(Please forgive any odd formatting, etc, here, as this was copied over from a HTML file that was exported from another program, so there's some weirdness going on.)
Stealth'o: hey
AbusePuppy: Hey yourself. What's up?
Stealth'o: just saw you talking in the chatbox
Stealth'o: wanted to say hi
AbusePuppy: 😛 It turns out I hang out there quite a bit. More than I should, really.
Stealth'o: lol yeah ive seen you a lot
Stealth'o: but i mostly dont say anything
Stealth'o: (first time unsing nick)
AbusePuppy: Well, that's most people, really.
Stealth'o: so you play tau?
Stealth'o: ive read the articles youve posted on them
AbusePuppy: Most of those are Kirby's, not mine, but yeah, Tau is one of my back-burner armies right now. They're neat, but they're just too luck-dependent for my tastes currently.
Stealth'o: heh that gets fixed soon
AbusePuppy: Yeah, so the rumors say, but they say a lot of stuff, so I don't really believe much. It's pretty in the air at this point.
Stealth'o: no they actually are
Stealth'o: theyre the next book to get done
AbusePuppy: Where'd you hear that?
Stealth'o: didnt Hear it from anyone
Stealth'o: i just know
AbusePuppy: Like magical space knowledge? No offense, but...
Stealth'o: sigh no ive actually seen the new stuff myself
AbusePuppy: 😵 Like... for reals?
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: im part of their playtest group
AbusePuppy: Whoah. That's... that's pretty cool.
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: i laugh whenever i see someone post something like
Stealth'o: gw never playtests anything!
Stealth'o: lol cause i know different
AbusePuppy: It's harder to balance things that most people think.
Stealth'o: YES!!
Stealth'o: thank you
Stealth'o: im so sick of people saying its easy to make everything perfect
Stealth'o: we change every unit ten times trying to fic stuff
Stealth'o: and still its not good enuf
AbusePuppy: Seriously. So, uh, if you don't mind my asking, what's the new book like? Please tell me that Cruddace isn't writing it, I'm not sure I can bear to have him kick another one of my codices square in the junk.
Stealth'o: lol no
Stealth'o: phil kelly is the guy for this book
Stealth'o: some of us think that cruddace is getting pushed away from writing new 40k books
Stealth'o: because of nids and sob
Stealth'o: but Officially we havent heard anything
AbusePuppy: Thank you God, Jesus, Buddha and Allah.
Stealth'o: i like it a lot
Stealth'o: its pretty good but theres still some stuff to fix
Stealth'o: but most of it is done at this point
AbusePuppy: Makes sense, they need like a ~3 month print window, don't they?
Stealth'o: i dont know actually
Stealth'o: but we always finish testing way before
Stealth'o: anything comes out
AbusePuppy: So, um, without sounding too forward... what can you tell me? >.>
Stealth'o: lol
Stealth'o: im not supposed to say anything but...
AbusePuppy: Aww, you tease. 🙁
Stealth'o: lol no its okay i dont think the gw police will find me
AbusePuppy: You fool, I'm secretly working for them!
Stealth'o: gasp
Stealth'o: ive been setup, you rat!
AbusePuppy: Now say something about getting away for it if not for us darn kids.
Stealth'o: lol
AbusePuppy: So is any of the current rumor stuff true? :\ Because it kinda sounds like bullshit.
Stealth'o: some of it is real actually
Stealth'o: but i think a lot of it is just good guesses
AbusePuppy: SO the usual?
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: i mean its not hard to figure out something like
Stealth'o: fire warriors get cheaper and ethereals arent bad nemore
AbusePuppy: Herp de derp indeed. What's the deal with HQs and troops and FoC-swaps? Kelly seems like he's done a lot of that in the past, so it'd be natural to see more now.
Stealth'o: yeah the hq slot is gonna be way more open than before
Stealth'o: shasels make crisis into troops if you take the right gear
Stealth'o: they have way more options than before
Stealth'o: but also theres some other good hqs
AbusePuppy: Like a Kroot Shaper? :3 I know some folks that are really looking forward to an all-Kroot army.
