Authored by SpartanTau and newly updated for the Fifth Edition of Warhammer 40,000
with select contributions by M'yen Shi edited by SpartanTau

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“The basic XV-8-8 “Fireforge” Crisis Battlesuit is one that combines the power of the Fusion Blaster with the versatility and vehicle-destroying ability of the Missile Pod, most commonly combined with a Multi-Tracker to allow the pilot to fire both weapons simultaneously.” – Shas’ar’tol Guide to Crisis Battlesuit Configurations

The Fireforge is a tank hunter in every aspect. Its weapons can take down every possible armor value should its weapons have range, from light skimmers to the heaviest battle tanks. This versatility does come at a price; the 54 points spent on a single Fireforge does rest near the middle of two-weapon Crisis Suit costs, but those points spent on the Fusion Blaster will not be used as frequently during the game. The opponent will also know of the weaknesses of the Crisis Suit, and the potential damage of its weapons, and will generally direct a fair amount of anti-tank firepower against the unit.

Since there is such a range disparity between the two main weapons, most players will either completely disregard the configuration or use it the same way as either a Sunforge (Twin-Linked Fusion Blasters) or a Deathrain (Twin-Linked Missile Pods), using the other weapon as a back-up to what they’ve assigned as the primary weapon. This can be taken one step further, changing the Fireforge into a Fireforge-8 or Fireforge-7, depending on the weapon that is Twin-Linked.

Unit Composition and Attributes
A Fireforge is, in its most basic form, a single Crisis Battlesuit with a Fusion Blaster and a Missile Pod. The third hardpoint is most commonly filled with a Multi-Tracker, allowing both weapons to fire in a single shooting phase, but in the case of Team Leaders, that wargear may be hard-wired to allow a different piece of wargear. This basic suit costs 54 points.

Two or three Fireforges will usually be grouped in a single squad, thereby adding more firepower to the single Elite slot that it takes up. While more expensive, this option is usually a much more tactically viable choice, especially when relying on the Fusion Blaster shot to hit. A basic two-man team will cost 108 points, while a basic three-man team would cost 162 points. Either may also include a Team Leader, Bonding Knife, and other wargear, raising the cost more.

Like all Crisis Suits, Fireforges may be deployed at the beginning of the turn or may Deep Strike at some point later in the game. The choice between these two options mostly relies on what role the Fireforge needs to fill: deep striking can allow the unit to arrive right on target without taking enemy fire, but there is the chance for the unit to arrive at a terrible time for the owning player or be destroyed during the drop. By deploying on the field at the beginning of the game, you prevent this potential loss and allow the weapons to be used for the entirety of the game, but you expose them to a larger amount of incoming fire.

Common Suit Configurations
A Fireforge Crisis Battlesuit, in its simplest form, is a suit with a Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, and a Multi-Tracker, costing 54 points. This platform may be altered slightly to create, for example, a Fireforge Shas’Ui Team Leader with a Targeting Array (69 points) or a Fireforge-8 suit with a Twin-Linked Fusion Blaster (55 points). Each of these options, among many others, is still a Fireforge, but the small differences between them can change their battlefield role or their optimum targets. A Fireforge squad may then include any of these types, or multiple types within the same squad, along with any attached drones brought with Hard-Wired Drone Controllers. This mutability adds an amount of versatility to the squad, allowing them to be taken and adjusted based on the points level or opponent.

When equipping a command-level Crisis Suit (Shas'El or Shas'O), you gain a greater degree of flexibility with the equipment on the suit. The increased Ballistic Skill can be used to remove a dependence on bringing a Targeting Array, while the access to Hard-Wired support systems frees up a slot where a Multi-Tracker would normally go. In any case, a command-level Crisis Suit will follow one of the four main variants below, albeit with additional weapon or wargear options. In these cases, special issue equipment (Iridium Armor or Stimulant Injectors, for instance) can be added, based on the owning player's preference, point level for the game, etc.

Please refer to the Academy articles on the Crisis Team and the Crisis Commander for a full explanation of the various Support System and Wargear options.

Fireforge - Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker
The namesake of the Fireforge line, this suit combines the two highest-strength Crisis weaponry on one model with the capability of firing both in a single turn. This makes it well suited to take out any enemy vehicle, from light skimmers to the heaviest battle tanks. This suit can be altered to form each of the other variants, or added onto for higher ranked Crisis battlesuits.

