Is Deathrain... Dead?

[ElectricPaladin]

Back in the day, the Tau army had a crisis suit configuration called "deathrain." It worked like this: you gave your squad of crisis suits (usually three, sometimes a full four with the addition of an XV8 commander) twin-linked missile pods.

That was it.

Sometimes you added targeting arrays for increased reliability, sometimes you didn't bother.

It wasn't a bad strategy. With the ability to reliably lay down up to eight 7/4 shots 36'' away while jumping in and out of cover, you could pop light vehicles, waste light infantry, and easily force heavy infantry to make enough saves that you could whittle them down. Most importantly, the deathrain was cheap. In fact, it was one of the cheapest crisis suit configurations in the game. You didn't even have to spring for a multi-tracker!

The question is, are deathrains still worth it?

On the one hand, deathrains are still the crisis suits with the best range. Twin-linking missile pods makes them more reliable and less markerlight-dependent, which frees up marker tokens for other purposes, like boosting the BS of less reliable models, bypassing cover, or launching seeker missiles.

On the other hand, with missile-fists and missile drones on broadsides and shielded missile drones on riptides and Krootox no longer stopping carnivore squads from infiltrating, is there still any point to deathrains? With all that 7/4 shooting on the table, is it still worth it to put missile pods on crisis suits, or are there better choices?

The jury is still out for me: discuss.

[DrLove42]

It has evolved.

Deathrain as it were is still possible, but now there is more options that can perform that role. So does it mean it is dead? No, it just means theres more of it.

That allows you to adapt the suits. The option to take 4 slots now also opens up new opportunities. You could take Missiles and Plasma, both twinlinked to throw dirt up.

Hell i think you could take 2 twinlinked pods really. Make it more powerful!

[SonicPara]

To reiterate what Dr Love said, it hasn't been killed but rather changed.

The transition to the new book hurts Deathrain more than any other traditional loadout because the free multi-trackers go to waste and don't help stomach the more expensive weapons. Also, on top of the S7/AP4 you mentioned there are also all of the new Ion weapons like on Pathfinders and the flyers to make Deathrain seem even more redundant but their redundancy hinges on the choices you make with the rest of your army. If you are loading up on HYMP Broadsides and Pathfinders with Ion Rifles than sure, Deathrain will be a poor choice to supplement your force. If you opt for Hammerheads and Skyrays in HS and Markerdrones instead of Pathfinders in FA then the Deathrain is the best way to get that medium range S7/AP4 into your force.

The important thing to note here is what each S7/AP4 platform does differently than the others. Broadsides stay put in exchange for extra shots. Pathfinders are fragile and have a low rate of fire due to the Ion Rifle being Rapid Fire instead of a two-shot weapon. The flyers are expensive, paper-thin, and low on rate of fire due to the armaments being Ion Rifles and no way to squadron them up. Deathrain XV-8s bring surviveability through multiple wounds and MEQ armor, mobility with Jet Packs, and FoC flexibility as they can occupy Elites or HQ through the use of bodyguard teams.

It is all relative to what you plan to do with the rest of your force. XV-8 crisis suits are so flexible and really are the unit you use to glue your force together so build them accordingly. Look at the less flexible options in the FoC, decide what you want to take, then use XV-8s to fill the gaps.

[Diagnosis Ninja]

Just to make it clear: Only a Commander can take 4 points. Bodyguards and regular units can only take 3.

As for the free multitrackers going to waste: You don't need to use them, and the unit is also cheaper. By the old book standard, a Crisis suit would be 33 points before weapons, so it's a free seeker missile if you look at it like that.

Best option to me is to take:

3 XV8
3 x TL Missile pods.
3 x Advanced Targeting Systems.
135 points.

[Mr Mystery]

And by all accounts...there is nothing stopping you taking a twin linked Missile Pod, and a Missile Pod as your three hard points...

[DrLove42]

Yeah. Whats better than 2 shots TL at BS4 or 2 shots twinlinked and 2 normal shots at BS3?

[Mr Mystery]

Advanced Targetting System doesn't boost BS any more....

And if it did, I'd plump for two missile pods as BS4 every time. I'm one to favour potential over reliability :)

[Sly]

Unless they FAQ that you can't take 3 missile pods, I think that the new version of Deathhail (TLMP+MP) is going to just straight-out replace the Deathrain.
If they FAQ that you can't do that, I personally plan to run TLMP/Fusion, so I have an answer to Land Raiders. With 18" max range, the Fusion Blaster is now a reasonable replacement for the Plasma Gun when firing at MEQs at long range (where the Missile Pod - based Crisis Suits want to be), and better against vehicles.

[Diagnosis Ninja]

Advanced Targetting System doesn't boost BS any more....

And if it did, I'd plump for two missile pods as BS4 every time. I'm one to favour potential over reliability :)

Ah, but twin linked weapons with Precision Shots? too cool.

[Mr Mystery]

Why not just go with two missile pods with precision shot? Seems of greater worth, as twin linking soon dims with a couple of marker lights slapped on?

I dunno. Just conversing!

[Anggul]

It's still good, it's just that other loadouts are now more viable whereas before Deathrain was one of only a couple of decent loadouts. In the previous codex it was great to also give them a Flamer because it was cheap, took up the compulsory third slot and was great when hordes got close. You don't have to have the third slot now, but it's still great for 5pts each.

[Tynskel]

you still have the 3rd slot, if you choose not to purchase an additional system.

Flamer is still a good addition, due to the Supporting Fire Rules.

[Dino-Czar]

Competition between the Advance Targeting System and Flamers is going to be tight in general, but I don't know that I like either on a missel pod suit. Why not the Early Warning Override, to punish deepstrikers and outflankers before they can double-tap any/or flame the poor squishy Firewarriors?