Stealth'o: lol maybe
Stealth'o: but there is a stealth suit commander
AbusePuppy: Let me guess, you were one of the ones rooting for that?
Stealth'o: yup
Stealth'o: doesnt mak estealth troops
Stealth'o: but si still pretty good
AbusePuppy: Are Crisis gonna get a new box? Because I love those silly chicken-leg things, but the ankles... dear god, the ankles...
Stealth'o: sorry no
Stealth'o: weve been told there is no new box for them because they have a good kit
Stealth'o: but they are making a sprue for broadsides and commander
AbusePuppy: Huh. Like re-cuts for those kits, or...?
Stealth'o: no like a new upgrade sprue
Stealth'o: in plastic so no more metal/plastic gluing
AbusePuppy: Oh, so there'll be the current Crisis kit and then another kit to turn them into Broadsides/Commanders.
AbusePuppy: That's cool.
Stealth'o: yeah and it has all the Special Issue gear on it
AbusePuppy: Are they adding more of that?
Stealth'o: some more
Stealth'o: some of it is also different
Stealth'o: a lot of stuff changed
AbusePuppy: Well, a lot of it had to, the codex was basically still from 3E.
Stealth'o: lol yeah
Stealth'o: the new book is pretty clearly designed for 6th though
Stealth'o: they do a lot of stuff very differently than before
Stealth'o: dones dont count for morale anymore
AbusePuppy: That's a huge plus. "Oh no, our expendable buddies are dying, run for it!"
Stealth'o: they also added some new drone types
Stealth'o: one with heavier guns and a melee drone
AbusePuppy: Tau melee units? 😵
Stealth'o: well its still not good
Stealth'o: but better than the other stuff
Stealth'o: it has meq stats and a power weapon
Stealth'o: with counterattack
AbusePuppy: I guess that's... okay.
Stealth'o: its kinda like a shield drone in how i use them
AbusePuppy: T4/3+, so yeah. Are Markerlight Drones at all useful now? I converted a bunch up and they're sitting in my case. :|
Stealth'o: lol markerlights are all different now
Stealth'o: all drones are relentless
Stealth'o: and and the tokens work differently
AbusePuppy: How so?
Stealth'o: theyre assault guns now so you can move and shoot
Stealth'o: and multiple tokens dont help
AbusePuppy: "Don't help" like you can't use more than one token on a unit? Tha kinda sucks.
Stealth'o: no
Stealth'o: its like
Stealth'o: you can have tokens to do different things
Stealth'o: but you cant use more than one to do the same thing
AbusePuppy: On a single shot, you mean?
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: so you can use one to make your gun twin linked
Stealth'o: or make them reroll cover
Stealth'o: or pinning
Stealth'o: but you cant use two to do it again
AbusePuppy: Well, that's just the rules there, but yeah, that's cool.
Stealth'o: yeah mls are good now
AbusePuppy: They were good before, they were just impossible to get anywhere other than Pathfinders or for too high a price.
Stealth'o: prices are similar
Stealth'o: but so much more useful!
Stealth'o: since you can split fire with them
AbusePuppy: Noice, I was hoping they'd keep that ability for the Tau.
Stealth'o: yeah pathfinders can do it
Stealth'o: and theres an upgrade for it
AbusePuppy: What other kinds of new units do we get to see?
Stealth'o: a ton of stuff
Stealth'o: tau get s omany more units now
AbusePuppy: That happens with every codex, though. Look at Necrons. 😛
Stealth'o: yeah but theyre adding all the castes
Stealth'o: not just fire
AbusePuppy: Like, as playable units?
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: air = flyers
Stealth'o: water = hq upgrade
Stealth'o: earth = repairer
AbusePuppy: So Tau get a one fo the new "fast skimmers which are secretly airplanes"?
Stealth'o: yup
Stealth'o: theyre copying a lot of fw stuff for the new book
AbusePuppy: That's pretty standard these days.
Stealth'o: yeah just like the maticore and trygon
Stealth'o: theyre making a kit for the barracuda but its smaller
AbusePuppy: Do they give it some extra guns? Because I was always... unimpressed with the Barracuda.