Fireforge-7 - Fusion Blaster, Twin-Linked Missile Pod
This variant is a combination of the Fireforge loadout and the very effective Deathrain battlesuit, commonly employed to take out light tanks and transports. Since the basic Shas’Ui Fireforge-7 lacks a Multi-Tracker, combined with the fact that the Fusion Blaster is relatively short ranged, this suit will commonly be employed as a Deathrain until enemy tanks get closer or the actual suit closes the distance using its Jetpack.

Fireforge-8 - Twin-Linked Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod
Similar to the Fireforge-7, the Fireforge-8 is a combination of the standard Fireforge battlesuit with another twin-linked loadout, the Sunforge. The Sunforge is employed to take out the heaviest tanks, hitting almost automatically; when combined with a Missile Pod, the Sunforge-turned-Fireforge can threaten all enemy tanks. Since the Fusion Blaster is twin-linked, heavier tanks are the main target, making the Missile Pod a back-up weapon system.

Fireforge+ - Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker (HW)
This option adds a Targeting Array, boosting the accuracy of both weapon systems. In order to fire both weapons, however, the Multi-Tracker must be hard-wired, limiting this configuration to Team Leaders or higher. Of course, the Multi-Tracker may be left off for lower ranked Crisis suits, although this decreases the number of high-strength shots the suit can put out.

Fireforge Command - Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, Multi-Tracker(HW), Third Hardpoint
Fully utilizing the Command Crisis' improved BS, a command-level Fireforge has much greater flexibility with the selection of equipment, especially if a Shas'O is chosen. The third hardpoint can be taken up by a Targeting Array (for Shas'Els only) to max out the BS of both weapons, a third weapon to twin-link one of the primary weapon systems, a Shield Generator to provide an invulnerable save without the use of drones, or any other support system available. As mentioned before, wargear choices (past the practically compulsory Multi-Tracker) can be added or removed at the player's discretion.

Usual Squad Compositions
All Mathammer in this section is basic average computing. A more thorough analysis utilizing probability mathammer or "exacthammer" is waved in favor of readability ease. All results are plotted against Marine-Equivalents (MEq) and Terminator-Equivalents (TEq, inclusive of the invulnerable save), as well as every armor value. Feel No Pain will roughly have the number of successful kills, and cover has been ignored for simplicity.

2 Standard Fireforge suits - 108 points
This standard squad, as can be expected, is the basis for all further squads. This is the general squad for targeting all enemy tanks, since both the heaviest and lightest tanks are at risk, albeit with range restrictions for the Fusion Blaster.

Fireforge+ Team Leader and Standard Fireforge suit - 123 points
This squad increases the effectiveness of the standard team at a small price increase. The added Targeting Array, while not affecting all of the shots originating from the squad, it can help improve the number of potentially crippling shot actually make it to the target.

Fireforge+ Team Leader, Fireforge-7, and Fireforge-8 - 179 points
This squad makes use of the Wound Allacoation rules of Fifth Edition, making the three suits separate groups and requiring four unsaved wounds before a single suit is removed. Drones may also be added, attached to the Team Leader, to increase both the number of wounds required before a Crisis suit is removed and the resilience of the team when coming under enemy fire.

Fireforge+ Team Leader with two Shield Drones - 99 points
This Monat suit can be seen as a “Sunforge on steroids” deep striking asset. For a cheaper alternative, either the Fireforge-7 or Fireforge-8 may be used, or ten points can be saved by removing the Targeting Array. This suit is much easier to use than the Sunforge, as the deep strike entry does not have to be as risky; the suit can deploy at a safe distance and still use the Missile Pod to target side and rear armor effectively without increased risk of a Deep Strike mishap.

Fireforge-8 Command Monat with two Shield Drones - 115 points
Equipped with a twin-linked Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, a hard-wired Multi-Tracker and Drone Controller and accompanied by two Shield Drones, this command variant combines many of the best qualities of the various Fireforge variants into a single package without being a large point sink or requiring a large footprint. The higher Ballistic Skill of the two command suits eliminates the need for taking a Targeting Array while still gaining the benefits of the Fireforge+. The twin-linked Fusion Blaster further increases the chance of that lone fusion shot of hitting (88.9% for a Shas'El, 97.2% for a Shas'O), making it an effective platform for the weapon. The two Shield Drones provide a protective bubble for the suit as it approaches the target, or after destroying said target, and the Multi-Tracker maintains a high number of shots to increase the chances of taking out a vehicle or other tough target. A very solid suit without sacrificing much from the rest of the army.

Battlefield Roles and Synergistic Units
The primary targets for any Fireforge unit are the opposing vehicles of any armor value. The high number of shots and decent strength of the Missile Pods make them great at eliminating light (AV 10-11/12) armor, while the tank-busting capabilities of the Fusion Blaster make it better suited for taking on heavy armor (AV 12/13-14). Combining both of these weapons together makes the Fireforge excel at downing enemy tanks, especially when Railguns either can't be counted on or are distracted by more pressing threats.

