  The Tau represent a significant challenge to balance.  No matter how good you make an army in close combat, close combat itself offers opportunities for both players to fight.  An army that is too good at shooting will be frustrating to play against.  That was why the last Imperial Guard book was so poor.  So I don't think the Tau should push very far out that way.  And I think the "empty battlefield" tactics of JSJ and deep-striking suits are probably not as much fun as they could be, either.  I would rather see an army that is good at close-to-mid range shooting and resistant to close combat without much ability to use close combat to actually cause damage.


The original Tau book had a strong constrast between its line troops and its elite troops.  I have seen the comparison made to ashigaru and samurai, or to peasant spearmen and knights.  Not as they were, but as popular culture romanticizes them.  It doesn't really matter.  But it is not a modern sort of army structure.  The Battlesuits are too important, and they have no equivalent in modern warfare.

[Farseer Del]

I also listed DARPA, which should have clued you into it meaning a technological influence as well. I see why you wouldn't want the one force that can evolve in the fluff without doing it literally like the Niddies to actually evolve and start using technology and weapons on the battlefield that are actually comparable to what modern forces use. No other forces have the tabletop see them actually acknowledge the technology the individual soldier carries nor the network centric warfare that drives modern forces and influences the games I listed.

But I still think that adding underbarrel weapons (or at least different ammo), nvgs, network centric warfare, and generally adding more influence from modern combat and the materials it itself has influenced is preferable to the way so many misinformed people seem to think Tau = Anime. It's not a question of being like Call of Duty in that we rush about throwing grenades, but a cultural influence - in that we see the Tau force reliant upon many tiers of support. From infantry technology to close support, to artillery, to UAVs to command networks.

As for what Weeaboo means in this context? It's used as a marker of the sheer disdain for the presumed cultural influences of Eastern media across the board of Tau when in fact most of it is a hybrid or purely aesthetic, or as you put it, backlash against the people who think everything Japanese is cool and try to shoehorn it into everything when evidently they don't quite understand what they're doing.

Arguably though the Battlesuit's modern equivalents are a hybrid of three - Light combat vehicles, helicopters, and infantry. The jump packs grant them such mobility in fluff terms at least, whilst the carrying of heavy weapons is normally done by jeeps, strykers, IFVs, etc. The suits can also enter some buildings and move like infantry. Most Mecha anime has the robot replace tanks and strike fighters, wheras a more realistic and rational weapon in fact simply would merge close support with the infantryman to stand alongside it - Which the battlesuit does. It's the support of a helicopter, an IFV, a jeep, but walking beside the soldiers. It's a surgical weapon that integrates itself as a jack of all trades and master of none.

It's a potent weapon but by no means a replacement for close support weapons like those I listed and certainly not a replacement for Tanks and fixed-wing aircraft.  I don't want people to fail to realise that.

Which a lot of the people I call weeaboos do. They wish to add more mecha as mecha, not battlesuits as battlesuits.

[BadwolF]

Something I don't want to see: SPACE POPE. Either scrap him (not kill him off just...make him take a back seat or something like a character like him should be) or completly overhaul his rules in favour of rediculous board wide buffs and such. I do not want to see Aun'Va in his current state.

[Chicop76]

I wish they don't drop, or limit drones. In fact I would like to see more.

I wish they don't nerf or kill off O'Shova.

I wish they don't add anymore xeno races.

I wish if they do add more xeno's than make them more unique instead of a bland generic unit. Kroot mercenaries as an option would be great.

I wish they don't change Tau saving throws to 5+ from a 4+.

I wish they don't force suits to be all equiped the same.

I wish Tau don't suck.

I wish they don'tmess with our great mobility and the abilty to outshoot guard.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

What ability to outshoot Guard? Tau are the bottom of the shooting armies chain now.

[Chicop76]

What ability to outshoot Guard? Tau are the bottom of the shooting armies chain now.

Armies that can outshoot Tau.

Tyranids
Dark Eldar
Guard
Orcs
Nids
Marines
Grey Knights
Daemons
Chaos Marines
Necrons

Hmm they can outsjoot Eldar and Sisters of Battle.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

I would say that the eldar could do it to. Tau essential have 3 real classes of weapon.

Pulse weapons (anything with a 5/5 stat line)
Missile Pods
Railguns.

Anthing that cant be easily delt with by a lower weapon get ramped up to a higher one. So we have plenty of S5 7 and 10.

AV12? well you need 5s with the S7 to even glance, so what the hell, use a Railgun. Which means you now cant use that Railgun till next turn.

The Tau problem is that we dont have enough weapons to go round and while the Railgun is the king of longrange firepower, we dont have enough. and the Missile Pod just doesnt cut it as a substitue. Fusion Blaster doesnt have the range either.

We need S8, desperately.

Eldar have a weapon for any situation at just about any range. Admittedly, not enough to go around, but thats why Eldar are as mobile as they are. To get that weapon in the right place at the right time. And they can do that better than us to. Yes the Waveserpent is expensive, but to my money its also one of the best transports availiable.