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XV8 Crisis Battlesuits Written by The Castigator, T0nkaTruckDriver, Edited by T0nkaTruckDriver With the limits lifted on the number of Hardwired Support Systems that teamleaders can take, the line between HQ XV8's and Elite XV8's has been blurred substatially. Therefore, rather than include two separate discussions on these similar units, we've instead combined them into a single document and taken care to point out differences where they occur. XV8 Crisis Team Crisis Suits are arguably the most versitile unit in the entire game of Warhammer 40K. They have a dizzying array of weapon and support options allowing them to be fielded in anti-swarm, anti-power armor, or anti-vehicle roles. They are fast, durable, and strong, can Deep-Strike, and look damn cool to boot. In fact, one of the biggest pitfalls of fielding Crisis Suits is equipping them for too many battlefield roles. Just because you can equip a suit with a Flamer, Plasma Rifle, and Fusion Blaster doesn't mean you should! There are only 6 turns in a game and very rarely would a suit such as this ever get a chance to fulfill all of the roles you've equipped it to handle. Therefore, when bringing units of Crisis Suits, it's best to give them 1-3 tasks and have them stick to 'em. This assures that they won't find themselves over-extended. Just keep in mind that the more roles you give a Crisis Team, the more expensive it is to equip them and the less effective they'll necessarily be at their various tasks. What are My Options? Crisis Suits posess three hardpoints which must be filled with some combination of weaponry and Support Systems, and Teamleaders have the potential to mount Hardwired components as well. Further upgrading a Teamleader to a Shas'Vre allows him to choose from the list of Special Issue items. This gives an incredible array of possible weapon combinations, but it also makes Crisis Suit design more of an art than a science. What works well for one person may or may not perform as desired for another. It's important to pick a role for your team and equip them accordingly. Each weapon can be devastating to your opponent, and each support system can multiply that devistation in the proper situation. However overdoing it can waste valuable points while simultaneously presenting a tasty, VP-heavy target that your enemy will not overlook. Guns and More Guns Note, Special Issue equipment is listed below in italics. Plasma Rifle: Listed first as it's arguably the best 'all-round' weapon to take on a suit. With the 'recoil compensator' rule, this thing has long range and high firepower (1 shot at 24", or 2 at 12" regardless of movement) with high strength and low AP. It's a workhorse gun, capable of engaging everything from Terminators and transports on down to infantry, with the only signifigant drawback being its hefty pricetag. Being nonspecialized and equally effective across the board means that the Plasma Rifle is the most expensive weapon option available. Missile Pod: A premere long-range (36") vehicle killer, the Missile Pod is a great addition to any suit. With multiple high strength shots, the Missile Pod only lacks AP to be as good a choice as the Plasma Rifle. That said, it instakills T3 troops, can reliably damage most transports, and can even threaten AV 13. Its primary role, however, is as a transport-killer, and for its cost it excels at that. Fusion Blaster: A 12" melta-equivalent, with high strength and low AP. Its disadvantages are range and quantity of shots - but if high power is required, this is the gun to take. Harder to use than the Missile Pod - it rips through even heavy vehicles like tissue paper at close range, and annhialates Terminators with instakills that ignore their armor. A great gun all around, but its learning curve is steep on account of its short range. Burst Cannon: The Burst Cannon is a spectacularly good anti-infantry gun, generating a high volume of shots at a solid (18") range. There is no weapon better suited for a Crisis Suit's mobility in the anti-infantry role, and its cost is low enough to make it a viable option even against T4 and 3+ armor. The real disadvantage here is the existence of Stealth Suits - Burst Cannon equipped models that fire with a comparable efficiency while being more flexible, less tied to terrain, and all-around harder to kill. That said, the Burst Cannon is still a viable choice if you find yourself needing more anti-infantry firepower. Flamer: Considered by most a marginal choice, it's nonetheless useful in a few configurations, especially against low AV troops. It's cheap, can be twin linked, and makes a good third weapon option for those bold enough to take it. The disadvantage is range; a flamer fires a template out to 8", so the closer you use it the better - putting your expensive Elites into assault range. That said, the flamer is absolutely devastating against armies with 5+ saves, and can be a great alternative when fielded in numbers. Keep in mind that you can't get a flamer anywhere else in the Tau armory either. Below is a table detailing the relative effectiveness of the flamer against Marines:
