The T'au Empire (alternatively and formerly spelled Tau) is a faction of fictional alien species that appears in the tabletop strategy wargame Warhammer 40,000, in which they are a playable army.
(Redirected from Tau (Warhammer 40,000))
The Insignia of the T'au Empire Fire Caste
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Tau rule a small interstellar empire on the very fringe of Imperium space. They are a relatively new power on the galactic scene. The Tau dream of uniting the races of the galaxy under their benevolent rule (by force if necessary). The Tau already rule a number of client races, including some annexed human worlds.
Tabletop game mechanics (as of 8th Edition)[edit]
The T'au are oriented towards ranged warfare and generally die quickly in close quarters. They have some of the most powerful ranged weaponry in the game in terms of both range and stopping power. They heavily use the Overwatch special rule, which allows them to shoot back at their enemies when charged with relatively devastating power.
The T'au do not have any psykers nor units that specialize in countering psykers, which makes them somewhat more vulnerable to psychic attacks. There are, however, optional rules for including psyker auxiliaries from other races.
Most T'au vehicles are classified as flyers, skimmers, or jet pack infantry, meaning they can move swiftly over difficult terrain.
The T'au are the only army in the game that routinely incorporates aliens from other species. Kroot warriors provide melee support, while the insectoid Vespids serve as jump infantry.
Real-world history and development[edit]
Gavin Thorpe began developing what eventually became the Tau in the early 1990s. Initially, he conceived them as the counterpart to the Lizardmen faction from Warhammer Fantasy, in the same way the Eldar are the counterpart of the High Elves, and he called them 'the Shishell'. Like the Lizardmen, the Shishell had a caste-based society. The Shishell had five castes: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. The race was ruled by a caste of psykers. In 1999, Thorpe revisited his Shishell concept when Games Workshop asked him to develop a new army. The caste system became part of the new Tau race.[1] The Spirit caste was renamed 'Ethereal', and the Ethereals became non-psychic so as to differentiate them from the Eldar Seer councils.
Whereas most of the races in Warhammer 40,000 are based on Tolkien fantasy races (e.g. the Eldar are based on High Elves), the culture and technology of the Tau were heavily inspired by Japanese science-fiction. This idea was proposed by Jes Goodwin, who is a sculptor at Games Workshop, as a way to attract new players who weren't interested by the overall fantasy-in-space theme of the other Warhammer 40,000 races.
The Kroot were originally conceived as a separate army in themselves, but were eventually merged with the Tau.[1]
According to Andy Chambers, the chief designer at the time, the Tau were intended 'to be altruistic and idealistic, believing heartily in unification as the way forward.' Graham McNeill was responsible for much of the background material produced for the Tau, developing what Andy Chambers described as 'their proud, quiet but determined character [developed] to the point where they actually became a rather likeable, if slightly naive addition to the cosmos.'[2]
This development was eventually seen as too disparate from the traditional dystopic atmosphere of the rest of the setting. The Tau were eventually modified to display the same altruistic overtones, but with a heavier Orwellian tone that implies that the Tau engage in mind-control and population replacement on worlds within their domain.
With the release of 8th Edition the Tau were rebranded as the T'au Empire.[3]
Model design[edit]
Tau miniatures were designed to display the high-tech science fiction and robotic concepts that had resulted in the choosing of the Tau as the new army-race. The reflection of the Tau's high-technology status was reflected by the lack of cabling and links modeled onto the weapons; instead it was decided that these components were internally integrated. The Tau Infantry models, according to sculptor Jes Goodwin, were designed to have subtle influences taken from Chinese foot soldiers. The Battlesuits and vehicles drew from science fiction exo-suits,[2] and were designed to slightly resemble a faster and more lightweight version of the Space Marine Dreadnought. While the Tau vehicles are 'skimmers', the design brief specified that the Tau Tanks have an impression of being heavier and more solid than the Eldar Grav-tanks while nowhere near as solid as some of the more heavily armed vehicles deployed by the Orks or the Chaos Space Marines.[4]
The primary weapon for Fire Warrior teams are the Pulse Rifles, and the Pulse Carbine, a smaller, shorter-ranged version of the Pulse Rifle that is equipped with an underslung 'photon grenade' launcher that can pin down enemy infantry. Both of these weapons function by firing particles that break down into plasma pulses as they are fired. Notably, the Tau are at an extreme disadvantage when it comes to close combat, as their standard infantry lacks any melee weapons.
The Rail Gun is the most iconic, and feared, of Tau weapons, which can be found on the Hammerhead tank (as of the latest codex, the 'heavy support' Broadsides do not sport railguns, but heavy rail rifles). The rail gun has extreme range and is immensely powerful, being one of the best weapons in the standard Warhammer 40,000 game; its effect upon an Imperial tank is described as two neat holes in both sides, the crew sucked out through one of them as the projectile exited, their remains scattered across two dozen meters.
Influence of the Eye of Terror campaign[edit]
Since the setting of the Eye of Terror Worldwide Campaign was on the opposite side of the galaxy from the Tau Empire, and published materials had previously established that the Tau have limited faster-than-light capability, a separate 'mini-campaign' was held specifically for Tau players. Codex: Tau Empire (Hoare, 2006) was the first publication to incorporate the impact of this game event on the 40k universe. In the new background material published with the Codex, it is explained that Imperial forces were drawn away from Tau space to defend against Abaddon's Thirteenth Black Crusade. This left a power vacuum that prompted the Tau to initiate their Third Sphere Expansion.
In the campaign, registered games involving the Tau contributed to the expansion or contraction of Tau-controlled space. Over eight weeks of gaming, the Tau Empire grew by nearly a third due to victories.[5]
The Tau were the fourth army to receive a Codex updated for Fourth Edition rules (Codex: Tau Empire â Hoare, 2006). Additional rules for the Tau appear in a Forge World Imperial Armour rules supplement (Imperial Armour Volume Three â The Taros Campaign â Kinrade, 2005).
In-universe fictional history[edit]Biology[edit]
The T'au evolved as hunter-gatherers in the arid plains and desert environments of their homeworld, T'au, though they eventually spread to all ecological regions of the planet. As a result, they have tough, leathery blue-grey skin, which exudes no moisture. With an average height of 5'5', they have a humanoid body plan, though unlike humans they possess digitigrade legs which end in cloven hooves. The T'au have flat, nose-less faces, with their olfactory organs located inside of their mouths to preserve moisture. On the battlefield, the T'au typically wear all-concealing battlesuits which give them an even more alien or robotic appearance, but a T'au soldier that takes his helmet off for a closer look will reveal that their cranial arrangement isn't that much different from a human's (compared to say, a Tyranid; they don't look as similar to humans as the Eldar). The different T'au castes have slightly different body proportions between themselves.
