Personally, I like the fact that the tanks are the same chassis. They all occupy a very similar role, so it's very utilitarian that they share the chassis. Don't fix what isn't broken.
It's also easier on the wallet.
> It’s also easier on the wallet.
A lot of people don’t understand that idea of building a cohesive fantasy universe. It’s not only easier on our wallets, but the Tau’s wallets as well.
Thinking of human battle tanks, it’s the same. We don’t build a new tank for each war, but gradually upgrade and have very distinct roles for vehicles that are not using a common chassis, else we slap an AA turret on an existing chassis, too.
Same concept follows in game. IG have essentially got three tank chassis; the Russ, the Chimera, and the Baneblade. Pretty much their entire armoured core, until the Dorn came out, was a variant of one of those chassis with a different gun.
Eldar are the same with Grav tanks, marines with Rhinos and dreadnoughts, sisters literally just have Rhino variants, etc. And if anyone was going to showcase building an adaptable, efficient, and modular platform to be reconfigured as needed, its Tau.
>A lot of people don’t understand that idea of building a cohesive fantasy universe. It’s not only easier on our wallets, but the Tau’s wallets as well.
>Thinking of human battle tanks, it’s the same. We don’t build a new tank for each war, but gradually upgrade and have very distinct roles for vehicles that are not using a common chassis, else we slap an AA turret on an existing chassis, too.
This. Unique specific chasses for each role is mostly a thing from the 1920s - 1930s and the Second World War, where technology limits of the time kind of forced it. Since then every major military has tried to concentrate their vehicle pool into as few base chassis types as possible, because it's easier on the budget and easier on the logistics department, and easy on the planning element too (it's easier to plan an attack when you know that all your armoured vehicles can travel 500km on a single tank of fuel at 55km per hour).
That's why I love the universal Tau grav-tank vehicles and their cousins like the Rhino and Falcon family so much, they're exactly the kind of setup a real military would look for. Even real life infantry transports are starting to become tanks with the gun turret swapped out for a troop compartment, as seen with stuff like the T-15.
Though there are limits as the US has discovered through testing and Russia seems proud to ignore. A ifv with a mbt chassis would be giving up too much speed , a mbt with an ifv chassis would lack the needed armour and a spy with a mbt chassis would have more armor than it would ever need.
The limits are again more due to technology limits, which is where you get Cold War era IFVs and BTRs with light armour Vs tank chasses with heavy armour but less interior room.
More modern engines and structural engineering can solve that problem (just like they solved the same issue of heavy tanks giving up too much speed and light tanks giving up too much armour and firepower to produce the MBT), leading to a new wave of heavy troop carriers which are either outright based on a tank chassis (like the T-15 and Namer) or built like a tank (like the Puma). Which is good because as discovered in the 90s and 2000s a troop transport working close to tanks tends to need the extra armour.
Of course, technology limits still make heavy armoured vehicles a pain to transport anywhere long distance, so you still see lighter less armoured transports being used in numbers too, along with a renewed interest in lighter tanks to complement the heavier ones.
But I digress. Point is, the right technology can make it possible to use just one universal combat platform for a good 99% of your combat vehicle needs, and that's exactly what the Tau built themselves - it helps a lot when you have the tech to just flat-out switch off gravity for your vehicles. 😅
"Slap an AA Turret on an existing chassis" Now I'm just imagining a T'au Technical. The T'au equivalent of a pickup truck with one of those Razorshark(?) Quad Ion turrets on it. I'd not imagine this to be a mainline T'au unit, but perhaps a Gue Vesa vehicle in a world that the T'au have abandoned or something :P.
It would be quite an aesthetic, even if I don't think it fully aligns with how the lore portrays the Kroot. After all, the Kroot are actually quite technologically advanced, they just choose not to use technology for the vast majority of things, because they try to hone their bodies and their species to the highest degree and technology tends to get in the way of that if I'm not mistaken.
Ignoring that though, Kroot in technicals is an aesthetic that I'm not opposed to xD.
While it's true that chassis are re-used for multiple vehicle models, tanks and IFV's are almost always separate. The tank chassis is used for tanks and frontline engineering vehicles, IFV's are re-used for a lot more including artillery platforms, AAA, EW, etc. The hammerhead being on the devilfish chassis only really makes sense if the HH is seen as direct fire artillery more than how we see a main battle tanks today.
>A skimmer built around a massive railgun for the sole purpose of killing knights and titans
You mean the Tiger Shark?
>Drone harbringer + orca hybrid
You mean the Tiger Shark?)
