Tau rumors

[Stickmonkey]

There has been some speculation on this, and I'm getting chatter now that seems to reinforce a few things, so I thought I'd post what is floating my way.

Tau Codex early next year.
Kroot and other existing allies are there, however they are limited. There appears to be an "Allies" supplement which will be out about the same time and include many more options. (aside: Dare I start a Spring of Allies moniker...ah well then it will end up being 2 years from now... )
Crisis suits completely redone.
Stealth suits completely redone.
Pirahna has new option and I am not sure if it will be reboxed together or be sold as an upgrade kit.
New Pathfinders were seen being worked on a while back.
Ethereals expanded, new unit options around them.
There is a FW Tau model which has a unit entry in the codex. (My take is this might actually be a new plastic kit taking over a FW model, and before anyone yells GW doesnt cannibalize FW...yes, they do, they have, and they will.)
The floating chair ethereal was seen being worked on for a new model.
New fast skimmer sized between hammerhead and pirahna.
Flyer has dual gattling cannons
Flyer has option for rail guns
Flyer has bombs (not missiles!?)

Rule rumors (these are rumors people! I hate posting rule rumors cause I am not involved in that. Please take fwiw)
Railguns have a JOWW effect, they can hit multiple models in a line, but if hitting vehicles has a max number of hull points it can cause. the way this is described is it draws a line from the barrel to table edge, every model under starts taking hits starting with the closest. if it hits a vehicle or structure with HP, its strength drops, once it hits 3 or a table edge or fails to make a penetrating hit its done. rhino line's watch out!
There is some rumor of an Anti Psyker weapon. like night fighting, but no psychic powers for a game turn.
There is no flyer dedicated transport, and the existing flyer is going to be competing against some very good other options
The jetpack troops have some option to "pop up and shoot" from behind cover.


All I have for now
Cheers.

[Wrath]

(aside: Dare I start a Spring of Allies moniker...ah well then it will end up being 2 years from now... )

Nooooo! now we are jinxed.

Any hints of this CC suit?

Thnkx for the info. =]

[A.T.]

Railguns have a JOWW effect, they can hit multiple models in a line, but if hitting vehicles has a max number of hull points it can cause.

I glanced in the rules this morning for just that effect, but only saw the 'beam' entry in the psychic powers section - not the shooting rules. Perhaps I just missed it, but make of it what you will.

[verydarkshadow]

Thanks for these, Stickmonkey! The thought of completely redone crisis and stealth suits makes me giddy. The railgun rule sounds very similar to the rumor from the old 6th Edition thread.

[MajorWesJanson]

Redone stealth suits? The XV-25 sprue is quite serviceable.
Piranha companion? Tetra seems likely.
Flier with Dual gatling guns and option for railgun? sounds farily close to the barracuda.

[Misha]

Crisis suits completely redone.

at last. one thing that kept me from starting tau were ***** crisis suits models. I know some weirdos like them but to me they are one of the ugliest and out of character models in whole gw's range

[librerian_samae]

New stealth suits? Shame I like the old ones and LOVE the current ones, otherwise all sounds good.

EDIT:

New crisis suits on the other hand BRING IT ON! I detest the current non forgeworld sculpts bar shadow sun.

[Shadow Marine]

An allies book interesting will this be like Dogs of War which was out for WHFB many moons ago?

[Theocracity]

It seems weird to me that they'd redo a bunch of already plastic kits. GW tends to avoid that.

Not that I'd complain too much if we got them....

Also, while I wouldn't be surprised if we got a plastic barracuda, how cool would a plastic Greater Knarloc be? That'd be a great draw if they hype up Kroot as Allies.

[Starchild]

Considering the Eldar packaging allegedly spotted and the dire need Dark Angels have to be updated, I'd add about six months to the estimated release timeframe.

[dangerboyjim]

Now my mind is popping with what could be in that allies supplement...

These rumours sound great.

