Shas'o Saki
10-02-2011, 11:45 AM
Hey BOLS Fans, Shas'o Saki the Drunken Master with another entry from my teams fan codex. When we looked at the Tau's elite options one goal we had was to give players some options other than battlesuites. with the Tau's lore filled with references to their scientific and engineering prowess, Earth Caste Combat Engineers seemed like a great fit. These fellas are equal parts Techmarine and heavy weapons team and can be configured to really lay down the hurt or greatly increase the resilience of your mechanized forces.
Earth Caste Combat Engineering Team................65 Points
Few members of the Earth Caste possess the discipline and bravery to function in a combat zone. Those few that do are identified early and recruited into specialized training programs to one day become combat engineers. In battle, combat engineers are invaluable to Fire Caste operations, repairing damaged vehicles and fortifying buildings while laying down withering fire from their heavy weapons. Although highly valued and respected by both Castes, combat engineers are inherently outsiders with each foot in a different world.
Special Rules:
Master Builders- Unlike the mystic rituals of the Imperium’s Adeptus Mechanicus, Earth Caste Combat Engineers have training grounded in scientific principals and physical laws. They are master builders and can quickly identify load baring walls and structural weaknesses in buildings they come across. After table sides have been chosen but before deployment, each Combat Engineering Team you possess may work on one piece of terrain to the following effects:
Reinforce- The Combat Engineers identify dangerous zones in the building and clear or close off areas that could impede troop movements. One piece of terrain that began the game as difficult terrain now no longer counts as such. Troops may move freely through it while still getting the benefits of a cover save.
Fortify- Heavy iridium plating is installed and bulwarks setup to block firing angles, providing the troops taking cover added protection. Units inside the terrain count their cover save as 1 better than normal. EX. a 4+ building cover save now becomes a 3+.
Condemn- The engineers carefully weaken load barring walls and floor boards. Lay trip wires and booby traps making the area extremely dangerous to traverse. A piece of difficult terrain is now considered dangerous terrain.
Repair Drones- Combat Engineers often forgo carrying a heavy weapon in favor of the Mark 6 Repair Drone and its control unit. The drones equipped with dexterous plasma cutters and manipulator arms allow the combat engineer to diagnose and repair damaged vehicles from a safe distance. At the beginning of your shooting phase, if the unit did not move this turn a Combat Engineer equipped with a repair drone may attempt to repair a single vehicle within 6 inches. The repair drone can mitigate a Weapon Destroyed or Immobilized result on a roll of 5+. This may result in a vehicle being able to shoot in the same turn it was repaired. Such is the skill of the Earth Caste that they can even repair Wrecked vehicles on a roll of 6+. A vehicle recovering from a Wrecked result may not shoot in the same turn it was repaired. Multiple repair drones may attempt repairs on the same vehicle, but you must declare what damage each drone is attempting to fix. Ex. a nearby Hammerhead is both Immobilized and had its Rail Gun Destroyed. You must roll for each repair result separately.
STAT LINE
..............................WS BS S T W I A LD SV
Combat Engineer...........2 3 3 3 1 2 1 7 4+
Lead Engineer..............2 3 3 3 1 2 1 8 4+
Unit Comp.
3 Combat Engineers
1 Lead Engineer
Special Rules.
* Master Builders
* Repair Drones
Unit Type.
Infantry
Wargear.
* Tau Carapace Armor
* Rail Rifle
* Photon Grenades
* Pulse Pistol
* Repair Drone Control Unit
Options.
* Add up to 4 additional Combat Engineers...15 points per model
* Up to 3 Engineers may replace their Rail Rifles with:
-Repair Drone Control Unit and Pulse Pistol...free
- Heavy Pulse Blaster...5 points
- Zero-Friction Mortar...5 points
- Iridium Dart Rifle...10 points
* The Lead Engineer may exchange his Pulse Pistol and Repair Drone Control Unit with:
- Rail Rifle...Free
-Iridium Rifle...10 points
- Pulse Carbine with Networked Markerlight...5 points
* The Lead Engineer may be equipped with:
- Done Control Unit and Trauma-Drone...15 points
- Drone Control Unit and two Gun Drones...20 points
- Area-Denial Array...25 points
*The entire squad may choose a Devilfish as a Dedicated Transport
New Weapons and Wargear:
Heavy Pulse Blaster
Range...Strength...AP...Type
..30.........5.........5....Heavy 6
The Heavy Pulse Blaster is the next generation of Burst Cannon still in the early stages of development by Earth Caste engineers. The weapon has greater range and a higher rate of fire than existing models.