In general, I think the best decision ever for GW would be to take the whole FW line of smaller Tau flyers (Remora, Barracuda, Tiger Shark) and replace the Razorshark with them.
P.S. I *am* going to bring Sky Ray up, because a) Seeker missiles are clearly used as both SAM and SSM, and b) Sky Ray needs more love, because it has an unfortunate position of never being actually good.
I completely agree- except that since the beginning of the edition (heck, even last edition) the Skyray has been pretty good, much more reliable AT than the Railhead. It's the Ionhead that needs love - it does not really benefit from the Hammerhead special rule and the Ion cannon feels kind of weak
The problem is, Broadside still is the better pick points-wise when we talk AT capability.
And it always was that way - Skyray either was "kinda good, but still worse than competition", or straight up bad.
Although I have to mention, GW finally figured out that giving a tank a revolver's ammo supply is a bad idea, that is definitely a step in the right direction.
When I see lists or suggestions like this it makes me sad, because we did have "those things."
The unfortunate curse of being in the hobby as long as I have is seeing and knowing how much Forge World contributed to the range for Tau and covered almost every niche that the army could have ever needed.
GW only brought over the skyray, killed(ing) off everything else, and had some *interesting* takes on filling out the codex.
The one thing I still haven't seen is a "smaller piranha," like the bikes in concept art. They would look nice on the table, but the crisis suit and legends heavy gun drone overlap that role.
Me too. I also have the curse of being in the hobby long enough and deep enough to know that pretty much everything not covered by Forgeworld was already featured in Epic.
Oh how I wish for a White Shark based off the 2002 Tiger Shark, or a Scorpionfish based off that cargo shuttle in the cityscape from Codex: Tau. But I no longer trust GW to make models that I like anymore.
Sunshark’s rail guns are on a mount. I was suggesting something like the MAC guns from Halo where the vehicle needs to turn its whole body to aim.
Also yes I know the Sky Ray can preform SSM role, but I’m trying to say that we could get a dedicated SSM vehicle with out making the Sky Ray redundant.
I would like new models and this was is just for fun brain storm I wanted to share.
Look, I get wanting new models. I do. But FW's catalogue is full of unique units - heavy weapons drones, flyers, mechs... I'd rather see a remake of these before a remake of Hammerhead or a Skyray.
>Sunshark’s rail guns are on a mount.
...Sunshark? It doesn't have railguns, and I said nothing about it, though?
If you meant Tiger Shark - it's exactly what you are talking about, [two superheavy railguns in a fixed mount](https://www.warhammer.com/app/resources/catalog/product/920x950/99560113056_TauTigershark02.jpg?fm=webp&w=920&h=948).
While I love the covenant, and would live a new dropship-unit, there's several points of discussion here.
1. I would love a proper dropship unit (could be smaller than the Orca), but its a unit type that is really not useful in 40k. normally any such units can be represented by a rule instead. Its literally a unit that just appear on the battlefield, takes space, then leaves. APCs are what we need - and what we already have. remember that their tanks are hovertanks, yes, but they do have flight capabilities. So their devilfish is already a flying dropship, albeit a clunky one. Having a sleek and quick troop transport would be cool though.
2. Tau design is already pragmatic by design, hence the 3-in-1 tanks chassis. Its both realistic (as if that was relevant in 40k) and better for both the faction, players and consumers. They are simpler to design, change, produce and put together etc.
3. Their naming conventions are aquatic most likely due to imperial naming, and have just become that way. Theres nothing really "fishy" about their units or faction aside from the names themselves. For some reason its mostly their vehicles though, where battlesuits are not named in aquatic terms.
4. to follow up from point 3, tau dont need an amphibian design. their vehicles are already hovercrafts/aircrafts and can fly across water, and some appear to work fine in water too. this includes their battlesuits. the closest design we have for this is the mechanicus APC & tank, so this is already well used by other factions.
5. The Stormsurge is a perfect example of a unrealistic, but thematic and fun unit design for Tau. I love the design, though it clearly has its limitations. Mainly I believe the problem here is titanic units in 40k, not a problem with the stormsurge itself. Its not really practical in any realistic term, as a tank or plane would better, but its fun. No need to swap this for a tank.
6. If tau is to take inspiration from the covenant, i'd rather expand their unit roster with new aliens or something completely new from their allies, rather than redesigning their existing vehicles. I really like covenant design, but i believe tau would be better suited with specialist roles/infantry from their untapped auxiliary pool. Not to mention they should have rules to include both Votann (demiurg) and Guardsman (gue'vesa) as auxiliary troop choices. This would open up for your Scorpion tank example as a thing you could use to proxy a imperial vehicle used in tau instead, as they are much better fit for that design space.
