After a long, long wait, we finally have confirmation that the Tau are getting a new codex and new minis next month! As always, the first (admittedly tiny and grainy) photos from the new White Dwarf and a nice bit of rules teasers are available over at Faeit 212, and I have to admit I'm excited. Very first impressions are:
- The Riptide looks massive and awesome. I'd say I'm surprised that it's supposedly a Monstrous Creature and not a Walker, but maybe I shouldn't be - after all, the Dreadknight is basically a giant mech, and it's an MC instead of a Walker. That helps protect it against being one-shotted by anti-armor weapons (but does leave the pilot vulnerable to a force weapon). The rumors of its firepower capabilities are very intriguing, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to field one.
- The flyer fuselage makes it look like a giant Piranha, although I'm not sure about the struts connecting the wings to the tail, but I'll have to see better pictures and/or the 360 view in the digital White Dwarf.
- The Broadside is hard to make out, but it's definitely a different design than before. This one looks more akin to some of the conversions that have it toting the railgun as a rifle (check out page 363 of the hardcover BRB to see it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if what's shown there isn't a conversion, but actually the new kit. For one thing, it's on a 60mm base, instead of the standard 40mm (compare to the Mega-Nob's base on that same page). I'm also intrigued by the plastic Shield Drones that appear to be packaged with it.
- Plastic Pathfinders! Finally! I wonder if we'll see them moved to the troops section or if they're staying as Fast Attack. I'm also making out new drone designs on that box, so that one might be a might-purchase just to get those.
- Regarding the new Crisis Team box, while I appreciate them selling them in teams of 3 for the same price as 3 single kits (give or take $0.75), I'm curious if there's going to be anything new on the sprues or if we're looking at the same old toys as before. I'm also curious what the rules are going to be on these guys; I'd hate to have to strip the weapons off my current ones. That's what I get for not magnetizing them, I suppose.
- I'm not sure what to think about the new Battleforce. The price is off-putting ($130 US? Really?), but the makeup is a mix of good and Meh.. Fire Warriors? Fine. Stealth Suits? Meh, unless their new rules are better. Piranha? Okay, I guess, but not terribly great in this edition. A full Crisis Team? Great. In fact, that is probably what's driven the price up. That considered, it's still a passible savings - if the Crisis Team is $75, then the box's retail value is $167.50, or basically a free box of Fire Warriors. How the Piranha and Stealth Teams have changed (or haven't) will determine the value of this box.
- What's really noticeable is what's not being shown - any allied races. No new Kroot or Vespid kits, or even existing kits included in the Battleforce. Looks like the days of getting a box of Kroot Carnivores in your Battleforce are gone. Rumors of Kroot as some sort of allied-only race may have some validity now. I wonder how the new codex will address this.
I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks as more data (and better pictures) becomes available, and probably a new codex in three weeks!
(Picture: Tau Recon Group by skullsgunsandfire @ deviantArt; used without permission.)