Zero Friction Mortar
Range...Strength...AP...Type
...24.........*........*....Heavy 1, Blast
One of the most unusual weapons to come out of Earth Caste R&D. The Zero Friction mortar launches a drone guided shell that explodes over the target, covering the area in a thick gelatinous substance that reduces the static friction coefficient of everything it hits to near zero. Roll to hit as normal for the Zero Friction mortar but do not roll to wound, instead if the center hole is over a model the unit must immediately take a pinning test at -2 Leadership. Even units normally immune to pinning tests can be affected by the zero friction mortar. In addition, units in difficult terrain count as being in dangerous terrain till the end of their next movement phase. Units hit in open terrain count as being in difficult terrain till the end of their next movement phase. Tracked vehicles or walkers hit are immobilized on a roll of 6+. The Zero Friction Mortar has no effect on skimmers.
Iridium Rifle
Range...Strength...AP...Type
...36.........7........3....Heavy 1
Developed following engagements with Hive Fleet Gorgon, the Iridium Rifle is an upgraded Rail Rifle designed specifically to eliminate the monstrous creatures the Tau encountered while fighting the Tyranids. The rifles are equipped with rounds tipped with acid-etched iridium points. These specialized tips allow it to penetrate deep into its target while the warhead inside can be programmed by the operator to detonate several seconds after impact, causing massive internal damage. Any unsaved wound taken by a shot from an Iridium Rifle inflicts D3 wounds on the chosen model.
Trauma Drone
Many Tau units take to the field accompanied by drones equipped to administer emergency medical care. These drones administer pain killers, cauterize wounds, and stabilize wounded Fire Warriors so they can be safely transported to rear echelon medical facilities. Units equipped with a Trauma Drone do not need to take panic tests when suffering 25% casualties from shooting.
Area-Denial Array
Recognizing their own inadequacy in close quarters combat, the Tau have spent a great deal of resources on finding a means of keeping their foes at arm’s length. The Area-Denial Array is the Earth Castes latest attempt to mitigate this age old weakness. The deployable system sends out waves of intense microwave energy in front of a Tau position. Any units charging into the array’s field are overcome with intense pain as the microwaves cause their blood to boil and electronics to overload. Although field test results have been mixed the array’s ability to cause an enemy charge to falter has seen it move from prototype to full production in record time. A unit’s Area-Denial Array is considered to be deployed if it did not move in its last Movement Phase. Any units attempting to charge a squad equipped with an Array must subtract D3 inches from their total charge distance, if the reduced distance no longer reaches the unit then the charge fails. Ex. A squad of Blood Claws charges a Fire Warrior position from five inches away, you roll a 5 for the Area-Denial Array which means the blood claws maximum charge distance has been reduced from 6 to 3, the charge fails. The effect of an Area-Denial array can stack with other factors such as charging through difficult terrain, but cannot reduce a unit’s charge distance below 1. For multi-squad assaults where multiple squads have arrays roll for both and choose the highest result, the effect of multiple Area-Denial Arrays does not stack. A unit that fails its charge against a squad equipped with an Array can still charge a squad that isn’t.
Earth Caste Combat Engineering Team................65 Points
Few members of the Earth Caste possess the discipline and bravery to function in a combat zone. Those few that do are identified early and recruited into specialized training programs to one day become combat engineers. In battle, combat engineers are invaluable to Fire Caste operations, repairing damaged vehicles and fortifying buildings while laying down withering fire from their heavy weapons. Although highly valued and respected by both Castes, combat engineers are inherently outsiders with each foot in a different world.
Special Rules:
Master Builders- Unlike the mystic rituals of the Imperium’s Adeptus Mechanicus, Earth Caste Combat Engineers have training grounded in scientific principals and physical laws. They are master builders and can quickly identify load baring walls and structural weaknesses in buildings they come across. After table sides have been chosen but before deployment, each Combat Engineering Team you possess may work on one piece of terrain to the following effects:
Reinforce- The Combat Engineers identify dangerous zones in the building and clear or close off areas that could impede troop movements. One piece of terrain that began the game as difficult terrain now no longer counts as such. Troops may move freely through it while still getting the benefits of a cover save.
Fortify- Heavy iridium plating is installed and bulwarks setup to block firing angles, providing the troops taking cover added protection. Units inside the terrain count their cover save as 1 better than normal. EX. a 4+ building cover save now becomes a 3+.
Condemn- The engineers carefully weaken load barring walls and floor boards. Lay trip wires and booby traps making the area extremely dangerous to traverse. A piece of difficult terrain is now considered dangerous terrain.
Repair Drones- Combat Engineers often forgo carrying a heavy weapon in favor of the Mark 6 Repair Drone and its control unit. The drones equipped with dexterous plasma cutters and manipulator arms allow the combat engineer to diagnose and repair damaged vehicles from a safe distance. At the beginning of your shooting phase, if the unit did not move this turn a Combat Engineer equipped with a repair drone may attempt to repair a single vehicle within 6 inches. The repair drone can mitigate a Weapon Destroyed or Immobilized result on a roll of 5+. This may result in a vehicle being able to shoot in the same turn it was repaired. Such is the skill of the Earth Caste that they can even repair Wrecked vehicles on a roll of 6+. A vehicle recovering from a Wrecked result may not shoot in the same turn it was repaired. Multiple repair drones may attempt repairs on the same vehicle, but you must declare what damage each drone is attempting to fix. Ex. a nearby Hammerhead is both Immobilized and had its Rail Gun Destroyed. You must roll for each repair result separately.