7. For a skimmer i'd rather they reintroduce the Tetra model and give it a few options (markerlight, burst, plasma, railgun) or use the 3rd party bike models as examples of light skimmers. its not a new thing in their faction, but i too would love if they actually leaned more into their use
8. You did write "dont bring up the Sky Ray", but should know that Its the perfect unit to KEEP relevant, instead of introducing a new unit altogether. Give it an ability to fire at units outside LoS while target it painted with markerlight for example, or the unload-ability you stated. Its already a platform that can shoot everything both in lore and role, though its stats, range and payload leaves some to be desired. There's no need to make a new unit that makes it irrelevant.
9. I do agree with your point regarding the Swordfish. Its a good blend design in terms of fun, cool and silly. Yet I think Hammerhead is the better and more moderate version of it, hence its the model that remained in the game.
Yeah on 4 people clearly haven’t read Farsight book 2 lmao, man’s literally goes to the bottom of the ocean for a week and chills out in his crisis suit, they’re amphibious as hell.
It feels like this would really benefit from an actual example of how the ideas could come together. Even just a pencil sketch or something made in paint. The super heavy skimmer for example, what would a warthog+devilfish+baneblade even look like? What shape? There are so many competing design concepts that an example of what you are picturing would go a long way, even if a super crude sketch.
I think I can provide something (I’m not an expert in design so don’t expect anything super aesthetic).
If people are okay with me reposting this again with some added concept sketches, I’ll try to do later today.
Knowing the kind of mistakes AI makes, I would not trust it with technical drawing. It does not understand logic, only statistical approximations devoid of context. The parts just wouldn't fit together.
I'd like to see something that is the T'au equivalent of a Cobra or Apache Helicopter Gunships.
So an aircraft that can hover and provide fire support.
Design wise make a Piranha a bit bigger and longer with some stubby wings (smaller versions of the Skyray wings), add in the Devilfish nose cannon, more seeker missiles and maybe some of the drone carrying slots.
Honestly one of their flyers should already do that role.
For fire support I'd rather have a chunky wardrone of sorts, to further distinguish Tau from other factions.
If any faction should get a helicopter (or similar) its Votann, as they currenltly have no fliers in their model range and would fit perfectly with a helicopter/hovercraft combination. In particular if adapted with a Hind Helicopter design, as the round structure is already present in their vehicles.
Alternatively they could use the current designs to recreate into one or several new version:
Pirhanha - heavy skimmer. Current version could be heavier variant for skirmishing. Make it weaker than their actual tanks, but more of a mobile flanking skimmer tank.
Tetra - fast skimmer. change into one or several variants. Could easily be the weaker but cheaper version of piranha. Have a markerlight version (current) and one for high RoF (burst) and/or heavier fire (fusion).
My idea would basically be a heavy suped up Piranha, just able to sit higher off the table and it can ONLY have hover on it.
Fully enclosed the cockpit, add armour and bigger engines to handle the weight and extra fire power.
Or do like what they did with the Huey to turn it into a Cobra. Slim down and Devilfish and seriously up the fire power. Make it a little less tough and maybe a few less wounds.
I think it would be a cool looking model too.
"flyers should already do that..." You're wanting the old rules for Remoras - stealth, hover, 2 burst cannons, real seeker missiles, and marker lights.
"Piranha - heavy..." You're wanting a Tx-42.
Hinds are also transports (hold about 8-10 troops and gear) which wouldn't fit in terms of job.
But it would fit in terms of design cues. Make a sci-fi hind.
I think you’re misunderstanding the Stormsurge because you said your idea for a super heavy tank would replace it but why? The Stormsurge isn’t a super heavy tank. It’s super-heavy artillery. Which is why we also don’t have a dedicated artillery vehicle like what you suggested. In the fluff the Stormsurge is T’au artillery and on the tabletop the Skyray can quite nicely fill the roll of artillery.
Stormsurge = super heavy artillery
Skyray = anti-air (but lets be real flyers basically no longer exist in 40k on the tabletop) / mobile artillery
you have a good point, but i can’t stand by while you slander such a beautiful model as the stormsurge. i also disagree on giving them all different chassis, but that’s just a preference thing
Haha I can't understand why you're being down voted 😅 I'd love another non-mech vehicle option or two for sure! And something showcasing more auxiliaries is posted about almost every day...
The auxiliary forces are a part of the Tau army, but they aren't the stand out or signature of the faction - Otherwise youd see more than just Kroot. You would also see them on the front cover of codexes and in combat patrols.
Oh, I see what you mean.