It's generally not difficult to get 6 or more models under the template making the flamer more effective at killing T4, 3+ armor than even a rapid-firing plasma rifle! Of course, keep in mind that in order to utilize that effectiveness you need to be right in your enemy's face... generally not a good place for your valuable Elites. Cyclic Ion Blaster (CIB): Though expensive, this tempermental weapon is the bane of infantry across the board. Its high rate of fire and AP 4 rating make it devistating to lightly armored troops while its special AP 1 rule puts it on par with the Plasma Rifle for knocking down Terminators. The CIB really does let you have your cake and eat it too. Airbursting Fragmentation Projector (AFP): A barrage Weapon that suffers no penalty for movement and ignores cover, the AFP is essentially an 18" range flamer. Although the template scatters, it's larger than the flamer template and so is more likely to hit a greater number of models. It's expensive, but the AFP gives the Tau another template option to keep hordes dispersed. Because it's a barrage weapon, the AFP causes pinning, does not require LoS, and does not use the BS of the shooter. This last point means the AFP is generally best on an Elite Shas'Vre rather than on a Commander. Support Systems Multi-tracker: Almost mandatory for any suit with more than one weapon... and who would want to bring only one weapon?! This handy piece of wargear allows you to shoot 2 weapons at the same target. When designing your suits, be sure to equip it with weapons that are good against the same target! A Multi-tracker will allow you to fire both a Missile Pod and a Flamer at the same target, but what target could you possibly want to fire both of those weapons at? Targeting Array: Although expensive at first glance, the high cost (and high priority) of our XV8 weaponry makes it worthwhile. Since this system requires a Hardpoint, it's only really useful on Teamleaders (who can Hardwire their Multitracker) or on single-weapon suits. Target Lock: This allows the model carrying it to shoot at a different target than the rest of its unit. In general, if you want to be shooting at multiple targets, it's a better idea to split your Crisis Team into two different units. However, if you're out of Elite slots, the Target Lock can give your Crisis Teams more flexibility. Blacksun Filter: Extremely synergistic with the Acute Senses that come standard on Battlesuits, the Blacksun Filter works well on suits brought for dedicated long range bombardment. It holds the honor of being the least expensive Support System and therefore has a place on suits with a single twinlinked weapon who are looking to fill their third hardpoint cheaply. The Blacksun Filter is also useful on Teamleaders and Commanders as a Hardwired option if you know you'll be playing a night fight scenario. Shield Generator: Going along with the Mech Tau doctrine of preservation of Victory Points, this handy bit of wargear is the only Invulnerable save in our entire army, and for that reason alone it should be considered. However due to its extreme cost, it is rarely an option on every suit in your army. It's therefore best equipped to suits with especially dangerous battlefield roles. A Deep Striking Crisis Suit with twinlinked Fusion Blasters and a 4+ Invulnerable save is nothing to scoff at. Another strategy is to equip one suit in a team with the Shield Generator. If you find yourself out of position and end up being shot by a LasCannon, you can allocate the Las hit to the model with the Invulnerable save in the hopes of deflecting it. Generally though, a Shield Drone would be better for this job. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that by equipping a Shield Generator, you are essentially negating the benefits of cover. Standing in woods/ruins does you no good if you have a Shield Generator since your Invulnerable save is as good or better than any cover save you might otherwise get! If you're deploying on a terrain-heavy board, consider leaving this bit of wargear at home because by assuring you always end your assault move in or behind some cover, you essentially get the benefits for free. Drone Controller: This upgrade allows the bringing of 2 Gun, Marker, or Shield Drones in any combination. Drones provide both protection and additional firepower to the suit with the controller. Be careful though, a smart opponent will first pepper the unit with small arms fire (bolters, etc.) in order to wipe out the drones before the LasCannons come in to instant kill your suits. Drones also negate the "you can't pick me out" rule for your HQ choices allowing them to be shot at. Drones brought with Battlesuit Teams count towards unit strength and morale, so be conscious of both the pros and cons of the increased unit size as you add Drones to your squad. In general, Crisis Suits need to keep mobile in order to stay alive (thereby precluding Marker Drones) and already pack more than their fair share of firepower (making Gun Drones superfluous). The only Drones that make much sense are Shield Drones brought using a Hardwired Drone Controller on a Teamleader. These few ablative wounds can make a big difference on turns you're unable to find cover with your assault move. Command and Control Node: The Command and Control Node is a useful upgrade for a Shas'O in any army that includes a few backfield infantry units. Things like Broadsides, Pathfinders, Missile Pod equipped XV8's and static Firewarriors will all benefit. The 12" range essentially chains your Commander to your firebase, so equipping him with long range weaponry will allow him to contribute to the battle while lending his Leadership. Positional Relay: While a handy bit of wargear at first glance, there are a few rules issues that get in the way of it being a standard piece of kit. Missions played at the Alpha level do not allow Deep Strike, and as such the Positional Relay