The T'au possess no psykers, and are said to register as little more than a 'blip' in the Warp. T'au ships have no navigators (a psyker used for warp travel) and only realized the existence of the warp after contact with the Imperium. Instead the T'au make use of a form of Hyperdrive, a slower type of FTL travel and in turn drastically slowing the spread of the T'au across interstellar space. Their inaccessibility to the warp has also denied them the combat abilities of psykers on the battlefield, with the somewhat dubious benefit that they have very few encounters with the forces of Chaos. Indeed, there has never been a recorded instance of a T'au being tainted by Chaos in any form. (However, in Fire Warrior, the only Black Library published T'au novel, one Shas'la, La'Kais, is indeed tainted by a vast Daemon Lord. The novel explains that, rather than lack of psychic ability, it is the lack of selfish desires linked with Tau'va, the Path of the Greater Good, that protects the T'au from Chaos. La'Kais lacked this; thus he alone among the T'au force was rendered vulnerable to Chaos[6]). Their negligible signature in the Warp is also one of the main reasons that the Imperium of Man's psykers ignored the T'au for thousands of years, when they were seen as primitive hunter-gatherers confined to their own insignificant planet. Thus, the Imperium was taken by surprise when the T'au started building their small but vigorous interstellar empire, driven not by psyker adepts but by advances in technology, which the Imperium utterly shuns.
Caste-system[edit]
T'au society is divided into five castes. They are named after the elements of nature, which reflect the characteristics of each caste.
Originally, all T'au were hunter-gatherers who evolved on the arid plains and deserts of T'au. The culture of all T'au castes is influenced by terminology and mindsets related to a hunting context (to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the caste). For example, the two primary military tactics are called the 'Mont'ka' (lit. 'killing blow', favoring quick decisive strikes) and the alternative strategy known as the 'Kauyon' (lit. 'patient hunter', favoring luring enemies into an ambush).
As the T'au expanded to other ecological regions of their homeworld, the cultural lifestyle of each group differentiated based on their surroundings. Those who moved from the plains to the fertile river valleys (ancestors of the Earth caste) developed agriculture, metallurgy, and ultimately built the first true cities. With the rise of cities along major rivers came a rise in trade between cities, leading to another group of T'au becoming a culture of merchants plying their way along the major river networks (ancestors of the Water Caste). The T'au who moved to the mountain regions (ancestors of the Air caste) became very slender, and even grew membranes between their limbs which allowed them to glide on updrafts (an evolutionary trait they later lost). These became a society of fast raiders, and later, messengers between cities. Those who remained in the arid plains became fierce and skilled hunters, larger and stronger than other T'au. The ancestors of the Fire Caste, these plains-T'au became fierce nomadic raiders and hunters. Each of the groups fought the others, with plains-T'au raiding the cities of the builder-T'au, and rival builder-T'au cities attacking each other.
According to T'au legend, during the siege of the ancient builder-T'au city of Fio'taun by plains-T'au warrior-nomads, a fifth and mysterious T'au caste suddenly appeared in their midst, the Ethereals, who mediated an end to the dispute. The Ethereals preached the philosophy of the 'Greater Good' and began the process of unifying the other four groups under them. The Ethereals formally established the caste system between the five groups of T'au, locking each in place within T'au society. The Ethereals forbid interbreeding, meaning that members of each caste are forbidden to change caste. A side-effect of this is that each caste has been a separate breeding population for several thousand years, each almost forming its own sub-species, leading to notable disparate physical appearances between the castes.
The T'au castes are:
Ranks within Caste:
Auxiliaries[edit]
As well as the five castes of the T'au, multiple alien species are incorporated into the T'au Empire; the most significant of these being the Kroot and Vespid although many other races, including the space-faring Nicassar and the Demiurg mining fleets are members. In addition, human auxiliaries (Gue'vesa in the T'au language) are sometimes seen to be aiding the T'au as well.
The T'au Empire's practice of tolerating and incorporating other races stands in stark contrast with essentially all other major races in the galaxy, which exterminate other races completely rather than conquer and subjugate them. Reports vary on the exact conditions of the alien races working for the T'au themselves, ranging from that they are full allies within the Empire, to that they are mercenary armies hired out by the T'au to aid in the umbrella of protection the T'au military provides their region of space, to reports that these 'auxiliaries' are glorified slaves. Still, the fact that the T'au want to co-exist with other races on any level, even if they are subjugated, makes them far more tolerant than other races, particularly the xenophobic Imperium of Man. Most reports generally indicate that the human auxiliaries serving the T'au Empire are relatively well-treated, with many serving the T'au voluntarily.
As the only significant human population in the galaxy which is not part of the Imperium, this has led to a great deal of both embarrassment and general bewilderment in Imperial officials, who have difficultly comprehending that many planetary-sized populations of humans would truly rather side with the T'au than the brutal and harsh Imperium. Refusing to believe that the Gue'vesa were willingly won over to the T'au Empire through what was honestly better treatment than they had under the Imperium, many Imperial officials continue to insist that other races must only serve under the T'au due to some form of mind control over their 'allied' races.
Thus, in contrast to the forces of the Imperium of Man, a T'au army encountered on the battlefield may feature a wide menagerie of different alien races, working together for the Greater Good (or at least, as mercenaries working together for payment from the T'au)
Major allies[edit]
A Kroot Carnivore Squad, including Kroot Hounds (right) and a Krootox (back)
Kroot model design[edit]
The Kroot were designed to have the physique of a Maasai warrior or a professional level basketball player. The 'inverted raptor' jaw was one of the elements quickly established, but care had to be taken not to emulate the jaw structure of the Orks. The idea that the Kroot evolved from birds came later, but conformed to the model design. The sensor quills were originally to be dreadlocks, but were changed late in the design process. The Kroot miniatures were almost exclusively sculpted by Brian Nelson.
Minor allies[edit]
The Greater Good[edit]
The uniting philosophy of the T'au race is called 'The Greater Good', which stresses communal living and cooperation, a convivial attitude to aliens, and self-sacrifice for the good of the whole. Most T'au sincerely believe they are on a noble mission to bring peace, justice, and progress to the rest of the galaxy.
