For around 165 points they can take a Tetra! (ethereal, minimum FW squad and then tetra)

Hang on a minute - even our CURRENT allies (Kroot, Vespid without Strain Leader) can't use Markerlights. So suddenly we like Astartes more than we do those PERMANENTLY on our side!?!?!?

I mean surely even GW wouldn't do something THAT stupid... would they?

RAW, Eldar and Space Marines can't benefit from markerlights. Only 'Tau' units can benefit from markerlights, and that doesn't mean "our army"; Kroot and Vespids* can't, so it would be reasonable to say Space Marines or Eldar couldn't either, although I'm sure you'll find Space Marine players who will disagree.
According to a few links, named units can't be part of allied detachments, so they can't Farsight bomb either.

I highly suggest that once 6th is released, we develop a guide for other races seeking Tau allied contingents. Especially since everyone but the Tyranids can take them.

*Edit: Upon re-checking, they can if they still have their Strain Leader. I blame this mistake on having never seen one fielded. Nevertheless, it says "Tau shooting phase" and "Tau" enough times that there's a very strong argument against anyone not Tau being able to use them, especially since Kroot can't.

Phew! I hope you are right, I saw my Tau life flash before my eyes...

Well, that's simply not true. The Tau very much understand the concept of killing one another; it's the Mon'Tau, the most terrifying time in their race's history, the Tau equivalent of the Dark Ages or the Holocaust dialed up to 11. It's culturally abhorrent to them at the moment, a source of great fear and disgust, but just because none of them would want to fight against one another doesn't mean they don't understand that Tau could fight against one another. That they haven't succumbed to the infighting that seems to plague virtually every other race in the galaxy (save perhaps the Eldar, and even then only if you discount the Dark Eldar) is basically due to the influence of the Ethereals, the youth of the species (it took most 40K civilizations thousands of years before they were willing to give in to civil war), their general lack of appeal for daemonic life forms and the fact that their civilization appears to be basically egalitarian, within the larger framework of the caste system.

I'd argue that RAI means that they could, since leaderless vespid and kroot have no helmets to receive information from the marker, whereas SM would.

Even if you can take named ICs, all of our named ICs have the following as part of their codex entry:


(emphasis mine)

So, unless they invest heavily in a Tau allied force we won't see our characters on the battle field outside of other tau armies.

Having quickly checked codices for Ork, Dark Eldar, Imperial Guard, Space Marines and Dark Angles, none of their characters have that stipulation.

Yah but I seriously doubt we would go to the trouble of modifying their helmets before the fight, not that the local techmarine would let us anywhere near their power armor. More importantly If helmets are your basis for this arguement are you saying that an eldar without his helmet couldn't use markerlights but his Guardian friend can because he's properly dressed?

To me it looks like only tau can use markerlights because even though space marines are battle brothers with us they are still not Tau. I quote the markerlight section on page 29 of our codex, " Counters may be expended by subsequently firing Tau (and Vespid units, so long as the strain leader is alive)" so no, only Tau and vespid can ever ever use a markerlight. Space marines are gonna have to be content with their 4 BS.

You are basing this on the current codicies and seem to be forgetting the soon to be released plethora of codex FAQs/errata that should address such problems.
The no-named-IC rumours havent been mentioned since people have recieved the actual ruleset and have been answering questions.

There is still a lot that people don't know, and its a few more days or even weeks before 6th edition is even partly interpreted and understood. Given the historical data, there will be misinterpretations and RAI vs RAW arguments for months to come.

In particular, I think the Allies ruleset will cause a lot of heated forum chatter, but within 6 to 8 months will be largely unused as A) people start to work out the limitations, and B) competitive tournament games will find the 2000+ second FOC much more useful.

I just got back from the store with a copy of 6th in hand.

Allies

Battle Brothers
-Can be joined by allied Independent Characters.
-Are counted as being friendly units for the targeting of psychic powers, abilities and so on.
-However, note that not even Battle Brothers can embark in allied transport vehicles.

Allies of Convenience
-Can't benefit from the Warlord Train of an allied character.
-Cannot be joined by allied independent characters.
-Are not counted as friendly units for the targeting of psychic powers.

Desperate Allies
-Desperate Allies are treated exactly like Allied of Convenience. Furthermore, if your primary detachment is in a desperate alliance, units from that allied detachment are non-scoring, non-denial units.

In addition, the One Eye Open Special rule applies.

One Eye Open

At the start of your Movement phase, each of your units within 6" of a Desperate Ally unit must roll a D6 - on a roll of a 1, that unit cannot move, shoot, run or assault that turn (they are too busy watching for betrayal).

Page 112, 6th ed.

Other Notes

Rapid Fire did not change to allow you to move and shoot at max range, this apparently was a cruel joke. The only change to the rule is that you can fire twice "at half your weapons range." Meaning that Tau FW and rapid fire at 15" with pulse rifles.

In the back of the book in the fluff section there is an intersting passage in the Tau section.

"There are many races, wether conquered or coerced, which have come to accept and fully adopt the message of the Greater Good, the philosophy that the Tau live by. Many, such as the Ranghons, Nicassar and Morralians, have already bowed before the Tau Empire, with aliens like the carnivorous Kroot and the insectiod Vespid even sending their own troops to act as auxiliaries to further Tau expansions."