Stealth'o: it gets a bunch more stuff
Stealth'o: and its cheaper
AbusePuppy: It kinda has to be, all FW's stuff is overpriced for the most part.
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: theyr also doing the tetra and hazard
Stealth'o: and maybe one other
Stealth'o: but it had problems
AbusePuppy: "One other"?
Stealth'o: ill just keep that a secret
Stealth'o: grin
AbusePuppy: *glances at FW's page* ...Knarlocs?
Stealth'o: grin
Stealth'o: nope!
AbusePuppy: I don't see what else it could be, given the kits FW has made. One of the named chars...?
Stealth'o: no
Stealth'o: but they are redoing all the named chars in the book
Stealth'o: aunva farsight and shadowsun
Stealth'o: also adding an air character in a tank
Stealth'o: tank = flyer
AbusePuppy: Oh good. :\ Is it less poorly-done than Pask and the Dais and shit like that?
Stealth'o: hes pretty okay
Stealth'o: but they changed the way that named chars work
Stealth'o: in 6th so it makes sense
AbusePuppy: We'll, see, I guess. I mean I will, you've already seen. 😛
Stealth'o: lol yeah
AbusePuppy: Okay, so allies: do we get many more of them, or is it still just Kroot/Vespid? Because I really, really want to be able to field an army with tons of allies, it's what I like about them.
Stealth'o: they get some new ones
Stealth'o: demiurg
Stealth'o: hrud
Stealth'o: humans
AbusePuppy: Squats?!?!
AbusePuppy: Seriously?
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: grin
Stealth'o: theyre kinda like in fantasy
Stealth'o: slow but heavy hitters
Stealth'o: with good ap guns and strength
AbusePuppy: Are the Gue'vesa same as the old PDF version?
Stealth'o: no theyre pretty different
Stealth'o: more like the allies from old inquisition
Stealth'o: you can take some ig units as renegades
Stealth'o: and use them
AbusePuppy: Oh shit. That's hardcore.
Stealth'o: yeah but
Stealth'o: theres a lot of good tau stuff that kinda blows ig away
Stealth'o: so its alsmost a waste
Stealth'o: kroot are same cost as an ig trooper now
Stealth'o: and they have +1save and s4 gun
Stealth'o: and two attacks
AbusePuppy: So kinda just better? 😵
Stealth'o: yeah but you need a shaper
Stealth'o: and still no armor
AbusePuppy: Not having armor is the best part about Kroot. :3 Get charged, get eaten, let the Tau shoot 'em!
Stealth'o: lol yeah
Stealth'o: but with stealth they dont need armor
AbusePuppy: Cover saves are basically the Tau army's best friend.
AbusePuppy: Kroot, Gun Drones, every tank they have...
Stealth'o: tanks get stealth now
AbusePuppy: Like, all of them?
Stealth'o: its from disrupton pod
Stealth'o: gives stealth or
Stealth'o: 6+ if you have no cover
Stealth'o: but more expensive
AbusePuppy: Well, it'd have to give you points if it got any cheaper. >.>
AbusePuppy: Are Fire Warriors getting anything, or are they still stuck in the dump?
Stealth'o: fw are not bad
Stealth'o: pulse is s6 now
AbusePuppy: Penetrating Rhinos with basic troops, fuck year!
Stealth'o: yah they are very scary
Stealth'o: bust canons also are s6
AbusePuppy: That might actually make them worth using, although it was mostly the range that crippled them before.
Stealth'o: they are longer range now
Stealth'o: a lot of weapons changed profiles
Stealth'o: and have longer ranges
Stealth'o: plasma is s7 like imp stuff now, missiles are the same as autocannon
Stealth'o: the hazards guns all got better, too
Stealth'o: extra shots on melta cascard and ion, some other stuff
AbusePuppy: That's good, all the 12" and 18" bullshit was killing Tau. We can't fight in melee but we have short-range guns, hurr!
Stealth'o: yeah that is over
Stealth'o: tau are a fast shooty army now
AbusePuppy: They had some long-range guns (Railguns, Seekers), but mostly it was way, way too short for my tastes and for the army to work effectively.