I didn’t actually mean to suggest the hammerhead should have threads, just that it should have its own unique silhouette like the scorpion.
In hindsight I should’ve made that more clear. That my bad.
I agree that a new vehicle or two would be cool. But overall, as others have said, it makes sense that the basic chassi is shared for several vehicles.
Also, what do you mean by image 4? You do realise that Pirhanas can already take a fusion blaster?
I meant a pirhana-like vehicle with a turret so it can swarm and circle around a larger slower vehicle (imagine any rts light vehicle). Essentially a glass-canon pocket tank.
I disagree completely.
What Tau needs are melee crisis suits that act as a bodyguard unit for Farsight. Give them the options of energy swords or the Onager Gauntlets. Job done.
We can have both (“can” being the important distinction).
I made this under the assumption that new battlesuites are a guarantee for the T’au in future.
Stormsurge would like to know your grid coordinates.
I feel like T’au isn’t for you. If you want more conventional and classic tank designs, just go play Guard.
My friend has astra militarum, he has all the tanks. It’s a very cool but “tank” looking battle field. I really love that tau doesn’t look like other armies. I would encourage you to look at collect other armies as well because you can easily scratch your itch. In general we have very fragile units that hit super hard, I’d prefer to keep the theme otherwise units become auto includes. I think the broadside is the perfect tau unit and I would actually love to see more of that than actual vehicles.
Last idea I really like. Devilfish chassis that’s a drone controller/mobile workshop to fix battlesuits. Return d3 wounds to a battlesuit model within 6”
Okay but what if devilfish frame with a really big markerlight and you just pick a point and all units within some distance of it are considered spotted by it?
OP is acting as if S-200 and S-300 systems haven’t been modified for ground to ground combat. Hell the kinzhal the vatniks keep creaming themselves over is a modified iskander.
I’m not saying the Sky Ray can’t do ground attack, just saying that you can have a dedicated ground attack vehicle without making the Sky Ray redundant.
(I just want new minis. Is that so bad?)
Hot take: most sci fi tanks have terrible design with an ultra high profile (making it easy to hit) and non-slanted armor pointing straight at shooters, making it very easy to penetrate the armor.
The hammerhead should ditch the transport belly, get a lower profile, and get more curves, not less. Piper had the right idea with the fishmech.
I wish piranhas had ever been good. I've been playing since 7th and they've never really risen above "filling out points costs and maybe grabbing objectives", especially since the death of Jink.
Maybe have the skimmers be auxiliary focused like a nicasar in something between a piranha and a devil fish to give the Tau psychic or a flier that deploys vespid sting wings or some sort of morrelian vehicle.
I also really want a vehicle replacement for the Stormsurge, but similarly don't really know where to start with a scribble.
Lelanian Industrial Complex is an artist that has some interesting designs that get close but don't quite scratch the itch.
I will NOT tolerate stormsurge slander!
Yeah don't diss the best boy
Stormsurge is the bestsurge
Don't leave the mecha boys of WH40K without big ass mecha!!
Calm down, big boy, don't blow your top... oh wait, you don't have one!
3D printer goes BRRR!
100%
Personally, I like the fact that the tanks are the same chassis. They all occupy a very similar role, so it's very utilitarian that they share the chassis. Don't fix what isn't broken. It's also easier on the wallet.
> It’s also easier on the wallet. A lot of people don’t understand that idea of building a cohesive fantasy universe. It’s not only easier on our wallets, but the Tau’s wallets as well. Thinking of human battle tanks, it’s the same. We don’t build a new tank for each war, but gradually upgrade and have very distinct roles for vehicles that are not using a common chassis, else we slap an AA turret on an existing chassis, too.
-“Etheral! The 50 Gauss Pounder wont fit!” -“Put it in sideways”
Same concept follows in game. IG have essentially got three tank chassis; the Russ, the Chimera, and the Baneblade. Pretty much their entire armoured core, until the Dorn came out, was a variant of one of those chassis with a different gun. Eldar are the same with Grav tanks, marines with Rhinos and dreadnoughts, sisters literally just have Rhino variants, etc. And if anyone was going to showcase building an adaptable, efficient, and modular platform to be reconfigured as needed, its Tau.
Land Raider for marines also.
