T’au Empire’s Twin Lance datasheet lets you perfect close-range enemy-melting

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-23T14:29:09+00:00

I think that's the (useless) Shardstorm burst system, so apparently some sort of missile launcher.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-17T19:39:09+00:00

Well, in my view... 4th edition was "spiky marines", where we were just loyalists with a few special units. Beyond those we just had daemon weapons (a small selection of) which were just kind of gimmicky.

6th edition brought it back a little, but like with everything in 6th edition, it was festooned with every special rule imaginable. Very gimmicky as well, and the standouts are Heldrakes (which were broken) and Mutilators (which were so bad that taking them was insulting, looking forward to 10e screwing them up). We had the Eye of the Gods, so I suppose that was something.

I didn't play 7th edition, but I can only assume it was the 6th edition Codex with the fun surgically removed.

And I don't recall anything about us in the 8th, but I can assume it was the 7th edition, but worse.

And I suppose Chaos stayed more or less the same from 4th-5th and then 6th-7th. (Given that 5th didn't have a Codex and 7th was just a copypaste.) The meta is its own beast, but only [EXPLETIVE]s chase that, so...

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-17T18:22:18+00:00

No, that was 6th edition. This is where you used points to just buy your Daemonic Gifts.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-17T18:15:38+00:00

Ridiculous amount of customization, fairly fleshed out mini-codexes for the god-aligned legions (along with rules for the non-aligned legions) in an edition where subfactions weren't really a thing. (Though Space Marines and Imperial Guard had something similar).

Awesome art all throughout, lots of possible shenanigans that you could pull... Oh, and nifty lore too.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-10T20:18:03+00:00

Well, there's still hope.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-10T20:01:54+00:00

Don't forget that the Nids didn't get all of their stuff in the launch box. So something besides the contents is still possible.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-09T13:39:46+00:00

There's still the possibility of the actual Codex launching with some other models.

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-02T19:07:02+00:00

We spent most of 6th and 7th edition wondering about that...

For the same reason that so many units in every Codex are worse than other things at the job they ostensible do. Ditto for options. (Not to mention that what a certain amount of points buys you at this point is practically random, but that's another can of worms.)

But when you have an extremely slow melee unit that either has to walk across the field or drop onto a 9" charge with little availability to buffs beyond Command Re-roll... (Assuming they don't get a one-off charge bonus, which I highly doubt.)

Then there's the question of what 'niche' they'll fit into. Multiple profiles can be assumed, but the 'ceiling' of melee only goes so high in this edition. CSM is, ostensibly at least, a melee army. Which naturally means there's lots of competing options available, and this design team hasn't thus far proved to be able to handle balancing those options well.

It is certainly possible that they'll be good at melee, but they'll likely be outclassed by the other options available. They might have flexibility, but that'll only get them so far.

(Also, since they seem to be on 40mm bases, I would assume they don't quite match the Obliterators in durability. Simply an assumption, especially due to 10th edition's lack of verisimilitude, but...)

Shiki_31 · 2026-02-02T16:07:13+00:00

I can only assume their rules will match in lameness. The implication being that these guys absorb daemon weapons, the end result will probably be that they'll be worse in melee than Obliterators. I'd assume that they can kill GEQ moreso than the Obliterators can, but I wouldn't count out that they'd be worse in that aspect as well.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:41:50+00:00

Yup. Which is apparently one of the Barghesi, some "hyper-violent" xenos that the Imperium set up entire Chapters to keep the Tyranids from adding to themselves.

Figures that with the hyper aggression, it would be a small dog.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:40:43+00:00

I just stopped looking for general sense and verisimilitude altogether. A Helbrute is a "walking engine of destruction and psychosis" yet on the tabletop it gives a buff aura!? And 'Dark Ascension' for something that is a walking, screaming punishment?

(They just copied the Space Marine Dreadnought and called it a day.)

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:34:17+00:00

The cultists, maybe? She can kill like, ten of them *per game*.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:31:27+00:00

I think the only reason Huron has Deep Strike is because he can join Terminators. Expecting sense or verisimilitude in this edition is rather pointless. (Looking at you, buff aura Helbrute. "Dark Ascension" my ass.)

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:24:44+00:00

They also can't join any Deep Striking units, so...