While on the surface the T'au may seem like wonderful altruists, especially when compared to the extremely brutal Imperium of Man, the fiction shows many sinister undertones. The T'au can be ruthless with alien cultures who don't fit into their utopian society. Cultures which resist assimilation into the T'au Empire are subjugated by force. The Vespids, due to their insectoid mentality, could not relate to the T'au in any way until the T'au implanted 'communication helms' into their brains, which then transformed them into compliant and model citizens.[7] Whilst many assimilated humans do enjoy more liberties and comforts than they did under Imperium rule, those who stubbornly resist are sometimes interred in re-education camps or subjected to sterilization programs.[8] Meanwhile, others may be subject to intense brainwashing from other psychic client races hired by the T'au with failure sometimes resulting in death.
The ruling Ethereal caste uses some form of mind control, possibly pheromone-based, to control the other T'au castes. Literally, their every command is obeyed without question, their every decision seen as wise.[9] The origins and ultimate motives of these mysterious beings are unknown.
Politics[edit]
When the T'au first started expanding to other star systems, they thought they were the only technologically advanced race in existence, and that it would be effortless to expand their reach throughout the rest of the galaxy. In 742.M41 (the 742nd year of the 41st millennium), they came into contact with the Imperium of Man, which launched the so-called 'Damocles Crusade' to conquer the upstart T'au Empire. The war lasted for three years, between 742.M41 and 745.M41, before ending in stalemate - each side agreed to a truce due to the sudden appearance of the first Tyranid invasion of the galaxy, Hive Fleet Behemoth, which threatened them both. The Imperium's forces were rapidly withdrawn from the aborted Damocles Crusade to fight in the First Tyrannic War, and in such a fast panic that many Imperial Guard regiments were abandoned inside of the T'au Empire's territory, many of whom were absorbed into the ranks of the T'au military as auxiliaries. Each side learned new lessons from the Damocles Crusade: the Imperium of Man was forced to realize that the T'au were a new major race on the galactic scene, capable of standing up to the limited resources the Imperium was able to throw at them, due to most of its armies being spread thin across the galaxy fighting Chaos, Orks, and Tyranids. Meanwhile, the T'au had a rude awakening that the galaxy was not empty and theirs for the taking, but mostly controlled by the Imperium of Man, which even with its attentions divided between multiple alien threats controlled vast military resources. In the 250 years between the Damocles Crusade and the 13th Black Crusade (by the forces of Chaos), the T'au have been slowly but steadily expanding their sphere of influence, retrenching in the face of powerful alien races.
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As a civilized technological race which does not inherently embrace warfare, the T'au are one of the few races that the Imperium of Man might be considered to have 'diplomatic relations' with on any level. Unlike every other alien race, the T'au do not wish the destruction of humanity, and their reach is very short due to their limited interstellar capabilities. Though the Imperium ultimately wishes to destroy all alien races, it considers the T'au a low priority and has occasionally agreed to suspend hostilities to deal with more pressing threats. Imperial and T'au troops have often fought side by side against the Necrons and Tyranids as with the Eldar, and the Imperium could essentially be said to have been allies with the T'au. Thus after many thousands of years, the Imperium of Man is slowly beginning to rediscover the concept of 'international diplomacy', in which the Imperium, the Eldar, and the T'au would each prefer to conquer all of the others, but each also realizes that they cannot spare the resources for the full undertaking. Most commonly, it is simply a situation where when faced with a far more belligerent common foe that cannot be reasoned with, alliances are often in the best interests of both parties.
Due to the T'au Empire's location in the Milky Way Galaxy's Eastern Fringe, combined with their lack of psykers, they have had relatively little contact with the forces of Chaos, which are concentrated around the Eye of Terror in the galaxy's north-west, or the Maelstrom at the center of the galaxy. The Imperium of Man has for the most part not prioritized military conflict with the T'au, which does occur but at a relatively low level. Contact with the Eldar is sporadic, and relations vary from one craftworld to the next. The biggest threats to the T'au Empire come from the Ork hordes, which control vast swathes of the Eastern Fringe, as well as the incursion of the Tyranid Hive Fleets, which tend to enter the galaxy through the Eastern Fringe (ultimately driving towards Terra). Thus the T'au two biggest military threats are alien races which possess military doctrines diametrically opposed to those of the T'au. Both the Orks and Tyranids favor devastating close-quarters combat, while eschewing ranged combat (the Orks to a somewhat lesser degree than the Tyranids).
Farsight Enclaves[edit]
While the T'au are relatively unified thanks to the T'au's subconscious urge to obey the Ethereals' with only rivalries between military commanders being the worst form of friction, there does exist a separatist faction called the Farsight Enclaves. Led by the renowned Commander Farsight, an expedition from the T'au homeworld was sent east towards the frontier between the Imperium and the T'au Empire to establish future colonies. Unfortunately, the expedition was eventually cut off from contact with the rest of the T'au, no less thanks to Farsight's unusual sense of independence. After an encounter with Daemons on Arthas Moloch led to massive casualties and the death of the Ethereal observers attached to the expedition, Commander Farsight was horrified that they kept the existence of Daemons a secret from the T'au military. He also began questioning past decisions that he previously thought were necessary sacrifices but now seemed to be influenced by the Ethereals. Horrified of having seditious thoughts and having no wish to disrupt the unity back in the T'au Empire, Farsight and his expedition exiled themselves to the Eastern Fringes and formed the Farsight Enclaves as an independent faction while the Ethereals have painted him as a dangerous renegade who must be avoided by the ordinary citizenship. In the 6th and 7th Edition of the game, the Farsight Enclaves were given Codex Supplements.
Computer games[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T%27au_Empire&oldid=893543475'
Warhammer 40,000[a] is a miniature wargame created by Rick Priestley and produced by Games Workshop. The first edition of the rulebook was published in October 1987; the latest edition is the eighth, which was published in June 2017.
As in other miniature wargames, players enact a battle between opposing forces using miniature figurines of warriors and models of fighting vehicles. The playing area is a tabletop model of a battlefield, comprising models of buildings, hills, trees, and other terrain features. Players take turns moving their model warriors and vehicles around the battlefield and simulate combat between the models using the published rule system and a set of six-sided dice.
Warhammer 40,000 is set in the distant future, where a stagnant human civilization is beset by hostile aliens and malevolent supernatural creatures. The models in the game are a mixture of humans, aliens, and supernatural monsters, wielding futuristic weaponry and magical powers.
Warhammer 40,000 is one of the most popular miniature wargames in the world.[1][2] It has spawned a number of spin-off tabletop games. These include Battlefleet Gothic, which simulates spaceship combat; and Space Hulk, which simulates combat within the confines of derelict spacecraft. It has also spawned a large number of video games, such as the Dawn of War series. Finally, it has spawned a large body of novels and comic books, which develop the fictional setting in detail.