Either Railgun platform (Hammerhead or Broadside) when taken in an army containing a Fireforge provides an excellent back-up or primary source of tank-busting power which the suit complements well. Both units serve as a safety for the other: should the Hammerhead fall, the army still has some high-power anti-tank weapons, and vice versa.

In a similar vein, the more specialized Crisis variants--particularly the Sunforge (TL-Fusion) and Deathrain (TL-Missile)--can also be excellent back-ups to the Fireforge. These two cases, however, are different than the heavy support slot options in that the team can be mixed: a Fireforge TL with a Sunforge and Deathrain in a single squad, for example. This composition augments the Fireforge's more generalized tank-hunting approach, make full utilization of Wound Allocation rules, and adds wounds to prevent the squad from being taken down easily. Of course, this is also a large and expensive unit that the enemy will focus a fair amount of firepower on and becomes an All Eggs in One Basket^TM unit that should otherwise be avoided.

For a Fireforge team that will primarily be used to Deep Strike, especially if itching to use the Fusion Blaster or getting rear arc shots with the Missile Pods, a Pathfinder team become a large asset. The Markerlight support can work around the lower Ballistic Skill of the standard team, while the Devilfish's Marker Beacon greatly increases the accuracy of the Deep-Striking team. The Devilfish, whether Pathfinder variant or standard, can also become a moving terrain piece as the pair advance in tandem (see the IR Interference Locus tactic for more details).

Conclusion
With a change in the Warhammer 40,000 metagame to focus on mechanized forces, especially with squadrons of tanks becoming more prominent (see Imperial Guard or the Spearhead expansion), the necessity for more and varied anti-tank platforms beyond our ubiquitous Railguns has brought the heavy weapons of the Crisis Battlesuit back to the forefront. The Fireforge combines the two highest-strength weapons on a single suit, making it more than capable at taking out any armor value as well as particularly tough enemy infantry. Like any Tau army, flexibility is key, and the Fireforge exemplifies that against enemy armor.

Special thanks to Caxgoblin, Das Boogie Man, falconkline, farruinn, fiendil, jdnvodka, LtCariad, and Prophaniti for suggestions and edits, and M'yen Shi for prompting the completion of this revision and his contributions to the command-variant information.

I'd love the idea of fireforge but what ticks me is that you'll have to take single suit Monats only, if thats the case i'd rather pummel the front armour with 3 accurate deathrain suits from half a board away than gamble on a risky deepstrike but the idea definitely has it's merits against Guard or Marines.

I enjoyed your analysis. I fielded a Fireforge Monat this past weekend in a 1000 pt game against an Eldar army and he did a good job of taking out my enemy's Falcon - stunned on one turn, finished it off on the next. I think I'll be fielding this unit in the future as well. Once he runs out of tanks to kill he can take out VIPs and other high toughness units.

Das Boogie Man :
Yes, risky deep strike isn't really worth it. I learned that the hard way. In my view, the Fireforge (either in a unit or as a Monat) should advance slowly while firing the missile launcher until enemy tanks and commanders get close. That is when you jump, taking out the armor with a combination of the missile pod and fusion blaster, then have your supporting elements (Stealth team, Railgun submunition, etc.) take out the occupants.

Farruinn :
Exactly. What you wrote is basically how the Fireforge should be used in every game. I'm glad that someone else out there actually uses them. I seem to have more trouble with Falcons than you do, however...

Good read SpartanTau,

First about your notion that your post was too long and/or disjointed. I feel that you have no need to appologize to the mods/community for the length of your post. Everything in your tactica was well laid out and double checked. You obviously put time and effort into this post and presented it extremely well. These types of posts definently belong on this site. I have seen your work before and have seen many of your posts and I can tell you have nothing to worry about. PS: It isn't threadnomancy to update your own tactica with more battles/battle experiance.

Second: On to the Tactica
I feel that his was well written and a good view on a suit configuration that isn't widely used. Unlike many people who play this game for the game part of it, I play for fun and modeling conversions. I enjoy the background the most and I like long drawn out campaigns. Though this suit may not be the best suit for it's kills per shooting turn, it still has a definent presence on the field.

Many of the times when I actually read through people's tactica they focus on the units ability to earn its points back or its ability to focus on a specilized task. The Fireforge may not make its points back in a game with little in the way of enemy vehicles but it can still be used to harrass/annoy enemy infantry. Even the ability to stun/shake a heavy transport until railgun support is available is invaluable.