brought in these games will be completely useless. Since the Positional Relay can only be mounted on an XV8 and XV8's start off the table in Escalation, games played at the Omega level are also ill-suited to taking advantage of its special rules. Only in Gamma missions where Deep Strike is allowed and your Positional Relay equipped model will begin on the table is this Support System of any actual value. Assuming you do roll up a Gamma level mission (or determine beforehand that this is what you'll be playing), how useful is the Positional Relay? In a Deep-Strike heavy list, its best use is in fact to delay the arrival of your main force by using the Relay to bring in an inexpensive unit of Gun Drones on turn 2 so that you can roll normally for the bulk of your force on turn 3 and hopefully have everything arrive all at once. The Positional Relay has little place in a list where 2-3 units are designed to Deep-Strike. In this instance, using the Relay to bring one of them on each turn is not doing you any favors. In general, it's better to simply roll for each unit normally. Perhaps the best use of the Positional Relay is in a list where only a single unit is designed to Deep Strike. As a side note, a Barricuda Air Superiority Fighter makes excellent use of the Positional Relay since it is always kept in reserve no matter the level of the game being played. Vectored Retro Thrusters: Although risky, equipping a Commander with Vectored Thrusters allows you to use him as a Vector'O. Keep in mind that although equipping him in this manner allows you to use him like this, you aren't forced to. By paying 35 points you give yourself the option to tie up enemy shooty squads, although you should feel free to use him just like any other Commander if the opportunity to assault a juicy target never presents itself. Wargear Stimulant Injector: This option is attractive if you know a suit is going to be in harms way (Deep Striking Sun forge). The ironic thing here is that Stim Injectors make the most sense on Commanders, who will get the most benefit from it on account of their larger number of wounds. However Commanders are rarely shot at on account of their IC status! Remember, Feel No Pain does not provide protection against Insta-Kill weapons. Iridium Armor: While 2+ saves are few and far between in the Tau list, the fact that Iridium Armor reduces your valuable assault move to d6" makes this upgrade a generally poor choice. XV8's rely on their assault move for their survival, and any "upgrade" which reduces this ability should be viewed with a skeptical eye. The best use for this piece of wargear is on an HQ who also has Shield Drones. The Iridium Armor gives the Shield Drones a 2+ save and now this unit can be attached to a Broadside team to provide some additional protection as well as a Leadership boost. Ejection System: The Ejection System is mainly a VP denial tool. Equipped to a tooled up Commander, you can potentially save half your VP's and use your IC status to escape and join another squad. Although he doesn't have much combat potential at this point, he does offer a nice leadership boost to whoever he joins. Failsafe Detonator: The complicated sequence of events which must occur for the Failsafe Detonator to be effective make it a generally sub-par choice. First you must be caught in assault, which with long range weapon options and an assault move, will usually be a rare occurance. Then, you must lose combat, but not be entirely wiped out. Then, you must fail your Morale check. Then, you must lose the Initiative roll-off. If all these things happen, you get to place the large template on the model equipped with the Detonator and each enemy touched takes a single S8 AP- hit. As insult to injury, since this takes place before pile-in moves are conducted, it will be difficult to catch any significant number of enemy models under the template. Know your Role In order to select an effective combination of weapons and wargear from the above lists, it helps to choose a role for your Crisis Team. Once you've assigned them a well defined task or two, it's a simple matter to select equipment suited to that task. Listed below are four of the more common Crisis Team roles. Heavy Vehicle Hunting: The ability to deep-strike with Melta weapons makes XV8's a deadly proposition for countering heavy armor. Because of the danger associated with this mission, it makes sense to keep suits tasked to this role cheap. That being said, a Shield Generator and/or Stim Injectors can go a long way to keeping this guy around for a few turns to sew additional havoc. Since the Tau lack true indirect fire weaponry, using a suit or suit(s) in this role is a reasonable counter to enemy indirect ordinance platforms. Lighting Up Light Vehicles: This seems what the Missile Pod was made for. With long range, high strength, and multiple shots, a team of XV8's equipped with Missile Pods will excel at eliminating AV10 - AV12 threats. Punishing Light Infantry: If there's one thing the Tau excel at, it's killing light infantry in droves. The addition of the Cyclic Ion Blaster and Airbursting Fragmentation Projector only make them better. Either of these weapons paired with a Burst Cannon or Missile Pod will result in a superb anti-light infantry killer. For the less privalidged Shas'Ui, the Burst Cannon / Missle Pod combo is excellent in its own right. Smiting Heavy Infantry: No unit choice in the game cuts through 2+ and 3+ saves like a Crisis Team equipped for the task. The Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, and Cyclic Ion Blaster are all excellent choices for XV8's tasked to this role. Although the Fusion Blaster is relatively short ranged, it meshes well with the rapid-fire characteristic of the Plasma Rifle. If you can manage to operate at 12" without getting killed, a team of Plasma / Fusion equipped XV8's can easily earn three times their point cost over a six turn game. The Low Down on Standard Loadouts A note on XV8 naming conventions: The following is a form of shorthand which is intended for casual conversation and internet discussions; when writing out complete army lists, each piece of wargear must be listed in full in order to accurately convey your thoughts.