Stealth'o: seekers are 72 now
Stealth'o: but theyre damage went up
AbusePuppy: Well, 72" isn't really any different from unlimited at the end of the day.
Stealth'o: yeah
Stealth'o: but they can be fired in two different modes nopw
Stealth'o: and have two upgrades
AbusePuppy: So more like Frag/Krak?
Stealth'o: yeah but better
Stealth'o: s8 ap3 blast
Stealth'o: s6 ap5 large blast
Stealth'o: s5 ap6 large blast no cover
Stealth'o: s9 ap1 2d6
Stealth'o: the last two are the upgrade ones
AbusePuppy: Melta missile! Do the upgrades replace the normal ones, or are they extra fire modes?
Stealth'o: you can only shoot one type each turn
Stealth'o: but it can be any type
AbusePuppy: Heh, I might finally get to use my magnetized hardpoints, then. :3
Stealth'o: skyrays are so good now
Stealth'o: i love mine
AbusePuppy: I might have to pick some up as a prepratory measure, then. Only had one currently.
Stealth'o: i would do it
Stealth'o: you are gonna need them
AbusePuppy: Okay, so the other big question, then: is Tau before or after 6E?
Stealth'o: i dont know
Stealth'o: im not on the test group for 6th
Stealth'o: so i dont know anything about it
AbusePuppy: Awww. Well, I guess I can't be _too_ disappointed with what you've told me. :3
Stealth'o: lol yeah
Stealth'o: the new tau are really cool
AbusePuppy: Do they push the timeline forward any?
Stealth'o: not really
Stealth'o: but they do add more stuff
Stealth'o: they get revenge for urien killing their planet
Stealth'o: and theres more of the big fight with crowe
AbusePuppy: That was one of the best stories in the DE book.
Stealth'o: they basically go ballistic on him
Stealth'o: and theres lots of other cross stuff
Stealth'o: with other xenos and races
Stealth'o: fropm the 4th sphere expansion
AbusePuppy: Sweet. Xenos-on-xenos is always good to see, since like 90% of everything is about the Imperium, one way or another.
Stealth'o: theres that too
Stealth'o: it sorta says that there might be
Stealth'o: some people in the imp working with the tau
Stealth'o: or maybe friends with them
Stealth'o: trading technology for space
Stealth'o: etc
AbusePuppy: So not just 100% "everyone punches everyone all the time"-fest? Gasp!
Stealth'o: lol yeah
Stealth'o: the tau are just like the imp now
Stealth'o: but less stupid
AbusePuppy: Well, stupid in their own, unique way.
Stealth'o: no they are more hardcore now
Stealth'o: not just the nice guys of the galaxy
AbusePuppy: How much of the old book's fluff is getting cut? I really liked having the Tau alphabet, history, etc, in there. I mean, it's not like I have to throw my old book away, but...
Stealth'o: the book is a lot longer
Stealth'o: tey add a whole section on tau culture
Stealth'o: and how they live
Stealth'o: or work mostly
Stealth'o: since thats the point of tau culture
AbusePuppy: I am carefully avoiding any kind of "Arbeit Macht Frei" joke right here
Stealth'o: godwin!
Stealth'o: no you get to see the tau from their perpsective
Stealth'o: they also had some tau Psykers early on
Stealth'o: but they got removed
AbusePuppy: Tau psykers? Isn't that kinda contradictory?
Stealth'o: well they had a lot of complaints
Stealth'o: about de having no psykers and no defense
Stealth'o: so they looked at it
AbusePuppy: That was a fairly significant issue for the DE book, yes.
Stealth'o: but in the end they didnt like it
Stealth'o: so they were dropped
Stealth'o: but theres still some stuff
Stealth'o: that links to them in the new fluff
AbusePuppy: Shit, I gotta go to work here.
Stealth'o: lol
AbusePuppy: Well, really I had to go to work a while ago, but...
Stealth'o: lol its okay
Stealth'o: i should go to
AbusePuppy: Thanks for all the info, mang.
Stealth'o: no problem
Stealth'o: get working on those tau!
AbusePuppy: Ha ha, I basically have to at this point, don't I?
AbusePuppy: Anyways, later.
Stealth'o: later