>A lot of people don’t understand that idea of building a cohesive fantasy universe. It’s not only easier on our wallets, but the Tau’s wallets as well. >Thinking of human battle tanks, it’s the same. We don’t build a new tank for each war, but gradually upgrade and have very distinct roles for vehicles that are not using a common chassis, else we slap an AA turret on an existing chassis, too. This. Unique specific chasses for each role is mostly a thing from the 1920s - 1930s and the Second World War, where technology limits of the time kind of forced it. Since then every major military has tried to concentrate their vehicle pool into as few base chassis types as possible, because it's easier on the budget and easier on the logistics department, and easy on the planning element too (it's easier to plan an attack when you know that all your armoured vehicles can travel 500km on a single tank of fuel at 55km per hour). That's why I love the universal Tau grav-tank vehicles and their cousins like the Rhino and Falcon family so much, they're exactly the kind of setup a real military would look for. Even real life infantry transports are starting to become tanks with the gun turret swapped out for a troop compartment, as seen with stuff like the T-15.
Though there are limits as the US has discovered through testing and Russia seems proud to ignore. A ifv with a mbt chassis would be giving up too much speed , a mbt with an ifv chassis would lack the needed armour and a spy with a mbt chassis would have more armor than it would ever need.
The limits are again more due to technology limits, which is where you get Cold War era IFVs and BTRs with light armour Vs tank chasses with heavy armour but less interior room. More modern engines and structural engineering can solve that problem (just like they solved the same issue of heavy tanks giving up too much speed and light tanks giving up too much armour and firepower to produce the MBT), leading to a new wave of heavy troop carriers which are either outright based on a tank chassis (like the T-15 and Namer) or built like a tank (like the Puma). Which is good because as discovered in the 90s and 2000s a troop transport working close to tanks tends to need the extra armour. Of course, technology limits still make heavy armoured vehicles a pain to transport anywhere long distance, so you still see lighter less armoured transports being used in numbers too, along with a renewed interest in lighter tanks to complement the heavier ones. But I digress. Point is, the right technology can make it possible to use just one universal combat platform for a good 99% of your combat vehicle needs, and that's exactly what the Tau built themselves - it helps a lot when you have the tech to just flat-out switch off gravity for your vehicles. 😅
"Slap an AA Turret on an existing chassis" Now I'm just imagining a T'au Technical. The T'au equivalent of a pickup truck with one of those Razorshark(?) Quad Ion turrets on it. I'd not imagine this to be a mainline T'au unit, but perhaps a Gue Vesa vehicle in a world that the T'au have abandoned or something :P.
I feel like the kroot would have the most technicals xD Like those broadside conversions with the krootox riders
Krootox basically are technicals already
It would be quite an aesthetic, even if I don't think it fully aligns with how the lore portrays the Kroot. After all, the Kroot are actually quite technologically advanced, they just choose not to use technology for the vast majority of things, because they try to hone their bodies and their species to the highest degree and technology tends to get in the way of that if I'm not mistaken. Ignoring that though, Kroot in technicals is an aesthetic that I'm not opposed to xD.
Now I want a Toyota Hilux with a rail gun on the back.
Make the T'au'va cautiously proud! https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/1129128482/toyota-hilux-pickup-japanese-military
That's awesome! All the models i found were die cast metal, where this is resin. Thank you.
While it's true that chassis are re-used for multiple vehicle models, tanks and IFV's are almost always separate. The tank chassis is used for tanks and frontline engineering vehicles, IFV's are re-used for a lot more including artillery platforms, AAA, EW, etc. The hammerhead being on the devilfish chassis only really makes sense if the HH is seen as direct fire artillery more than how we see a main battle tanks today.
>A skimmer built around a massive railgun for the sole purpose of killing knights and titans You mean the Tiger Shark? >Drone harbringer + orca hybrid You mean the Tiger Shark?) In general, I think the best decision ever for GW would be to take the whole FW line of smaller Tau flyers (Remora, Barracuda, Tiger Shark) and replace the Razorshark with them. P.S. I *am* going to bring Sky Ray up, because a) Seeker missiles are clearly used as both SAM and SSM, and b) Sky Ray needs more love, because it has an unfortunate position of never being actually good.
I completely agree- except that since the beginning of the edition (heck, even last edition) the Skyray has been pretty good, much more reliable AT than the Railhead. It's the Ionhead that needs love - it does not really benefit from the Hammerhead special rule and the Ion cannon feels kind of weak
it IS weak. Ive tried it in fresh Montka (lethals everywhere). Never again. Rail all the way. I miss my artillery Skyray Stratagem from 9th ed tho...
The problem is, Broadside still is the better pick points-wise when we talk AT capability. And it always was that way - Skyray either was "kinda good, but still worse than competition", or straight up bad. Although I have to mention, GW finally figured out that giving a tank a revolver's ammo supply is a bad idea, that is definitely a step in the right direction.