I wonder if the exisiting suits being redone, actually means the sprue is being recut to allow more options, the stealth suits would have a new model every edition if they are genuinely being redone.

EDIT: OP says completely redone, which is pretty unambiguous. This must be some kind of record!

[BTJ]

Marine Veterans beat it. Admittedly metal, but four kits over two editions? And some extra metals that you can't buy any more, even though they featured one of GW's best marine models period.

[KarlPedder]

I'm all for a Merc style allies supplement that includes a variety of xenos units that can be taken by multiple armies via detachments. Not a fan of it potentially coming at the expense of expanding the Xenos Auxiliary units available in Codex Tau Empire since thats well an aspect of the empire......

While I think new Crisis/Broadsides is great I think a new Stealth Suit kit is a waste of a plastic kit. Shame about no Flyer transport I really felt this fit Tau thematically, hopefully this new Fast Skimmer is a transport since Tau really could do with a second transport option.

An allies book interesting will this be like Dogs of War which was out for WHFB many moons ago?

My biggest concern with such a release (especially at the expense of more xenos units in the Tau dex) is that like Dogs of War any such supplement will have too high a chance of not being supported/updated beyond the edition it was released in.

[linikratyo]

NEW CRISIS SUITS!!! but no Tau dropship :C hate the fact that it will not make it to the new codex.><

Like the current stealth suits, don't see why they would like to update them. I also like the current railguns, but I don't mind them getting more killy ^^

[Scorpion]

Stealth suits completely redone.

Odd... They're one of the most recent Tau kits. Fire Warriors, on the other hand, could use a recut...

[Stickmonkey]

Just FYI, I did not say no flyer transport. Just that sources are saying no "dedicated" flyer transport.

[Starchild]

@KarlPedder: Maybe there will be special rules to allow for an expanded allied contingent if a Tau army includes units from this special Tau Empire allies list.

[KarlPedder]

@KarlPedder: Maybe there will be special rules to allow for an expanded allied contingent if a Tau army includes units from this special Tau Empire allies list.

Only to a limited extent while there are certain species (Demiurge seem to have more of a good relationship than being fully part of the Empire) where something like making Tau 1 alliance level higher than other armies would work, for the majority of Tau vassal races it doesn't. The Kroot keep their merc activities from the Tau because it doesn't mesh with the greater good as such having a Tau subject race other than Kroot (let alone the majority) available as mercs is kind of silly. If you want to use Vespid you should have to take a Tau allied detachment with whatever restrictions that entails (Like being forced to take some Tau units) and this is how it should be for the majority of Tau vassal races.

I just don't see why they couldn't have just added a few new unique exclusive xenos auxiliary units to Tau then release this allies supplement representing merc units from xenos outside the Tau Empire and include Kroot in there too (though with the caveat that the Kroot units/rules for allied detachments would be the same as in the codex non of this other armies get better Kroot than Tau its just silly).

[MiyamatoMusashi]

at last. one thing that kept me from starting tau were ***** crisis suits models. I know some weirdos like them but to me they are one of the ugliest and out of character models in whole gw's range

You're not alone. I've got 5000 points of Tau... and no Crisis suits. The FW Broadsides and Hazards are beautiful, the GW Crisis and Broadsides hurt my eyes.

Not taking Crisis suits is a handicap to an already handicapped list, but I'd rather lose slightly more often than have to look at those ugly, ugly, ugly models while I'm playing.

[DarkLomli]

Love new rumors on Tau, but some of this I find hard to swallow, like many who already posted why redo the stealths, not that old of a kit just needs good rules, or maybe GW going to gove them more options, a railrifle would be nice but not going to happen.
If the Crisis suit being becut what about the broadside upgrade kit, will it still be able to mount on the recut or are their getting removed from the dex?
Why redo the pathfinder again, didn't thier get a finecast kit recently?
Alot I don't believe in any of this merc alliance thing going on, why remove a unit from one dex to another?