Materials[edit]
The rulebooks and models required to play Warhammer 40,000 are copyrighted and sold exclusively by Games Workshop and its subsidiaries. These and other materials (dice, measuring tools, glue, paints, etc.) all make Warhammer 40,000 expensive as far as gaming hobbies go. A new player can expect to spend at least $500 to assemble enough materials for a 'proper' game.[3][4]
Playing field[edit]
Warhammer 40,000 is meant to be played on a tabletop. In contrast to board games, Warhammer 40,000 does not have a fixed playing field. Players are expected to construct their own custom-made playing field using modular terrain models. Games Workshop sells a variety of proprietary terrain models, but players often use generic or homemade ones too. The table should be about four feet by six feet.[5] Unlike certain other miniature wargames (such as Battletech), Warhammer 40,000 does not use a grid system. Players must use measuring tape (and templates in older versions) to measure distances. Distances are measured in inches.
Miniature models[edit]
Games Workshop sells a large variety of plastic and resin models for Warhammer 40,000. Games Workshop doesn't sell ready-to-play models. Rather, it sells boxes of model parts. Players are expected to assemble and paint the miniatures themselves. Games Workshop also sells glue, tools, and acrylic paints for this purpose.
Each miniature model represents an individual warrior or vehicle. In the rulebooks, there is an entry for every type of model in the game that describes its capabilities. For instance, a model of a Tactical Space Marine has a 'Move characteristic' of 6 inches, a 'Toughness characteristic' of 4, and is armed with a 'boltgun' with a range of 24 inches.
Scale[edit]
Officially, Warhammer 40,000 does not have a fixed scale, but the models approximate to a scale ratio of 1:60 (ie 1 inch represents 60 inches).[6] For instance, a Land Raider tank model is 17cm long but conceptually 10.3m long. A Space Marine model is about 34mm tall.
Gameplay[edit]
Note: The overview here references the 8th edition of the core rulebook, published June 2017
Distances between models on the playing field must be measured with tools, as there is no grid.
Assembling armies[edit]
Models are classified into 'factions'. In a matched game, a player can only use warrior models that are all loyal to a common faction, such as 'Imperium' or 'Chaos'.[7] Thus, a player cannot, for example, use a mixture of Eldar and Ork models. Each faction has its own strengths and weaknesses due to the warriors and weapons it has access to. For instance, the Tau faction favors ranged combat because its army does not have many melee units.
The players must agree as to what 'points limit' they will play at, which roughly determines how big and powerful their respective armies will be. Each model has a 'point value' which roughly corresponds to how powerful the model is, e.g. a Tactical Space Marine is valued at 13 points, whereas a Land Raider tank is valued at 239 points.[8] The sum of the point values of a player's models must not exceed his agreed limit. 1,000 to 2,000 points are common point limits.
At the start of a game, each player places his models in starting zones at opposite ends of the playing field.
Moving and attacking[edit]
At the start of his turn, a player moves each model in his army by hand across the field. A model can be moved no farther than its listed 'Move characteristic'. For instance, a model of a Space Marine can be moved no farther than six inches per turn. If a model cannot fly, it must go around obstacles such as walls and trees.
Models are grouped into 'units'. They move, attack, and suffer damage as a unit. All models in a unit must stay close to each other; each model in a unit must finish a turn within two inches horizontally and six inches vertically of another model from the unit.
After moving, each unit can attack any enemy unit within range and line-of-fire of whatever weapons and psychic powers its models have. For instance, a unit of Space Marines armed with boltguns can shoot any enemy unit within 24 inches. The attacking player rolls dice to determine how much imaginary damage his models inflicted on the enemy unit. The attacking player cannot target individual models within an enemy unit; if an enemy unit suffers damage, the enemy player decides which models in the unit suffered injury.[9] Damage is measured in points, and if a model suffers more points of damage than its 'Wound characteristic' permits, it dies. A model of a 'dead' infantry unit is removed from the playing field. Disabled vehicles are left on the field (and turned upside down), and serve as obstacles for surviving models.
Victory conditions[edit]
Victory depends on what kind of 'mission' the players choose for their game. It might involve exterminating the enemy, or holding a location on the field for a certain length of time, or retaining possession of a 'relic' for a certain length of time.
Setting[edit]
Warhammer 40,000 is set mostly in the 41st millennium (roughly 38,000 years in the future). Although Warhammer 40,000 is mostly a science-fiction setting, it also adapts a number of tropes from fantasy fiction, such as magic, supernatural beings, daemonic possession, and races such as Orks and Elves; 'psykers' fill the role of wizards in the setting.
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The setting of Warhammer 40,000 is violent and pessimistic. It depicts a future where human scientific and social progress have ceased, and human civilization is close to being destroyed due to war with hostile alien races and occult forces. It is a setting where the supernatural is usually untrustworthy if not downright malevolent. There are no benevolent gods or spirits in the cosmos, only daemons and evil gods, and the cults dedicated to them are growing.
Because the setting of Warhammer 40,000 is based on a wargame, the spin-off novels and comic books are mostly war dramas, and the protagonists are usually warriors of some sort (the most popular are the Space Marines). A key theme of the setting is that the galaxy is overwhelmed by war. Every planet in the Imperium of Man is either a warzone or heavily burdened by wartime taxation, and civil liberties are heavily curtailed in the name of security.
The setting is, by the admission of its own writers, deliberately absurd and hyperbolic. This, for instance, applies to the scale. The Imperium of Man has lasted 10,000 years (older than any historical human civilization), controls roughly a million planets, and has a population that likely numbers in the quadrillions. The armaments and tactics seen in the setting are equally nonsensical, such as the heavy usage of melee weaponry, war machines that tower hundreds of feet above the ground (and thus make easy targets for artillery), and magic-users who place curses on their foes.