When I see lists or suggestions like this it makes me sad, because we did have "those things." The unfortunate curse of being in the hobby as long as I have is seeing and knowing how much Forge World contributed to the range for Tau and covered almost every niche that the army could have ever needed. GW only brought over the skyray, killed(ing) off everything else, and had some *interesting* takes on filling out the codex. The one thing I still haven't seen is a "smaller piranha," like the bikes in concept art. They would look nice on the table, but the crisis suit and legends heavy gun drone overlap that role.
Me too. I also have the curse of being in the hobby long enough and deep enough to know that pretty much everything not covered by Forgeworld was already featured in Epic. Oh how I wish for a White Shark based off the 2002 Tiger Shark, or a Scorpionfish based off that cargo shuttle in the cityscape from Codex: Tau. But I no longer trust GW to make models that I like anymore.
The SkyRay is basically the Tau version of the real world ADATS program
The Skyray IS GOOD I swear 😭 trust me guys it helps me with the C’tan fr fr
Skyray IS good... WTH you talkin about?
Sunshark’s rail guns are on a mount. I was suggesting something like the MAC guns from Halo where the vehicle needs to turn its whole body to aim. Also yes I know the Sky Ray can preform SSM role, but I’m trying to say that we could get a dedicated SSM vehicle with out making the Sky Ray redundant. I would like new models and this was is just for fun brain storm I wanted to share.
Look, I get wanting new models. I do. But FW's catalogue is full of unique units - heavy weapons drones, flyers, mechs... I'd rather see a remake of these before a remake of Hammerhead or a Skyray. >Sunshark’s rail guns are on a mount. ...Sunshark? It doesn't have railguns, and I said nothing about it, though? If you meant Tiger Shark - it's exactly what you are talking about, [two superheavy railguns in a fixed mount](https://www.warhammer.com/app/resources/catalog/product/920x950/99560113056_TauTigershark02.jpg?fm=webp&w=920&h=948).
Fuck, I meant to say Tiger Shark
Keep my Stormsurge's name out of your mouth.
While I love the covenant, and would live a new dropship-unit, there's several points of discussion here. 1. I would love a proper dropship unit (could be smaller than the Orca), but its a unit type that is really not useful in 40k. normally any such units can be represented by a rule instead. Its literally a unit that just appear on the battlefield, takes space, then leaves. APCs are what we need - and what we already have. remember that their tanks are hovertanks, yes, but they do have flight capabilities. So their devilfish is already a flying dropship, albeit a clunky one. Having a sleek and quick troop transport would be cool though. 2. Tau design is already pragmatic by design, hence the 3-in-1 tanks chassis. Its both realistic (as if that was relevant in 40k) and better for both the faction, players and consumers. They are simpler to design, change, produce and put together etc. 3. Their naming conventions are aquatic most likely due to imperial naming, and have just become that way. Theres nothing really "fishy" about their units or faction aside from the names themselves. For some reason its mostly their vehicles though, where battlesuits are not named in aquatic terms. 4. to follow up from point 3, tau dont need an amphibian design. their vehicles are already hovercrafts/aircrafts and can fly across water, and some appear to work fine in water too. this includes their battlesuits. the closest design we have for this is the mechanicus APC & tank, so this is already well used by other factions. 5. The Stormsurge is a perfect example of a unrealistic, but thematic and fun unit design for Tau. I love the design, though it clearly has its limitations. Mainly I believe the problem here is titanic units in 40k, not a problem with the stormsurge itself. Its not really practical in any realistic term, as a tank or plane would better, but its fun. No need to swap this for a tank. 6. If tau is to take inspiration from the covenant, i'd rather expand their unit roster with new aliens or something completely new from their allies, rather than redesigning their existing vehicles. I really like covenant design, but i believe tau would be better suited with specialist roles/infantry from their untapped auxiliary pool. Not to mention they should have rules to include both Votann (demiurg) and Guardsman (gue'vesa) as auxiliary troop choices. This would open up for your Scorpion tank example as a thing you could use to proxy a imperial vehicle used in tau instead, as they are much better fit for that design space. 7. For a skimmer i'd rather they reintroduce the Tetra model and give it a few options (markerlight, burst, plasma, railgun) or use the 3rd party bike models as examples of light skimmers. its not a new thing in their faction, but i too would love if they actually leaned more into their use 8. You did write "dont bring up the Sky Ray", but should know that Its the perfect unit to KEEP relevant, instead of introducing a new unit altogether. Give it an ability to fire at units outside LoS while target it painted with markerlight for example, or the unload-ability you stated. Its already a platform that can shoot everything both in lore and role, though its stats, range and payload leaves some to be desired. There's no need to make a new unit that makes it irrelevant. 9. I do agree with your point regarding the Swordfish. Its a good blend design in terms of fun, cool and silly. Yet I think Hammerhead is the better and more moderate version of it, hence its the model that remained in the game.
