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As these are starting to pop up again maybe it would be useful to stick all the rules and the suggestions in one thread.
These are the current Tau special racial and army list rules.
COORDINATED FIRE
Some units are noted as being able to call in coordinated fire. Those units can order up to two other formations that have not taken an action this turn, and which are not broken, to follow their own formation when they take an advance, double or sustained fire action, as long as all of the formations have at least one unit within 15cm of the formation containing unit calling for coordinated fire.
Make a single initiative roll for all formations, counting a single –1 modifier if any have blast markers. If the test is failed then the original formation (containing the unit calling for coordinated fire) receives a Blast marker and must take a hold action, but
the other formations are unaffected (and may take an action later in the turn).
If the test is passed then all formations concerned are allowed to take either an advance, double or sustained fire action.
There is no obligation for all formations to take the same action, and these actions may be resolved in any order, but they must all fire at the same target formation. The formations don’t have to stay within a given distance of each other and will complete their actions one after the other. Each formations action is declared and resolved (including testing to see if the target formation is broken) before moving on to the next Tau formation.
Note that units with this ability confer the Coordinated Fire ability to any formation that they join. For example, a Pathfinder upgrade purchased to be added to a Fire Warrior Cadre, adds the Coordinated Fire ability to all units in the Cadre, including the Fire Warriors.
MARKERLIGHTS AND GUIDED MISSILES
All enemy units within 30cm range and LOF of at least one unit with markerlights are considered to be marked. However, Tau units that are broken or have marched that turn cannot use their markerlights. The action the markerlight unit is carrying out does not have any impact on guided missiles (except ‘March’, as noted above).
Guided missiles must either be guided by a markerlight or be fired unguided. If they are fired unguided, they follow all the normal shooting rules. If a missile is guided by a markerlight, the firing unit does not need a line of fire to the target unit and receives a +1 to hit modifier. However, hits may only be allocated to units from the target formation that are marked by a markerlight. Apart from that, all the normal shooting rules apply. Tracer missiles which are fired unguided from orbiting spacecraft may only be targeted at War Engines – Tracer missiles which are fired guided from orbiting batteries function as normal.
TAU SUPREME COMMANDER
Tau commanders are experienced in positioning their troops to get the maximum effect from their firepower while at the same time avoiding vulnerable close combat situations. They are able to call on their troops to pour fire into a single target formation, catching it in a withering hail of attacks from all directions.
The Tau Supreme Commander functions in exactly the same way as the standard Supreme Commander ability, but substitutes ‘Coordinated Fire’ for ‘Commander’. Therefore, the Tau Supreme Commander ability gives the benefit of both the ‘Coordinated Fire’ and ‘Leader’ ability, as well as allowing the Tau player to re-roll one failed initiative test (of any type) once per turn.
TAU TECHNOLOGY
TAU JET PACKS
Tau Jet Packs follow all the rules for Jump Packs. Additionally, units with Tau Jet Packs are allowed to fall back from a charging enemy instead of making a counter-charge move. The units may move 10cm in any direction immediately after the enemy formation has declared an engage or air assault action against their formation (note that falling back happens before a charge or air assault is made, not after charge moves as with counter-charges). The Jet Pack unit may not end this movement inside any enemy zone of control (since this is not an engage move). If this move is not possible without entering
an enemy zone of control, then the Jet Pack unit may not make this move and is ‘fixed in place’.
Note that this jet pack move comes immediately after the assault declaration, and so in some cases will not be able to prevent close combat attacks, and this move is made before the first round of combat, and is not used in the second or any subsequent combat rounds. Also, the rules for intermingled assaults means that all formations being assaulted are treated as a single formation and must therefore remain in unit coherency. This applies equally to Jet Pack units, which still must stay in unit coherency after their fall back move.
TAU DRONES
Formations do not receive blast markers for drone units that are destroyed, but drones lost in an assault do count towards the assault resolution as normal. Drone units do not disallow garrisoning at setup if the formation would otherwise be able to do so.
TAU DEFLECTOR SHIELDS
Tau deflector shields work like an invulnerable save in all respects, with the single exception that they will not always save on the normal 6+, instead the score is dependent on the impact energy of the hit: The deflector will save on a 4+ against weapons with the Titan Killer ability (roll for variable damage first and then save against each hit separately, as attacks might be only partially deflected), a 5+ against Macro Weapon hits (and similar weapons which ignore basic armour saves), and a 6+ against AT and AP attacks (essentially, any attack which is not MW or TK will be saved on a 6+). This save is made
before standard armour or reinforced saves are rolled, instead of after. They give no protection against attacks from enemy units in base contact, where the angle of incoming attacks does not allow for deflecting shots completely away from the craft.
ROBOTIC SENTRY
Each robotic sentry unit is classified as a formation of its own, and these units are placed at the start of the game, after objectives are declared and before forces are set up (see page 124 of the main rule book, robotic sentries are deployed after section 6.1.4 and before section 6.1.5). They may be placed anywhere on the table, outside of any enemy setup zones (usually 15cm from their home board edge). Robotic sentry units do not get activations and they cannot be used to claim or contest objectives.
Robotic sentry units never receive blast markers for any reasons, have no zone of control, and assaults are handled differently – enemy units engage robotic sentries as normal, with units using their close combat or firefight values. However, units in base contact with a robotic sentry automatically hit the sentry tower, which makes its normal save. Units  using their firefight must roll to hit as normal. Robotic sentry units don’t make return attacks, and in addition neither unit is considered engaged in close combat. Further rounds are not fought and the enemy may move off at any time. No assault resolution is
made.
A maximum of one Markerlight Sentry Support Group may be selected for each 1000 points, or part thereof, of the Tau force. Therefore, a force of between 0 and 1000 points may take up to one support group, a force of between 1001 and 2000 points may take up to two support groups, a force of between 2001 and 3000 points may take a maximum of three support groups, and so on.
SUPPORT CRAFT
Support craft remain high up in the air, this means they can always draw a line of fire to any target and vice versa, like aircraft. They also never block LOF to other units, including other support craft. They ignore terrain when moving and never count as being in cover, nor can they provide cover for friendly troops, as they are too far away from the ground. In an assault, they work exactly like skimmers.
Self Planetfall
Note that the Manta is a space capable craft, and therefore does not require space assets in order to planetfall.
Normal planetfall rules apply, including the designation of the planetfall turn and plotting a drop zone, placing the Manta as the space craft. On arrival, the Manta descends to ground level and conducts a normal activation.
_________________ If using E-Bay use this link to support Tac Com!'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913 "Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography." General Plumer, 191x
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