The source of magic in the setting is a parallel dimension of psychic energy known as 'the Warp'. All living creatures have a psychic link to this place, but certain individuals called 'psykers' have an especially strong link and can manipulate its energy to work magic. Psykers are generally feared and mistrusted by humans, and with good reason. Firstly, psykers can possess many dangerous abilities such as mind control, clairvoyance, and pyrokinesis, and thus they need to be policed carefully. Secondly, the Warp is full of predatory creatures who might use a psyker as a conduit by which to invade realspace. Because of this, psykers must be trained to control their abilities and resist Warp predators. Those who fail or reject this training are executed for the safety of all. Those who pass their training are pressed into life-long servitude to the state and are closely monitored for corruption and misconduct. However, psykers also perform critical services for humanity: their powers permit faster-than-light travel and communication, which are impossible under the 'normal' laws of physics. A key theme of the setting is that for all the difficulties that psykers pose, human civilization cannot do without them.[10]
Influences[edit]
Rick Priestley cites J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Dune, Paradise Lost, and 2000 AD as major influences on the setting. Priestley felt that Warhammer's concept of Chaos, as detailed by his colleague Bryan Ansell in the supplement Realms of Chaos, was too simplistic and too similar to the works of Michael Moorcock, so he developed it further, taking inspiration from Paradise Lost.[11] The story of the Emperor's favored sons succumbing to the temptations of Chaos deliberately parallels the fall of Satan in Paradise Lost. The religious themes are primarily inspired by the early history of Christianity and Catholicism.
To me the background to 40K was always intended to be ironic. [..] The fact that the Space Marines were lauded as heroes within Games Workshop always amused me, because they're brutal, but they're also completely self-deceiving. The whole idea of the Emperor is that you don't know whether he's alive or dead. The whole Imperium might be running on superstition. There's no guarantee that the Emperor is anything other than a corpse with a residual mental ability to direct spacecraft. It's got some parallels with religious beliefs and principles, and I think a lot of that got missed and overwritten.
ââRick Priestley, in a December 2015 interview with Unplugged Games[12]
Factions or armies[edit]
The myriad models available for play in Warhammer 40,000 are divided into 'factions' or 'armies'. Under typical circumstances, a player can only use units from the same faction within a single army. For instance, an army cannot include both Ork and Eldar models because Orks and Eldar are enemies in the setting.
The Imperium of Man[edit]
The Imperium of Man is a despotic human empire that spans most of the galaxy and has existed for over 10,000 years. The Imperium is mired in a prolonged dark age. Although it has access to technology which is highly advanced by our present standards, scientific progress has ceased and its technologies typically date back thousands of years. Imperial society is deeply religious and superstitious, centered on the worship of the God Emperor of Mankind, the Imperium's founder and nominal ruler. Those who do not worship the Emperor, including alien species and human followers of Chaos, are mercilessly persecuted as heretics.
Of all the factions, the Imperium has the largest catalog of models, which gives Imperial players great flexibility in designing their army.
Chaos[edit]
Within the parallel dimension known as the Warp dwell the Chaos Gods, who are monomaniacal and depraved entities formed from the emotions and souls of mortals. The Chaos Gods have the ability to twist the minds of mortals, amplifying certain emotional traits and inspiring reverence, like a supernatural form of brainwashing. Worshippers of Chaos (most of whom depicted in the game are human) tend to be insane, violent, and depraved, and they often exhibit grotesque physical mutations such as extra mouths or limbs replaced with tentacles.
Like the Imperium, the forces of Chaos have access to a large variety of models, meaning a Chaos army can be designed for any style of play.
Eldar[edit]
The Eldar are derived from the Elves of Warhammer Fantasy. They are an ancient species of aliens who view humans and other non-Eldar species as vermin. In the distant past, they ruled an empire that dominated the galaxy, but it was destroyed in a magical cataclysm, along with most of the population. The surviving Eldar are divided into the ascetic inhabitants (known simply as 'Eldar') of the Craftworlds, massive spacecraft scattered across the galaxy, and the Dark Eldar, or Drukhari, a race of sadistic space pirates who inhabit a massive port city hidden within the Warp.
Eldar infantry tend to be highly specialised and relatively frail 'glass cannons.' Because of their lack of staying power, Eldar armies can suffer severe losses after a bad tactical decision or even unlucky dice rolls, while successful gameplay can involve outnumbered Eldar units which outmaneuver the opponent and kill entire squads before they have a chance to retaliate.
Tyranids[edit]
The Tyranids are a mysterious alien race from beyond the Milky Way. They migrate from planet to planet, devouring all life in their path. Tyranids are linked by a psychic hive mind; individual Tyranids become feral when separated from it. Their 'technology' is entirely biological: their ships are living creatures, and their weapons are living components of their bodies.
Tyranids have a preference for melee combat; their infantry units tend to be fast and hard-hitting but frail. They also have low point values, meaning Tyranid armies in the game are typically fairly large to compensate. Tyranids have the most powerful counter-measures against enemies with psychic powers: many Tyranid units possess the 'Shadow in the Warp' trait, which makes it harder for nearby enemy psykers to use their psychic powers.[13]
Tau[edit]
The Tau, or T'au, are a race of blue-skinned aliens inhabiting a small but growing empire located on the fringes of the Imperium of Man. The Tau Empire is the only faction in the setting that actively integrates alien species into their society. They seek to subjugate all other races for the benefit of all, under an ideology they call 'the Greater Good.' Some human worlds have willingly defected from the Imperium to the Tau Empire. Although humans are effectively second-class citizens in Tau society, they still tend to have a better quality of life than Imperium citizens.
Tau armies have a strong preference for ranged combat. The Tau do not have any psykers nor units that specialise in countering psykers, which makes them somewhat more vulnerable to psychic attacks. Most Tau vehicles are classified as flyers, skimmers, or jet pack infantry, meaning they can move swiftly over difficult terrain.
Necrons[edit]
The Necrons are an ancient race of skeleton-like robots. Millions of years ago, they were flesh-and-blood beings, and they transferred their minds into robot bodies to achieve immortality. However, the transference process was flawed, and all but most high-ranking Necrons became mindless automatons. They are waking up from millions of years of hibernation in underground vaults, and seek to rebuild their old empire.
Necron infantry are characterised by strong ranged firepower, tough armor, and slow movement. They are known primarily for their trademark 'gauss flayer' weapons and reanimation abilities. As robots made of quasi-living metal, many Necron units possess the ability to reassemble themselves after being slain and fight on. As machines, Necrons possess maximum leadership across all units but are also relatively slow moving outside of some transports. Necrons do not have any psykers, which makes them vulnerable to psychic attacks.
Orks[edit]
The Orks are green-skinned aliens based on the traditional orcs of high fantasy fiction. Their culture revolves around war for its own sake, periodically erupting into massive crusades against Imperial planets or other species. Orks are a comical species, having crude personalities, wielding ramshackle weaponry, and speaking with Cockney accents.
In the tabletop game, Ork infantry units are typically slow-moving, tough, and numerous. They have a preference for melee combat, as their ranged units are weak. Dc cheat .com roblox download.