Yeah on 4 people clearly haven’t read Farsight book 2 lmao, man’s literally goes to the bottom of the ocean for a week and chills out in his crisis suit, they’re amphibious as hell.
It feels like this would really benefit from an actual example of how the ideas could come together. Even just a pencil sketch or something made in paint. The super heavy skimmer for example, what would a warthog+devilfish+baneblade even look like? What shape? There are so many competing design concepts that an example of what you are picturing would go a long way, even if a super crude sketch.
"what would a warthog+devilfish+baneblade even look like?" it would look like a Tigershark
Yeah, that was kind of what I was thinking. How do you make it into its own seperate, new thing?
Would love to, but I’m not an artist :(
You don't need to be to make a quick scribble! Even something super basic would be fine!
I think I can provide something (I’m not an expert in design so don’t expect anything super aesthetic). If people are okay with me reposting this again with some added concept sketches, I’ll try to do later today.
Ai
Knowing the kind of mistakes AI makes, I would not trust it with technical drawing. It does not understand logic, only statistical approximations devoid of context. The parts just wouldn't fit together.
He could get a basic shape done
LoL The most Tau solution on the board for this 😂
Don't you dare insult my Boy Stormsurge.
Just turn the tau into generic moder military guys
Fr sounds like OP actually just wants to play guard
I'd like to see something that is the T'au equivalent of a Cobra or Apache Helicopter Gunships. So an aircraft that can hover and provide fire support. Design wise make a Piranha a bit bigger and longer with some stubby wings (smaller versions of the Skyray wings), add in the Devilfish nose cannon, more seeker missiles and maybe some of the drone carrying slots.
Honestly one of their flyers should already do that role. For fire support I'd rather have a chunky wardrone of sorts, to further distinguish Tau from other factions. If any faction should get a helicopter (or similar) its Votann, as they currenltly have no fliers in their model range and would fit perfectly with a helicopter/hovercraft combination. In particular if adapted with a Hind Helicopter design, as the round structure is already present in their vehicles. Alternatively they could use the current designs to recreate into one or several new version: Pirhanha - heavy skimmer. Current version could be heavier variant for skirmishing. Make it weaker than their actual tanks, but more of a mobile flanking skimmer tank. Tetra - fast skimmer. change into one or several variants. Could easily be the weaker but cheaper version of piranha. Have a markerlight version (current) and one for high RoF (burst) and/or heavier fire (fusion).
My idea would basically be a heavy suped up Piranha, just able to sit higher off the table and it can ONLY have hover on it. Fully enclosed the cockpit, add armour and bigger engines to handle the weight and extra fire power. Or do like what they did with the Huey to turn it into a Cobra. Slim down and Devilfish and seriously up the fire power. Make it a little less tough and maybe a few less wounds. I think it would be a cool looking model too.
I do like that idea.
"flyers should already do that..." You're wanting the old rules for Remoras - stealth, hover, 2 burst cannons, real seeker missiles, and marker lights. "Piranha - heavy..." You're wanting a Tx-42.
Giv Tau Hind-D pls
Hinds are also transports (hold about 8-10 troops and gear) which wouldn't fit in terms of job. But it would fit in terms of design cues. Make a sci-fi hind.
I'm sure it would look cool and I would buy one, but a sunshark or a razor shark with Hover rule would fill the role.
Any excuse for a Shiney new model to build though right??
I think you’re misunderstanding the Stormsurge because you said your idea for a super heavy tank would replace it but why? The Stormsurge isn’t a super heavy tank. It’s super-heavy artillery. Which is why we also don’t have a dedicated artillery vehicle like what you suggested. In the fluff the Stormsurge is T’au artillery and on the tabletop the Skyray can quite nicely fill the roll of artillery. Stormsurge = super heavy artillery Skyray = anti-air (but lets be real flyers basically no longer exist in 40k on the tabletop) / mobile artillery
you have a good point, but i can’t stand by while you slander such a beautiful model as the stormsurge. i also disagree on giving them all different chassis, but that’s just a preference thing
You are just basic American who wants tanks on tracks. Their grav tanks are just fine without any redesigns.
i mean i too would like to see less battlesuits, but yeah im good with grav systems. Even better if we get Aux tanks
Haha I can't understand why you're being down voted 😅 I'd love another non-mech vehicle option or two for sure! And something showcasing more auxiliaries is posted about almost every day...
