[Abanim]

I've been contemplating the sort of lone Tau operative that might be sent to dispatch an individual target, and I keep coming back to the idea of a stealthy sniper. The rules I've ended up with are quite similar to those of the Vindicare assassin, but they should be distinct enough to give the unit its own individual flavour.

[tt] Cost Ws Bs S T W I A Ld Sv
Tau Assassin 120 3 4 4 3 2 3 3 9 3+[/tt]

Equipment: stealth suit, rail rifle, blacksun filter, advanced targetting array

Special Rules

Advanced targetting array: This acts as a normal targetting array. In addition, it allows the assassin to nominate exactly which model it is firing at, such as a squad leader; and to target any model in range and line of sight, such as independent characters behind other units.

Special rounds: The assassin has one each of the following special rounds for the rail rifle, which may be fired once each instead of a normal round.

Penetrator round: This shot counts as AP2.

Pyrophoric round: This shot inflicts d3 wounds on any model wounded.

EMP round: The shot ignores any invulnerable save. If fired at a vehicle, do not roll for armour penetration - just roll a d6. On a 6, a penetrating hit is inflicted - on a 4-5, a glancing hit is inflicted.

A single model of this type would be an elite choice for a Tau force. Obviously, it enjoys the usual rules associated with a stealth suit - the stealth field, the jetpack, and the ability to deepstrike or infiltrate.

Compared to the Vindicare, this assassin is more effective against basic marines, but almost completely ineffective against commanders in artificer armour (except for a single special-round shot). It lacks the Vindicare's close-combat ability, but the jetpack allows it to relocate with an assault-move after each shot, which should compensate somewhat. Finally, it is slightly more effective against vehicles, but has nothing comparable to the Vindicare's spy mask to negate cover saves.

Background-wise, these assassins would be recruited from among those who passed their trial by fire to become Shas'els, but were temperamentally unsuited to command. (See the Ethereal's honour guard for comparison - fire warriors who forsake the usual path of advancement in order to serve in a special capacity.)

[Scizor]

quite cool rules. and the fact its a sniper-kind assasin makes it very tauish

[OVladimir]

Aye, a bloodlusting maniac is'nt very tauish

[Wargamer]

EMP rounds are a joke. They would do nothing to any Invulnerable save; such devices are EM shielded, and obviously non-equipment based Invulnerable Saves (eg: Daemonic powers, or Dodge) will clearly not suffer.

[Scizor]

i could agree to that. but the rest are fairly good

[Abanim]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

EMP rounds are a joke. They would do nothing to any Invulnerable save; such devices are EM shielded

The forcefield or whatever is external to the target, and thus unshielded - if it can be suppressed long enough for the round to hit, it doesn't matter if the electronics that generate it are protected from damage. I agree with you on the issue of daemonic resilience and dodging-related invulnerable saves, though. This round was slightly modified from the Vindicare's 'Shield-breaker', which suffers from the same issue

If the problem is with the fluff, the round can just be renamed. (Maybe a projectile made of necrodermis material? That shouldn't ignore dodging, though.) If the problem is with the rules - that it might be overpowered - I'd drop the ignoring-invulnerable-saves aspect, and maybe make the effect on vehicles a bit more powerful. (Glancing hit on a 2-5, perhaps.)

Another possibility is to abandon the one-round-of-each-type restriction (which is lifted straight from the Vindicare), and instead allow the model to use as many special rounds as it likes - of a single type, chosen at the start of the game.

[Wargamer]

The Vindicare version makes sense, however; it doesn't ignore "natural" Invulnerables, only Wargear. Somehow, you've made Daemons vulnerable to EMP. Hence it's stupidity.

[Abanim]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

The Vindicare version makes sense, however; it doesn't ignore "natural" Invulnerables, only Wargear.

"The shot ignores any Invulnerable save." - for the Vindicare's shield-breaker round.

That seems pretty clear-cut to me. It doesn't make any distinction between an invulnerable save based on a shield, incorporeality (eg, wraith), or even just getting out of the way.

You've given me an idea, though. Perhaps the rule for an EMP round could be "...ignores any invulnerable save granted by wargear". My only concern is that there might be cases where it's a source of argument whether the save is granted by wargear or not.

Originally Posted by Wargamer

Somehow, you've made Daemons vulnerable to EMP. Hence it's stupidity.

I already said that I agreed with you on that part.

[Wargamer]

The distinction is indeed made. The Vindicare only ignores Invulnerable Saves caused by Wargear (eg: Iron Halos, Refractor Fields, Shadowfields, etc). It does not work on Daemonic Saves, Dodge Saves and the like.

[Abanim]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

The distinction is indeed made. The Vindicare only ignores Invulnerable Saves caused by Wargear (eg: Iron Halos, Refractor Fields, Shadowfields, etc). It does not work on Daemonic Saves, Dodge Saves and the like.

May I ask where? The daemon-hunters codex, at least, doesn't seem to make that distinction - as I quoted, it simply says that the shot 'ignores any Invulnerable save'.