I usually run at least one deepstriking crisis suit/unit in my armies. That unit is usually made up of fireknife configurations but this tactica is begging me to change that up. I may even eliminate all of my fireknifes in the battle and look to make another fireforge for footslogging/jsj across the battle field. I'd like to tell you I will fill you in on how this config works out but it may be some time before my brother and I play again; with me moving and all...


Overall, good mini-tactica SpartanTau. Some suggestions for making it better may be to add;
1.) A mathhammer section that will briefly describe the Meq, Teq, horde kills per shooting phase. I don't think it's entirely needed but it could help round out this mini-tactica into a full blown article.
2.) Additions into the Theoretical Support where you propose what other suits might have done in such situations and why you find the fireforge could/has out preformed.

Good work, hope the suggestions help some, and I will be looking forward to more posts in this tactica as well as other topics of yours SpartanTau

Falconkline :
Thanks for the input, and it's always refreshing to know that people actually read what you write. I was a little worried about the Situation Support section, just because I thought that I had included too much information about the battle and not enough about the Fireforge itself.

I'm also glad that this has influenced you to consider the Fireforge to replace other suits. I have never ran a Fireknife (using more specialized suits like Fireforges, Helios, and the occasional Deathrain), hence my desire to bring more of the Tau community to recognize the usefulness of other configuarations in a Take-All-Comers setting.

I will go through my post again (thankfully as a Word Document that I saved...) and add your suggestions. I may even re-write the whole thing, but hopefully I won't get that crazy. It looks like all of my math classes will actually help in something other than school or restaurants.

[EDIT]
Somewhat large edit and minor re-writing.
- Added Mathammer section
- Added Comparison section
- slightly changed Conclusion

I am also asking those more gifted in math-fu to scrutinize my Mathammer section, especially as I have only really seen ones that show the percentage for a certain outcome after a successful hit and not, as mine includes, the percentage of a certain outcome before shooting even begins.

As always, I am open to suggestions, comments, and critique.

Minor thing I just spotted. TEQ kill stats for the Fusion Blaster don't take into account the 5+ fixed save. Or are you only taking the 2+ save into account?

Hum. Here's a thought.

What about a Fireforge Ninja.

Shas'O + MP + FB + VRT + Stims + hwMT

I usually use a Helios or CiB+PR Ninja, but he has a habit of feeling a bit redundant while there's nothing he can counter-charge, and if there's not the cover on the table to give him the chance to close against a shooty army, then he can end up spending the battle sitting around trying to find ways to not get hit with lascannons and missile launchers.

MP + FB gives him an awful lot more utility than CiB+PR or Helios.

Fiendil :
I completely forgot about the 5+ Invulnerable. I guess I am still used to 3rd Edition Marines without them. I will change it later today after my game.

There is a reason why there is no mention of a Ninja'o anywhere: I've never used one. I just don't like close combat, and designing a suit to be in close combat most of the game doesn't appeal to me. That is also a very specific build (you need to be against an enemy that isn't particularly good in close combat, you need to, most likely, spend the extra points on a Shas'o.

Based on your ideas of using one, it would be a nice change, but keeping it back wouldn't be utilizing the Vector'o-ness of the battlesuit. If you have experience playing a Fireforge Ninja'o, PM or e-mail me it, and I will cite you as a source in my write-up.

SpartanTau : After reading over your post it only reinforces my urge to use this configuration. I believe it's great that this suit has uses at both ends of the range spectrum. The only thing I am going to do different is use it as a Ninja'O. Ironically just before I read your post I was reading through another post about Ninja'O and ScoutFox had posted up this exact configuration and It sounded like a great idea.

Now, thanks to your post and knowing that other people use this configuration to great success I will begin fielding this little gem as my Ninja'O. I will let you know how it goes after my next game. Thanks and good job on the post man, very well done. Also if you wanted some immediate input on the use of the Fireforge as a Ninja'O, talk to Scoutfox.

I would just like to chime in and congratulate you on a good tactica. Interesting and well written. I really like to se well organised articles as this one.

I've been using the Fireforge configuration on one of my 'El suits almost since I began playing Tau 3 years ago. The Fireforge 'El is primarily used as a deep striker when the situation calls for it, or otherwise he just acts as regular support unit with IC status and BS5 MP.

When deep striking I have the option of going in for a close shot with the FB or, if terrain and situation demands it, be a bit more careful and go for side/back shots with the MP from longer distance. I like this flexibility since you don't have to be so aggressive with the suit if you feel it is not warranted.