History[edit]
In 1982, Rick Priestley joined Citadel Miniatures, a subsidiary of Games Workshop that produced miniature figurines for use in Dungeons and Dragons. Bryan Ansell (the manager of Citadel) asked Priestley to develop a medieval-fantasy miniature wargame that would be given away for free to customers so as to encourage them to buy more miniatures (Dungeons and Dragons, at the time, did not require players to use miniature figurines).[14] The result was Warhammer Fantasy Battle, which was released in 1983 to great success.
Since before working for Games Workshop, Rick Priestley had been developing a miniature wargame/RPG hybrid called 'Rogue Trader', which mixed science-fiction with classic fantasy elements. Priestley showed his bosses his outline for 'Rogue Trader', but they were hesitant because they thought that a science-fiction game wouldn't sell well. His bosses floated the idea of selling cheap kits with which players could convert their Warhammer Fantasy models into science-fiction models â e.g. by replacing swords with laser-pistols â but as time passed, their enthusiasm for 'Rogue Trader' grew, and they finally agreed to produce a dedicated line of models for it.
Sometime before 'Rogue Trader' was released, Games Workshop signed a contract with 2000 AD to develop a board game based on the comic book Rogue Trooper. So as not to confuse customers, Games Workshop renamed Priestley's game 'Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader' and marketed it as a spin-off of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was released in October 1987.
Rulebook editions[edit]Rogue Trader (1987)[edit]
Rogue Trader, the first edition of Warhammer 40,000
The first edition of the game, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, was published in 1987.[15] Game designer Rick Priestley created the original rules set (based on the contemporary second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle) alongside the Warhammer 40,000 gameworld. The gameplay of Rogue Trader was heavily oriented toward role-playing rather than strict wargaming. This original version came as a very detailed, though rather jumbled, rulebook, which made it most suitable for fighting small skirmishes.[16] Much of the composition of the units was determined randomly, by rolling dice. A few elements of the setting (bolters, lasguns, frag grenades, Terminator armour) can be seen in a set of earlier wargaming rules called Laserburn (produced by the now defunct company Tabletop Games) written by Bryan Ansell. These rules were later expanded by both Ansell and Richard Halliwell (both of whom ended up working for Games Workshop), although the rules were not a precursor to Rogue Trader.[17]
In addition, supplemental material was continually published in White Dwarf magazine, which provided rules for new units and models. Eventually, White Dwarf provided proper 'army lists' that could be used to create larger and more coherent forces than were possible in the main rulebook. These articles were from time to time released in expansion books along with new rules, background materials and illustrations. All in all ten books were released for the original edition of Warhammer 40,000: 'Chapter Approved â Book of the Astronomican', 'Compendium', 'Warhammer 40,000 Compilation', 'Waaagh â Orks', two 'Realm of Chaos' ('Slaves to Darkness' and 'The Lost and the Damned'), 'Ere we Go', 'Freebooterz', 'Battle Manual', and 'Vehicle Manual'. The 'Battle Manual' changed and codified the combat rules and provided updated stats for most of the weapons in the game. The 'Vehicle Manual' contained a new system for vehicle management on the tabletop which was intended to supersede the clunky rules given in the base hardback manual and in the red softback compendium, it had an inventive target location system which used acetate crosshairs to simulate weapon hits on the vehicle silhouettes with different armour values for different locations (such as tracks, engine compartment, ammo store, and so on). 'Waaagh â Orks' was an introductory manual to Orkish culture and physiology. It contained no rules, but background material. Other Ork-themed books instead were replete with army lists for major Ork clans and also for greenskin pirate and mercenary outfits. The 'Realm of Chaos' books were hefty hardback tomes, which included rules for Chaos in Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer Fantasy Battle (3rd edition).
Second edition (1993)[edit]
The second edition of Warhammer 40,000 was published in late 1993. This new course for the game was forged under the direction of editor Andy Chambers. The second edition came in a boxed set that included Space Marine and Ork miniatures, scenery, dice, and the main rules. An expansion box set titled Dark Millennium was later released, which included rules for psychic powers. Another trait of the game was the attention given to 'special characters' representing specific individuals from the background, who had access to equipment and abilities beyond those of others; the earlier edition only had three generic 'heroic' profiles for each army: 'champion', 'minor hero' and 'major hero'.
Third edition (1998)[edit]
The third edition of the game was released in 1998 and, like the second edition, concentrated on streamlining the rules for larger battles.[18] Third-edition rules were notably simpler.[19] The rulebook was available alone, or as a boxed set with miniatures of Space Marines and the newly introduced Dark Eldar. The system of army 'codexes' continued in third edition.
Towards the end of the third edition, four new army codexes were introduced: the xeno (that is, alien) races of the Necron and the Tau and two armies of the Inquisition: the Ordo Malleus (called Daemonhunters), and the Ordo Hereticus (called Witchhunters); elements of the latter two armies had appeared before in supplementary material (such as Realm of Chaos and Codex: Sisters of Battle). At the end of the third edition, these armies were re-released with all-new artwork and army lists. The release of the Tau coincided with a rise in popularity for the game in the United States.[20]
Tau 8th EdFourth edition (2004)[edit]
The fourth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released in 2004.[21] This edition did not feature as many major changes as prior editions, and was 'backwards compatible' with each army's third-edition codex. The fourth edition was released in three forms: the first was a standalone hardcover version, with additional information on painting, scenery building, and background information about the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The second was a boxed set, called Battle for Macragge, which included a compact softcover version of the rules, scenery, dice, templates, and Space Marines and Tyranid miniatures. The third was a limited collector's edition. Battle for Macragge was a 'game in a box', targeted primarily at beginners. Battle for Macragge was based on the Tyranid invasion of the Ultramarines' homeworld, Macragge. An expansion to this was released called The Battle Rages On!, which featured new scenarios and units, like the Tyranid Warrior.
Fifth edition (2008)[edit]
The fifth edition of Warhammer 40,000 was released on July 12, 2008. While there are some differences between the fourth and fifth editions, the general rule set shares numerous similarities. Codex books designed prior to the fifth edition are still compatible with only some changes to how those armies function.[22] The replacement for the previous edition's Battle for Macragge starter set is called Assault on Black Reach, which features a pocket-sized rulebook (containing the full ruleset but omitting the background and hobby sections of the full-sized rulebook), and starter Ork and Space Marine armies. Each army contains a HQ choice, either an Ork Warboss or a Space Marine Captain.
