a quick look at the Greater good

Well, I was forced to stay the weekend in California, but it gave me some free time to download and read the official new Tau Codex.  It’s about time I got another post on this blog anyway!

Overall, I continue to love the digitial layout and they are finding more and more ways to utilized an interface design iBook.  but lets get to the content of the rules.

Considering I was anticipating some crazy changes to how the Bonding knife ritual [people who know know me will know how and why I thought these were coming  ;-)   ]  I was glad to see a solid rendition similar in nature to the previous rules.

I think Supporting Fire is great fun and LOOKS to be an amazingly potent rule….but if I’ve ever learned anything about successfully playing tau it is never keep too many units tangles in one place.   Tau played best follow the rules of engagement devised by Native American Light Cavalry.   Hit hard and then scatter.

Point cost wise, I think they really hit the mark, which was better than what I was anticipating [again people who know me will know why I expected differing point cost] One of the few exceptions to this is the devilfish staying at 80 points base. Being a Jinking Skimmer is nice until you get stunned.  Then you’re fodder wishing you cost little more than the overgunned/overruled Chimera ;-)      I expect this is the result of GW pushing people away dominance of MechTau armies and wanting to push some sales on their newer toys.

The New toys seem pretty great and the flyer design is growing on me.  I see the sunshark as the clearly superior flyer of the two, though my heart lies with the razorfish.  I wish they had given the Razorfish a markerlight light it’s big brother.  Also It exchanges the interceptor drones for more thrusters, but I KINDA wish these thrusters actually had some rules impact.  In essence, the Razorfish just loses these as well.   I might custom build a hybrid “Best of both worlds” superiority fighter  Razorfish that has these items and loses the Pulse Bomb generator  (no superiority fighter worth is salt would be a bomber too!)

The giant suits turned out really well and I preordered one, though I’m not sure it fits my army theme.

If I could say I had two contributions to that army, it would be that they took my advice on giving thr commander more hardpoints than the crisis suits AND for most of the crisis suit weapons, they realized that most of them should be about equally priced, with each one just specializing in a different role.

Our Deaths bring glory to the Empire!  For the Great good!