Page 213

Could this be a hint of the allies available in the future codex? Also note that it didn't mention Demiurg at all which is rather disappointing to me.

Copy of 6th in hand? Can you clear up whether named characters can be taken, then? Or confirm the 30% points restriction?

There is no percentage restriction. And what I wrote in bullets was literally ALL the rules and restrictions, word for word, from the book. Nothing mentions specifically you cannot take Named Characters, even on the lowest level of alliance.

Also another thing I caught as I was reading the page on the FOC. At 2000 points a second FOC does open up to you, this will also allow you to take a second detachment of allies so long as they are from the same codex as the first detachment.

So at 2k points, we can take 6 crisis suit squads? is it 2 FOC AT 2k points, or 2 FOC ABOVE 2k points?

Any changes on the rules of jetpack infantry? so im guessing theres no special weapon category for rails? (like the one in the leaked "rules" at the start of the year)

"As your collection of miniatures grows, the urge to use them all at once will become hard to resist. Above a total of 1,999 points, the FOC becomes a very limiting factor. This being the case, if you're playing a game of 2,000 points or more, you can take an additional primary detachment (FOC)."

So it sounds like as long as the game size is declared to be a 2000 point game, it doesn't matter if you spend less than 2000 points. The predetermined size of the game seems to be the deciding factor if you can use two FOCs or not.

Jet pack infantry:

Skyborne - Same, all jump infantry can pass through units and terrain. If you start or end in difficult terrain you must take a test. You can land on impassable terrain, but it is counted as dangerous.

Movement - Jetpack units move as normal models of their type (so 6").

Thrust Move - As long as you are not locked in combat you can move an additional 2D6 even if you had shot or ran in the previous shooting phase or have just arrived on Deep Strike.

Special Rule - Jet Packs have the Bulky, DeepStrike and Relentless Special Rule.

Bulky - Bulky Models count as two models for the purpose of transport capacity.

What about the ability to purchase fortifications? Do they come out of our usual points allotment or are they counted seperatly? What kind of buildings can you buy? Do any of them jump out at you as being useful for our Tau?

and our crisis suits now move 2d6 in the assault phase! Not as consistent but It has the potential for some real speed

Does the extra primary detachment still follow FOC rules? like the second primary still must have 1 HQ and two troops? ( in our case that means a minimum of 2 fire warrior squads if using both primary FOC) har har this means our elite FA and HS wont be as restricted in higher point games, 6 tetras independent of each other! 6 solo broadsides, and a fu**ton of battlesuits

With an average of 7, it SEEMS like a good thing, but the problem is that I tend to get snake eyes...a LOT

Also, there are a very limited number of fortification mentioned in the rulebook, more are to be released later, on the website and in WD.

Also sorry forgot to mention, no railguns do not get a special line shot as in the leaked test rules.

Fortifications will have their own slot in the FOC now, they will be 0-1.

Aegis Defense Line - XXpts
Can purchase:
Comms relay
Gun Emplacement with Icarus Lascannon
Gun Emplacement with Quad-gun
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catal ... prod20006a

Skyshield Landing Pad - XXpts

Unfurled Skyshield - all deepstriking units do not scatter if entering on the Landing pad, and do not take terrain checks when leaving it.
Shields Raised - all units get a 4+ invuln within the shields walls.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catal ... prod20007a

Imperial Bastion - XXpts

Weapons: 4 emplaced heavy bolters (one on each side).

Upgrade purchases: same as Aegis Defense Line

Building is AV 14 all sides

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catal ... prod20008a

Fortress of Redemption - XXpts

Composition: Two bunker annexes are both small Buildings (AV 14). The main tower is a medium building (AV14). The walkway connecting them is a small building (AV14).

Weapons: One Bunker annex has an emplaced missile silo with fragsotrm missiles and the other bunker annex has an emplaced Twin-Linked Icarus Lascannon.

Upgrades: Upgrade the missile silo to have krakstorm missiles in addition to fragstom missiles (XXpts)
Add up to 4 heavy bolters for XXpts each.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catal ... rod340014a

Section deleted due to blatant rules copying and points cost being posted. Please refrain from posting exact rules and points costs.
-Sa'cea Mont'yr

Also there is a long damage table that is separate for buildings. Safe to say you wont want to be in the building when it goes!

I would like to make a correction to a previous statement I made. My friend and I are going over the book and we re-read the Rapid Fire rule.



When I first read it I mistook it for the old rules. My friend pointed out that it no longer lists movement restrictions, so you can in fact shoot at 30" it seems even if you move.

so 15" rapid firing Pulserifles, or 30" single shot...and both can be done on the move? awesome. our range advantage finally means something.



i can only hope that the future Tau Codex will come with some appropriately Tau style 'fortifications'. might be a good place for the forgeworld Drone turrets or the Area Denial Node from that one White Dwarf issue. i just dislike the idea of everyone using Imperial stuff. I know Planetstrike suggested just making versions that looked like your army built them, but it would be nice if they follow up the fortifications slot concept with new material.