XV9 Shas'O Vesu'r R'alai - Experimental rules up on Forgeworld site

[eiglepulper]

These can be found at http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Download...s/comralai.pdf

There are some pretty sweet things here. The special ammunition options are nice, plus there is no restriction on the amount of times each type can be used. The statline for R'alai is much better and far more suited to a Tau Commander battlesuit. Hopefully this will be carried forward into any new/updated Codex.

There are however a few little niggles with the rules as they stand:

1. Under the "Stalwart Commander" special rule, it says that R'alai can join units. However, he does not have the "Independent Character" special rule. I phoned Forgeworld and told them about this oversight. They were very grateful for the information!

2. Vectored Retro Thrusters are not normally permitted with drones. In the XV9 entry in the IA Apoc II book, this is addressed but these experimental rules do not have the same exclusion clause.

3. R'alai's Pulse Submunition Rifle doesn't have the same basic statline as the officially released one in IA Apoc II, so which one will eventually win out is anyone's guess, although why introduce a confusion for players with the same weapon having two different statlines depending on which model is using the weapon?
One question here is: does the improved rate of fire in R'alai's version make up for the difference in the size of blast marker, or is the main reason for the differing stats down to the special ammunition capability? Personally I can see me using the Ionic Cluster-beam shell far more often than the standard type ammo anyway. Better AP, more special effects.

4. Marker Drones x2 with XV9 x1 = majority toughness is that of the drones for wounding purposes? Eh?? On a super-hi-tech command suit?

However, the advantages/Nice Things this character gets makes up for the above anomalies. I'm looking forward to building my model and getting it "out there" on the table.

E.

[Rikimaru]

These can be found at http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Download...s/comralai.pdf

There are some pretty sweet things here. The special ammunition options are nice, plus there is no restriction on the amount of times each type can be used. The statline for R'alai is much better and far more suited to a Tau Commander battlesuit. Hopefully this will be carried forward into any new/updated Codex.

There are however a few little niggles with the rules as they stand:

1. Under the "Stalwart Commander" special rule, it says that R'alai can join units. However, he does not have the "Independent Character" special rule. I phoned Forgeworld and told them about this oversight. They were very grateful for the information!

2. Vectored Retro Thrusters are not normally permitted with drones. In the XV9 entry in the IA Apoc II book, this is addressed but these experimental rules do not have the same exclusion clause.

3. R'alai's Pulse Submunition Rifle doesn't have the same basic statline as the officially released one in IA Apoc II, so which one will eventually win out is anyone's guess, although why introduce a confusion for players with the same weapon having two different statlines depending on which model is using the weapon?
One question here is: does the improved rate of fire in R'alai's version make up for the difference in the size of blast marker, or is the main reason for the differing stats down to the special ammunition capability? Personally I can see me using the Ionic Cluster-beam shell far more often than the standard type ammo anyway. Better AP, more special effects.

4. Marker Drones x2 with XV9 x1 = majority toughness is that of the drones for wounding purposes? Eh?? On a super-hi-tech command suit?

However, the advantages/Nice Things this character gets makes up for the above anomalies. I'm looking forward to building my model and getting it "out there" on the table.

E.

I like the rules though the gets hot seems a bit poor. I know the railrifle had a similar flaw when they first appeared due to their being prototypes but I just find it a bit hard to swallow that they would let as valuable an asset as Shas'O Vesu'r R'alai use a weapon that could potentially kill him.

One thing I would like to point out though is the 'Submunition rifle' does anyone remember the XV88 stormbringer submunition rifle option I designed a fair while back, the basic rifle of R'alai sounds awfully similar, coincidence? Methinks the old GW design team may pay a bit more attention to the forums than we thought.

I really really really wish that GW could get there act together when writing rules, sometimes it seems like they forget to check the work those Monkeys typing away in that back room churn out.

[aussiedave]

@Riki, they are too busy trying to see if the monkeys have written out the complete works of William Shakespeare yet.

As per the rules, I quite like the eclipse shield. It might only get used during the first turn. But hey, that's one turn of the game where he is effectively immune to shooting (as he is probably outside of spotting distance) and also gets the 4+ invul. That's pretty sweet.

Dave

[Rikimaru]

@Riki, they are too busy trying to see if the monkeys have written out the complete works of William Shakespeare yet.

As per the rules, I quite like the eclipse shield. It might only get used during the first turn. But hey, that's one turn of the game where he is effectively immune to shooting (as he is probably outside of spotting distance) and also gets the 4+ invul. That's pretty sweet.

Dave

hey for 225pts it should be near blody invulnerable. That is one expensive HQ when you consider a Shas'O with Plasma, Fusion (or MP), HW multi, HW DC with Shield Drone, Marker Drone and Shield Gen would cost 177pts and is only 1 point less in TGH and INT. The Subs rifle is OK but the gets hot is a bit risky.

[starfire]

That is one hell of an expensive commander! (Almost the same as calgar!) Im expecting like usual that forgeworld have overcharged him in points so if (and that is a big IF) if GW does use this special commander (and they bloody should in my opinion) there's no doubt he should be reduced in points, even if its only a little bit.

I am however quite shocked that 3 out of 4 ammunition types is 'gets hot!', yeah everyone knows that railrifle's were like it when they 'first' came out but they were on a relativly expendable shas'la pathfinder, giving a Shas'O veteran who is wearing what im guessing is a damned expensive suit, a weapon that can kill himself is quite frankly stupid, yeah maybe on the normal Shas'vre XV9 but on a Shas'O? I don't think so.

All I want for christmas is all shield generators to be like the eclipse shield generator! That is one fine piece of equipment, one that if it was rolled out to all shield generators I could see some pretty deadly deathrain and stealthsuit combo's!

Oh and did anyone notice the really shoddy spelling and grammer in fluff section?

[Bluesystem]

I think he is an interesting choice. He is way better than the current special characters in the tau empire book, and he has such versatility. Against IG and hordes, he can do his main business and kill pretty effectively. Against Armour, he can snipe farther and at strength 9, and against things with armour you can use the experimental ap4 rending round. Gets hot! doesnt seem like the biggest deal, seeing as he has 3+ armour and 4 wounds. A 1/18 chance of taking a wound would last the whole game without taking much (or any) damage unless you are unlucky.

[WyteNite]

I really like the model... not too fond of the rules. The shield is cool, but it likely doesn't extend to his unit if you attach him to something. Also, not sure why you would fire some of those modes. I have no clue why the EMP shell gets hot... maybe if they took away the gets hot parts, he might be really cool. He would have a small railgun, an emp grenade gun... two flavors of guardsman killer...

[aussiedave]

Riddle me this, the Markerdrones have to fire at the same unit as R'alai correct? Yet R'alai has BS 5 and a weapon that ignores cover saves. Hmm, with the exception of tank hunting with the EMP's or HDS the guys doesn't seem to need much marker light support.

[Blood Seriph]

Riddle me this, the Markerdrones have to fire at the same unit as R'alai correct? Yet R'alai has BS 5 and a weapon that ignores cover saves. Hmm, with the exception of tank hunting with the EMP's or HDS the guys doesn't seem to need much marker light support.

I would think the markerlights are for the rest of your army...

Although if thats an issue, maybe they should add in a switch-out rule for his drones...

[aussiedave]

I would think the markerlights are for the rest of your army...

Although if thats an issue, maybe they should add in a switch-out rule for his drones...

While that's true, and the marker lights could be used by other elements of the army, still doesn't improve r'alai very much.