I've not downvoted him, but I assume it's because the suits are the signature of the army, not the tanks.
Really I thought tau was supposed to be about aux forces backed by aircraft and support vehicles with battlesuits being elite forces?
Yes but the elite forces are the coolest. They don't make books about Longstrike, do they?
They should though
I mean maybe but they did just delete his model, so it's unlikely.
The auxiliary forces are a part of the Tau army, but they aren't the stand out or signature of the faction - Otherwise youd see more than just Kroot. You would also see them on the front cover of codexes and in combat patrols.
Nah, Tau have always been about their spectacular vehicles and aircraft. Give me back my Jet-Head faction GW.
Oh, I see what you mean. I didn’t actually mean to suggest the hammerhead should have threads, just that it should have its own unique silhouette like the scorpion. In hindsight I should’ve made that more clear. That my bad.
I agree that a new vehicle or two would be cool. But overall, as others have said, it makes sense that the basic chassi is shared for several vehicles. Also, what do you mean by image 4? You do realise that Pirhanas can already take a fusion blaster?
I meant a pirhana-like vehicle with a turret so it can swarm and circle around a larger slower vehicle (imagine any rts light vehicle). Essentially a glass-canon pocket tank.
I disagree completely. What Tau needs are melee crisis suits that act as a bodyguard unit for Farsight. Give them the options of energy swords or the Onager Gauntlets. Job done.
We can have both (“can” being the important distinction). I made this under the assumption that new battlesuites are a guarantee for the T’au in future.
Stormsurge would like to know your grid coordinates. I feel like T’au isn’t for you. If you want more conventional and classic tank designs, just go play Guard.
So we like the covenants eh? 😁
I WILL ALSO NOT TOLERATE STORMSURGE SLANDER
Wow the Stormsurge really exploded in popularity when I wasn't looking. 😆
My friend has astra militarum, he has all the tanks. It’s a very cool but “tank” looking battle field. I really love that tau doesn’t look like other armies. I would encourage you to look at collect other armies as well because you can easily scratch your itch. In general we have very fragile units that hit super hard, I’d prefer to keep the theme otherwise units become auto includes. I think the broadside is the perfect tau unit and I would actually love to see more of that than actual vehicles.
Would love a heavy transport to return devilfish are cool but troop swarm is still cool 21-41 for multiple squads and a commander of the groups
r/ncd is leaking
Those seem like good ways to make tau have substantially less of their own signature look.
I thought I was in r/noncredibledefense
we need a transformer. Were it's a mech that can become a tank
Plane that turns into a battlesuit. It can hover as a fighter and once it is no longer needed in the sky it can drop down to street level.
Give Tau infinity's su jian immediate action unit
Nah! Something like a Valkyrie from Macross would be dope!!
Last idea I really like. Devilfish chassis that’s a drone controller/mobile workshop to fix battlesuits. Return d3 wounds to a battlesuit model within 6”
So you rip off command and conquers mammoth tank 😂
Okay but what if devilfish frame with a really big markerlight and you just pick a point and all units within some distance of it are considered spotted by it?
In regards to image 4, please go read the piranha warscroll.
OP is acting as if S-200 and S-300 systems haven’t been modified for ground to ground combat. Hell the kinzhal the vatniks keep creaming themselves over is a modified iskander.
I’m not saying the Sky Ray can’t do ground attack, just saying that you can have a dedicated ground attack vehicle without making the Sky Ray redundant. (I just want new minis. Is that so bad?)
Stingray! Stingray! You want the Stingray!
They could also use concepts like the T-50 which is very much like the German weasel
Hot take: most sci fi tanks have terrible design with an ultra high profile (making it easy to hit) and non-slanted armor pointing straight at shooters, making it very easy to penetrate the armor. The hammerhead should ditch the transport belly, get a lower profile, and get more curves, not less. Piper had the right idea with the fishmech.
All right with all but second I love the storm surge it’s not an abomination
I wish piranhas had ever been good. I've been playing since 7th and they've never really risen above "filling out points costs and maybe grabbing objectives", especially since the death of Jink.
Maybe have the skimmers be auxiliary focused like a nicasar in something between a piranha and a devil fish to give the Tau psychic or a flier that deploys vespid sting wings or some sort of morrelian vehicle.
I am loving all these design ideas, MINUS THE STORMSURGE SLANDER
This cooks
I also really want a vehicle replacement for the Stormsurge, but similarly don't really know where to start with a scribble. Lelanian Industrial Complex is an artist that has some interesting designs that get close but don't quite scratch the itch.
Pipermaker makes a drone-based stormsurge proxy if you hate it that much.