Tau rumours

[verydarkshadow]

I certainly am, as I'm fairly sure (about as certain as anyone can be about rumours) that they're plastic. It would also be the first time that I've seen a finecast kit with quite so many options too I think...

Oh... Thank the Greater Good! I will be one happy chappy if you are correct about this, neko.

[Grimdesign]

So 7 kits, with two being redone units (pathfinders, Crisis suits) I think we can safely assume that the flyer is a dual kit, I haven't heard any updates on the rumored Kroot mobile or new Kroot leader so Ill just assume that those dont exist at the moment. (well I guess nothing on the list "exists" but as far as rumours go....)

Either way the leaks should be next week.

[MajorWesJanson]

Flier is almost definitely a dual kit- fighter/gunship. Pathfinders getting new options expands them quite a bit. A new plastic broadside could expand the unit from just railgun caddies to multiple weapons loadouts, giving essentially a new unit.

[xerxeshavelock]

Could it be Broadside/Riptide?

[Guyver 3]

Unlikely, i suggested as much before and was told that there will be a big size difference!

[Zustiur]

So...

plastic Riptide
plastic flyer
plastic Pathfinders
plastic Broadside(s)
(repackaged Crisis suits)

resin Firewarrior leader
resin Farsight
resin tank character

That about it?

You left out resin Aun Shi

[Thorin]

I just so hope for a second wave! Looks like Vespids get no love during this one...although I have to say the rumours look good! actually, anyone else who thinks Tau maybe won´t get heir Flyer directly but with the June or July Flyer wave?
Greetz
Thorin

[Gonefishing]

This is probably true, sadly. But broadsides, even as S8 AP1 Skyfire, still aren't that great as anti-air. Better, but not amazing. I really, really thought Tau would have something better than that for anti-air, which may have just been wishlisting on my part. Still, maybe there's something that hasn't been leaked yet, but I'm starting to doubt it.

I agree, as a Tau player Im looking at it and thinking - its a huge and pointless nerf (for everything apart from GW's marketing department).

Ok they are giving them skyfire so they can shoot down aircraft, great. But when you actually look at the figures of a S8 Skyfiring Broadside v the current Broadside they are far far worse in their current role as an anti Medium/Heavy armor platform and only something like 2% better than the current Broadsides at shooting at ariel targets - and to add insult to injury they are also more expensive pointswise than the current Broadsides.

I can see why GW are doing from a marketing point of view, and possibly even from a game point of view (as vehicles die so easily in 6th to TL S10 AP1 weapons with Hullpoints and the reduction in cover save etc), but for Tau players it sucks the big one, and I think the main reason behind the decision is financial. Currently Broadsides are the best thing in the Tau codex, but from the rumours I have seen when the new Codex hits Tau players are more likely to be facing them as allies in an opponents army then they will be selecting them for their own army.

The other big stumbling block is that in order to take proper rail guns it looks like our only way of doing this is going to be the Hammerhead, which is currently a better anti medium/light infantry killer than anti armour. So if you spam/max out your heavy support slots you can get 3 1 shot Rail Guns, that arent Twin Linked and are not brilliant in the role we will be forced to use them for (as well as being far far less survivable than a unit of Broadsides under the current 6th edition vehicle rules with their mighty 3 hullpoints and the rumoured changes to disruption pods).

This whole rumour has totally killed my excitement about the new release to be honest, all Tau needed was some new units, a rules upgrade and a points reduction across the board, instead GW are nerfing our best unit and (from the rumours so far) seem to be replacing it with the Uber suit they want us to buy, which as an elite choice will be competing for a slot with our 2nd best unit - the Crisis Suit (as the rumours seem to be saying we wont have the option to take these as troops). Its not a pretty picture.

I know I should wait till I see the whole Codex, and I have no idea how it will all slot together - but all the rumours so far point to a more static, Tau army with a huge nerf to our current best unit on what seems to be mostly arbitary/sales driven grounds, rather than gaming based (and I have to say I agree with you comletely, I still dont begin to understand why they would focus on Broadsides as Anti Air rather than Sky Rays - A Sky Ray virtually has a huge Neon flashing sign hovering over it saying "Pick Me, Pick Me, Give me Interceptor and Skyfire, I will be your S8 anti Air", its called the SKYray and the fluff portrays it as Tau anti air already).


It just seems utterly stupid to me (as well as thrusting a huge feeling of disappointment into the mix at the thought of the new Codex I have been eagerly awaiting for 5 years or so since 5th was released). But from a marketing/sales stand point - its great guns! (if you will excuse the pun).

[Elzadar]

So when's that White Dwarf due out?

This. Can we expect it by the end of next week? Or do we have to wait longer?

