First Tau 6th Edition FAQ up

[Narric]

Having a flip through th Errata and FAQ I'm noticing they've cut chunks of fluff away from the Wargear Entries. Case and point, Bonding Knives were nearly 12 lines of paragraph, now condensed into an easily understandable 3.

Something like that makes me think there may be a lot of Background re-writing going on in Ye Olde Nottingham City. Aun'va guide us

However, that despite the reduction in fluffiness, it means that Tau's uber-newscience-xeno-tech, now feels more approachable. I'm going to go ahead and say Tau would have been a lot easier for me to understand all those years ago, if the wargear entries were this clear (garaunteed, I still would be the pants gamer I am today).

An interesting point is that under the new rules, Decoy Launchers are worth their points now, as vehicle damage is now on a single chart, and its entry no longer specifies a "Glancing hit" as it did before.

Interestingly, with the change of Target Locks no longer having affect, and combining it with the new Vehicle damage rules. a full unit of Pathfinders, with three Rail Rifles, may be a good choice. three glancing hits could reduce the target vehicles HP, whilst the ML hits increase chances that the next volley of fire against it will take it down.

This makes me think that Tau will work supremely well with co-ordinated Tactics, possibly more so then other armies due to our high Shootiness.

Seeker Missiles seem unaffected if the Vehicle is Shaken/Stunned.

A note on Vehicles Gun Drones and Victory Points:
They DO give VP to the opponent if they detached from the vehicle, before being destroyed.
They DON'T grant VP with they are still attached to the vehicle.

This makes sense, as after detaching, they are two seperate units, whereas before, they are singulare. So don't detach you drones, unless you have to.

Thats just my thoughts whilst reading through the Update in front of me on paper. I printed it off you easier ref.

[Carrelio]

With the new warlord chart puting such emphasis on the HQ spot... should we be considering Shas'O over Shas'el in the future?

[knightperson]

Since our HQ options are underpowered relative to the craziness of other HQ's out there, I would look seriously at the Strategic chart. I've played one game of 6th so far (albeit with Chaos Daemons rather than Tau), and the strategic option worked well for me. It heped that our table happened to have ruins available when I rolled Move Through Cover (ruins) and Stealth (ruins), but I think most abilities that help the entire army rather than one unit are good choices. Daemons and Tau might have relatively little in common, but I say the parallel applies in this case because I was using mini-HQ heralds, making my warlord no better than most Tau warlord choices.

[Watchdog]

Does changing the unit type of Tau jumpy battlesuits from Jump Infantry (Jetpack) to Infantry (Jetpack) mean that the Space Wolves' psychic power killing anyone that fails initiative test works on them now? At Initiative 2?

[Farseer Del]

Does changing the unit type of Tau jumpy battlesuits from Jump Infantry (Jetpack) to Infantry (Jetpack) mean that the Space Wolves' psychic power killing anyone that fails initiative test works on them now? At Initiative 2?

I'd say yes. Infantry (whatever) is Infantry. JOTWW affects Infantry as a valid target.

From the look of it though that should be all jump infantry now, since they're now an explicit subset of Infantry (and if not why not GW). Which was how Jetbikes were affected because they were a subset of bikes not their own special type of unit. Which was stupid.

I do note that the Space Marine FAQs seem lacking in reclassing jump packs as Infantry (jump) even while Swoopy Normans in the Eldar codex are.  But I'm not seeing the Warp Spiders mentioned. Is that in the rulebook, perhaps, or do certain units benefit from GW once again cack-handing an update?

[Pottsey]

I just found out IC without infiltrate cannot join squads with infiltrate and Characters have precision strike I think it was called, a mini sniper rule. All IC, battlesuits team leaders, Vespid leaders and Shapers among others have on a roll of 6 you can choose which member of the target squad to hit. Say good bye to FNP priests.

Hit and run looks like it

[Narric]

I do note that the Space Marine FAQs seem lacking in reclassing jump packs as Infantry (jump) even while Swoopy Normans in the Eldar codex are.  But I'm not seeing the Warp Spiders mentioned. Is that in the rulebook, perhaps, or do certain units benefit from GW once again cack-handing an update?

I'll refer you to the Chaos Space Marine FAQ & Errata, which states that models with Wings or Jump Packs become Jump Infantry, not Infantry (Jump)

I think this is a case where they mean the same thing, but as I do not have the Rulebook in front of me, it may not be the case.

[Carrelio]

A lot fo people are talking about decoy launchers being buffed... I'm not seeing it.  If anything I think they are more situational and still just as dangerous for us to use.  At best it negates an immobilized result... middle ground you spent the points and go all game and never use it (if no immobilized hits are rolled), worse end of the spectrum you force a reroll but still end up immobilized (or wrecked if moving flat out)... and worst case, you just upgraded that immobilized result to a wrecked or explode result (and remember... you paid for that to happen).  I'm just not seeing it.

As for Precision Strike... it will definitely be a boon, for Tau, especially for HQ battlesuit teams and elites with TL weapons (who have 2 chances to roll 6 to hit), however, characters also get look out sir, which means we likely wont be aiming for characters... much more likely we'll be sniping special weapons (like melta, plasma, or missiles) embedded in a squad.
More nice things about characters... Since our drones are unit type same as controller, any drones on a team leader or better will get character special rule, which means in a challenge we can accept with a shield drone and laugh while space marines overkill 1 poor drone and the rest of our squad fights normally.  Actually a great way to bog down power weapons!

[El ShasOcho]

More nice things about characters... Since our drones are unit type same as controller, any drones on a team leader or better will get character special rule, which means in a challenge we can accept with a shield drone and laugh while space marines overkill 1 poor drone and the rest of our squad fights normally.  Actually a great way to bog down power weapons!

Or aggressively challenge people with it. That actually is pretty awesome, and depending on what you are fighting there is even a decent chance the shield drone could win.

[Carrelio]

So more fun facts about drones.  I'm pretty sure we've reached a point where every unit, big or small should have drones of some kind. Why?  For sweeping advance, we test by the highest initiative in our unit.  Drones are I4.  Gun drones on fire warrior squads, shield drones on battlesuits.  Now we've actually got a decent chance of getting away to rally again.

[Narric]

I'm gonna pose a quick question to the people whom alrady have the rulebook.

Are Acute Senses and Night Vision the same rule? And if so, it is the rule that negates the affects of Night Fighting for a model of unit containing a model with the rule?

[The Man They Call Jayne]

Acute Senses is now to do with Outflanking and determining which side you come in from.

I want to know how you shoot at XV25s. Is is as normal now, or do you shoot at them as if it were night time?

[Narric]

Stealth Field Generators only onfer the Stealth and Shrouded USRs. Meaning the enemy shoots as normal.

They'd only follow Night figting rules, if Night Fighting was in affect table-wide.

Of course, I don't have the rulebook infront of me, so Shrouded may have other effects I don't know.

[KCKitsune]

You know what's crazy?  Stealth Suits have both Stealth and Shroud.  Page 42 states that Stealth and Shroud are cumulative... which, since Stealth gives a 6+ cover save out in the open... and Shroud boosts cover saves by 2, means our stealth suits out in the open have a 4+ cover save.  Standing behind some trees makes our cover saves 2+.

[The Man They Call Jayne]

Yep. Stealth teams are now pretty damn awesome. If the Night Fight rules come in to effect they become largely untouchable until you are within 12".