There’s big trouble in little Tau’na. Come see what trouble the USR’s are making for one little line of text in the yet to be released Tau Codex!
Checkout the new Hunter Cadre, or as it’s commonly known “the Tau Decurion”:
Hunter Contingent (I.E. Tau Decurion)
Consists of:
0-1 Command
1+ Basic
1-10 Auxiliaries
Special Rules : Reroll Warlord trait, Units can combine their shooting attacks, and shoot as if they were a single unit. (So they can get benefit from special rules and the same markerlight, for example.)
Because it does not list these command benefits as “special rules” this means that RAW it’s fair game for rules to be conferred to squads to independent characters, and from ICs back to squads (assuming a USR worked that way to begin with).
While that may not be what Games Workshop intended, the “gotcha” I think for most folks comes from the wording – “resolving their shots as if they were a single unit”.
So what does that mean exactly? Well honestly it’s anybody’s guess at this point, however I think the case can be made that via the example they give above it was definitely made with Markerlights in mind.
However, the issue has seemed to morph out of control and there are forum flame wars happening over this little line of text currently.
Can one Crisis Commander join such a formation and confer all his rules to basically the entire Tau army? There is tons of folks out there saying yes and no, and honestly who’s to tell them otherwise?
Solution?
Step one, breathe.
Step two, restrict it to just marker-light abilities and the problem may be solved.
If you play someone that tries this on you, never play him again. WAAC thinking like this may be one of the biggest things plaguing this hobby. Giving players in your community traction for doing things this breeds malcontent in your gaming club/store/league and it can lead to even worse things down the road.
You have to power to stop recklessness like this in your community and help foster a creative, courteous, hobby concentric environment that keeps players excited to play, for all the right reasons.
While this is probably one of those rules that needs a FAQ from tournaments, we’ve weathered the 5 D knights, we can handle this as a community too.
New Tau Rules Roundup
#brininghobbyback
Tau Tidewall Hot or Not? – Episode 23
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