Fireknife: Plasma Rifle, Missile Pod Seen by many as the default configuration for the XV8. + Generally effective against any target type, packs both of the longest range XV8 weapons into a single package. - Expensive, lacks true specialization Bladestorm: Plasma Rifle, Burst Cannon A superb anti-infantry configuration. + An efficient and effective anti-infantry suit, excellent against Terminators, Guardians, and everything in between. - Needs to be close to be effective. Performs poorly against vehicles. Helios: Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster Offers the most effective answer to heavily armored infantry. Also provides backup anti-vehicle capability for opportunistic Commanders. + Frighteningly effective against 3+ and 2+ saves. - Short range. Sunforge: Twinlinked Fusion Blasters The configuration of choice to tackle heavy vehicles and indirect artillery. + Cheap and effective against most vehicles. - Steep learning curve. Relies on deep strike and the randomness of the scatter die. Often a one-shot-wonder. Deathrain: Twinlinked Missile Pods The supreme light vehicle and transport hunter while offering decent utility against high Toughness targets like Necron Destroyers or Wraithlords. + Cheap, effective at killing expensive models. - Can suffer from a lack of viable targets against certain opponents. Conclusions While the XV8 crisis suit can fill just about any role it's important to remember that they can still be killed outright by weapons with strength 8 or higher. It is also essential to realize that no matter how well equipped a Crisis Team or Commander may be, they cannot single handedly win the day. As with all Tau units they need to be used in concert with oter units on the field. Victory comes from Harmony, remember that. A Crisis team that is conflicted in its roles will never be as effective as on that fight with purpose and unity. Although Shield Drones offer a few ablative wounds, the protection they offer can only be extended so far. This necessarily forces Crisis Suits to rely heavily on terrain for protection from instant kill weapons. Unfortunately, this attachment to terrain limits their mobility options, often making the shorter ranged weapons poor choices for Crisis weapon loadouts, as it's rare that you will have a suitable terrain feature for Jump-Shoot-Jump actions within 12" - 18" of your intended target. Equipping your Crisis Teams with longer ranged weaponry greatly expands their ability to operate around a piece of backfield terrain while still granting them range to a variety of encroaching enemy units. Therefore, if you like the idea of a short range (18” or less) Crisis Suit, consider bringing these weapons on a Commander, whose IC status will protect him as he moves up the field to get in range. For normal Crisis Suits, the longer ranged Plasma Rifles and Missile Pods are generally the best weapon choices. XV8 Commander With the limits lifted on the number of Hardwired Support Systems that teamleaders can take, the line between HQ XV8's and Elite XV8's has been blurred substatially. Therefore, rather than include two separate discussions on these similar units, we've instead combined them into a single document and taken care to point out differences where they occur. Please see above for information on weapon loadouts, Support System options, and other general XV8 topics which pertain to both Elite Teams as well as Commander units. The best of the best of the Fire Caste, these brave Tau are given the finest equipment and wargear the Empire has to offer. Although on the surface these HQ units may appear to be just a beefed up XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, delving into their finer nuances reveals that they are in fact much, much more. With so many options available to us in the form of Special Issue weaponry and wargear, it's easy to get carried away. However nobody likes to see their 160 point Commander dropped by a stray LasCannon. Therefore it behooves us to pick a role for him, equip him to succeed in that role, and then step away. Where Commanders are concerned more gadgets are not always better, especially since they're not scoring units. The Pros Commanders boast improved stats across the board. Although the close combat abilities of a Shas'O are respectable, in general it's the extra wound(s), BS and Ld that are going to be the most useful. Furthermore, Commanders have access to the full gamit of Hardwired wargear options and Special Issue Gear. Most importantly however, Commanders are Independent Characters and therefore may not be targeted unless they are the closest model. The significance of this cannot be overemphasized. Crisis Suits can pack such devastating weaponry and yet die to a handful of bolter rounds. Opponents who have played Tau with any regularity will learn to despise these units, taking