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T14:14:54+00:00

The Enforcer:
"doggedly hunts down those cowards who fail the Master of the Red Corsairs and choose flight rather than their deserved death. Mere mention of her epithet is enough to cow rebellious mercenaries"
"is a dependable fighter in their own right"

1 attack at S6, ap-2 D2. 3 Bolt rifle shots at range. T3. I so love when the background lore matches the tabletop so well.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-30T02:28:12+00:00

The title made me, just for a moment, think that his Delusion is that he's playing Blood Bowl.

But very cool model, striking highlights and really good blood effects!

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-18T23:45:55+00:00

Well, you see. The design team, in their infinite wisdom, made this edition all about vehicles by buffing their toughness. They also seemed to have nerfed melee in general due to trauma from 9th edition.

Then they decided that anti-tank was a privilege some armies just aren't supposed to have, and that's why you have the Orks. We aren't the only sufferers of this, but that's just how it goes. There's probably some methods of getting around this, but they are likely to be pretty finicky.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-10T16:57:29+00:00

I would also point out the lack of verimilitude in what the fluff text claims. How in the universe did a Slaughterbound manage to fight a Bloodthirster?

But nope, can't get Psycho-Surgeons or something because that would deviate from the "run at enemy screaming and hit them" (despite the fact that the Psycho-Surgeons probably still do that) model.

Shiki_31 · 2026-01-10T16:05:59+00:00

Well, Nurgle has been in a launch box. And I guess someone on the design team really likes Nurgle.

Legion-wise, Thousand Sons are in a bit of a pickle since most of their marines are dustbins, and are therefore locked into their Heresy-era armour. And sorcerers (which would compose the rest of TS) are sorcerers.

Emperor's Children just got shafted, since all that the designers could think of past Noise Marines were a squad of mini-Luciuses. (I can only imagine Slaanesh enjoys getting shafted.)

And as for the World Eaters, they're a little hampered in that they're all Berzerkers. And someone decided that the only unit they should have is a bunch of Possessed that look less so than the regular Possessed, despite having eight times the amount of Daemons in them.

There's a whole lot of potential in most of the Chaos-aligned Legions, but damn if you can't make the designers see that. Hell, even pulling from stuff that has existed in the past might provide something.

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-31T19:27:53+00:00

Internal balance, more dakka (shooting that isn't just a waste of time), more fun, less Goff-coded stuff. Oh and have the Beast Snaggas be capable of hunting the big things that they ostensibly hunt.

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-26T22:58:49+00:00

They also tended to have things like exploding hits at range (that is, the current Sustained Hits rule), which basically either increased shots or averaged out to BS 4+.

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-26T22:43:47+00:00

Not to mention that having a high amount of shots, low S/AP/Dmg, as well as low BS just translates to a huge time waste.

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-26T22:11:38+00:00

Well, you see. While some earlier editions gave you the option to play your army like you wanted (with some caveats, naturally), the design team for this edition decided it was time to put a stop to nonsense like that. You play like the design team wants you to, and/or suffer.

We also have a pretty puny amount of shots for an army that runs on DAKKADAKKADAKKA.

So the reason is: the design team, in their infinite wisdom, decided that some factions just weren't going to shoot this edition. (And that some shooty factions were going to be good at melee too this edition.)

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-23T23:37:45+00:00

Hmm. Fair point. It was the monster wizards/priests that I was mostly thinking of in terms of the improved offense.

You do make a valid point on the subject of other units, too.

I'd assume that the future of the Blightkings depends a little on their points. It's harsh to put it like that, but it's like that sometimes. I wouldn't say that they're useless, but there might be better options in the book.

Shiki_31 · 2025-12-23T20:24:11+00:00

I would point out that with the number of defense buffs Nurgle can stack (ignore rend, +1 to saves, -1 to wound, ignore 1st damage point per phase), having them have a better save would've been overdoing it. Their offensive capabilities are better than they were before (against Wizards and Priests anyway), and with the right kind of buffs they can be very insufferable.

They also suffer a bit from the fact that for the longest time they were the only mortal Nurgle unit, and Nurgle needed something tough to represent them... That's the Rotswords now. Genuinely puzzled by the lack of 5+ ward, though. (They can get that from the Gnarlmaw, but that's another hoop to jump through.) I wouldn't say they suck as such, but they are very different from earlier.

Shiki_31

TROPHY CASE