Even if I don't deep strike this suit I still find the FB valuable in the last turns of a game. A BS5 FB can really make the enemy commander think twice about where he moves which units when going for the objectives.

Cheers

jdnvodka :
I will definitely contact ScoutFox about his uses of the Ninja'o Fireforge. I would also like to know what your experiences with it are. If you do get some playtesting for it in, PMing me it would help greatly, plus that section would be accredited to you.

LtCariad :
Exactly. The versatility alone against all types of light to heavy vehicles plus tougher infantry is just astounding. It is an amazing suit. I'm glad that you enjoyed the article as well. I am just glad to make a worthwhile contribution to this site.

All :
I will be going over this article for the next few weeks, depending on how it fits in with my schedule for exam studying, and I will change the initial post once I am done. Thank you for the encouragement to keep this little project going. Also, any and all play-testing of the Fireforge Ninja'o can be PMed or e-mailed to me, and those contributions will be accredited to those that submit it.

I am off to extensively re-write more than just this article, but first I need to study for my looming Calculus and Modern Physics exams. Thanks again for the support.

The mathshammer section of the article doesn't make sense. It seems to be getting easier to kill thinks with better armour (save or AV). Which is clearly incorrect.

EDIT: Sorry, it's just the zero hits line which confused me. (I wish I could get a guaranteed kill by missing a landraider with my MP.)

Otherwise an interesting post.

[EDIT] Re-write complete, mostly in the Mathammer section and a few other minor sections. Please ignore the following explanation of how I went about doing the old mathammer. Now, it is based off the probabilities of a certain outcome following a successful hit or hits.

Also, if the article is a little "wordy" (as I tend to make things... it comes from my current novel-writing), I will gladly cut it down, especially in the situational support area. If anyone also has data referring to a Fireforge Ninja'O (as I will never use one in a game), please either reply or PM me about it, and I will include the data with you as the author. Everyone wins! [/EDIT]

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Prophaniti :
I am actually in the process of re-writing this article, primarily the Mathammer section. The way it is set up now it based off choosing to target something (such as a Land Raider), and the probabilities of destroying it before the To-Hit rolls are made. I will be changing it to what happens after the Hit rolls once finals are past me (especially Chemistry...).

Just for some explanation of what is actually going on, I will use the Missile Pod vs. Vehicle stats:

Looking at the AV-14 column, you will never be able to get a glance or better with a Missile Pod. Of course, this is kind of redundant, as you can clearly see that a D6 + 7 will never equal or beat 14, which is also why you have a 100% chance of not getting a glance or better against AV-14 (the 1.0000 in that column).

Also, by looking at the gradually decreasing values in (for example) getting one or more glances/penetrations, you can see that it gets harder to get one with increasing Armour Value. I think that makes sense... But like I said, I will be re-writing it into a more-standard Mathammer shortly (I did homework while ATT was down...).

I'm also glad that you liked it. Your tactics in the past have been really eye-opening.

Hmm, well if you want my opinion, I use stealth suits for infantry and I JSJ, my crisis suits are usually saved for tanks/termies/heavy armor and they usually take Fusion Blasters and Plasma Rifles. If you don't want stealth suits you could try flamer/bust cannon variants. At the same time, any long range fire I leave to my Hammerheads. And if they don't have LOS the crisis suits can hunt them down.

I'm definitely liking the revised version of the article! Good to see the FireForge getting some love and attention

I had an additional thought since you revised the article, concerning the Synergy of the FireForge with other, traditional sources of anti-tank firepower such as Broadside Suits. One thing I have found is that between the more stationary source of railguns and the highly mobile FireForge is that you can begin to herd enemy tanks or armored units, similar to chess. The Broadside is closer to a rook or bishop, in that it has clear avenues of fire that are blocked or highly undesirable to enemy units. The FireForge would be closer to a knight, in that it is highly mobile and covers an area in a 360 degree threat radius to itself. You can utilize the two in a pair even seperated by large areas of terrain and line of sight being blocked by dictating where the enemy tanks and armor can show themselves. You cut off large avenues of the board with the Broadsides, and then move the FireForge in a threatening manner towards the target. This forces the enemy player to either let the target come under fire from the FireForge, move the target away from the threat to try and keep range, or move into the threatened line of fire from the Broadsides. This degree of control over enemy forces, in my opinion, suits a Kauyon style of play in a more subtle control over terrain, bait units, and dictating enemy movement and options through non-direct destruction means.

Due to it's highly mobile nature, I am also considering escorting my FireForge by other similar units such as a Drone Squadron or Vespid Stingwing unit to provide anti-infantry support (and to pop whatever may have been in the vehicle I just destroyed).