any opportunity to kill them, allocating whatever firepower necessary. That being the case, having an XV8 (or two!) able to roam the field with impunity is truly amazing. The Cons The only real downside to Commanders is the fact that they're not scoring units. Cleverly constructed Commanders are on par with Elite XV8's for efficiency, however we must be conscious that each point spent on our Commander is a point not invested in units that can claim objectives. While a few hundred points spent on Commanders might seem reasonable, keep in mind that Devilfish and Sniper Teams are also non-scoring point sinks that add up quickly. Bringing a second Commander is never a bad option, especially if you favor a mostly Mechanized force (or one containing numerous Drones/auxiliaries). If, however, you include many dismounted Fire Warriors and/or Battlesuits, an Ethereal might be a more attractive option. In general though, the fact that Inspiring Presence requires line of sight to the Ethereal makes a second Commander the better option in most circumstances. Avoiding Temptation The dizzying array of options available to Commanders often leads newer Tau players to create hulking behemoths, bristling with guns and loaded down with wargear. It's important to remember however, that there are only 6 turns in a game and that even if you've equipped your Commander to take on the entire enemy army single handedly, he'll never get the chance in the time allotted. The biggest temptation you'll need to resist is equipping your commander for close combat. Things like Iridium Plates, a Shield Generator, Stim Injectors and a Failsafe Detonator make for an amusing gimmick, but a Shas'O with these items will run you close to 170 points... and still dies to an errant Powerfist or LasCannon. The ironic thing of course is that every turn spent shooting is a turn you're not getting use from the points spent on your fancy wargear, and every turn spent in close combat is a turn you're not getting use from the points spent on your expensive guns. This is a prime example of a unit with a conflicted purpose. Instead, play to your strengths, pick a few handy guns and use them. Your IC status will keep you from being shot, which means defensive wargear is largely unnecessary, and your assault move will keep you out of close combat. To O or not to O? While some justify their choice of Commander based on fluff, there are tangible benefits to each of the two units. While the Shas’O boasts +1 WS, BS, A, W, and Ld, if all you're looking for is pure shooting efficiency, the Shas'El is the better buy. Give him a pair of guns and a Targeting Array and your BS 5 Shas’El comes out 15 points cheaper than a similar Shas’O. The availability of Special Issue Wargear offers many options that make the Shas’O a more viable choice. Most prominent among these is the Command and Control Node. Equipping your Commander with a long-range weapon and a Command and Control Node allows you to loiter him around your deployment zone lending his Leadership to backfield shooting assets for Target Priority checks. Of course the utility of this strategy depends entirely on how many backfield assets you've brought which require Target Priority checks, but keep in mind that nobody likes to see their Deathrain wasting shots on a Land Raider while their Broadsides pop Rhinos. Additionally, equipping a Shas'O for close combat against enemy shooting specialists can be accomplished by giving him Stim Injectors and Vectored Thrusters. This Vector'O is costly, but can be invaluable against certain opponents. You Can Be My Bodyguard... Although the Bodyguard is often shunned, it can make sense in certain circumstances. Their unpopularity stems from the fact that they're all Shas'vre, meaning you pay +10 points for additional close combat stats and access to the Armory. While the additional wargear options are nice, most Tau generals do everything within their power to avoid close combat, making the extra Weapon Skill and Initiative all but useless. Furthermore, the act of bringing Bodyguard negates your HQ's IC status. While tough in their own right, LasCannons and Missile Launchers still instant kill them, meaning that a Commander with Bodyguard is often restricted to Jump-Shoot-Jump actions around a piece of LoS blocking terrain in order to avoid obliteration by enemy heavy weapons teams. Alternatively, a lone Commander is free to roam the battlefield applying his firepower exactly where it's needed most. While the cost of a bodyguard unit is high there are times when it may be useful to have them. If you are absolutely desperate for another Elite slot, you can push a Crisis Team into the HQ section by giving your Commander a Bodyguard thereby freeing up an Elite slot for something else. Additionally, Bodyguard added to a Commander are a scoring unit, and having an extra scoring unit can be beneficial in certain missions. Conclusion As mentioned above, the Commander's IC status gives him an almost completely free run of the battlefield. Clever use of durable/inexpensive screening units such as infiltrated Kroot, an empty Pathfinder Devilfish, or the "free" Gun Drones off a Pirahna can allow you to get right in the enemy's face without fear of return fire. The added wound(s) on your Commander better enable him to survive light fire in the event your screening units are eliminated (and Stim Injectors make him even more resilient), and if through some terrible misfortune he does manage to get shot up or assaulted, well, he wasn't a scoring unit anyhow. |