I like the idea of hills as popped up. Nice and simple but gives them value as terrain other than blocking LOS.


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I think everyone measures the distance to a terrain piece using the side that is nearest to each respective unit (rather than measuring always to the firing unit's side for example), but yes I think people do play it differently as to where they measure to. On the one hand the rules simply say "a terrain piece does not block line of sight if it is closer to the shooting unit" which taken literally means:
"I'm 16cm"
"I'm 15cm"
"OK you can see then"

But it can be a bit weird when the angles of terrain are a certain way making it feel counter intuitive, and measuring along a line seems more "realistic". But it can be quite complicated as there is not one Iine between two units, there is a sort of corridor. I don't think I play it a consistent way, I tend to just give my opponent the benefit of the doubt the first time it comes up using whatever method they prefer and play in that manner for the rest of the game. It comes up far less than I might expect given how much popup gets used.

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As someone who's regularly on the receiving end of pop up attacks I can admit that they can get a bit frustrating when one army seems to get all the benefits of LOS blocking terrain while being able to blow you away from behind everything while you struggle through and around the terrain yourself.

The skimmer rules for the most part make sense but they're unfortunately quite a massive advantage to have over an opponent who doesn't have it.

Not to mention the ability to completely negate a vehicle's usual Achilles' heel of CC attacks

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Yes skimmer is awesome. Only downside is the units tend to be squishy so you are usually trying to desperately hide them. That does mean you often have to advance to pop up when you would like to sustain.

I know, poor eldar right?

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Tau skimmers are armoured just as well as rhinos and predators though so apart from Eldar being relatively squishy (seemingly their only downside) I don't see the less armoured effect in my games unfortunately, just the "I can shoot you you can't shoot me" effect....

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True enough

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Well, in fairness rhinos are apcs. Most mbts from other races are at least 4+ armour, if not 4++. But yeah, i understand your pain.

I think most opponents feel miffed that falcons can move, fire, pop up and back down again without any disadvantage to any of these actions or opportunity to retaliate (and being eldar often piss back off out of range again to boot - but thats a different issue! :-) ) A move cost or to-hit penalty for popping up does seem reasonable, but just spit balling now.

And on the rhino front, I've never really understand why marines use an armoured personal carrier with worse armour than the infantry in it ! but hey! Its 40k. :-)




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I was thinking of the tau with their 5+/4+ AVsI wonder if it has a points cost? Just it seems to offer huge advantages with no drawbacks whatsoever. Or do non skimmers get some sort of discount?

It's the lack of ability to counter/return fire that really bugs me. Makes the game feel quite wonky when all the fires going one way and your only option is to advance to try and get some LOS

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Well it's hard to give a discount on something that is already free

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Well my usual opponent is bringing 3 units of railheads, 2 of fusionheads and 3 units of tetras so facing that firepower that cowers safely behind every piece of terrain can make a game of one-way traffic or is it just me? Do I just need to spit the dummy and spend 1000 points on artillery to be able to have a meaningful return fire?

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Scouts screens, artillery and overwatch

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So I'm thinking of a list like this for a game tomorrow

Regimental HQ
2x Infantry company + fire support
2x manticore batteries
Basilisk battery
2x sentinels
Rough riders
2x independent warhounds
Thunderbolts

Plan being that Infantry garrisoned on overwatch and warhounds deal with any tetras that poke their noses out while my artillery goes to town laying into his armour. HQ blitz guards so he should struggle with his usual trick of seekering their transports to pieces and they won't need to go anywhere even if he manages it



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For me that's an awful lot of artillery and an awful lot of slow moving units. Artillery tends to give you diminishing returns from multiple units. I'd be tempted to drop at least one artillery unit and a unit of scouts for a unit of hydras (you're very short on AA) and either mechanise one of the infantry cos or add the old reliable commissar shadowswords.

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Scout screens Over-Watch shooting at tetras, combined with Infantry OW shooting, if/when needed, to make sure none of the first wave of Tetras remain in markerlight range. Stopping markerlights like this at least stops sustained fire from armoured formations, esp. seeker-missiles.

Getting some Anti-Tank formations onto overwatch would make the skimmer armour rather more vulnerable. OW fire happens after a move and before firing, so the Tau tanks come into popped up positions close to terrain are pretty visible all over the board. The obvious choice would be Vultures, set up on OW due to being garrisoned and they outrange even the mighty Hammerhead Railguns. A Shadowsword on OW getting a single hit (MW2+, so high 5/6 probability) on an armoured formation will take 3 of the tanks out of the shoot: Killed one and 2 BMs so suppressed another two. That would take the teeth out of the pop-corn Tau Armoured formations.

I recognise that it is hard to get non-garrison formations onto OW before the dreaded 1st coord fire triple, and retain 2nd coord fire triple. Need scout screens to deal with that, and also recognise that it is 6 activations from the Tau so some freedom ought to open up later in the turn.

Any markerlight formations with a unit or two left within 30 cm (ie markerlight range) then they are also within assault range of any formation - esp the infantry formations. I have often lost a whole pathfinder Tetra formation in the assault resolution phase. One or two Tetra casualties, double outnumbered and the Tau evaporate. Having a spare Thunderbolt Squadron or two to hunt down the broken Light Vehicles would help clear out the fast markerlight formations.

Think two manticores is fine, not sure about the basilisks as well but overall it does seem a rather defensive list. What victory conditions are you aiming for?

If I were him i would put the objectives deep in your half away from cover which would give you a bit of a dilemma. If you are able to garrison them in cover you should be alright depending how many goes at them he gets with his fire warriors. But defend the flag is one of the harder conditions to keep. You will need the BTS too.

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