Tau Empires - Vespid Stingwings |
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baronpiero
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Post subject: Tau Empires - Vespid Stingwings  Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:57 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:38 pm
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Sorry Tactica, I thought there was a majority opinion about them not being FF specialists.
About the Neutron blaster, It's difficult to imagine what kind of damage this thing can do. What kind of information do you have about it in the Tau codex? Personally, I imagine it causing more pain than actual damage like a sting would, hence disrupt. But it's definitely more important to give them a niche role.
And how can we make the vespids work well with Crisis?
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Tactica
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Post subject: Tau Empires - Vespid Stingwings Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:56 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
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BaronP,
No appoligy necessary. I'm with you.
Also, it would appear that since my post to you - CS has given us a direction on page 6 - which I applaud and agree with.
So, moving forward from CS's guidance, some ideas need to be tested and FF specialists the Vespids are not to be. I also note that the concept of the 40K Sergent/leader or "Strain Leader" as labled will be a component of each stand.
This decision does beg whether or not the Vespids will have Marker Lights. Just as only the FW sergent can have ML, only the Vespid Strain Leader can have Marker Lights.
I did not see CS take a stand on a superior officer "Strain Director" as suggested by Nerroth.
Regarding your question:
About the Neutron blaster, It's difficult to imagine what kind of damage this thing can do. What kind of information do you have about it in the Tau codex? |
Actually, we have quite a bit of information from the codex. I just read about the Vespids last night in fact.
The Vespids come from a large gas planet about 3 light years in the galactic south of the Tau Empire. They have large nest like conglomerates that float around withing the gas planet. (Call them hive cities as a 40K Imperial pun if you like!) Vespids have chitinous wings that constantly are in use like no other species due to their home world.
Their Neutron blasters are a composite of planet, biotech, and Tau tech. I'll explain.
The muzzle end of a Neutron Blaster is a crystal from their aforementioned Hive City Nest things which is appearently some composite of their toxic gas planet. The Vespids mounted these crystals on crude weapon chassis prior to the Tau encountering them. With limited effectiveness, they used these weapons in wars between *Hive citys*.
The crystal is energized and *fired* in the traditional sense by the high rate of harmonic frequency produced from the Vespid Stingwing rapid flapping motion. Thus - only a Vespid could ever use a weapon with their crystaline technology and thus the 'bio-tech' aspect of their weapons.
What the Tau bring to the table is a system to harness these energies a better chassis design further intensifying harmonics from the wings. The Tau build the now present chassis for the Vespid Crystaline warheads - but still, only the Vespid's rapid wing flapping can produce the acutely accurate frequencies needed to activate the weapon system. The Tau chassis tech simply harnesses and amplifies the effects the Vespids produce - as well as providing a mount for the crystal of course.
Personally, I imagine it causing more pain than actual damage like a sting would, hence disrupt. But it's definitely more important to give them a niche role. |
It does appearently produce a potent beam capable of damaging light vehicles though. I'll have to read it again to see the "effects" of the weapon beam... as that wasn't my goal of research last night. (was researching the weapon for other interests).
And how can we make the vespids work well with Crisis?
A good question. What value will they bring?
Cheers,
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Tactica
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Post subject: Tau Empires - Vespid Stingwings Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 9:39 am |
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OK, looked again tonight at the Neutron gun. It really is just that - attacking atomic levels of the target.
The book says the "ulstrasonics" of the wings are the activating mechanisim and the crystaline device is literally bypassing all but the most "ray preventative" armors.
The weapon destroys atomic particles within the nucleus of atoms appearently. That's where the no armor save for Marine or worse armor is coming from.
If you don't have 2+ termy armor, you just aren't stopping this "ray" appearently.
At S5 though, the best it could hurt is armor 10 and armor 11 - so just like the, pulserifle, pulse carbine, burst cannon, and SMS that are also S5, its really only an AP weapon in E:A. Unlike all of these other systems thogh - marines (and lessor armor) don't get saves against it in 40K.
So exceptionally fast moving and expert terrain negotiating with increadible effective anti-personal weapons - albeit at very close ranges.
Vespids have an initiative 5 in 40K, but E:A principles will quash any actual application of this in E:A combat. The text goes on to describe how fast they are etc. Maybe it would be better to factor their speed + marine T4 plus IG armor into a better armor stat and avoid any FF boosting here... *IF* we wanted to factor in their speed somehow that is. Just throwing that out there for consideration.
Finally, book talks about them *complementing* crisis on the field in 2 different areas of the book, but does not talk about them running with crisis directly in tandum operations. Also talks about them working as a reserve for the front line in hot zones to the tau army in general. Finally, in one spot, it talks about them complementing the efforts of Kroot and Pathfinders in forward positions. All of this ultimately establishing that the Vespids are a very flexible unit type with Tau battle practices.
BTW: Did you know that only the females are the Strain Leaders? They were Tau tech "communication hubs" to allow the Tau to communicate with them. The book also hints that since the Tau gave them this tech, the Vespids were astonishingly easy and freely willing to cooperate with the Tau fully - but also mentions that this might just be cooincidence, even though the Tau build the helms. I found all this ambiguious languague quite ironic. Its all about the greater good, now - just put on this helmet so we can control you for the Greater Good. 
BTW2: I previously asked if the Strain Leaders were getting ML... I know that they should NOT now. If the Strain Leader is alive, the unit can take advantage of marked targets to further increase their chances of hitting, breaking targets, etc... however, the Strain leader CANNOT take a marker light, so no need for Vespids to have markers. However, since the E:A tau don't use the new ML rule, I suppose this advantage will just be lost unless we artificially adjust their 'to hit' numbers or something.
BW3: I see no reason for disrupt on the Vespids from the Empire Codex anyway.
Cheers,
Cheers,
_________________
Rob
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baronpiero
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Post subject: Tau Empires - Vespid Stingwings Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 5:29 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:38 pm
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I was off a whole week. 
You made a very interesting summation. I start to like these bees. They remind me of the space pirates in the Metroid game (insectoid, biotech, toxic environment,...).
So basically, the neutron blaster is a potent anti-infantry weapon. As for the kroot, it seems Tau enhanced alien tech with their own. Certainly something to keep in mind for the Guesenshi humans army list.
For the moment, I rather see them as a lighter troop type than firewarriors (so maybe armor 6+?), but quite deadly (AP3+ for the multiple neutron blasters?). And no Tau fallback, thus epitomizing the 'sting once and die' aspect of a bee.
Their main job would be to deal efficiently with ennemy scouts and other fragile formation, so ideally they should be a quite small and similarly priced formation (6 unit starting size?). Furthermore that's the kind of size that would make them useful to range ahead and cause crossfire for the crisis.
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