New additions to the rules include the ability for infantry models to 'Go to Ground' when under fire, providing additional protection at the cost of mobility and shooting as they dive for cover. Actual line of sight is needed to fire at enemy models. Also introduced is the ability to run, whereby units may forgo shooting to cover more ground. In addition, cover has been changed so that it is now easier for a unit to get a cover save. Damage to vehicles has been simplified and significantly reduced, and tanks may now ram other vehicles.[22] Some of these rules are modeled after rules that existed in the Second Edition, but were removed in the Third. Likewise, 5th edition codexes have seen a return of many units previously cut out in the previous edition for having unwieldy rules. These units have largely been brought back with most of their old rules streamlined for the new edition. Fifth edition releases focused largely on Space Marine forces, including the abolishment of the Daemonhunters in favour of an army composed of Grey Knights, a special chapter of Space Marines, which, in previous editions, had provided the elite choices of the Daemonhunter's army list. Another major change was the shift from metal figures to Resin kits.
Sixth edition (2012)[edit]
Sixth edition was released on June 23, 2012. Changes to this edition include the adoption of an optional Psychic Power card system similar to that of the game's sister product Warhammer Fantasy Battle as well as the inclusion of full rules for flying vehicles and monsters and a major reworking of the manner in which damage is resolved against vehicles. Avast pro free trial. It also includes expanded rules for greater interaction with scenery and more dynamic close-combat.[23] In addition to updating existing rules and adding new ones, 6th Edition introduced several other large changes: the Alliance system, in which players can bring units from other armies to work with their own, with varying levels of trust; the choice to take one fortification as part of your force; and Warlord traits, which will allow a player's Commander to gain a categorically randomised trait that can aid their forces in different situations. Replacing the 'Assault on Black Reach' box set is the 'Dark Vengeance' box set which includes Dark Angels and Chaos Space Marine models. Some of the early release box sets of Dark Vengeance contained a limited edition Interrogator-Chaplain for the Dark Angels.
Seventh edition (2014)[edit]
Announced in White Dwarf issue 15, pre-orders for May 17 and release date of May 24, 2014.[24]
The 7th edition saw several major changes to the game, including a dedicated Psychic Phase, as well as the way Psychic powers worked overall,[25] and changeable mid-game Tactical Objectives. Tactical Objectives would give the players alternate ways to score Victory Points, and thus win games. These objectives could change at different points during the game.[26][27]
As well as these additions, the 7th edition provided a new way to organise Army lists. Players could play as either Battle-Forged, making a list in the same way as 6th edition, or Unbound, which allowed the player to use any models they desired, disregarding the Force Organisation Chart.[28] Bonuses are given to Battle-Forged armies. Additionally, Lord of War units, which are powerful units previously only allowed in large-scale ('Apocalypse') games, are now included in the standard rulebook, and are a normal part of the Force Organisation Chart.
Eighth edition (2017)[edit]
Core rulebook, 8th edition.
Announced on April 22, 2017[29], pre-orders for June 3[30] and release date of June 17, 2017.[31]
The 8th edition was a major revision, intended to make it easier for new players to enter the hobby. In this respect, the game introduced the Three Ways to Play concept: Open, Matched, and Narrative.[32] The core ruleset was simplified down to 14 pages, as a free PDF booklet available on the Games Workshop website.[33] The more complex rules are retained in the updated hardcover Rulebook. The narrative of the setting has also been updated: an enlarged Eye of Terror has split the galaxy in half,[34] while the Primarch Roboute Guilliman returns to lead the Imperium as its Lord Commander, beginning with reclaiming devastated worlds through the Indomitus Crusade.[35]
The 8th Edition also introduced a new box set called 'Dark Imperium', which featured a new Imperial-aligned faction, the Primaris Space Marines, as well as introducing new characters and rules to the Death Guard Chaos Space Marines.
Supplements and expansions[edit]
There are many variations to the rules and army lists that are available for use, typically with an opponent's consent.[36] These rules are found in the Games Workshop publication White Dwarf, on the Games Workshop website, or in the Forge World Imperial Armour publications.
The rules of Warhammer 40,000 are designed for games between 500 and 2500 points, with the limits of a compositional framework called the Force Organisation Chart making games with larger point values difficult to play. In response to player comments, the Apocalypse rules expansion was introduced to allow 3000+ point games to be played. Players might field an entire 1000-man Chapter of Space Marines rather than the smaller detachment of around 30â40 typically employed in a standard game. Apocalypse also contains rules for using larger war machines such as Titans.
Cities of Death (the revamp of Codex Battlezone: Cityfight) introduces rules for urban warfare and guerrilla warfare, and so-called 'stratagems', including traps and fortifications. It also has sections on modeling city terrain and provides examples of armies and army lists modeled around the theme of urban combat. This work was updated to 7th Edition with the release of Shield of Baal: Leviathan.[37]
Planetstrike, released 2009, sets rules allowing players to represent the early stages of a planetary invasion. It introduces new game dynamics, such as dividing the players into an attacker and a defender, each having various tactical benefits tailored to their role; for example, the attacker may deep strike all infantry, jump infantry and monstrous creatures onto the battlefield, while the defender may set up all the terrain on the battlefield.
Planetary Empires, released August 2009, allows players to coordinate full-scale campaigns containing multiple battles, each using standard rules or approved supplements such as Planetstrike, Cities of Death or Apocalypse. Progress through the campaign is tracked using hexagonal tiles to represent the current control of territories within the campaign. The structure is similar to Warhammer Fantasy's Mighty Empires.
Battle Missions, released March 2010, this expansion contains a series of 'missions' with specific objectives, each 'race' has three specific missions which can be played, these missions are determined by a dice roll and are usually chosen from the two armies being used. They still use the standard rules from the Warhammer 40,000 rule book.
Spearhead, released May 2010, allows players to play games with a greater emphasis on armoured and mechanised forces. The most notable change to the game is the inclusion of special 'Spearhead Formations;' and greater flexibility in force organisation. 'Spearhead Formations' represent a new and altogether optional addition to the force organisation system standard to Warhammer 40,000. Players now have the ability to use all, part or none of the standard force organisation. Spearhead also includes new deployment options and game scenarios. This expansion is being released jointly through the Games Workshop website, as a free download, and through the company's monthly hobby magazine White Dwarf.
Death from the Skies, released February 2013, contains rules for playing games with an emphasis on aircraft. There are specific rules for each race's aircraft, as well as playable missions. A notable inclusion in this release is 'warlord traits' for each race that deal specifically with aircraft. This supplement still uses the same rules as the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook. Got updated to 7th Edition with Shield of Baal: Leviathan.
Stronghold Assault, released in December 2013, is a 48-page expansion that contains more rules for fortifications in the game, as well as rules for more fortifications that listed in the main 6th Edition Rulebook.
