@ringo wrote:
I keep forgetting that we've adjusted a lot of the Tau stats locally, sactificing to hit values for range... So if 4+ is the standard crisis then 4+ it probably should be. Although I seem to remember that they have poorer ballistic skills than Firewarriors in the Tau Codex (Might be mixing versions though).
In 40k, most Tau have BS3 whether they are Firewarriors, in suits or in vehicles, the only ones that are better are the characters, the hammerhead/skyray gunships (BS4) and the Sniper (BS5, but only gets to fire a markerlight). So they are just as good as guardsmen when it comes to firing (which should put them into the 5+ to hit range), but I am guessing that because Tau armies load up on markerlight drones they get to boost their BS, so 4+ to hit.
@ringo wrote:
Anyhow, 3+ for a battllesuit will give them 2+ on a markerlight target. That is pretty darn good! As for the broadsides I think you are right in guessing that twin linked might be the cause of the double attack. However, the original minis have 2 guns aswell, and, besides other heavy weapons infantry like devestator marines have 2 hits, so I believe the broadsides should retain that ability.
But as I said, other armies with twin linked weapons haven't taken this into account. Nearly every model that is twin linked has two guns, but most (if any) don't gain extra shots in NetEpic. Take the marine dreadnought (heavy) which is a similar armoured walker, it is armed with a twinlinked lascannon which is very similar to the Rail Gun (at BS4 in 40k as well). It only gets a single shot at 5+ to hit.
Now I am not saying they aren't balanced, as they are pretty expensive at 400 pts for 4 compared to 150 for 4 heavy dreanoughts, I just wanted to make people aware of differences across lists as we don't want to apply a rule or way of thinking for one army, but not do something similar for another.
Matt