[GoneFishing]

Hello all - Looking at ways of putting together a crazy Kroot based force (more for laughs than anything else!) - Flicking through my rule book I hit on the idea of Having 2 Huge Units Kroot (plus all the trimings) and adding a Shas'0 to each unit (giving the trusty corpse eating blighters LD 10). Then I went a step further - If I give the Commander a Bonding knife, then the kroot can regroup at under 50% (if the Commander is still alive). I have checked the codex - it does not "Specifically" say that non Tau units can't be bonded, although it is obviously anti fluff, the rules for it just state "So long as the bearer is alive the bonded team may regroup, even if below half strength".

What do you guys reckon (from a rules perspective!) am I missing something? Or are Kinky Bondage Kroot possible under RAW?

[TipTop1987]

I've thought of this set up before, but with a Honour blade whielding Ethereal. Just sets better for combat reasons, but the Shas'o ups survivability (Especially if you take Shield Drones) and adds some fire-power to the unit.

[ranzin927]

I think one thing got left out here. It states that the bonded team, as in the HQ team that the commander is part of. When he joins the Kroot, I can not see this as extending the bonding knife to the Kroot unit he just joined.

[GoneFishing]

Yes - I saw that, but it does not really state in the rules a definition of a bonded team - it looks like if someone with a Bonding Knife joins a unit - they are bonded. It doesent say that he has to be part of that unit at the beginning of the game.......

that's what confuses me :P

[MechTau]

When they made bonding knives wargear, they made this legal.

Remember: in the old 'dex, you could bond an entire squad. Now, you buy wargear for characters that confers certain bonuses on squads they are part of.

So, yes.

[GoneFishing]

Thanks Mech

[ranzin927]

I do apologize, but I still disagree.

The Codex states, " Carried by the leader of the Fire caste Warrior teams who have performed the ritual of Ta'lissera and have bonded as a group. So long as the bearer is alive, the bonded team may regroup even if below half strength." The team that the codex refers to is the HQ team that the commander is or was part of. The only part of this that would be of doubt would be if the Commander could relay this bonus onto the group or unit that he joins as an IC.

Secondly, it states "Fire caste Warrior teams." Kroot are not part of the Fire Caste, since they are not Tau. Even if this sentence sound like just fluff, it is part of the rule for that piece of wargear and can not be disregarded. This sentence was not in the fluff part of the codex, but part of the rules explaining each wargear piece. A good arguement could be made for if the Commander joined a FireWarrior team, or a bunch of suits, but the Kroot seem barred by the fluff, and the way the rule is written.

Ignoring part of the entry, just because it suits you is like taking a Targetting Array and ignoring the only goes to BS 5 part. If you are playing against someone that doesn't know the Tau codex front to back, then you might get away with it. It wouldn't fly with out protest if I was the opponent.

[Boneguard]

Well I know for sure that Commander shadowsun have a bounding knife...and I strongly doubt that it's because of her 3 drones since she would have to be alone for the bonding knife bonus to kick in...So when an IC joins another unit the Bonding knife bonus is trasfered (That my understanding of it).

So joining up a team of Kroot of Vespid does indeed seems to transfer the bonus to them as long as the IC remains with them...because the wording doesn't explicitely exclude non-tau (as it is the case of Ethereal 'powers&#39.

[ranzin927]

You are right Boneguard. It does not exclude Non-Tau. It is more specific then that. It excludes anything but Fire Caste. That would exclude, Ethereals, Water Caste Diplomats, Earth Caste engineers and Air Caste pilots. Kroot and Vespid are neither Tau, nor of the Fire Caste, nor part of the Fire Caste Warrior Teams that the codex states have bonding knives.

As for Shadow Sun, she just might have a bonding knife from her days as a Fire Warrior. I do agree that applying Shadow Sun to a Fire Warrior team, or a Suit team should apply the bonus to the unit, RAW but not RAI.

[Fate13]

Originally Posted by ranzin927

You are right Boneguard. It does not exclude Non-Tau. It is more specific then that. It excludes anything but Fire Caste. That would exclude, Ethereals, Water Caste Diplomats, Earth Caste engineers and Air Caste pilots. Kroot and Vespid are neither Tau, nor of the Fire Caste, nor part of the Fire Caste Warrior Teams that the codex states have bonding knives.

As for Shadow Sun, she just might have a bonding knife from her days as a Fire Warrior. I do agree that applying Shadow Sun to a Fire Warrior team, or a Suit team should apply the bonus to the unit, RAW but not RAI.

While I agree with you from a strict cannon fluff point, I disagree as far as rules go. The rules do not stop you from doing what is being posited and could make sense if you made up fluff to support it. Being a purist makes the game less fun for some and they (GW) wanted to give more freedom to players; the bonding knife is a good example of this.