Escalation, released December 2013, contains rules for playing games with super heavy vehicles, normally restricted to Apocalypse events, in normal events.
Spin-off games, novels, and other media[edit]
Games Workshop has expanded the Warhammer 40,000 universe over the years to include several spin-off games and fictional works. This expansion began in 1987, when Games Workshop asked Scott Rohan to write the first series of 'literary tie-ins'. This eventually led to the creation of Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, in 1997. The books published relate centrally to the backstory in the Warhammer universe. Black Library also publishes Warhammer 40,000graphic novels.[38]
Several popular miniature game spin-offs were also created, including Space Crusade, Space Hulk, Kill Team, Battlefleet Gothic, Epic 40,000, Inquisitor, Gorkamorka, Necromunda and Assassinorum: Execution Force. A collectible card game, Dark Millennium, was launched in October 2005 by Games Workshop subsidiary, Sabertooth Games. The story behind the card game begins at the end of the Horus Heresy arc in the game storyline and contains four factions: the Imperium, Orks, Eldar and Chaos.[39]
Music[edit]
The album Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness by British death metal band Bolt Thrower features lyrics as well as artwork based on the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 brands, with the album's title design being identical to that of the eponymous Games Workshop books.
Novels[edit]
Following the 1987 initial release of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 wargame the company began publishing background literature that expands previous material, adds new material, and describes the universe, its characters, and its events in detail. Since 1997 the bulk of background literature has been published by the affiliated imprint Black Library.
The increasing number of fiction works by an expanding list of authors is published in several formats and media, including audio, digital and print. Most of the works, which include full-length novels, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and audio dramas, are parts of named book series. In 2018, a line of novels for readers aged 8 to 12 was announced, which led to some confusion among fans given the ultra-violent and grimdark nature of the setting.[40]
Video games[edit]
Games Workshop first licensed Electronic Arts to produce Warhammer 40,000 video-games, and EA published two games based on Space Hulk in 1993 and 1995. Games Workshop then passed the license to Strategic Simulations, which published three games in the late 1990s. After Strategic Simulations went defunct in 1994, Games Workshop then gave the license to THQ, and between 2003 and 2011 THQ published 13 games, which include the Dawn of War series. After 2011, Games Workshop changed its licensing strategy: instead of an exclusive license to a single publisher, it now broadly licenses a variety of publishers.[41]
Board games and roleplaying games[edit]
Games Workshop have produced a number of standalone 'boxed games' set within the Warhammer 40,000 setting; they have also licensed the IP to 3rd party game companies such as Fantasy flight Games. The GW-produced boxed games tend to be sold under the aegis of GW's 'Specialist Games' division. Titles include:
Although there were plans to create a full-fledged Warhammer 40,000 'pen and paper' role-playing game from the beginning,[42] these did not come to fruition for many years, until an official Warhammer 40,000 role-playing game was published only in 2008, with the release of Dark Heresy by Black Industries, a GW subsidiary. This system was later licensed to Fantasy Flight Games for continued support and expansion.
Formerly Games Workshop licensed a number of Warhammer 40K themed products to Fantasy Flight Games. Fantasy Flight Games specialises in board, card and role-play games. Included in the licensed product were:
Film[edit]
On December 13, 2010,[43]Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was released directly to DVD. The movie is a CGI sci-fi based around the Ultramarines Chapter of Space Marines. The screenplay for the movie was written by Dan Abnett, a Games Workshop Black Library author. The movie was produced by Codex Pictures, a UK-based company, under license from Games Workshop. The movie utilised animated facial capture technology from Image Metrics.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Warhammer_40,000&oldid=904281513'
Tau are up for their introduction into 8th edition, some early info and even stat lines for sniper drones.Next up on Wednesday are the Drukhari.. most commonly referred to as the Dark Eldar. via Warhammer Community https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/05/15/warhammer-40000-faction-focus-tau-empire/ Well, letâs start with the biggest and baddest suit in their arsenal, the Stormsurge. This beast of a suit currently terrorises the tables and will continue to do so in the new Warhammer 40,000, albeit in different ways. The Stormsurge has amazing firepower with its 10 weaponsâ¦and yes, I said 10 weapons, each of which can fire on a different target. The Anchors currently allow the Stormsurge to shoot twice, but in the new edition, this has been changed to a more reasonable (but still powerful!) +1 to hit in the Shooting phase, which works great when paired with one Markerlight hit on a target, allowing any Tâau unit to reroll 1âs when firing on that unit. BS 3+ and re-rolling 1âs with 10 ranged weapons is enough to render most units to smoking ash. The Stormsurge also has the Walking Battleship special rule which allows him to Fall Back from combat and still shoot, while also ignoring the penalty for moving and shooting heavy weapons. Stormsurges will remain a solid choice in the new edition. The XV8 Crisis Battlesuits are next up on the docket. I consider these suits to be the iconic Tâau unit, and the firepower from these guys will be very impressive. Very impressive indeed. They each can take 3 weapons (which again, you can fire all of them!). May I recommend a flamer plus two other weapons of your choice? My preference is dual missile pods for that lovely AP-1 and D3 damage per shot! The flamers give you nasty Overwatch defence, as they auto-hit incoming units that charge within their range. They can also be used offensively to clear objectives. A unit of three Crisis Suits paired up with Markerlights will bring down even large vehicles relatively quickly. Multiple Crisis Suit units also work well together since supporting fire is still around, now called âFor the Greater Good.â All those flamer hits from multiple XV8s into a charging unit is extremely powerful and will stop some of the strongest assault units dead in their tracks. Oh, and did I forget to mention they have the Fly keyword? This allows them to Fall Back from combat and still shoot at full effect. Brutal! I am loving how these guys play, and they will be scattered all across the tables in Tâau armies. Tau Empire TacticsLastly, I want to talk about Sniper Drones. When paired with the Tâau HQâs such as the Cadre Fireblade they will bring down those pesky support characters with deadly efficiency even if they are hiding behind their infantry. The 48â³ range on their Sniper weapons, plus their fast movement, means they will be filling those characters with lead (or plasma?) a lot faster than snipers from other factions. They will be a truly deadly force in your army that will strike fear in opposing characters. Have a look at their datasheet, here: Games WorkshopOverall, the Tâau will play relatively similarly to how they do now. They will have a lot more tricks up their sleeves and youâll see a wider variety of units on the board than you currently do. Theyâll catch a lot of people off guard with some of their cool special rules and tactical flexibility. Stop resisting and join the Greater Good, today. Come back on Wednesday for some insights on the insidious Drukhari. Comments are closed.
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