STAT LINE
..............................WS BS S T W I A LD SV
Combat Engineer...........2 3 3 3 1 2 1 7 4+
Lead Engineer..............2 3 3 3 1 2 1 8 4+
Unit Comp.
3 Combat Engineers
1 Lead Engineer
Special Rules.
* Master Builders
* Repair Drones
Unit Type.
Infantry
Wargear.
* Tau Carapace Armor
* Rail Rifle
* Photon Grenades
* Pulse Pistol
* Repair Drone Control Unit
Options.
* Add up to 4 additional Combat Engineers...15 points per model
* Up to 3 Engineers may replace their Rail Rifles with:
-Repair Drone Control Unit and Pulse Pistol...free
- Heavy Pulse Blaster...5 points
- Zero-Friction Mortar...5 points
- Iridium Dart Rifle...10 points
* The Lead Engineer may exchange his Pulse Pistol and Repair Drone Control Unit with:
- Rail Rifle...Free
-Iridium Rifle...10 points
- Pulse Carbine with Networked Markerlight...5 points
* The Lead Engineer may be equipped with:
- Done Control Unit and Trauma-Drone...15 points
- Drone Control Unit and two Gun Drones...20 points
- Area-Denial Array...25 points
*The entire squad may choose a Devilfish as a Dedicated Transport
New Weapons and Wargear:
Heavy Pulse Blaster
Range...Strength...AP...Type
..30.........5.........5....Heavy 6
The Heavy Pulse Blaster is the next generation of Burst Cannon still in the early stages of development by Earth Caste engineers. The weapon has greater range and a higher rate of fire than existing models.
Zero Friction Mortar
Range...Strength...AP...Type
...24.........*........*....Heavy 1, Blast
One of the most unusual weapons to come out of Earth Caste R&D. The Zero Friction mortar launches a drone guided shell that explodes over the target, covering the area in a thick gelatinous substance that reduces the static friction coefficient of everything it hits to near zero. Roll to hit as normal for the Zero Friction mortar but do not roll to wound, instead if the center hole is over a model the unit must immediately take a pinning test at -2 Leadership. Even units normally immune to pinning tests can be affected by the zero friction mortar. In addition, units in difficult terrain count as being in dangerous terrain till the end of their next movement phase. Units hit in open terrain count as being in difficult terrain till the end of their next movement phase. Tracked vehicles or walkers hit are immobilized on a roll of 6+. The Zero Friction Mortar has no effect on skimmers.
Iridium Rifle
Range...Strength...AP...Type
...36.........7........3....Heavy 1
Developed following engagements with Hive Fleet Gorgon, the Iridium Rifle is an upgraded Rail Rifle designed specifically to eliminate the monstrous creatures the Tau encountered while fighting the Tyranids. The rifles are equipped with rounds tipped with acid-etched iridium points. These specialized tips allow it to penetrate deep into its target while the warhead inside can be programmed by the operator to detonate several seconds after impact, causing massive internal damage. Any unsaved wound taken by a shot from an Iridium Rifle inflicts D3 wounds on the chosen model.
Trauma Drone
Many Tau units take to the field accompanied by drones equipped to administer emergency medical care. These drones administer pain killers, cauterize wounds, and stabilize wounded Fire Warriors so they can be safely transported to rear echelon medical facilities. Units equipped with a Trauma Drone do not need to take panic tests when suffering 25% casualties from shooting.
Area-Denial Array
Recognizing their own inadequacy in close quarters combat, the Tau have spent a great deal of resources on finding a means of keeping their foes at arm’s length. The Area-Denial Array is the Earth Castes latest attempt to mitigate this age old weakness. The deployable system sends out waves of intense microwave energy in front of a Tau position. Any units charging into the array’s field are overcome with intense pain as the microwaves cause their blood to boil and electronics to overload. Although field test results have been mixed the array’s ability to cause an enemy charge to falter has seen it move from prototype to full production in record time. A unit’s Area-Denial Array is considered to be deployed if it did not move in its last Movement Phase. Any units attempting to charge a squad equipped with an Array must subtract D3 inches from their total charge distance, if the reduced distance no longer reaches the unit then the charge fails. Ex. A squad of Blood Claws charges a Fire Warrior position from five inches away, you roll a 5 for the Area-Denial Array which means the blood claws maximum charge distance has been reduced from 6 to 3, the charge fails. The effect of an Area-Denial array can stack with other factors such as charging through difficult terrain, but cannot reduce a unit’s charge distance below 1. For multi-squad assaults where multiple squads have arrays roll for both and choose the highest result, the effect of multiple Area-Denial Arrays does not stack. A unit that fails its charge against a squad equipped with an Array can still charge a squad that isn’t.