[GreenDracoBob]

Huh, and I was about to say leaks weren't coming for a little while . . .

I can't see much there, but we have the Flyer Dual Kit, Pathfinders, Broadside, Riptide and repackaged Crisis Suits. Riptide looks like it has Ion Cannon in the chest? Hope for better pics soon, because there's not a lot to be made out here.

[Aun Tier]

Fwubagaaaah!!!

Hazaah for the Tau! I actually quite like the looks of these new sculpts. I count at least 3 fine cast releases near the crisis suits, probably more. And - new Drones! That will be interesting.

Interestingly, only three new units? Tau have the least number of units compared to any other army, so I don't buy this. I smell two waves (or an allied supplement for some Kroot and Vespid love). At least, that's what I'm hoping!

[TheRaven]

Ubersuit looks cool, pretty much what it looked like in my head.

Pathfinders dont' really look much different. I guess there pose is less "Crouchy"

That flyer looks terrible......

And the suits look the same, maybe the weapons look like they're different proportions? I don't know........... Actually the crisis suits look the same, but the broadsides in the background do look different. The heads are alot different.

[DoomedDiceThrower]

I want that Riptide to hold me in its big strong gunarms and carry me into sunset!!

Don't care a lot for those flier designs though. A bit bland.

Looking forward for a better shot on those broadsides, so far looks promising. Just a little disappointed that crisis indeed stayed the same.

[verydarkshadow]

Very nice! Although those aren't the clearest pics, the Riptide, Broadside and flyer all look great! Thanks very much, sinowarrior (and great first post, as well)!

[Voss]

Hmm. Interesting. Things that stand out:

broadside looks larger (but not large enough to justify a single model kit)

the 'hollow' effect with the support strut on the flyers gives them a distinct look, while the front is classic tau.. Makes them stand out from the ground vehicles while tying them into the army; and quite distinct from other army fliers.

Riptide looks quite large indeed

plastic pathfinders... finally. But if unit size hasn't changed, that 10-man box is going to be annoying.

definitely didn't change the battlesuits.

[Charistoph]

Anyone else notice that 3 Drones are coming with the Pathfinder squad?

That's an interesting development...

[Aun Tier]

I think that the Crisis Suits are actually new. Similar definitely, but I can see the lower sitting heads, and the ankles look stronger. Perhaps clearer pics (not being ungracious - very thankful!) will show more changes?

[MajorWesJanson]

Flier looks sort of odd, but not in a bad way. The contours and weapon mounted on the tail actually make it sort of like the old Iron Eagle. Hope the gun is better than a burst cannon in the nose.

Big suit looks far better than the FW Hazards. It's also quite a bit bigger than I expected- larger than the Dreadknight, up into the scale of Knight Paladins and friends. Probably about the same size as the Ork Mega Dred.

Hard to make out the Broadside. Looks bigger and bulkier. Maybe grab a pair to run as a pair, or team leaders for my 4 old style Broadsides.

Price-wise, ouch, but not insanely so. The Big Suit looks like it is worth the cost, the flier is at the mid-flier price point, not the low or high end. Pathfinders look fun.

Too bad on no recut for crisis suits. I wish I hadn't essentially killed half of mine with crappy paint. They are a tad too frail to remove it well, so I may have to write like 5 suits off

Thanks sinowarrior. Looking forwards to higher quality pics.

[Gonefishing]

Looks like the one flier has a burst cannon (possibly long barrelled) and the other has Missile Pods - so S5/6 and 7 shots (possibly), alongside whatever other missiles they give them (probablly seeker?).

Riptide looks like a Dual Ion Cannon on the Right arm (so the rumoured S7 overload S8) and Fusion Blasters built into the shield on the left arm, so a short ranged S8. In the smaller picture it looks like a long barrelled burst cannon on the right arm, so probablly pumps out S6 shots. - No Railgun Pictures on the Riptide so it may not be able to access a proper S10 rail gun.

Looks like the Broadsides only have one gun now instead of two (cant really tell in the pics though), may have lost TL as well? The one Broadside in the bigger picture looks like it only carries missiles....hopefully this means that the S8 Turdside is actually just a missile antiflyer variant rather than meant to be a proper Broadside (Probablly just the bad picture though and the Turdside will be as rumoured).

At least one of the Pathfinders looks like its holding a rail rifle.

(ps. Thanks for the Pics Sino)

[MajorWesJanson]

Anyone else notice that 3 Drones are coming with the Pathfinder squad?

That's an interesting development...

Marker Shield and stealth drone? Broadside comes with 2 drones, what looks like a shield drone and maybe a marker drone. Riptide also seems to come with a shield drone and marker drone, unless some of those are new types.

Plane comes with 2 drones as well, I wonder what kind, and where they are on the model?